Two differences between pour over and a coffee maker:
1. The water temperature. Pour over is done with water that was at a rolling boil just prior to being lifted off the heat source. A coffee maker’s Water is about ten degrees F cooler by the time it hits the grounds
2. The process is different because when doing pour over, you wet the grounds, and allow the grounds to soak for a brief period, then soak the grounds slowly as you pour water over concentically. In a coffee maker, the water pours into the middle and one ends up with uneven extraction from the grounds.
Clean up is no easier or more difficult with either method.