Broad differences between a co-operative and a company are as follows:
| S. No | Item | Cooperative Society | Company |
| 1 | Object | Interest of members and community | Self interest either of management or the share holders |
| 2 | Number of members | Minimum number of members should be 50 for a multi state cooperative society from each state in case of individual membership In case societies are members of a Multi State Cooperative Society, two societies from different states should sign the application of registration of the society If a Multi State Cooperative Society is a member then the multi state cooperative and a society should sign the application of registration |
In a public limited company, minimum number of members should be 7 and in a private limited company minimum number of members should be 2 |
| 3 | Management | Chairperson is elected by the Board of Directors from among themselves. The Managing Director / Chief executive is appointed by the Board of Directors | Usually, Chairperson / Managing Director are persons with maximum number of shares in the company |
| 4 | Share Capital | The shares of cooperative society are not issued to general public by advertisement and can be issued any time. Shares can be withdrawn member / society as prescribed by rules in their byelaws. | Shares are issued to general public or by invitation. In a company shares cannot be withdrawn by a share holder. |
| 5 | Types of shares | Only equity shares are available | Equity and preferential shares may be issued |
| 6 | Voting Power | Member of a cooperative society have right of only one vote, irrespective of the number of shares held of any denomination | Voting rights depend directly on the holding of shares |
| 7 | Distribution of Profits | Minimum 25% of net profits should be transferred to the General reserve and the maximum dividend cannot exceed 20% | No restrictions on a company |
| 8 | Taxes | Cooperatives are exempt from few taxes in some states like stamp duty. Tax rates also vary | No exemptions provided |
| 9 | Workers participation | Provision for workers participation in the management through a representative exists | No such provision for workers |
| 10 | MRTP Act | Not applicable to Multi State Societies | Applicable |
| 11 | Control | The Central registrar of Cooperatives advises in the affairs of a multi state society | Companies are governed by the Company Registrar of the states where its registered office is located |
For Multi-state Cooperative Society Consultancy Visit: Finlaw.in