Two reactive distillation columns with single and double reactive sections (denoted RDC-SRS and RDC-DRS, respectively) have been employed for the esterification of ethylene glycol with acetic acid, a reaction that involves a two stage consecutive reversible reaction. The two processes have been optimized by minimizing the total annual cost. The RDC-DRS was found to require less capital investment and had lower utility consumption than the RDC-SRS. This is due to the fact that the former involves a higher degree of freedom than the latter, which enhances the integration of internal mass and energy transfer between the reaction and separation processes. In terms of a direct composition control strategy, the dynamic controllability of the RDC-SRS and RDC-DRS has been further studied and compared. The RDC-DRS was found to be superior to the RDC-SRS because of step disturbances from the feed flow rate and product purity set points in the latter. That indicates that the RDC-DRS should be viewed as a better option for the separation of the two-stage consecutive reversible reaction and its complex reaction mixture.