The difference between cabinet refinishing vs. cabinet refacing is that the latter involves replacing most of the cabinet components, whereas the former only freshes the exterior look of the cabinetry. 

Cabinet refinishing involves the cabinetry being disassembled, cleaned, and sanded, then a new finish, like paint or glaze, is applied. You can refinish the cabinet doors or go further and refinish the cabinet boxes, too. 

Cabinet refacing involves replacing the majority of the cabinet materials, including the cabinet, drawer doors, and hardware. In this process, a veneer is applied over the existing cabinet boxes to make them look new. 

The cost to refinish cabinets is $3,000 on average. However, this cost can range from $700 to $6,000, depending on the size and location of the cabinets, the refinishing method, and number of cabinets.

Staining your cabinet doors is the most cost-effective option, costing between $4 and $10 per square foot. However, if you choose to glaze them, that price jumps to $10 to $25 per square foot. 

The cost of cabinet refacing is $7,230 on average. However, it's possible to pay between $1,200 and $16,000 for this project. Factors like the number of cabinets and the refacing materials impact the total cost significantly.

For example, plastic laminate is the most cost-effective cabinet option for refacing, costing $1,000 to $3,000. If you're looking for solid wood cabinets, you can expect to pay more, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 on average for refacing.