The Ninja CREAMi is different from a traditional ice cream maker in a few ways. First, the CREAMi starts with a frozen ice cream base, whereas when using a traditional ice cream maker, you start with a liquid ice cream base.  The Ninja CREAMi can make a wider variety of frozen desserts and drinks, such as sorbet and frozen cocktails, while a traditional ice cream maker is primarily used for making ice cream, custard, or frozen yogurt.