The membrane is a key component of the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) in terms of electrochemical performance as well as costs. The standard material Nafion (R) is cost intensive and therefore several alternative materials are in the focus of research. In this paper a substantial analytical approach is presented in order to quantify bottom price limits for different types of membranes. An in-depth analysis of material and production cost allows statements concerning cost potentials of different ion exchange membranes (IEM) and nano filtration membranes (NFM). The final result reveals that expected costs of IEM and NFM at high production volumes differ by one order of magnitude. Moreover, an analysis of the current market situation is made to provide a framework for economic considerations at present. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.