Litmus solution indicator just shows us whether the given sample is acidic or basic and tells us nothing about the strength of the acid or the base. Blue litmus solution turns red under acidic conditions; red litmus solution turns blue under basic /alkaline conditions.

On the other hand, universal indicator solution tells us or depicts through its colour exactly how much strong an acid or a base is. It has different colours as reference for different pH values from 0 to 14 indicating the strength of the acid or the base.

Natural indicators- The indicators which are prepared from natural substances are known as natural indicator.

Example – litmus, turmeric indicator.

Synthetic indicators – The artificial indicators which are prepared in the lab are known as synthetic indicators.

Example – Phenolphthalein, methyl orange etc.