| Characteristics | Batch Culture | Continuous Culture |
| Definition | Batch culture refers to a technique used to grow microorganisms in a limited supply of nutrients, which declines when these are used up, or some other factor becomes limiting. | Continuous culture refers to a technique used for the production of microbes or microbial products in which nutrients are continuously supplied to the fermenter. |
| Open/Closed System | Batch culture is a closed system | Continuous culture is an open system. |
| Internal Environment | The internal environment of batch culture is changed with the progression of the fermentation process. | The environment of the continuous culture is not changed during the fermentation process. |
| Nutrients | Nutrients are added at the beginning of the process in batch culture. | Nutrients are continuously added to the continuous culture throughout the process. |
| limiting factor | Nutrients become a limiting factor at some point in a batch culture | Nutrients are not a limiting factor in a continuous culture |
| Phases | There are three-phase such as Lag, log, and stationary phases. | lag and log phases are maintained in a continuous culture. |
| Continuity | The whole process is stopped when the products are formed in a batch culture. | The process continues and the products are continuously removed from the fermenter in a continuous culture. |
| Yield | The yield of the batch culture is low. | The yield of the continuous culture is significantly high. |
| Turnover Rate | low | high |
| Labor Demand | Labor demand is less in a batch culture | Labor demand is more in continuous culture. |
| Chance of Contamination | The chance of contamination is less in a batch culture. | The chance of contamination is high in batch culture. |
| Used for | Batch culture is suitable for the production of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics. | Continuous culture is suitable for the production of primary metabolites such as organic acids and amino acids. |
| Fermenter Size | Large fermenters are used for batch cultures. | Small fermenters are used for the continuous cultures. |
| Control | Less control over the growth of the microbes and the production of the desired product. | More control on the growth and production. |
| Nutrient utilization process | Nutrient utilization process is slow. | Nutrient utilization process is fast. |
| Washing | The fermenter is cleaned and washed before the next step of fermentation. | There are no such washing steps are required. |
| Complexity | Batch Culture is Easy to setup | Not Easy to setup. |
| Termination of Process | The process of the batch culture is stopped after the product is formed. | The process is not stopped though the product is formed. Continuous removal of the product is done without stopping the process in continuous culture. |
| Environmental Conditions | Environmental conditions are not constant. | Environmental conditions inside the continuous culture are maintained at constant level. |
| Controlling Methods | Control methods are easy and quick. | Control methods are complicated and time-consuming. |
| Density of bacteria | Change with time | Remain same |
