Unlike electric motor driven dosing pumps, pneumatic pumps are actuated by air or natural gas by means of a controller and a plunger-piston mechanism in the pump that increases the corresponding pressure. This feature allows the pump to reduce the flow more precisely (turndown 100: 1) as needed in certain applications where very low flow rates are required at very high pressures.

Pneumatic pumps are also used extensively in areas without electricity, in explosive environments because they are intrinsically safe, and in chemical injection systems as a backup for electric drive pumps. Another important advantage is their low operating and installation cost.