Dispersal of organisms (Box 1) may be limited either by a lack of intrinsic adaptations for efficient movement or extrinsic barriers isolating species from suitable habitats. Here we first compare differences between terrestrial and freshwater systems in species intrinsic factors, i.e., attributes such as differences in physiology, behavior and life history (Stevens et al. 2014; Comte & Olden 2018). We then compare ecosystems in terms of extrinsic factors causing dispersal limitation, such as differences in habitat barriers, configuration and connectivity (Campbell Grant et al. 2007; Baguette et al. 2013). Overall, findings from the literature suggest that despite the often-strong intrinsic dispersal abilities of freshwater taxa, the limitations of extrinsic habitat structure ultimately lead to lower overall dispersal of taxa compared with terrestrial ecosystems.