The main difference is going to be the feel between the two. The rubber pad will feel like a rubber practice pad. They are pretty durable, more affordable, and very compact in design. You can also get a very quick response from a rubber pad, with very little effort. Mesh heads on the other hand, give you the more realistic feel of an acoustic drum. The response and give has become extremely close to an acoustic drum. They are also more sensitive to providing that true drum sound. Some mesh heads, with the proper module will actually sound like it does when you hit an acoustic drum near the rim, on the rim, dead center, or on a rim shot. Another advantage to using a mesh head is the ability to tune. You can tune the tension rods on the mesh pad to adjust the feel of the drum. It allows you to get the right feel for any player.