| S.N. | Diplontic life cycle | Haplontic life cycle |
| 1. | It occurs in higher organisms, many protozoans and some lower plants. | It occurs in fungi, certain protozoans and some algae. |
| 2. | Meiosis precedes fertilization. | Meiosis follows fertilization. |
| 3. | Meiosis takes place in the gametocytes and produces gametes, hence called gametic or terminal meiosis. | Meiosis takes place in the zygote and produces spores, hence called zygotic or initial meiosis. |
| 4. | Adult is diploid, having developed by mitotic division of the zygote. | Adult is haploid, having developed by mitotic division of a spore. |
| 5. | Haploid stage is very short, represented by gametes only. | Diploid stage is very short, represented by zygote only. |
| 6. | Gametes arise by meiosis. | Gametes arise by mitosis. |
| 7. | Variations appear at the time of gamete formation as well as at the time of fertilization. | Variations appear only at the time of spore formation. |