Compare costs across platforms, or let the optimizer find the best configuration from your sequencer pool
Before you start: you need at least one sequencer configured in My Lab. For Optimize mode, you need 2+ sequencers configured. → Lab Setup Guide
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The Multi-Sequencer Calculator has two modes. They answer different questions — picking the right one first saves time.
| Direct Calculate | Optimize | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | "How much will THIS setup cost?" | "What's the cheapest / fastest setup?" |
| You already know… | Which sequencer and flow cell to use | Only your genome + sample requirements |
| You select… | Specific sequencer(s) + flow cell(s) | A pool of available sequencers |
| Output | Full cost breakdown for your chosen setup | Ranked list of up to 15 configurations |
| When to use | Pricing a known project; checking a specific instrument | Deciding between instruments; budget planning; service-lab quoting |
✓ Recommendation: Start with Direct Calculate if you're new to this calculator or already know which instrument you'll use. Switch to Optimize once you have 2+ sequencers in My Lab and want to compare configurations.
Mixed short-read + long-read projects: The multi-sequencer calculator supports mixing any sequencer platforms in a single project — including Illumina and PacBio/ONT together. Add both sequencer types in My Lab, then select them in Direct Calculate mode. Each sequencer uses its own flow cells and capacity. For pure long-read projects, the dedicated Long-Read Calculator provides coverage presets and SMRT Cell terminology.