In Python, class methods and static methods are two types of methods that can be defined within a class. Although both types of methods are associated with a class, there are some important differences between them that one should be aware of.

Class Method:

A class method is a method that is bound to the class and not the instance of the class. It is defined using the @classmethod decorator, and its first argument is always the class itself, represented by the cls keyword. This allows the method to access and modify class-level attributes, and it can also be called on the class itself, rather than on an instance of the class.

Static Method:

A static method is a method that belongs to the class and not the instance of the class. It is defined using the @staticmethod decorator, and does not receive any special first argument like cls. This means that a static method cannot access or modify class-level attributes and can only access class-level attributes through the class name.

Difference:

1. Access to Class-Level Attributes: Class methods have access to class-level attributes through the cls keyword, while static methods do not have access to class-level attributes and must use the class name to access them.

2. First Argument: Class methods receive the class itself as the first argument, while static methods do not receive any special first argument.

3. Purpose: Class methods are used to modify class-level attributes, while static methods do not modify class-level attributes and are used to perform computations that do not depend on the state of the class or its instances.