The difference between a public cloud and a private cloud lies in their accessibility and management. A public cloud is a service offered over the Internet, where resources are shared among multiple tenants. It is typically managed by third-party providers, offering scalability and cost-effectiveness. In contrast, a private cloud is dedicated to a single organization, providing tailored resources and higher levels of security and privacy. Organizations often choose private clouds for sensitive data or critical operations, while public clouds are suitable for less sensitive applications requiring flexibility and scalability.