In what way was the life of an indentured servant different from that of a slave?

Well first, indentured servants were freed or released. They worked for an agreed upon amount of time and then they were released. Slaves were forced to work until the master felt so.

Next, indentured servants were housed and fed and clothed. They ate what their master ate and slept in his house sometimes. They were given a free passage to the New World in return for their work. Slaves slept in shacks, were barely fed, and never paid.