What is the difference of Jainism and Buddhism?

What is the difference of Jainism and Buddhism?

They share the principle of rebirth and lack of one supreme being. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha that suffering and denial of luxury. They are actually quite similar in their goals and emphasis on asceticism; the teachings are what differs.

They were founded at about the same time by different teachers: Gautama Buddha for Buddhism, and Mahavira for Jainism. They both share a belief in vegetarianism and karma. They differ in that Jainism be lives in a soul that is trapped in the flesh by earthly desires whereas Buddhism believes that there is no soul, but that desire is an impediment to achieving the state of nirvana. Buddhism rejects the caste system, I think Jainism does not. Buddhism developed in many different ways and was a larger religion that spread much further in Asia. Jainism always remained an ascetic sect of Hinduism. There are monks, nuns, and lay people in Buddhism. In Jainism the community respects ascetics as being the most spiritual people. These ascetics starve themselves to death (or at least they used to) as a way to finally reject the snares of worldly living. Buddhism rejects self-starvation as being too harsh.
Finally, Buddhism is a universal religion that appeals to a wide variety of people. Jainism has mostly appealed to merchants and their families in India.

They differ in degree, not kind. To take two important aspects, Jainism is more catholic and accommodate than Buddhism and secondly, in matters of ahems, Jainism is a step ahead of Buddhism.