How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The only tools here with published prices: CloudLIMS (from $285/user/month for 5 users, billed annually) and Quartzy (Academia $50/month, Industry $250/month, billed annually).
- SciNote, Benchling, LabWare, SciSure, Lockbox LIMS and Scispot are all custom-quoted: budget a demo and a sales process for each.
- Note: eLabJournal has rebranded to SciSure. The product and the elabjournal.com address are the same; only the name changed.
- Research labs digitizing experiments usually need an ELN (SciNote, Benchling, SciSure); testing and QC labs need a LIMS (CloudLIMS, LabWare, Lockbox, Scispot); Quartzy covers purchasing and inventory.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 CloudLIMS | Analytical testing labs, clinical diagnostics labs and biobanks | $285/user/month (5 users, billed annually) | No |
 Quartzy | Research labs that want purchasing, inventory and requests in one place | $50/month (Academia, billed annually) | No |
 SciNote | Research teams moving from paper to an electronic lab notebook | See website (custom quote) | No (free demo offered) |
 Benchling | Biotech and pharma R&D organizations | See website (custom quote) | No |
 LabWare | Large QA/QC laboratories in regulated industries | See website (custom quote) | No |
 SciSure | Labs that want ELN documentation and LIMS sample tracking in one system | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Lockbox LIMS | Labs with unique protocols that need a configurable LIMS | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Scispot | Life-science labs drowning in disconnected instrument and spreadsheet data | See website (custom quote) | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
From paper notebooks to audit-ready data
A lab runs on records: what sample came in, what test ran, what the result was, who signed off. Paper notebooks and spreadsheets break down somewhere around the first audit or the hundredth sample a day. Lab management software replaces them with structured, searchable, timestamped records. These eight tools cover the category from a $50-a-month purchasing platform to enterprise LIMS suites, with the real pricing picture for each.
#1
CloudLIMS
Best for: Analytical testing labs, clinical diagnostics labs and biobanks
Visit cloudlims.com
Starting price$285/user/month (5 users, billed annually)
Free planNo
CloudLIMS publishes one of the clearest price lists in the LIMS market: $310/user/month for 3 users, $285 for 5, $200 for 10, $100 for 25, $66 for 50 and $42 for 100, all billed annually, with the per-user figure varying by lab type. Editions cover third-party testing labs, in-house labs, biobanks, cannabis and clinical diagnostics. Configuration, instrument integration, report templates, data migration and training are included rather than billed separately.
The honest catch is the user minimums. A two-person lab still buys at least three seats, and the per-user model punishes labs with many occasional users. Past 25 users the price is competitive; under 10 it is steep. For a testing lab that needs chain of custody, CoA reporting and compliance without an enterprise project, the published pricing makes budgeting refreshingly simple.
What we like- Transparent per-user pricing that drops steeply with volume
- Pre-configured editions for testing labs, biobanks, cannabis and clinical diagnostics
- Complimentary services (data migration, training, instrument integration) bundled in
Watch out for- Minimum 3 to 5 users depending on edition, so solo labs pay for seats they do not use
- Per-user pricing gets expensive past ~25 users
- No free plan or trial
#2
Quartzy
Best for: Research labs that want purchasing, inventory and requests in one place
Visit quartzy.com
Starting price$50/month (Academia, billed annually)
Free planNo
Quartzy is the operations layer for labs rather than a pure LIMS: scientists request supplies, managers approve, purchasing routes the PO, and everything lands back in inventory with lot and expiration tracking. Pricing is public: Academia at $50 a month billed annually for up to 3 users, Industry at $250 a month for up to 5 users, and Enterprise custom. New subscribers get shop credit ($750 for Academia, $3,000 for Industry) to spend in the Quartzy Shop.
The honest catch is the add-on structure. PO generation, invoice reconciliation, ERP integrations and procurement services all cost extra, so the sticker price understates the full platform. For an academic or small industry lab drowning in email purchase requests, though, the Academia plan is the cheapest credible fix on this list.
What we like- Published pricing, rare in this space
- Combines inventory tracking, request workflows and a 10M-plus-product shop
- Academia plan at $50 a month is the cheapest entry here
Watch out for- Industry plan jumps to $250 a month
- Advanced features (procure-to-pay automation, ERP integrations, PunchOut) are paid add-ons
- Enterprise is custom-quoted
#3
SciNote
Best for: Research teams moving from paper to an electronic lab notebook
Visit scinote.net
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo (free demo offered)
SciNote is an electronic lab notebook first, with lab inventory management attached. Experiments are organized as projects, experiments and tasks, with protocol templates, version control, electronic signatures and audit trails for regulated work. The vendor notes use by the FDA and USDA and scientists in more than 100 countries, which signals the compliance story is real.
