An NDA is an acronym for a non-disclosure agreement. This type of agreement refers to a contract in which the parties involved will keep information shared between them confidential to others. This contract can be applied to court and possible punishments are involved if violated. Patent, on the other hand, deals with a proof of ownership of an idea where you own the rights to the design, process, and novelty of your patented idea. NDA and patents are different where they both branch from different types of law; contract law and patent law, respectively. A patent will protect you and your idea more since an NDA is a contract only between two people. Also, it is also important to point out that the definitions of contracts vary from state to state while the reach of a patent reaches farther because its federal.