Difference between Control Template and DataTemplate in WPF

Typically a control is rendered for its own sake, and doesn't reflect underlying data. For example, a Button wouldn't be bound to a business object - it's there purely so it can be clicked on. A ContentControl or ListBox, however, generally appear so that they can present data for the user.

A DataTemplate, therefore, is used to provide visual structure for underlying data, while a ControlTemplate has nothing to do with underlying data and simply provides visual layout for the control itself.

A ControlTemplate will generally only contain TemplateBinding expressions, binding back to the properties on the control itself, while a DataTemplate will contain standard Binding expressions, binding to the properties of its DataContext (the business/domain object or view model).

Very basically a ControlTemplate describes how to display a Control while a DataTemplate describes how to display Data.

For example:

A Label is a control and will include a ControlTemplate which says the Label should be displayed using a Border around some Content (a DataTemplate or another Control).

A Customer class is Data and will be displayed using a DataTemplate which could say to display the Customer type as a StackPanel containing two TextBlocks one showing the Name and the other displaying the phone number. It might be helpful to note that all classes are displayed using DataTemplates, you will just usually use the default template which is a TextBlock with the Text property set to the result of the Object's ToString method.