返る is read かえる and means to return.
帰る is read かえる and means to return.
Is there there any difference between these two? They appear to serve the same purpose!
返る is used for things returning to a location or state.
帰る is used for people returning to a location.
They’re basically the same verb (originally) with a different nuance expressed by different kanji.
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This forum doesn’t need another explaining cat I guess.
I’ll be leaving then…
I’m technically a Maulra, but the joke still works! 
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帰る is used to refer to people returning to a location that they call home - you would not, for example, 帰る to your workplace.
The other verb for people returning to a location is 戻る (もどる) - that one doesn’t have the “returning home” subtext.
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It depends on the context. If someone left the office for a meeting and then later returned someone might say 帰る or お帰り. It’s returning to some “main” location, but what is main can shift with context. And if you return to some non-main location that would be 戻る.
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