The difference between Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor().execute(command) and new Thread(command).start();

Question

Well title says it, what is the difference between Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor().execute(command) and new Thread(command).start();

Answer 1

I prefer to use ExecutorService or ThreadPoolExecutor even for single digit threads. They offer more flexibility.

Have a look at ExecutorService & ThreadPoolExecutor sections in related SE questions :

java Fork/Join pool, ExecutorService and CountDownLatch

Java's Fork/Join vs ExecutorService - when to use which?

Assume that you have started with your own thread instead of ExecutorService. In future, if there is a need for supporting multiple threads, ExecutorService or ThreadPoolExecutor will offer better control and flexibility for you. You can fine-tune required number of parameters in these below APIs.

ThreadPoolExecutor(int corePoolSize, int maximumPoolSize, long keepAliveTime, 
TimeUnit unit, BlockingQueue workQueue, ThreadFactory threadFactory,
RejectedExecutionHandler handler)