Pre-biased Bipolar Transistor (BJT) Tradeoffs
Pre-biased (also "resistor-equipped" or "digital") transistors indeed have a plain resistor in front of the base. Most also have a second resistor between base and emitter. Both resistors are used in exactly the same way and for the same purposes as external, discrete resistors.

Creating resistors on a silion die is harder, so they have looser tolerances, often ±&nbsp;30&nbsp;%.
(For digital switching, where all you care about is that the transistor is saturated, this does not matter.)
Otherwise, there is no difference.