Softwr

Research · head to head

Attest vs LabArchives

Attest logo

Attest

Research

Straightforward pricing for predictable research costs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LabArchives logo

LabArchives

Research

Electronic lab notebook with witnessing, version history and long-term institutional retention

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LabArchives has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Attest pricing is metered by credits, where one credit equals one survey question answered by one person, rather than a flat per seat rate; LabArchives the corporate rate is roughly 75 per cent above the academic rate for the same product, so a university spinout crossing into commercial status faces a step change in cost at exactly the point its budget is tightest.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Attest and LabArchives actually diverge.

Attributes where Attest and LabArchives differ
AttributeAttestLabArchives
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per year
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Attest

Nothing recorded that LabArchives does not also cover.

Only in LabArchives

  • Versioned entries
  • Witnessing and signing
  • Inventory
  • Scheduler
  • Education edition
  • Single sign-on
  • Structured data entry
  • DOI and repository publishing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Attest

  • Testing product concepts with global audiencesnot LabArchives
  • Monitoring brand health across campaignsnot LabArchives
  • Validating creative concepts before launchnot LabArchives
  • Researching market trends in 70 languagesnot LabArchives

LabArchives

  • A university group that must keep research records after a PhD student leaves, rather than losing them with a laptopnot Attest
  • A core facility that needs instrument booking and a shared record of who ran what and whennot Attest
  • A small biotech building patent-defensible evidence of invention with witnessed, timestamped entriesnot Attest
  • A teaching department running undergraduate laboratory courses where instructors need to see and grade notebook worknot Attest

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Attest

  • Pricing is metered by credits, where one credit equals one survey question answered by one person, rather than a flat per seat rate
  • The Basic tier caps usage at 50,000 credits; going beyond it requires upgrading to Standard (100,000), Elite (200,000) or a custom plan above 400,000
  • Additional credits purchased mid year cost 10 percent more per credit than the plan rate

LabArchives

  • The corporate rate is roughly 75 per cent above the academic rate for the same product, so a university spinout crossing into commercial status faces a step change in cost at exactly the point its budget is tightest.
  • Inventory and Scheduler are separate per-user line items, so a lab that assumed one price per person for a working system ends up paying two or three.
  • It is now a Dotmatics product inside a large scientific software portfolio, which puts roadmap priority with enterprise pharmaceutical buyers rather than with the academic labs that made it popular.
  • The interface is functional rather than pleasant, and adoption typically fails not on features but on researchers quietly continuing to keep notes elsewhere; you need a mandate, not a rollout email.
  • Instrument integration is thin compared with dedicated laboratory information management systems, so automated capture from analytical equipment usually still means manual upload or custom scripting.

Pricing, plan by plan

Attest

On request
  • Basic$undefined/mo
    • Up to 50,000 credits
  • Standard$undefined/mo
    • Up to 100,000 credits
  • Elite$undefined/mo
    • Up to 200,000 credits
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • Over 400,000+ credits

LabArchives

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited storage
    • Core notebook and versioning
    • Intended for evaluation and individual use
  • Professional (Academic)$330/year
    • Full ELN with witnessing and signing
    • Academic rate per user per year
    • Corporate rate is $575 per user per year
  • ELN plus Inventory bundle$360/year
    • Notebook plus sample and reagent inventory
    • Academic rate; corporate rate is $675 per user per year
  • Inventory standalone$99/year
    • Sample tracking without the notebook
    • Academic rate; corporate rate is $199 per user per year

Which should you pick?

Choose Attest if

Nothing in the data separates Attest from LabArchives on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Attest review

Choose LabArchives if

  • You need versioned entries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want witnessing and signing.
LabArchives review

Questions people ask

Is Attest or LabArchives better?
Neither clearly leads. Attest starts at On request and LabArchives at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Attest or LabArchives?
LabArchives has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Attest and Free for LabArchives.
Does Attest or LabArchives run on more platforms?
Attest runs on Web. LabArchives runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use LabArchives for free?
Yes. LabArchives has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Attest starts at On request.
What is Attest best used for?
Attest is most often used for testing product concepts with global audiences, monitoring brand health across campaigns, validating creative concepts before launch, researching market trends in 70 languages. Of those, testing product concepts with global audiences and monitoring brand health across campaigns are not what LabArchives is typically brought in for.
What can Attest do that LabArchives cannot?
LabArchives covers Versioned entries, Witnessing and signing, Inventory, Scheduler.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Attest: How does Attest's credit system work?

Attest uses a credit-based pricing system where one credit equals one survey answer from one respondent. For example, a 10-question survey completed by 500 people uses 5,000 credits. Only respondents who meet survey criteria consume credits from the qualifying question.

Source
LabArchives: Does LabArchives satisfy patent evidence requirements?

Its versioning, timestamping and witnessed signatures are designed for that purpose, and it is widely accepted for it, but the legal weight depends on your institution's process being followed, not on the software alone.

Attest: What plans does Attest offer?

Attest offers four subscription plans: Basic (up to 50,000 credits), Standard (up to 100,000 credits), Elite (up to 200,000 credits), and Custom (over 400,000+ credits). All plans include unlimited user seats, designated research expert, customer success team support, and access to 150+ million consumers across 59 countries in 70+ languages.

Source
LabArchives: Who owns LabArchives?

Dotmatics. The product is branded LabArchives by Dotmatics and shares that company's corporate footprint.

Attest: Can I purchase additional credits on Attest?

Yes. Additional credits are available as add-ons throughout the year. Add-on credits cost 10% more than the per-credit rate in annual plans.

Source
LabArchives: Is there really a free tier?

Yes, with limited storage. It is suitable for trialling or a single researcher, not for a group that needs retention guarantees.

LabArchives: Can we export everything if we leave?

Yes, notebooks export in bulk, but exported archives lose much of the interactive structure, so treat the export as an archive rather than as a migration path into another ELN.

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