The honest catch is pricing opacity. There is no pricing page; everything goes through a demo and a quote. For a research lab whose main problem is experiment documentation and reproducibility, SciNote's ELN depth beats the LIMS-first tools. For a testing lab whose main problem is sample throughput, look at CloudLIMS or Lockbox instead.
What we like- ELN plus inventory management in one product
- Compliance tooling for 21 CFR Part 11, GLP and GMP
- Used by regulated organizations including the FDA and USDA
Watch out for- No public pricing page
- Quote-only
- The ELN focus means lighter LIMS depth than CloudLIMS or LabWare
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Benchling is the R&D platform for biotech: a cloud notebook plus structured data management for biomolecules, small molecules, cell lines and reagents, with workflow automation and integrations across instruments and software. Customers include large pharma names shown on the vendor's homepage. The pitch is a unified data foundation for discovery through process development.
The honest catch is the buyer profile. Benchling sells to R&D organizations with real budgets; a ten-person testing lab will find the sales process and the price out of reach. There is no public pricing and no self-serve tier for commercial use. If your lab does discovery research at scale, it belongs on the shortlist; if it runs routine testing, the LIMS tools above fit better and cost less.
What we like- Purpose-built for life-science R&D: biologics, cell lines, in vivo and bioprocess workflows
- Strong data modeling for computational science
- AI tools for R&D workflows
Watch out for- Fully quote-based enterprise pricing
- Aimed at funded biotech and pharma, not small testing labs
- Implementation is a significant project
#5
LabWare
Best for: Large QA/QC laboratories in regulated industries
Visit labware.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
LabWare is the established enterprise LIMS: one platform for LIMS, ELN, mobile and AI-assisted workflows, with the configurability to model nearly any lab process. The vendor claims 98 percent of labs recommend it and shows customers across pharma, food, chemicals and environmental testing. Integration with instruments and enterprise systems is a core strength.
The honest catch is everything about buying it. No prices are published, implementations run through the vendor's services organization, and the platform's depth becomes complexity for smaller teams. This is the tool for a QA/QC lab at a manufacturer or a large testing organization that needs a system to last a decade. Smaller labs get equivalent sample tracking from CloudLIMS or Lockbox at a fraction of the cost.
What we like- Unified LIMS and ELN platform with deep configurability
- Strong instrument integration story
- Long track record in pharma, food, chemical and environmental labs
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing with no public numbers
- Implementations are long and consultant-heavy
- More system than a small lab can absorb
#6
SciSure
Best for: Labs that want ELN documentation and LIMS sample tracking in one system
Visit elabjournal.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
SciSure is the new name for eLabJournal: the product, the team and the elabjournal.com address are the same, only the brand changed. The platform pairs an electronic lab notebook with LIMS sample and inventory tracking, so experiments link directly to the samples, reagents and results they used. Compliance features cover GxP and FDA 21 CFR Part 11, with instrument integrations and an add-on marketplace.
The honest catch is the transition. Reviews, documentation and third-party listings still say eLabJournal in places, so confirm you are evaluating the current product and price list. Pricing is quoted. For a lab that needs both experiment records and sample management without buying two systems, the combined model is the appeal; compare it against running SciNote plus a separate LIMS.
What we like- Combines ELN and LIMS rather than forcing two systems
- Compliance-ready with audit trails, e-signatures and 21 CFR Part 11 support
- Marketplace add-ons for reporting, AI and biobanking
Watch out for- The eLabJournal-to-SciSure rebrand confuses evaluation
- No published pricing
- Cloud, private cloud and on-premises options complicate the quote
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Lockbox LIMS focuses on the workflow middle: sample tracking from accessioning to long-term storage, protocol execution that adapts to the lab's own SOPs, storage management down to the box position, and inventory tracking for reagents consumed in protocols. The pitch is configurability without the enterprise price tag.
The honest catch is diligence. Pricing is quoted after a demo, and the vendor is smaller than the enterprise names here, so ask for reference customers in your lab type and confirm support terms. For a specialty lab whose protocols do not fit off-the-shelf LIMS templates, the configurability is the reason to look; for standard testing workflows, CloudLIMS's published pricing is easier to evaluate.
