Softwr

Research · head to head

Castor EDC vs Labguru

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
Labguru logo

Labguru

Research

Electronic lab notebook, LIMS and inventory in one system, now sold under the Cenevo group

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Labguru ownership changed twice in short order, to Battery Ventures in 2024 and then into the Cenevo brand with Titian Software in 2025, so the medium-term roadmap is a group strategy decision rather than a product one and buyers should ask directly what happens to the notebook.
  • They diverge on capability: Castor EDC covers Browser-based study build, Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Castor EDC and Labguru differ
AttributeCastor EDCLabguru
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, On-premise

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Labguru

  • Combined ELN and LIMS
  • Validated cloud hosting
  • Inventory and stock
  • Chemistry module
  • Equipment management
  • Electronic batch records
  • Label Wizard
  • API and developer tools

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 Labguru
  • A medical device company collecting post-market clinical follow-up data with Part 11 audit trailsnot Labguru
  • A multi-site registry that needs remote eConsent because participants are recruited nationally rather than at a clinicnot Labguru
  • A biotech running a small phase two study that wants the database built by its own clinical team in weeks rather than commissionednot Labguru

Labguru

  • A biotech that wants experiment records and sample inventory in one system instead of paying for an ELN and a LIMS separatelynot Castor EDC
  • A chemistry group needing structure registration attached to the experiment rather than in a standalone databasenot Castor EDC
  • A contract research organisation that must show sample traceability from receipt to reported result during a client auditnot Castor EDC
  • An academic institute standardising dozens of small labs off shared spreadsheets and paper notebooks onto one searchable recordnot 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.

Labguru

  • Ownership changed twice in short order, to Battery Ventures in 2024 and then into the Cenevo brand with Titian Software in 2025, so the medium-term roadmap is a group strategy decision rather than a product one and buyers should ask directly what happens to the notebook.
  • The validated GxP hosting option is a separate commercial line, not a configuration setting, so a lab that discovers mid-project that it needs a validated instance faces a new contract and a new price rather than an upgrade.
  • Being both an ELN and a LIMS means it is shallower than dedicated tools in each role; high-throughput sample management and deep bioinformatics workflows both hit limits that a specialist would not.
  • No pricing is published at all, and modules such as chemistry, batch records and equipment are quoted on top, so the real annual figure only appears after a sales process.
  • Validation, SOPs and periodic revalidation after vendor releases are the customer obligation on a regulated instance, and cloud release cadence means that revalidation is a recurring internal cost that never appears on the vendor quote.

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

Labguru

On request
  • Labguru$undefined/year
    • Priced per user per year on quotation with volume tiers
    • ELN, LIMS and inventory in the base platform
    • Chemistry, batch records and equipment modules quoted separately

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 Labguru if

  • You need combined eln and lims.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
  • You also want validated cloud hosting.
Labguru review

Questions people ask

Is Castor EDC or Labguru better?
Neither clearly leads. Castor EDC starts at On request and Labguru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castor EDC or Labguru?
Castor EDC starts at On request and Labguru at On request.
Does Castor EDC or Labguru run on more platforms?
Castor EDC runs on Web, iOS, Android. Labguru runs on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
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 Labguru is typically brought in for.
What can Castor EDC do that Labguru cannot?
Castor EDC covers Browser-based study build, 21 CFR Part 11 workflows, eConsent, ePRO and surveys. Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Validated cloud hosting, Inventory and stock, Chemistry module.

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.

Labguru: Who owns Labguru now?

Battery Ventures acquired it in April 2024. Since July 2025 it operates under the Cenevo brand following a merger with Titian Software.

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.

Labguru: Is it an ELN or a LIMS?

Both, in one product. That is the main reason labs choose it, and also why it is shallower than a specialist in each role.

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.

Labguru: Does it support GxP work?

Yes, through a separately contracted validated cloud instance. Validation for your intended use remains your responsibility.

Castor EDC: How long does a quote take?

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

Labguru: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted per user per year, with modules and validated hosting priced on top.

Share

Related pages

More on Castor EDC

More on Labguru

Keep looking

Other head to heads