A thick client, or desktop client, is a terminal emulation application that is installed directly on the user's computer and provides a rich set of features and customization options. It requires more processing power and memory than a thin client. A thin client is a web-based application that runs in a browser and requires less processing power and memory. It is typically easier to deploy and maintain than a thick client, but may not provide the same level of customization or performance. In addition to a thin client, there is also zero-footprint terminal emulation, where a user can access the host via a browser without the need to install any plugins (for example, JAVA).