What is the difference between heat cable, heat tape and heat trace?

There is no difference.

The terms heat cable, heat tape and heat trace are all used interchangeably to described heated cables used to protect pipes from freezing, preventing roof and gutter ice dams from forming and for safeguarding temperature sensitive components.

Other terms we’ve seen used regarding Heat Tape are:

• Heat Coils & Heating Coils – Heat Tape has been called this because of the way the zig-zag pattern looks like a heating coil-element (like inside of a toaster)
• Gutter Trace – Heat Tape get’s called this because of the usage in and around gutters