Binary fission is a mode of asexual reproduction in which unicellular organisms like bacteria and protozoa split into two equal halves during cell division. In organisms such as Amoeba, the splitting can take place in any plane, while in organisms like Leishmania, binary fission occurs in a definite orientation in relation to their body structures.

Multiple fission is a process where single-celled organisms divide into many daughter cells simultaneously. An example is the malarial parasite, Plasmodium, which undergoes multiple fission.

The key difference is that binary fission produces only two daughter cells, whereas multiple fission produces many daughter cells at the same time.