Nippers and pliers are both hand tools, but nippers are specialized for cutting (like flush cutters for wire/nails), featuring angled jaws for precise, close cuts, while pliers are broader, designed for gripping, bending, twisting, and sometimes cutting, with variations like combination pliers, slip-joint, or needle-nose. Essentially, a nipper is a type of plier focused on cutting, often with a flush-cutting action, whereas pliers have more diverse functions, though some integrate cutting blades.