The Repository's job is to expose domain semantics - "give me active users" - instead of "execute this SQL". If the DAO absolutely matches the required fields, the DAO and the Repository would be exactly the same, so we'll use an example that's a bit more complex.

Repository is an abstraction of a collection of objects. DAO would be considered closer to the database, often table-centric. Repository would be considered closer to the Domain, dealing only in Aggregate Roots. Repository could be implemented using DAO 's, but you wouldn't do the opposite. Also, a Repository is generally a narrower interface.

Repository pattern calls for creating an abstraction used for CRUD operations (using other DAO's), listening, searching, additional data access/business logic not related to the aggregate validation, etc. on a collection of objects of one type. A Repository may use DAO's or other Repositories.

When working with data in Java applications, understanding design patterns like the Repository and Data Access Object (DAO) is essential for creating maintainable, scalable, and testable code. Both patterns serve as intermediaries between the database and the application, but they follow different principles and are suited to different contexts.