Just to add to the other explanation, the Recreational License limits the pilot to no further that 50 NM from their home airport and only 1 passenger at a time may be carried.
Since the Recreational license only requires 30 hrs and the PPL requires 40, and the average number of hours before checkride is around 70, why not get the extra 10 hours and get the PPL? It is far less restrictive.
NCChief