| Asokan pillar | Achaemenian Pillar. |
| Smooth surface of Pillar | Persian pillars are fluted |
| Monolithic | Built of separate segments |
| Free standing pillar | Were part of some larger architectural scheme, composed of too many parts |
| shape and ornamentation of the Maurya lotus is different | Lotus shape and orientation are different and independent animals carved are different. |
| Use of polished stone | Use of polished stone |
| In the Mauryan pillars, the inverted lotus appears at the top of the shaft. | The Persian pillars stand on bases either shaped like a bell or a plain rectangular or circular block. |