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The main difference is in the transmission technology and especially in the speed you can actually get. ADSL uses the copper cables from the old national telephone system, so the signal degrades the farther you get from the exchange - that's why people living far away get ridiculously slow speeds. Fiber optic, on the other hand, uses glass filaments that transmit data as light pulses, basically with no signal loss and no degradation over distance.
In practice with ADSL you're limited to theoretical speeds around 20 Mbps, and in reality much less (especially in the evening when everyone's online). With fiber you're looking at 300-1000 Mbps easily, depending on the plan you choose. It's not just about downloading a file faster - with ADSL, 4K streaming, decent video calls, and multiple devices connected at the same time become a nightmare. Fiber handles it all without breaking a sweat.
Anyone who says they're just two different ways of doing the same thing is kind of underestimating how much your actual experience changes. With ADSL you're still in 2010, technically speaking. Plus once fiber reaches your area they tend to gradually phase out ADSL, so if you're looking at a new contract it's worth waiting and checking whether it's coming your way.
They're not really two completely different things - both bring internet to your house, just in totally different ways. With ADSL the signal travels through old copper telephone cables, and the speed depends on how far you are from the telephone exchange (the farther away you are, the weaker the signal gets). Fiber optic, on the other hand, uses cables with glass filaments that carry data as light pulses, so it's way faster, more stable, and doesn't suffer from distance issues. Bottom line, if you've got fiber activated lucky you - you can really see the difference when you're browsing.
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