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Research · head to head

Benchling vs Quartzy

Benchling logo

Benchling

Research

R&D cloud for biotechnology research and molecular biology

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quartzy logo

Quartzy

Inventory

Lab inventory and ordering software funded by the supply marketplace attached to it

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Benchling has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Benchling enterprise pricing is not published and is widely reported as expensive relative to general-purpose research tools; Quartzy the vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • They diverge on capability: Benchling covers Electronic lab notebook, Quartzy covers Inventory tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Benchling and Quartzy actually diverge.

Attributes where Benchling and Quartzy differ
AttributeBenchlingQuartzy
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelFree for academics, quoted for organisationsPer month by user tier
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryResearchInventory

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

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 Benchling

  • Electronic lab notebook
  • Molecular biology tools
  • Registry
  • Inventory
  • Workflows
  • Insights

Only in Quartzy

  • Inventory tracking
  • Request and approval
  • Quartzy Shop
  • Order tracking
  • Spend reporting
  • Barcode scanning
  • PunchOut
  • Vendor catalogues

What people use each for

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

Benchling

  • Biotechnology research organisations working with sequences and constructs dailynot Quartzy
  • Academic laboratories needing a shared electronic notebook at no costnot Quartzy
  • Companies replacing paper notebooks and spreadsheet sample trackingnot Quartzy
  • R&D organisations wanting research data structured enough to analyse laternot Quartzy

Quartzy

  • An academic lab of three postdocs replacing a shared freezer spreadsheet that nobody updates after a reagent runs outnot Benchling
  • A small biotech that wants requests approved by a lab manager before any money is committednot Benchling
  • A principal investigator tracking consumable spend against separate grant codes for reportingnot Benchling
  • A growing company standardising ordering across two lab sites so duplicate reagent purchases stopnot Benchling

Where each one falls short

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

Benchling

  • Enterprise pricing is not published and is widely reported as expensive relative to general-purpose research tools
  • Not a substitute for a regulated QC LIMS, and organisations that assume otherwise discover the gap during an inspection readiness review
  • The free academic tier is genuinely useful, which makes the jump to enterprise pricing feel steeper when a lab commercialises
  • Configuration of the registry and workflows is a real project for larger deployments, not a signup
  • Chemistry support is weaker than biology, so chemistry-led organisations should evaluate carefully

Quartzy

  • The vendor earns margin on supplies bought through its own Shop, so the recommended purchasing path is not necessarily the cheapest one for a university that already holds negotiated supplier contracts.
  • Seat limits are tight, at three users on Academia and five on Industry, and exceeding them pushes you into a quoted Enterprise contract rather than a predictable per seat increment.
  • It is not a LIMS: there is no sample workflow, instrument integration, electronic lab notebook or 21 CFR Part 11 audit trail, so a lab moving toward regulated work will need a second system.
  • Prices are billed annually, so the USD 250 Industry plan is a USD 3,000 upfront commitment for a five-person team, which is significant for an early-stage company.
  • Supplier catalogue coverage and pricing accuracy vary by region, and labs outside the United States frequently find their usual distributors missing or their contract pricing not reflected.

Pricing, plan by plan

Benchling

Free
  • AcademicFree
    • ELN
    • Molecular biology tools
    • Sequence design
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Registry
    • Inventory
    • Workflows

Quartzy

$50/month
  • Academia$50/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 3 users
    • Inventory tracking and request workflow
  • Industry$250/month
    • Billed annually
    • Up to 5 users
    • Everything in Academia
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • PunchOut integration with institutional procurement

Which should you pick?

Choose Benchling if

  • You need electronic lab notebook.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want molecular biology tools.
Benchling review

Choose Quartzy if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want request and approval.
Quartzy review

Questions people ask

Is Benchling or Quartzy better?
Neither clearly leads. Benchling starts at Free and Quartzy at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Benchling or Quartzy?
Benchling has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Benchling and $50/month for Quartzy.
Does Benchling or Quartzy run on more platforms?
Benchling runs on Web, Cloud. Quartzy runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Benchling for free?
Yes. Benchling has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quartzy starts at $50/month.
What is Benchling best used for?
Benchling is most often used for biotechnology research organisations working with sequences and constructs daily, academic laboratories needing a shared electronic notebook at no cost, companies replacing paper notebooks and spreadsheet sample tracking, r&d organisations wanting research data structured enough to analyse later. Of those, biotechnology research organisations working with sequences and constructs daily and academic laboratories needing a shared electronic notebook at no cost are not what Quartzy is typically brought in for.
What can Benchling do that Quartzy cannot?
Benchling covers Electronic lab notebook, Molecular biology tools, Registry, Inventory. Quartzy covers Inventory tracking, Request and approval, Quartzy Shop, Order tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Benchling: Is Benchling free?

For qualifying academic use, yes, and that tier is genuinely usable rather than a trial. Commercial organisations are quoted.

Quartzy: How much does Quartzy cost?

USD 50 per month billed annually for up to three users on Academia, USD 250 per month for up to five users on Industry, and quoted pricing for unlimited users on Enterprise.

Benchling: Is it a LIMS?

Not in the regulated sense. It handles research sample tracking well, but laboratories needing inspected quality control testing should evaluate a traditional LIMS such as LabWare or STARLIMS.

Quartzy: Do I have to buy supplies through Quartzy?

No, you can record orders placed elsewhere. But the Shop is how Quartzy earns beyond the subscription, and supplier credits are tied to it.

Benchling: Why did it spread so quickly in biotech?

It treats sequences, plasmids and constructs as first-class objects rather than attachments. Scientists adopted it at the bench, which is unusual for research software and is why it arrived without procurement driving it.

Quartzy: Is Quartzy a LIMS?

No. It handles inventory and purchasing. It does not do sample workflow, instrument data or regulated electronic records.

Benchling: What does enterprise cost?

Not published, and reported as expensive. Budget for it as an enterprise platform rather than as a per-seat notebook.

Quartzy: What happens when we exceed the user limit?

You move to Enterprise, which is quoted rather than listed, so budget for a step change rather than an extra seat charge.

Benchling: Does it support chemistry?

Less well than biology. Chemistry-led organisations should evaluate it carefully against tools built for that discipline.

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