What is the difference between stump grinding and stump removal?

Grinding chews the stump 4-6+ inches below grade and leaves the roots to rot — right for lawns and pasture, typically $100-$400 per stump. Removal extracts the stump and root ball with an excavator, typically $150-$500+ per stump plus crater and debris handling — required wherever something will be built, because rotting roots under a slab become voids under a slab.