[rssoconnor]

How does the arXiv manage the same feat for one tenth the cost?

[scott_s]

It doesn't. arXiv is exclusively a pre-print service. The ACM digital library is for peer-reviewed, published papers. All of the peer-review happens through the ACM, as well as the physical conferences where people present and publish their papers.

[jules]

The peer review is all done by volunteers of conferences, not ACM.