USDT TRC20 vs ERC20
TRC20 and ERC20 USDT represent the same stablecoin issued by the same company, but they exist as entirely separate assets on entirely separate blockchains.
Different blockchains, different rules
TRC20 USDT runs on TRON; ERC20 USDT runs on Ethereum. They have different address formats, different transaction speeds, and are secured by different, unrelated networks — moving value between them requires an explicit swap or bridge, not a simple transfer.
Practical differences that actually matter
TRC20 transfers tend to be faster and cost less than ERC20 transfers, which run on Ethereum's gas market and can range from a couple of dollars to well over ten dollars depending on network congestion. This is the main reason TRC20 is often the default choice for moving USDT.
How to choose
Use whichever network the platform you're sending to or receiving from actually supports and expects — the two aren't interchangeable, so the right choice depends entirely on matching both ends of the transfer.