Auger bits generally drill cleaner holes with smoother sides and less chipping. They are commonly used for general wood drilling in construction, carpentry in gardening, and many other fields. Spade drills have rougher sides and are therefore used for areas that will be covered. For example, these bits are often used when installing electrical conduit or water pipes through a wall, as the holes will be covered with a better finish.

Design is a significant difference between these two bits. An auger bit is a helical drill with a threaded tip on the front and two chisels on each tip. These chisels are responsible for planning the wood. Spade bits are flat. They need a comfortable design, shaped like a shovel or paddle, with two sharp lips on each end and a pointed unthreaded guide tip.

Auger bits require downward pressure when drilling, making them more comfortable. The tip of the thread pulls the drill down and creates an automatic drive mechanism that works immediately, even if it's just the drill's load pushing down. Spade bits may have sharp tips, but they don't have threads, so they don't drive themselves. So you want to dig fast with more downward force. Using only the load of the drill bit, drilling can take a short time.

Due to the helical design, auger bits are suitable for precision drilling. This shows that they will dig a hole of equal width when cutting straight or at an angle. The threaded tip firmly bites into the wood to stop movement, allowing for a highly precise cut. Spade bits are available for custom drilled shapes and sizes. The tool can easily adjust the angle at the beginning or while drilling, which allows you to make tapered holes or holes that are smaller/larger in width than a flat blade.