In addition to where Jules pointed you this will probably be helpful for what you want to do.
As regards this question,
I don’t know if there is a material difference, but I doubt it. AI has a lot more programming hours into it than Inkscape, as it should considering how expensive it is. That said, AI is meant for print and digital graphics not to create inlay files for lasers. If you use AI it will take you fewer keystrokes to do it and maybe on complex shapes AI will perform better, but IDK. In my opinion, what matters most is how well you understand and can use your tool of choice. You can certainly do great inlay using Inkscape.