Despite similarities, cayenne pepper and paprika are not the same. Both are made from chilies that are dried and ground into powder. Both are a vivid red in appearance, and both are used to spice up dishes. However, cayenne powder is made from dried cayenne peppers, whereas paprika is made of dried red capsicum peppers. This means that cayenne is generally much spicier than paprika. Paprika has a sweeter taste, and cayenne is more immediately fiery. There is ‘hot paprika’ available, which is a blend and generally contains cayenne. This makes a better substitute, although there’s great variety depending on the blend used. If you want to substitute paprika for cayenne, then you can use more to add a spicier kick. The flavor match won’t be exact, but both add a hit of heat and a depth of flavor to improve a dish.