While economies of scale favor pressure vessels, disposable bags are a cost-effective option for holding fermentation broths and culture media in multiproduct and pilot plants. However the cost associated with any option, fixed vessel, portable vessel or disposal bag, can be subjective, with different drivers influencing the ultimate decision. A balanced comparative analysis should include an assessment of both the initial capital and annual operating costs of all three storage options. Additional factors, such as labor and space requirements, and intangible issues should also be considered. The analysis should be of all three types in the same volume sizes, in this case, for example 20, 200, and 2000 l. An analysis of the operations includes three cost types: investment costs, fixed operating costs, and variable operating costs. Operating scale influences some of the practical considerations for container type selection. For equipment selection, the space requirements necessary to support a given type and size of storage container are important considerations. Another important consideration for container selection is the labor required to support the equipment. All other factors being equal, the annual operating cost per solution will determine the best container type. Portable vessels are always more expensive to operate than fixed vessels, and also tend to be more expensive than disposable bags. The reasons are that portable vessels have both the high initial costs associated with fixed vessels and the high labor requirements associated with disposable bags. So, from a cost standpoint, portable vessels are always the least desirable container type. As the operating scale increases, fixed vessels become more attractive. Beyond cost, scale and layout issues, there are a number of intangible issues, such as mixing, online analysis and container integrity, that are important to consider when selecting a solution container type.