What is the difference between a hybrid bicycle and a MTB?

Question

Please help me to figurout difference between Mountain Biks & Hybrid Bike

Answer 1

Both are wide categories, with some overlap. Besides the common attributes to all bikes, what they have in common in a flat handlebar (as opposition to drop handlebars as seen in "road" bikes).

Generally speaking, in the current state of the market, hydrids are more on the road/smooth surfaces side of the spectrum and MTB are meant to handle technical offroad tracks.

I'll start with the extremes:

• The most "roadish" hybrids use road transmissions and wheels/tires (these are also called fitness bikes), which means narrow slick tires (28mm). The are rather meant to go fast on tarmac. These don't have front suspensions, and the rider has a very "aggressive" position (=the trunk more horizontal), which is better for aerodynamics but worst for visibility. Also, very often, hybrids are meant to be utility bikes and have attachments for accessories such as racks and fenders. Some can also feature internally geared hubs instead of derailleurs (more suited for an utility use: less maintenance, and ability to change gears when stopped/at traffic lights).
• MTBs have almost always a front suspension, sometimes a rear suspension. They have knobby wide tires (>50mm) and transmission meant to climb steep hills. Very often, with stock tires, they don't perform well on tarmac, due to important friction. They are meant to be ridden in terrain that are rough: steep hills (up and down), rocks, roots, mud,... There are different categories: the extremes being cross country — for fast and smoother tracks, to downhill meant to go down down on mountain on the most extreme tracks, the middle ground is called "trail" or "all mountain")

And where it gets confusing: there are hybrids with front suspension and wider tires with small knobs (40mm), and can be mistaken with MTBs without rear suspension (typically entry level ones or Cross country). These hybrids will remain better on roads/smooth offroad and less capable offroad (=they will be able to handle non-technical offroad segments, but will quickly reach their limit). Even if they look like some MTBs, they still have thinner tires (40mm vs 57mm), and transmissions that are meant to ride faster.

So in summary:

• hybrids can be designed to be used "optimally" on roads or non-technical offroad trails, and can be more suited to be utility bikes. They have more diversity in the transmissions: from road racing transmission to MTB transmission, and internally geared hub)
• MTBs are always offroad, with different categories depending on the riding style. Note that they can be on roads, but suboptimally.

Just to give some examples of bikes of the different categories I mentioned. I take Canyon as reference, but it is not an endorsement.

• Road-focused hybrid: Roadlite (fitness focused), Commuter (utility focused, with rack fenders and internally geared hub)
• Offroad-focused hybrid: Pathlite
• Hard tails MTB: Gran Canyon (entry-level), Exceed (Competition)

Answer 2

If you go to mountain bike trails (not crushed gravel hiking trails, but actual mountain bike trails), over time:

• a mountain bike would survive
• a hybrid bike would not

This is a coarse-grained answer, lots of disclaimers, but it highlights an important aspect of your question. If you have intention of riding on mountain bike trails, a mountain bike is probably a better choice. If, however, your goal is more around "versatility", and (importantly) the only trails you're interested in are crushed gravel trails, then a hybrid could work out fine.