What features make gta online s los santos different from story mode?

Grand Theft Auto Online differs from story mode primarily by being a multiplayer experience within the same San Andreas setting. While story mode follows the narrative of three protagonists across Los Santos, Online allows up to 30 players to create their own customizable protagonists and engage in various cooperative or competitive activities. Online features include player-controlled properties, businesses, and vehicles that persist across sessions, as well as regular content updates introducing new missions, game modes, and events. The online mode operates on a persistent world model where player actions and progress carry over between sessions, unlike story mode which is a linear single-player narrative. Additionally, Online includes unique features like the ability to form crews, participate in large-scale multiplayer heists, and engage in vehicle-based combat modes that are not available in the single-player campaign.