To compare which one is better, we need to take membrane type, pore size, and membrane format into consideration.

Physical characteristics: While nitrocellulose is brittle and fragile, PVDF is more durable and has higher chemical resistance making it ideal for reprobing and sequencing applications. Nitrocellulose can prove to be difficult to strip and reprobe without losing signal. However, supported versions of nitrocellulose membranes are considerably more durable and resilient than standard nitrocellulose membranes so they can be stripped, reprobed, and subjected to harsh chemical treatments.

Pore size: Both membranes come in typical pore sizes of 0.1, 0.2 or 0.45μm. The 0.45μm membrane is suitable for most protein blotting applications but for smaller peptides or lower molecular weight proteins (less than 15 kD), you should use 0.1 or 0.2μm pore size membrane. Note: When you are detecting a protein loaded at low levels or when quantification is considered critical, you should always choose the smaller size membrane.

Membrane format: There are several factors that you need to take into account when choosing the most suitable membrane format, including transfer system (semi-dry, wet or fast), convenience, price and flexibility. Pre-cut and pre-wetted membranes are the ideal choice when convenience, reproducibility and high throughput are of highest importance while rolls offers more flexibility since you can cut the membrane to the specific size of your gel. The only problem is that this can add extra time to your workflow and introduce variability in the membrane size. Pre-cut membranes, on the other hand, are available in a range of sizes suitable for all gel types. Using a precut membrane may result in better transfer reproducibility.