The aim of our research was to evaluate the genetic diversity among 25 commercial varieties registered in Poland and 14 landraces of Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus Asch. (the dwarf common bean) and Phaseolus coccineus L. (the runner bean) maintained in the National Centre of Plant Genetic Resources in Radzików. An additional goal of this study was to compare the precision and efficiency of two techniques of PCR (RAPD and AFLP), used to estimation the genetic diversity of bean. The breeding varieties of bean were registered in the period between 1950 and 2000. The landraces, collected during expeditions conducted from 1985 to 1988, mainly originated from the eastern and southern part of Poland. In the plant genetic diversity research of RAPD and AFLP markers are commonly used. Complex electrophoresis pictures of DNA fragments were taken, and revealed a considerable polymorphism. The polymorphic fragments were obtained on the basis of 6 differentiating primers using the RAPD method and 15 differentiating primers using the AFLP method. P. vulgaris and P. coccineus accessions formed distinct groups. Each of the RAPD and AFLP analyses allowed for the unique distinguishing of all accessions.