It's not something you can fully compare, as some Socialism societies are created / treated in different ways. Take Denmark for example.
But as a most basic difference, Communism and Socialism are similar but Socialism is a LESSER extreme of it. Going into detail would be a bit tough.
Socialism is not a less extreme version of communism.
It's also not tough.
Places like Norway and Denmark are so successful, because they are socialist countries.
Socialism, as I know, is where everyone is taxed, included (especially) the rich. That way, the government can pay for things like, healthcare, college tuition and managing things like roads and stuff.
People are paid for the quantity and quality of their work.
Quoted from here (
http://www.marxmail.org/faq/same_pay.htm)
"Does everybody get the same pay in socialist society?
No, they do not. The skilled worker gets more than the unskilled; the manager gets more than the workman; the great musician gets more than the average musician; the farmer who produces 400 bushels of wheat gets more than the farmer who produces zoo; the miner who digs eight tons of coal gets more than the miner who digs six; and so on. People are paid according to the quality and quantity of their work.
The person who receives even the largest income in socialist society can continue to receive it only so long as he continues to earn it through work. He cannot ever convert it into unearned income by buying the means of production and then living on the labor of others. He cannot buy the means of production for the excellent reason that in socialist society the means of production belong to the people and are not for sale. The higher pay he receives by dint of harder or better work enables him to live better than others who earn less; but his higher pay does not enable him to exploit anyone else.
Though there is inequality of pay in socialist society, there is equality of opportunity. Though skilled workers get higher pay, unskilled workers have ready access to the training and experience necessary to become skilled; though administrators, engineers, writers, artists get higher pay, free education for all in proportion to their ability to learn opens wide the entrance doors to these professions."
That way, everyone can get paid to the extent of the quality and quantity of their work, while taxes, albeit being taxes, allow you free healthcare/tuition/good roads and such.
That is my understanding of socialism, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.
