What each certification covers
A+ is the broader of the two and the shallower. It spans hardware components, mobile devices, operating systems across Windows, macOS and Linux, basic networking, security fundamentals, and the structured troubleshooting method underpinning support work. It is examined in two parts, which is why it takes longer than most single-exam credentials. Network+ narrows to one subject and goes considerably further into it: addressing and subnetting, the protocol stack, routing and switching concepts, wireless, services such as DNS and DHCP, and the diagnosis of faults across all of them. CompTIA publishes the exam objectives for both as free documents, and those documents rather than any course or summary are the definitive statement of what is examinable.
Who each one suits
A+ suits someone entering the field without a technical job history, because it is the credential most often named in help desk listings and because it covers the ground a first support role actually touches. It also converts informal experience into something an applicant tracking system can filter for. Network+ suits someone already working in support who wants a specific direction, and it is the usual second step because networking knowledge is what separates a technician from an administrator. It works less well as a first credential for a complete beginner, since much of the material assumes you have already watched a working network misbehave. The honest test is which one the listings in your area name.
How to choose, and what being wrong costs you
Open ten advertisements for the role you actually want and count which credential appears. That single exercise settles the question more reliably than any general recommendation, because regional employer preference varies and the two sit at different rungs. Where the listings name both, take A+ first, since the ordering CompTIA suggests reflects genuine dependency rather than marketing. Where you already work in support and only Network+ appears, skipping A+ is reasonable and common. Being wrong is not expensive in knowledge terms, because the material overlaps and neither is wasted, but it does cost you an exam fee and several months. Check the current objectives and fee schedule on CompTIA's own site before committing, since both are revised periodically.