Core facilities are typically supported by the host institution or grant funding and so may often charge a lower price to the client than comparable commercial services due to lower overhead. However, base cost is only one factor that needs to be considered when undertaking a project. Private companies typically have more incentive to see that the client gets what they want, more experience, a faster turn-around time and better ongoing support. If quality and reliability are as important as absolute cost to you, then a commercial firm may be more cost-effective in the long run. For more information and details, please see our blog post on the subject here.