What is the difference between 'old imperialism' and 'new imperialism'?

Old imperialism (traditional empire building) became increasingly frowned upon internationally by the 20th century, so simply having a powerful country conquer and gain land and rule centrally (which actually has happened at least since the Roman Empire and since) generally came to an end.

Neo/New Imperialism is the more subtle version of the same thing under political and economic cover, such as the USSR and more recently the EU. Countries under their rule (since the fall of the USSR) are nominally independent, but the ruling system takes more and more power from them until the differences are barely possible to distinguish.

There are still a few territories under foreign rule, most of all the French territories which (apart from a few small exceptions) have full French nationality despite being mainly in Africa. They have become an example of a more mutual form of imperialism where the conquered countries appear to accept and benefit from the arrangement so have not pushed for full independence.

Old Imperialism:
It occurred between 16th and 18th centuries. It began in 1870s colonized Asia and Africa by using military force to take control of local governments. It exploited local economies for raw materials required by Europe’s growing industry. It imposed Western values to benefit the “backwards” colonies.

New Imperialism:
European powers did not usually acquire territory (except for Spain in Americas and Portugal in Brazil) but rather built a series of trading stations. It respected and frequently cooperated with local rulers in India, China, Japan, Indonesia, and other areas where trade flourished between locals and European coastal trading centers. It involved economic penetration of non-European regions in the 19th century.

https://fayllar.org/under-old-imperialism-european-powers-did-not-usually-acquire.html

'Old Imperialism' refers to the colonialism prevalent in the sixteenth century when powers like Great Britain, France, Spain, etc began expanding their empires through war and conquest.

'New Imperialism' is a term used to describe colonialism in the present world, where some countries administer foreign countries. It is also used to refer to capitalist businesses that operate in countries that were former colonies. Multi-national companies, the World Bank and the IMF are sometimes referred to as neo-imperialism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-imperialism

I want to add to the previous answers as I write a research paper on this topic.
Old Imperialism was characterized primarily by European powers exploring and establishing colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Motivated by pursuing resources, wealth, and religious conversion, it was also marked by limited direct control over conquered territories and a focus on trade.
New Imperialism emerged in the 19th century and was characterized by more aggressive and direct colonization efforts. European powers sought territorial control, often through military conquest, and sought to exploit resources and establish political dominance in Asia and Africa. Economic interests, competition among European powers, and nationalism were critical drivers of the new imperialism.
My paper`s co-author from https://cn.papersowl.com/economics-ghostwriting/ argues that these phases represent significant changes in the goals and methods of imperialist expansion: the new imperialism is more focused on territorial acquisition and political control, whereas the old imperialism was focused on trade and limited territorial presence.