A centralized server model differs from a decentralized model in that it relies on a single, central server to manage resources, data, and applications. In a centralized system, clients send requests to this server, which processes them and returns the results. In contrast, a decentralized model distributes functions across multiple servers or nodes, allowing for greater redundancy, resilience, and scalability. Decentralization can improve performance and reliability but may introduce complexities in data management and system governance.