difference between Patherfinder 1st & 2nd edition

OK, I played some 1st edition pathfinder and enjoyed it. I have a chance to pick up a bunch of 2nd edition stuff relatively inexpensively and wondered before sinking any money into it and figured I ask about it.

(I know you can never have two many games but I only have so much disposable income and what I might buy here can be put into other games if I it doesn't seem the changes are worth it)

So what is different or the same between the two editions?

I really like 1e, limited exp w/2e. They seem to play about the same, character creation is quite different. I don’t like how 2e does it; seems attributes raise at diff points in the creation process, and if you don’t go step by step you can get off-track.
I’m not sure 2e achieved the same level of popularity as 1e. Could be a few reasons for that, if so, but it seems like a non-improvement to the system to me.

Mind you, I have only dabbled in 2e and have limited experience in 1e, but I've done the reading.

2e is as different from 1e, as D&D 3e is from 4e or 5e. Clearly deprived from the same game, but not really that compatible. It prioritizes options as well as some of the tightest internal balance you can find in a system. People who care about balance LOVE it.

The reason it hasn't had the same popularity as 1e it's because it hasn't had the same spark. 1e came about when WAHTZEE converted to 4e and decided to skip any good license. So folks said Screw That, and made PF. Nowadays, WAHTZEE makes dumb moves, but nothing quite as big as that one. Hence, no spark.

If you want a game where they actually give the DM tools to make balanced fights, grab it! But be warned, it is so tightly tuned that if you break away from the exact balance, either the enemies or the players are going down quick.

First things first: You can get all the mechanical for both online for free freely! Thought I would point that out. But the books will have more lore/setting stuff in it so can still be worthwhile (As well as supporting paizo)

IMO 2e is to pathfinder what dnd 5e is to dnd 3.5. Much more simplified and streamlined. Some may say by too much. Still to me t has more crunch and character options than 5e.

Pathfinder 1e has loads of options, rules and you can probably make just about anything you want.. but it can get very unruly and un balanced. Especially if you have people of different levels of experience. I've played it over 10 years and there are still rules I get surprised by/don't know.

2e is a lot more concise, and they've brought the balance into check. Its a lot harder t be overpowers, everything is streamline. But thats not for everyone.

It does have some thing I like, like the 3 action system. I really like that.

I'm surprised at others feeling its less popular, I swear now a days on reddit/online places I haunt if someone says Pathfinder they mean 2e. But it does definitely seem love it or hate it too most.

I personally prefer 1e, as I like crunchy numbers, and messy complex builds, but 2e is solid game, nad I can see it being preferable for many. Its definitely more beginner friendly.

If you go to archives of nethys you can see both rule sets for free (Legally as well. Its the official site)

The largest single difference between the two system is the 'action economy'.

A 1e character had an Standard Action, a Move, and a Swift Action. If you didn't use a Move, you could use a Full Action instead, and take a Step instead of a Move. You could trade a Standard Action for a Move Action if you needed to move again, but couldn't do it the other way around. At higher levels, some classes could make multiple attacks for a single Standard Action.

In 2e every character gets 3 actions a turn. That's it. BUT each of those actions could be used for the same thing. Need to move super far, just Move three times? Want to attack three times in a round? Take the penalty and you can (though generally there are better uses for your third action.) This balances spellcasters by making most offensive spells cost 2 or more actions to cast, so martial characters get more attacks.