The main difference between a simile and metaphor is that a simile uses the words "like" or "as" to draw a comparison and a metaphor simply states the comparison without using "like" or "as". An example of a simile is: She is as innocent as an angel. An example of a metaphor is: She is an angel.
Life is like a box of chocolates.” In contrast, metaphors directly state a comparison—“Love is a battlefield.”