<p>The use of cryogenic distillation for separating olefins and paraffin is an energy-intensive process due to the need for large columns and multiple trays. Recent innovations in non-thermal techniques, such as membrane separation, aim to reduce energy consumption. This study compares membrane separation and cryogenic distillation for separating propane/propylene mixtures. Multi-objective optimization technique was used to identify the membrane with the best separation performance from over 100 polymeric membrane samples. The data collection process utilized a 50:50 volume mixed gas composition to simulate real-life industrial scenarios. The separation performance of the membrane and cryogenic distillation units were modeled and simulated using Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS, and Aspen Custom Modeler. This was followed by a comparative analysis using process intensification (PI) metrics integrated into the digitally modified logic method. The study revealed that membrane separation is superior to cryogenic distillation in terms of productivity by weight with installation, flexibility (temperature, pressure, number of equipment), production purity, rejection purity, and modularity. In contrast, distillation was observed to outperform membrane only in mass and waste intensity, which was expected due to the separation mechanism of the distillation. Overall, membrane separation was preferred in 68% of the PI metrics, while distillation was favored in 32%. Therefore, based on these PI metrics, membrane separation was found to be more efficient in separating propane/propylene mixtures when compared to cryogenic distillation.</p>