What we like- Configurable protocol execution from simple SOPs to complex multi-result tests
- Multi-layered storage management (rooms, units, racks, boxes, positions)
- Inventory tracking tied to protocols
Watch out for- Quote-only pricing with a demo gate
- Smaller vendor than LabWare or CloudLIMS
- Public review volume is thinner
#8
Scispot
Best for: Life-science labs drowning in disconnected instrument and spreadsheet data
Visit scispot.com
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Scispot sells a "LabOS" rather than a traditional LIMS: it connects instruments, ELNs, spreadsheets and apps, standardizes the data into one model, and applies AI agents to automate intake, QC, reporting and sample tracking. The vendor reports more than 200 life-science labs and emphasizes open data with APIs, positioning against closed legacy systems.
The honest catch is maturity. The AI claims are bold and the customer base is smaller than LabWare's or Benchling's, so a demo should show your instruments and your data, not a canned walkthrough. Pricing is quoted. For a lab whose real problem is fragmented data across five systems, Scispot's unification pitch is interesting; for a lab that needs proven sample throughput, the traditional LIMS tools are the safer bet.
What we like- AI-native approach: connects instruments and apps, harmonizes data, automates analysis
- Open data model with APIs and no lock-in claims
- Real-time compliance with audit trails and e-signatures
Watch out for- No published pricing
- The AI positioning needs validation in a demo
- Newer vendor with a smaller customer base than the incumbents
LIMS vs. ELN vs. lab operations: what are you actually buying?
These tools cluster into three jobs. LIMS (CloudLIMS, LabWare, Lockbox, Scispot) tracks samples through testing: accessioning, results, storage, reporting. ELN (SciNote, Benchling, SciSure's notebook side) documents experiments: protocols, observations, results, collaboration. Lab operations (Quartzy) handles the business of the lab: purchasing, inventory, requests, spend.
Buying the wrong cluster is the most expensive mistake in this category. A testing lab that buys an ELN still cannot track chain of custody; a research lab that buys a LIMS gets sample workflows it does not need. SciSure is the deliberate hybrid. Before any demo, write down whether your day is samples, experiments, or purchasing, and shortlist inside that cluster.
Compliance is the real price tag
The subscription is only part of the cost. Regulated labs pay for validation, audit support, and the vendor's compliance documentation: 21 CFR Part 11, GLP, GMP, ISO 17025. CloudLIMS bundles compliance support and training into the subscription; LabWare and Benchling handle it through services engagements; Quartzy's compliance story is lighter because purchasing is less regulated than testing.
Ask every vendor three questions before comparing prices. First, what compliance standards does the product support out of the box, with documentation? Second, what does validation support cost, and who does it? Third, where does your data live, and how do you get it out? A cheaper subscription with a six-figure validation project is not cheaper.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: lab management software, LIMS software, laboratory information management system and electronic lab notebook software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own site, confirmed the official URL from the browser address bar, and checked for published pricing. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing. We noted the eLabJournal-to-SciSure rebrand and used the current name.
Frequently asked questions
How much does lab management software cost?
From $50 a month to six figures a year. Quartzy starts at $50 (Academia) and $250 (Industry) per month billed annually. CloudLIMS runs $42 to $310 per user per month depending on user count, billed annually. SciNote, Benchling, LabWare, SciSure, Lockbox and Scispot are custom-quoted, with enterprise LIMS deployments typically starting in the tens of thousands per year.
What is the difference between a LIMS and an ELN?
A LIMS (laboratory information management system) tracks samples through testing workflows: accessioning, analysis, results, storage and reporting. An ELN (electronic lab notebook) documents experiments: protocols, observations and results for research. Testing and QC labs usually need a LIMS; research labs usually need an ELN; some labs need both.
Do I need 21 CFR Part 11 compliance?
If your lab does FDA-regulated work, yes: you need electronic signatures, audit trails and access controls. SciNote, Benchling, LabWare, SciSure and Scispot all claim 21 CFR Part 11 support. Confirm the claim covers your specific workflows and ask for the vendor's validation documentation before you buy.
Can small labs afford a LIMS?
Yes, at the low end. Quartzy at $50 a month covers purchasing and inventory for academic labs. CloudLIMS's published per-user pricing lets a 5-user lab budget exactly ($285/user/month billed annually). The enterprise platforms (LabWare, Benchling) are priced for larger organizations; small labs should start with the published-price tools.
What happened to eLabJournal?
eLabJournal rebranded to SciSure. The product, the team and the elabjournal.com website are the same; only the name changed. If you find old reviews under the eLabJournal name, they refer to the same product.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.cloudlims.com/pricing
- https://quartzy.com/pricing
- https://scinote.net/
- https://www.benchling.com/
- https://labware.com/
- https://www.elabjournal.com
- https://www.lockboxlims.com
- https://www.scispot.com
- https://www.g2.com/categories/lims
- https://www.capterra.com/lims-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.