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Because Monero has been updated over the years, some of the documentation about Monero no longer applies in the current version. As a result, I am not sure if the information i read is outdated.
Therefore I wonder, what is the difference between ring signatures and RingCT? Do ring signatures exist only inside RingCT, or is it its own privacy feature?
Please, explain it like I'm five.
...what is the difference between ring signatures and RingCT?
RingCT is really just an umbrella term that encompasses Ring signatures and Confidential Transactions, which they themselves are then are made up of other components, such as MLSAG/CLSAG signatures, Bulletproof range-proofs and Pedersen commitments etc etc, which in turn are made from other things such as curve points.
Do ring signatures exist only inside RingCT
In Monero, yes. As mentioned above, RingCT is the umbrella term used here for which ring signatures fall under.
...some of the documentation about Monero no longer applies in its current version
The most up-to-date documentation is the code, closely followed by Zero to Monero [pdf] and papers published by the MRL (Monero Research Lab).
Well, just as a conceptual clarification for future readers:
CT (Confidential Transaction) -> Is intended to hide the amount of XMR sent in a transaction.
Ring Signature -> Is intended to hide the sender of a transaction.
