Scope Creep
Extra scope is added to the project without considering the impact of change on time, cost, quality, risks etc.
Gold Plating
The team provides extras over and above the scope baseline. Scope Baseline remains “unchanged”.
Difference between Scope Creep and Gold Plating
The key differences between Scope Creep and Gold Plating are:
With Scope Creep, the scope baseline is changed, but with Gold Plating, the scope baseline remains the same.
Scope Creep usually results from the customer or other stakeholders requesting for a scope expansion, but in case of Gold Plating, project team voluntarily provides extras without the customer requesting for them.
Both are Bad!
Both Scope Creep and Gold Plating are bad for the project and should be avoided.
Further Reading
Read the posts on Gold Plating and Scope Creep for a detailed explanation of these concepts.