Where are you located? The answer to your question may be regional; I ask because I don't want to assume you are in the USA if you live outside of it. :-)

In my area, they are interchangeable terms.

As noted by bry911, a homebuilder may or may not be a general contractor. I was a licensed homebuilder in Ontario under both HUDAC (Housing and Urban Development Association of Canada) and the ONHWP (Ontario New Home Warranty Plan). As such, I sub-contracted out all work to the trades. My task was choosing and then co-ordinating the trades and suppliers while dealing with all the authorities, lenders, sales and followup service. Not to mention the buyer! In fact, the use of subtrades is how the largest "builders" in North America operate.

Some definitions try to separate the two terms by defining a "builder" as an
organization that directly employs all the people putting the house
together.

A general contractor can, and will, build other things such as offices, strip malls, post offices, and clinics.

A homebuilder is legally or by choice, building single-family residences.

Many jurisdictions have regulations as to what a person may use for titles, and for the qualifications and standards for using those titles. For example, one may not legally call oneself an architect, doctor, attorney or general contractor if they have not met applicable jurisdictional requirements.

I'm not sure on this aspect, but "builder" may be like "designer" in many jurisdictions, i.e., there's no applicable regulations and anyone may call themself either of these titles or anything else not restricted by law. But I could be wrong. It happened. Once. Long ago. Bob remembers. \

That said, "general contractor" is differentiated from "specialty contractor" or "sub contractor" in that the general does all of the organization, coordination and supervision of the many special or sub contractors and others required for a building contract, whether residential, commercial or whatever.

In my area of rural Louisiana, the General Contractor and Home Builder is typically one in the same. The GC is responsible for lining up the sub contractors and also has a construction crew that will build the home.

However, our company uses a General Contractor for new construction that is not the builder -- he has a trusted crew that he hires out each time. So in that case, he just lines up all of the sub contractors and makes sure the job gets done.

Unfortunately, I think the terminology can be somewhat regional.

We don't know where the OP is. So it's impossible to answer specifically.

In Ontario, you can call yourself what you want. But if you build/general contract a new home without a license--or an exemption if you're an owner-builder--you are operating illegally and will be subject to fines up to C$100,000.

Or, you may be in an area that takes the same approach as Massachusetts.

https://www.statecertification.com/mass/class/faqs.html

This approach is akin to where plumbing and electrical subcontractors must pull their own permits, except that in this case, ALL subcontractors pull their own permits, and the GC isn't much more than a pencil pusher and money handler with a little more clout with the subs than an average homeowner.

To be very precise and straight, if you have no budget issues, go for a HOME BUILDER!

A builder typically handles the construction of your home. This can include setting the foundation, framing, roofing, as well as erecting the log walls. In addition, builders have a contractor license too. This clearly makes a builder, a bigger name than the GC. A general contractor (GC) orchestrates and manages the team of subcontractors. It might be a possibility that the contractor hires them labor from external sources. Seasonal unavailability, work experience, and work standards will get compromised in this case. Therefore, go for a builder than a GC.

Last year, my brother shifted to Vancouver and was so busy in the office mess that he never found time to supervise his under-constructed house. But who needed supervision when you have an experienced team doing the job for you. He gave the task to a builder firm. Here's their website link: www.vancouver-builders.ca

Not only they got his custom dream house completed but got it done without any error and within the time limit. I guess, you now have an idea, why builders are better than contractors.

Sarah's comments may be applicable to Canada, or somewhere else. They are certainly not applicable to the U.S.

A builder is a GC with a PR firm.

Sarah's comments may be applicable to Canada

Not applicable in Ontario, where to build a house, other than as an owner-builder, you have to be licensed as a homebuilder under TARION, the mandatory licensing and warranty programme.

British Columbia mandates that all new homes be covered by a third-party warranty programme. To build a home in B.C., you must be a licensed residential builder.

(Interesting drive-by posting by Sarah Rose promoting one builder.)

Yes, I suspect the answer has to do with the licensing laws, if any, of the applicable local jurisdiction.

Who is Sarah?

Page up: Sarah Rose and her commercial for a builder...

This must be a joke. There is no difference between a home builder and a general contractor and if you had an architect you wouldn’t need a designer.

On the other hand, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde: the only two words in the English language that mean exactly the same thing are flammable and inflammable.

A builder is a GC with a PR firm.

Say rather, a builder is a GC who's wife offers her "interior design" services while running the social media for the business.

My bet would be that "she" is the owner of this firm and is spamming the site. First post and a link, dead give away in my opinion.

I'm sorry, but these negative comments about builders is rude and disturbing. I am a licensed builder, and don't have a wife or PR firm, don't use social media, and don't offer interior design services. Which I suspect is true of most licensed builders in my state, which just so happens to be the same state as Holly Stockley.

What negative comments?

A builder with no sense of humor. Imagine that.

There is no difference between a home builder and a general contractor

To repeat the second response on this thread: Vague terms whose definition varies by jurisdiction.

For instance, as per the British Columbia government housebuilding registration site:

Ditto in Ontario, where my municipal renovator's license counted for bupkis when I wanted to build a new home for sale.

In my experience there is a difference between a general contractor and a general contractor.

Is electron a negative comment??

Watt?

Some people consider a home builder to design and build a house and a general contractor to only build it. But the more accurate term is design-build contractor.

The license in MA is for a construction supervisor. For larger projects the only license required is an architect’s license.

I only assume in MI most general contractors and home builders have a driver's license.