Milestone vs. Benchmark — What's the Difference?

A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to some datum location.

A standard by which something can be measured or judged

A stone marker set up on a roadside to indicate the distance in miles from a given point.

Often bench mark A surveyor's mark made on a stationary object of previously determined position and elevation and used as a reference point, as in geologic surveys or tidal observations.

An important event, as in a child's development, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point.

To measure (a rival's product) according to specified standards in order to compare it with and improve one's own product.

A stone milepost (or by extension in other materials), one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median.

A standard by which something is evaluated or measured.

(idiomatic) An important event in a person's life or career, in the history of a nation, in the life of some project, etc.

A surveyor's mark made on some stationary object and shown on a map; used as a reference point.

To place milestones along (a road, etc.).

(computing) A computer program that is executed to assess the performance of the runtime environment.

(idiomatic) To plan out a project as a series of major steps.

(transitive) To measure the performance or quality of (an item) relative to another similar item in an impartial scientific manner.

A stone serving the same purpose as a milepost.

To give certain results in a benchmark test.

An event or accomplishment marking a significant advance in an endeavor; a notable achievment; as, putting a man in orbit was a major milestone on the way to the moon.

To use something (e.g., a competitor's product) as a standard to improve one's own thing.

Stone post at side of a road to show distances

Any permanent mark to which other levels may be referred.

A significant event in your life (or in a project)

Something serving as a standard by which related items may be judged; as, his painting sets the benchmark of quality.

A test or series of tests designed to compare the qualities or performance of different devices of the same type. Certain sets of computer programs are much used as benchmarks for comparing the performance of different computers, especially by comparing the time it takes to complete a test.

A standard by which something can be measured or judged;

A surveyor's mark on a permanent object of predetermined position and elevation used as a reference point