A serf was an indentured servant who had to live out his or her life serving one lord. He or she couldn't marry or leave the lands for any reason without the lord's permission.
If a serf managed to escape to the town or somewhere else without being caught for one year and one day, he or she became a free man/woman.
A peasant was a free person, although a very poor one. A peasant was granted the lord's lands to work as a farmer, in order to feed his or her family. That person had the freedom to leave the lord's lands and to take up residence as a townsperson.
However that was unlikely, since neither the peasant nor the serf had any skills outside of farming. The town was for merchants such as blacksmiths and weavers.
If a serf managed to escape to the town or somewhere else without being caught for one year and one day, he or she became a free man/woman.
A peasant was a free person, although a very poor one. A peasant was granted the lord's lands to work as a farmer, in order to feed his or her family. That person had the freedom to leave the lord's lands and to take up residence as a townsperson.
However that was unlikely, since neither the peasant nor the serf had any skills outside of farming. The town was for merchants such as blacksmiths and weavers.