---
title: "What is the difference between public and private repositories?"  
description: "What is the difference between public and private repositories?"  
author: "Rana Sunny"  
published: 2025-07-03  
updated: 2026-01-28  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/161783/what-is-the-difference-between-public-and-private-repositories  
category: "GitHub"  
tags: ["github", "git"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What is the difference between public and private repositories?

**What is the [difference between public](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159586/what-is-the-difference-between-public-protected-package-private-and-private-in-java) and [private](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/11097/java-access-modifiers-the-public-and-the-private-modifiers) [repositories](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/34552/github-repositories)?**

## Replies

### Reply by Harry

**Public repository:** \
Anyone on the internet can view the code, clone it, and sometimes contribute (via pull requests). It’s commonly used for open-source projects, learning, or sharing work publicly. Visibility is open, but only approved contributors can make changes.

**Private repository:**\
Access is restricted to you and the people you explicitly invite. The code is hidden from the public, making it ideal for proprietary projects, internal company work, or anything confidential.

**Key [difference](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/157114/good-news-or-bad-news-and-the-difference-is):** visibility and access control.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/161783/what-is-the-difference-between-public-and-private-repositories

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