The answer to 'difference between surge protector' is that a surge protector and a power strip are not the same thing. A surge protector is designed to protect your electronic devices from power surges and spikes, while a power strip simply provides additional outlets without any surge protection.
Surge protectors have built-in circuitry that senses when a sudden voltage increase occurs and quickly diverts the excess electricity to the ground, preventing it from reaching your devices and potentially damaging them. Power strips, on the other hand, only provide a way to plug in multiple devices without adding surge protection.