Both inpatient and outpatient treatment can be greatly beneficial towards reaching recovery and learning new life skills apart from using drugs and alcohol, but they are very different. One of the main differences between the two is that inpatient treatment is a 24/7 level of care that requires you to live within the facility and provides highly intensive therapeutic care. Outpatient treatment is a part-time option that only requires about 10-20 hours a week while allowing you the freedom to continue maintaining your normal routine.