The short answer is that all Window Tint is Window Film, but not all Window Film is Window Tint. Window film is an all-encompassing term that includes solar film and tinted film as well as other categories of film such as Safety & Security Film, Antigraffiti Film, and Decorative Film. Often times depending on the application window film can be installed on the interior or exterior of a window. (see Interior VS Exterior Films) 

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Window tint typically only refers to a film that is only installed on the interior face of glass, often for automotive, but sometimes for marine, residential, or commercial purposes. The phrase "Window Tint" also has the implication that the material is inherently tinted, while window film can be a dark tint, reflective like a mirror, or even almost clear.  

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The primary purpose of Window Tint is to darken the window, while also rejecting heat and glare. In this way, the Window Tint can lower the heat gain load on a space, and usually the darker the film, the more heat it can reject, however, the darker the film, the hotter the glass gets from heat absorption. Note. Heat absorption is a normal process that all film goes through but certain films (especially darker films) like ceramic films have higher heat absorption rates.  Window film has a variety of purposes, for example, Safety and Security Window Film can be clear and installed only to deter break and entry, on panels that receive no solar exposure. (see 3M™ Ultra S800). Window film can also be purely decorative, like a gradient frost or can offer clear heat rejection like the 3M™ Prestige Series line. 

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Window tint can also carry a negative "cheap" connotation, as some inexpensive window tints can bubble up and turn purple after a few years, which can give the window film market as a whole a bad rap. The industry is making a push to use the term "Window Film" when referring to our products to show the diversity and durability of quality products. One of the accreditation bodies most notably on this front is the International Window Film Association (IWFA), which Sea Cool is a member of.

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Overall, the main difference between Window Tint and Window Film is the specific purposes they are used for, being that Window Tint is usually just referring to tinted options and Window Film is all-encompassing.