Mostly, there isn't one. They're the same category of machine under different names.
This confuses buyers constantly, because different manufacturers, dealers, and rental yards use different terms for equipment that competes directly. If you're searching or comparing, knowing the terminology map saves you from missing options.
The Names You'll Encounter
Mini skid steer — the most common colloquial term in the US, and what most buyers search for.
Compact utility loader (CUL) — the more formal industry term, used in trade publications and by several manufacturers. Ditch Witch, Vermeer, and Boxer lean this direction.
Mini track loader — Bobcat's terminology for their MT series.
Compact tool carrier — emphasizes the attachment-platform aspect of the machine.
Stand-on loader or stand-on skid steer — describes the operator position on most models in the category.
Walk-behind loader — an older and smaller sub-type where the operator walks rather than rides. Largely superseded by stand-on designs.
Dingo — Toro's brand name, used generically in some regions the way "Skil saw" or "Bobcat" get used.
All of these describe machines that compete with each other. When you're shopping, search several terms.
The One Real Distinction Worth Knowing
Where a genuine difference exists, it's between stand-on/ride-on and walk-behind machines.
Stand-on — operator rides on a platform at the rear. This is the overwhelming majority of the current market, and it's what "mini skid steer" almost always means today.
Walk-behind — operator walks behind, controlling from a handlebar. Smaller, less capable, and largely a legacy category now.
If a listing says "walk-behind," it's a meaningfully different and smaller machine.
What Separates This Category From Its Neighbors
The more useful distinctions are between categories, not within them.
vs. Full-size skid steer — full-size machines are wheeled, much larger, seated, and won't fit through a gate. Different tool entirely.
vs. Compact track loader (CTL) — CTLs are the tracked full-size machines. Substantially more capacity and production, but they don't fit tight access and they need a lowboy or heavy trailer.
vs. Mini excavator — excavators dig and reach; loaders carry and push. A mini excavator has slew and digging depth a loader doesn't. Different motions, different jobs.
vs. Compact tractor with a loader — tractors do PTO work, mow, and travel roads. They're taller and don't fit barn aisles or gates. Complementary rather than competing.
Why the Naming Matters When Shopping
Search several terms. A machine listed as a "compact utility loader" won't show up in a search for "mini skid steer" on some marketplaces.
Attachments cross over. Attachments described for any of these names generally use the same universal mount. Don't rule out an attachment because the listing uses different terminology.
Rental yards vary. Ask for the category by description — "a small tracked loader that fits through a gate" — rather than by name.
Spec comparison still works. Regardless of what it's called, compare rated operating capacity (and its rating basis), auxiliary flow and pressure, width, weight, and hinge pin height.
FAQ
Is a compact utility loader the same as a mini skid steer?
Effectively yes — same category, different name.
Is a Dingo a mini skid steer?
Yes. Dingo is Toro's brand name for their machines in this category.
What's the difference between a mini track loader and a mini skid steer?
Terminology. Bobcat uses "mini track loader" for their MT series; they compete directly with everything else in the category.
Is it a skid steer if it has tracks?
The naming is inconsistent industry-wide. "Skid steer" originally described the steering method — skidding rather than turning wheels — and it stuck as a category name even for tracked machines.
Which term should I search?
Try several: mini skid steer, compact utility loader, mini track loader, stand-on loader. Different sellers use different terms.
Do attachments fit across brands?
Generally yes, if they use the universal mini mount. See attachment compatibility.