What is the difference between recognition as a Polish citizen and being granted citizenship by the President?

These are two distinct routes to Polish citizenship. Recognition is decided by a provincial governor (voivode) and is based on objective legal conditions, such as residence, income, housing, and language. If you meet the conditions, you have a strong, criteria-based claim.

Granting citizenship by the President of Poland, by contrast, is fully discretionary and not bound by fixed eligibility tests. For applicants who clearly satisfy the statutory conditions, recognition is usually the more predictable path because the decision is governed by law rather than discretion.