The terms get used interchangeably, but they describe fundamentally different engagements. A consultant studies your organization and delivers recommendations. A fractional COO takes ownership of operations and implements.
Consultants are valuable when you need expertise you do not have and a fresh perspective. They diagnose, advise, and leave. The implementation is your problem. This is the right choice when you have the capacity to execute and only need the strategy.
A fractional COO is the right choice when the problem is not just strategy but execution. When you know something needs to change but no one has the time or seniority to drive it. When operations need leadership, not just advice.
The cost structure differs too. Consultants often bill by project or deliverable. Fractional COOs typically work on a monthly engagement for a defined scope of time. You get ongoing senior leadership without a full-time hire.
The mistake organizations make is hiring a consultant when they actually need execution, then being frustrated that nothing changed. The recommendations were probably right. No one was there to implement them.
Ask yourself: do we need someone to tell us what to do, or someone to help us do it? The answer tells you which you need.