Difference between Bacteria and Cyanobacteria

E.coli

Bacteria are unicellular, microscopic and prokaryotic organisms. Most of them are devoid of chlorophyll and lead a heterotrophic mode of life.

• Characteristics of Bacteria
• Bacteria cell wall and gram staining
• Bacteria flagella

Nostoc

Cyanobacteria  (blue green algae) are a group of ancient gram negative photosynthetic prokaryotes. They are one of the most successful groups of organisms that have survived for about three billion years. They can also live in extreme habitats like hot springs and under side of icebergs etc.
See also: Similarities between Bacteria and Cyanobacteria

Bacteria vs Cyanobacteria

No	Character	Bacteria	Cyanobacteria
1	Size	Comparatively smaller	Comparatively larger
2	Flagella	May bear Flagella	Flagella always absent
3	Nutrition	May be autotrophic or heterotrophic.	Usually autotrophic
4	Photosynthetic Pigments	Photosynthetic Pigments are bacteriochlorophyll	Photosynthetic Pigments is chlorophyll a
5	Accessory pigments	Absent	Accessory pigments like phycocyanin and phycoerythrin are present in dominating form.
6	Reserve food	Glycogen	Cyanophycean starch
7	Hydrogen donor	During photosynthesis hydrogen donor is not water; as a result oxygen is not evolved. Thus photosynthesis is anoxygenic.	Hydrogen donor is water, oxygen is evolved. Process is oxygenic.
8	Spore formation	Spore formation is endogenous	Spore formation is not endogenous