Symmetric cryptography uses one key that must be shared between two or more users, and it typically is used for bulk encryption like paths and files. It has many advantages, including the fact that the number of keys it creates can grow with the number of users. Also, it can be much faster and provide confidentiality with some amount of access control. However, its fast speeds are partially due to its algorithm being less complex. Another disadvantage is that its key exchange is out of band, making it a potentially insecure exchange.

Asymmetric cryptography, on the other hand, creates a pair of keys (both public and private) for each user. It provides a great way to ensure confidentiality, authentication, and non-repudiation, which are vital components for the safety of a system. It also distributes its public key safely and does not grow uncontrollably. One disadvantage though is that its complex algorithm does make it slower.