What is the difference between using "return" and "echo" in PHP for outputting values?

The main difference between using "return" and "echo" in PHP for outputting values is that "return" is used to return a value from a function and exit the function, while "echo" is used to output a value directly to the browser. If you want to display a value directly on the webpage, you should use "echo". If you want to return a value from a function to be used elsewhere in the code, you should use "return".

// Example using echo to output a value directly to the browser
$number = 10;
echo "The number is: " . $number;

// Example using return to return a value from a function
function addNumbers($num1, $num2) {
    return $num1 + $num2;
}

$result = addNumbers(5, 3);
echo "The sum is: " . $result;