Thanks for posting Floodpeak! They carry the same meaning and are often interchangeable. Stop is more commonly used and often found preceding a verb. But cease can fill the same function. Feel free to play with both and find what works best for you! -Chris

yeah they give the same meaning , but stop most often needs a verb after . like "stop doing something or stop smoking" , otherwise ;cease doesn't need to be followed by a verb like "The company has decided to cease all UK operations after this year" .