javaClass.md

isAssignableFrom(Class<?> cls)

Determines if the class or interface represented by this Class object is either the same as, or is a superclass or superinterface of, the class or interface represented by the specified Class parameter.

It returns true if so; otherwise it returns false. If this Class object represents a primitive type, this method returns true if the specified Class parameter is exactly this Class object; otherwise it returns false.

isInstance(obj)

Determines if the specified Object is assignment-compatible with the object represented by this Class. i.e. obj is subtype instance of this class.

This method is the dynamic equivalent of the Java language instanceof operator.

The method returns true if the specified Object argument is non-null and can be cast to the reference type represented by this Class object without raising a ClassCastException. It returns false otherwise.

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws ClassNotFoundException{
        System.out.println("Hello World!");
        
    // Pet <: Animal
    Pet p = new Pet();
    System.out.println("" +Class.forName("Animal").isInstance(p)); // true
    System.out.println(""+Class.forName("Animal").isInstance(p));  // true
        
    Animal a = new Animal();
    System.out.println(""+Class.forName("Pet").isInstance(a));     // false
    System.out.println(""+Class.forName("Pet").isInstance(p));     // true
    }
}

class Animal {
    String name;
}

class Pet extends Animal{
    int age;
}