Though the primary reason behind both condensation and desiccant based units serve the same purpose of humidity removal, the processes involved differ from one another!
Condensation dehumidifiers utilize a compressor and a refrigeration process for effective moisture extraction. They work by drawing in humid air, passing the air to a series of evaporation coils where the moisture is extracted and condensed to water droplets.
The residual air is then passed through a series of condenser coils where it is reheated back before releasing it back to the surroundings.
On the other hand, desiccant dehumidifiers leverage one of the most efficient absorption techniques for effective moisture extraction from the atmosphere.
Desiccant units utilize a desiccant material such as silica gel for removing the excess water content from the air. Silica gel, due to its high affinity towards water, absorbs and extracts moisture from the atmosphere, which results in one of the most efficient forms of dehumidification.