Competitive Comparison
How does TFFi™
stack up?
We believe in transparency. Here's how TFFi™ compares — head to head — against the systems you're probably evaluating. Real specs. Real pricing. No spin.
Competitive Comparison
We believe in transparency. Here's how TFFi™ compares — head to head — against the systems you're probably evaluating. Real specs. Real pricing. No spin.
Head-to-Head
Every benchtop TFF system on the market, compared on the specs that matter.
| Specification | TFFi™ (Alphinity) | KR2i (Repligen) | RS10 (Repligen) | RS20 (Repligen) | Sartoflow Smart (Sartorius) | Cogent µScale (Merck) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pump type | PIXER® diaphragm (3/5/7) | Peristaltic | Diaphragm | Diaphragm | 4-piston diaphragm | Peristaltic |
| Max flow rate | 5.1 L/min (P10) | 5.8 L/min (2 heads) | 0.5 L/min | 3.4 L/min | 1.67 L/min | ~1 L/min |
| Min flow rate | 0.73 mL/min | ~36 mL/min | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Max pressure | 6 bar | ~5 bar | 4 bar | 4 bar | 3 bar | 5.5 bar |
| Working volume | 30 mL – 10 L | 2 mL – 15 L | ~35 mL – 1 L | ~100 mL – 7 L | ~20 mL – 3 L | 16 mL – 5 L |
| Pulsation | ±0.1 PSI (demonstrated) | 5–15 PSI (typical peristaltic) | Low (diaphragm) | Low (diaphragm) | ≤3 PSI (published) | 5–15 PSI (typical peristaltic) |
| Filterability (24-hr Vmax) | ~350 LMH (4.4× better) | Baseline peristaltic | ~80 LMH | ~80 LMH | ~80 LMH (4-piston) | Baseline peristaltic |
| Viscosity handling | Up to 3,000 cP | Limited by tubing | Good | Good | Limited | Limited by tubing |
| Membrane compatibility | Brand agnostic (cassette + HF) | Open (various) | Open (various) | Open (various) | Sartocon ecosystem | Pellicon only (locked) |
| Valve technology | VannX™ electric motorized (15 valves) | Manual + auto ABV | Automated | Automated | Auto retentate valve | Semi-automated |
| Automation tier | Tier 1: Full recipe automation (ISA-88) | Tier 2: Pump control modes (13 modes) | Tier 1: Recipe automation | Tier 1: Recipe automation | Tier 2: Automated pump control | Tier 2: Semi-automated |
| Internal mixing | Yes — injection ports, 1–99% | No | No | No | No | No |
| Compressed air required | No (24V DC electric) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Systems to cover range | 1 system (3 configs) | 1 system | 2 systems (RS10 + RS20) | 1 system | 1 system | |
| Approx. price | €125,000 | €55,000 | €150,000 | €150,000+ | €60–80,000 | €41,500 |
Key insight: TFFi™ delivers RS-class diaphragm pump performance — 6 bar, recipe automation, automated valves — in a single benchtop platform at a lower total cost than buying RS10 + RS20. For customers using peristaltic systems (KR2i, Cogent), the yield improvement on shear-sensitive products pays back the price difference in months.
Head-to-Head
The KR2i is the most popular benchtop TFF system on the market. It's also a peristaltic pump. Here's when that matters.
The price objection: "KR2i is less than half the price." True. But what's 20–40% of your viral vector batch worth? At €50k/batch, that's €10–20k per run in recovered product. TFFi™ pays for itself in months, not years.
The RS series uses diaphragm pumps — same category as PIXER®. But you need two systems to match TFFi™'s range.
Sartoflow Smart uses a 4-piston diaphragm pump — better than peristaltic, but PIXER®'s 5-diaphragm design outperforms it on filterability by 4.4×.
Cogent is the lowest-priced entry — but it's a peristaltic pump locked to Pellicon membranes. Calculate your 5-year consumable cost.
Where pump choice matters most
Standard peristaltic TFF loses 20–40% of titer. Every roller pass causes capsid aggregation. TFFi™ delivers 4.4× better filterability. At €50k/batch, the yield difference pays for the system in months.
Cells are living products. Peristaltic pump shear reduces viability directly. These customers are less price-sensitive and highly quality-focused. TFFi™ is the obvious choice.
Final formulation at 100+ mg/mL pushes viscosity beyond peristaltic capability. PIXER® handles up to 3,000 cP natively. No competitor matches this.
Particle structural integrity determines immune response. Mechanical stress during TFF disrupts this. Hollow fiber compatibility + gentle diaphragm pumping preserves what matters.
Shear-induced aggregation reduces specific activity. TFFi™ advantage is real but less dramatic than for viral vectors/cells.
Monoclonal antibodies at standard concentrations are robust. Pump technology is a minor differentiator. If your pipeline is mAb-only and budget-constrained, a simpler system works. But if your pipeline is evolving — plan ahead.
The Economics
The cheapest system is not the lowest-cost system. For shear-sensitive products, the real cost is the product you lose every batch.
vs KR2i: TFFi™ €70k more upfront. €15k recovered per batch. Payback in <5 batches. After that, every batch is pure gain.
vs RS10+RS20: €175k less than buying both. Same diaphragm pump class. Higher pressure. One system instead of two. The maths is obvious.
Due diligence
Most labs assume 20–30% loss is "normal" and never measure it. Run a Vmax assay before and after your TFF step. The answer may justify a technology change.
If you're buying an RS10 AND an RS20, you're spending €300k for capability TFFi™ delivers in one €125k system.
KR2i has 13 "modes" — those are pump control modes, not process automation. Can your system execute a complete UF/DF process unattended from a stored recipe? TFFi™ can.
Cogent µScale only works with Pellicon membranes. Sartoflow prefers Sartocon. Calculate your 5-year membrane spend — TFFi™'s open architecture typically saves 30%+.
Not the spec sheet number — actual measured pressure variation during a 16-hour run. PIXER® demonstrates ±0.1 PSI. Ask your vendor for comparable data.
See for yourself
We'll run the numbers for your specific application — yield impact, TCO, payback period. No obligation. Just data.