What is the difference between inline drip and online drippers, and which should I buy?

Inline drip has the drippers built into the pipe at fixed spacing during manufacture, so you just roll out one neat lateral along a crop row. It is the standard choice for evenly spaced row crops like cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, and bedded crops, because the spacing is uniform and there is nothing to fit by hand. Online drippers are separate emitters that you punch into a plain lateral wherever you want, which suits widely or irregularly spaced plants like fruit trees, where you place two or more drippers around each tree and the spacing between plants is large or uneven. For most field and vegetable crops inline is faster to lay, cheaper in labour, and less prone to leaks at fittings. For orchards and scattered plants online gives you the flexibility to match each tree. There are also pressure compensating versions of both, which you want on sloping or long runs so every plant gets the same flow. Tell your vendor the crop and spacing and they will recommend the type; for an orchard ask specifically about pressure compensating online drippers. Both are covered under the micro irrigation subsidy, so confirm the empanelled options and rates on your state portal.