What are the advantages of Real-time PCR over PCR?

Real-time PCR allows you to identify amplified fragments in real time during the PCR process. This offers several significant advantages over standard PCR: 

• With real-time PCR you can determine the amplification target sequence with higher accuracy and sensitivity over a wide dynamic range. 
• It enables high confidence detection of low copy targets. 
• Real-time PCR measures the amount of product during the exponential phase, which provides a clearer indication of the quantity of starting material. Standard PCR measures product during the plateau phase, which is not as efficient. 
• The results of real-time PCR can be quantitative, which indicates the number of copies, or it can be qualitative, which indicates the presence or absence of a sequence. Standard PCR on the other hand is at best semi-quantitative.
• In real-time PCR, the entire process from amplification to analysis is performed in a unified, closed-tube system, which significantly reduces the potential for contamination or errors. Standard PCR requires the product to be moved and manipulated into other formats, which increases the possibility of both contamination and errors.
• Data gathered in real-time PCR can be evaluated without gel electrophoresis, resulting in lower bench time and increased throughput. Gel electrophoresis, which is essential for post PCR analysis, is non-automated and time-consuming, adding time and effort to the process. Moreover, it is also low in specificity, making it difficult to differentiate molecules of the same or similar weights.