They are the same idea, but no, they are not water beads. Water beads are round"beads" that swell up with water, but retain their round shape and can get very large - like a marble size. Water crystals swell up, but they are not round - they are more "chunks". We've also never been able to get water beads to absorb fragrance. For whatever reason, they do not pick up the fragrance like the water crystals do. Both work exceptionally well at keeping plants watered and healthy - (their primary use).