Within the broad landscape of Hindu and Vaishnava traditions, ISKCON stands out through a very focused theological and practical orientation. It follows the Gaudiya Vaishnava understanding that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not merely one avatar among many, and centers devotion specifically on Krishna (often together with Radha) as the ultimate object of worship. Other deities are respected but not encouraged as primary focuses of devotion, which contrasts with the more inclusive, multi-deity worship common in much of Hindu practice. This exclusive Krishna-bhakti is supported by a strong emphasis on particular scriptures—especially the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam—as interpreted through the commentaries of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, whose authority is treated as normative within the movement.

A distinctive hallmark of ISKCON is its stress on chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra as the central spiritual discipline. While mantra recitation and kirtan are widespread in Hinduism, ISKCON gives congregational chanting and personal repetition of this specific mantra a uniquely central role, regarding it as the primary means of spiritual realization in the present age. This practice is not merely recommended but woven into daily life and communal worship, so that the sound of the name of Krishna becomes the core medium of spiritual transformation for practitioners.

Equally striking is the lifestyle ISKCON encourages for serious adherents. The movement codifies four regulative principles—no meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no gambling—and expects them to be followed with considerable rigor, often more strictly than in many other Vaishnava or Hindu communities. These disciplines are framed as supports for devotional life rather than as ends in themselves, creating a kind of quasi-monastic ethos even for householders, in which daily spiritual practice, moral restraint, and service are given clear, standardized forms.

On an institutional and social level, ISKCON differs from many traditional Hindu lineages through its global, missionary, and highly organized character. It actively seeks to share Krishna-bhakti with people of all backgrounds, without regard to birth, caste, or prior religious identity, and has developed a centralized structure with standardized temple worship, initiation procedures, and governance. Book distribution, public chanting, and outreach programs are not peripheral but central expressions of its identity, reflecting a deliberate effort to make Krishna devotion accessible and intelligible across cultures while maintaining continuity with its Gaudiya Vaishnava roots.