Another difference - The free climbing on the Dawn Wall allowed for mistakes because of the ropes. Jorgesen (and maybe Caldwell, I can't recall) both took falls while attempting to climb the wall. The spirit of free climbing is that you do each pitch (basically one rope's length) without falling at least once. If you fall, you go back to the beginning of the pitch. That way, you have essentially climbed the whole route without assistance from pulling on ropes, since you only rest in 'natural' rest areas.

Honnold's free solo is amazing because he did not make a mistake and have to use the rope. Every move was executed perfectly.