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Research · head to head

Castor EDC vs Dovetail

Castor EDC logo

Castor EDC

Research

Electronic data capture and eConsent for clinical trials, built for investigator-initiated studies as well as sponsors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Dovetail logo

Dovetail

Research

AI-powered customer intelligence and research repository.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Dovetail has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Castor EDC nothing is published: pricing is quoted only after a scoping call and protocol review, so budgeting a grant application means asking for a quote months before the study is funded and hoping the scope holds.; Dovetail no published mid-market pricing; enterprises must contact sales for custom quotes
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Castor EDC and Dovetail actually diverge.

Attributes where Castor EDC and Dovetail differ
AttributeCastor EDCDovetail
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile, API

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 Castor EDC

  • Browser-based study build
  • 21 CFR Part 11 workflows
  • eConsent
  • ePRO and surveys
  • Randomisation
  • Per-study licensing
  • Grant-funded pricing paths
  • Data export

Only in Dovetail

Nothing recorded that Castor EDC does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Castor EDC

  • An academic hospital running an investigator-initiated trial that cannot fund a sponsor-grade EDC contract or a data management CROnot Dovetail
  • A medical device company collecting post-market clinical follow-up data with Part 11 audit trailsnot Dovetail
  • A multi-site registry that needs remote eConsent because participants are recruited nationally rather than at a clinicnot Dovetail
  • A biotech running a small phase two study that wants the database built by its own clinical team in weeks rather than commissionednot Dovetail

Dovetail

  • Product teams conducting qualitative research and extracting actionable insightsnot Castor EDC
  • Customer success teams identifying churn drivers through session recordings and feedbacknot Castor EDC
  • Design and UX teams analysing user feedback to inform product decisionsnot Castor EDC
  • Marketing teams monitoring sentiment and customer perception trendsnot Castor EDC
  • Enterprise organisations requiring secure, compliant customer intelligence infrastructurenot Castor EDC

Where each one falls short

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

Castor EDC

  • Nothing is published: pricing is quoted only after a scoping call and protocol review, so budgeting a grant application means asking for a quote months before the study is funded and hoping the scope holds.
  • Price scales on protocol complexity rather than a simple unit, so two studies with the same participant count can be quoted very differently and there is no public benchmark to argue against.
  • Modules such as eConsent, ePRO and randomisation are quoted on top of the base platform, so the headline EDC figure is rarely the number that appears on the final proposal.
  • It is deliberately lighter than the full sponsor suites, so a study that grows into a global registrational programme needing integrated CTMS, safety, IRT and full trial supply management will need additional systems and the interfaces between them.
  • Regulatory responsibility does not transfer with the software: the platform supports Part 11 compliant workflows, but system validation for your intended use, SOPs and audit readiness remain your obligation and your cost, which sponsors new to EDC consistently underestimate.

Dovetail

  • No published mid-market pricing; enterprises must contact sales for custom quotes
  • Free tier strictly limited to one channel and one project; scaling requires Enterprise plan
  • Enterprise pricing model opaque; no transparent tier for growing teams
  • Free tier includes AI Chat but with basic summaries only; advanced AI features reserved for Enterprise
  • No per-seat pricing published; cost model for multi-person teams unclear

Pricing, plan by plan

Castor EDC

On request
  • Castor EDC$undefined/year
    • Priced per study on protocol complexity, duration, sites and modules
    • 21 CFR Part 11 and ICH GCP workflows
    • eConsent, ePRO and randomisation modules quoted separately

Dovetail

Free
  • FreeFree
    • One channel for feedback tracking
    • One project for research
    • AI Chat with basic summaries
  • Enterprise$undefined/variable
    • Unlimited agents, channels, projects and docs
    • Advanced dashboards and AI features
    • Data redaction and access controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Castor EDC if

  • You need browser-based study build.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want 21 cfr part 11 workflows.
Castor EDC review

Choose Dovetail if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, API.
Dovetail review

Questions people ask

Is Castor EDC or Dovetail better?
Neither clearly leads. Castor EDC starts at On request and Dovetail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castor EDC or Dovetail?
Dovetail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Castor EDC and Free for Dovetail.
Does Castor EDC or Dovetail run on more platforms?
Castor EDC runs on Web, iOS, Android. Dovetail runs on Web, Mobile, API.
Can I use Dovetail for free?
Yes. Dovetail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Castor EDC starts at On request.
What is Castor EDC best used for?
Castor EDC is most often used for an academic hospital running an investigator-initiated trial that cannot fund a sponsor-grade edc contract or a data management cro, a medical device company collecting post-market clinical follow-up data with part 11 audit trails, a multi-site registry that needs remote econsent because participants are recruited nationally rather than at a clinic, a biotech running a small phase two study that wants the database built by its own clinical team in weeks rather than commissioned. Of those, an academic hospital running an investigator-initiated trial that cannot fund a sponsor-grade edc contract or a data management cro and a medical device company collecting post-market clinical follow-up data with part 11 audit trails are not what Dovetail is typically brought in for.
What can Castor EDC do that Dovetail cannot?
Castor EDC covers Browser-based study build, 21 CFR Part 11 workflows, eConsent, ePRO and surveys.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Castor EDC: Is there a free academic version?

No published free tier. There are academic, non-profit and grant-funded pricing paths, but each is quoted rather than self-service.

Dovetail: What is included in the free plan?

The free plan includes one channel for feedback tracking, one project for organising research, and AI Chat with basic summaries.

Source
Castor EDC: Is it 21 CFR Part 11 compliant?

It supports Part 11 compliant workflows with audit trails and electronic signatures. Validating the system for your specific use remains your responsibility.

Dovetail: Does Dovetail have compliance certifications?

Yes. Dovetail is SOC 2 Type II compliant and includes automatic PII redaction and private AI processing for enterprise-grade security.

Source
Castor EDC: Do I need a programmer to build a study?

No. Case report forms are configured in the browser, which is the main reason academic groups adopt it.

Dovetail: How many integrations does Dovetail support?

Dovetail connects to 38+ external tools through API, CLI and integrations including Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Source
Castor EDC: How long does a quote take?

Castor states a full pricing proposal within five business days of sharing the protocol.

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