How is profit maximization in a monopolistic firm different from that of a pure competitor?

A monopolistic market and a perfectly competitive market are two market structures that have several key distinctions, such as market share, price control and barriers to entry. In a monopoly, there is only one firm that dictates the price and supply levels of goods and services and has total market control. Contrary to a monopolistic market, a perfectly competitive market is comprised of many firms, where no one firm has market control.

The monopolist's profit maximizing level of output is found by equating its marginal revenue with its marginal cost, which is the same profit maximizing condition that a perfectly competitive firm uses to determine its equilibrium level of output. Indeed, the condition that marginal revenue equal marginal cost is used to determine the profit maximizing level of output of every firm, regardless of the market structure in which the firm is operating.