Regular LED strips are composed of a series of LEDs that are wired together and controlled as a single unit, meaning that all of the LEDs in the strip are the same color and brightness and will display the same pattern or effect.
Addressable LED strips have a microcontroller embedded within the strip that allows each LED to be controlled individually. This means that each LED (each unit) can be set to a different color and brightness, and can display a unique pattern or effect. The microcontroller communicates with the LEDs using a control protocol, such as DMX512 or SPI, allowing for a wide range of color and animation possibilities.