No they are not the same thing. Wax paper is a transparent milky paper, waxed on both sides. It is thinner and lighter than freezer paper. Freezer paper is heavier, waxed on one side only and just paper on the other. Freezer paper is wider and may be white or a pinky tan colour. My wax paper roll is about 12" wide while my freezer paper roll is about 18" wide. You iron on the paper side and the waxed side then adhears to your fabric. If you tried ironing plain old wax paper, it would just stick to your iron. Hope this helps.