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Research · head to head

Castor EDC vs Reduct

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
Reduct logo

Reduct

Research

Edit video by editing its transcript, built for researchers rather than video editors

From
$12/month
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.; Reduct automatic transcription struggles with technical vocabulary, product names and strong accents, so teams working in specialist domains spend real time correcting transcripts or pay extra for the human transcription add-on, which erodes the cost advantage.
  • They diverge on capability: Castor EDC covers Browser-based study build, Reduct covers Transcript-based editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Castor EDC and Reduct differ
AttributeCastor EDCReduct
Starting priceOn request$12/month
Pricing modelquotePer user per month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, API

Identical on both: 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 Reduct

  • Transcript-based editing
  • Automatic transcription
  • Human transcription add-on
  • Highlight and tagging
  • Reel assembly
  • Redaction
  • Multicam sync
  • Collaborative commenting

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

Reduct

  • A research team that runs twenty customer interviews a quarter and needs stakeholders across product and design to watch and comment without buying them seatsnot Castor EDC
  • A researcher assembling a five-minute highlight reel of user pain points for an executive review, working from transcript text rather than a video timelinenot Castor EDC
  • A public defender office redacting faces and identifying details from body-camera and interview footage before disclosurenot Castor EDC
  • A global insights team transcribing and translating interviews across several languages before coding them thematicallynot 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.

Reduct

  • Automatic transcription struggles with technical vocabulary, product names and strong accents, so teams working in specialist domains spend real time correcting transcripts or pay extra for the human transcription add-on, which erodes the cost advantage.
  • Transcription hours are a pooled annual allowance rather than monthly, so a team that front-loads a large research programme in one quarter can exhaust the year and face overage charges for the remaining nine months.
  • The Personal tier caps file size at 4GB, which is easily exceeded by an hour of multicam or high-bitrate recording, forcing an upgrade for reasons unrelated to the feature set.
  • Independent review coverage is very thin, so there is little public evidence to check vendor claims against, and buyers effectively have to rely on their own trial rather than peer signal.
  • The company has raised only about 4 million USD since 2018 and remains small, which makes enterprise vendor viability review and data-export planning genuinely necessary before you make it the home of years of research recordings.

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

Reduct

$12/month
  • Personal$12/month
    • 120 transcription hours per editor per year
    • Up to 10 commenters
    • 720p export
  • Professional$40/month
    • 300 transcription hours per editor per year
    • Up to 50 commenters
    • Timeline view
  • Enterprise$75/month
    • 4K export
    • SAML and Google SSO
    • SOC 2 Type II

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 Reduct if

  • You need transcript-based editing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want automatic transcription.
Reduct review

Questions people ask

Is Castor EDC or Reduct better?
Neither clearly leads. Castor EDC starts at On request and Reduct at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Castor EDC or Reduct?
Castor EDC starts at On request and Reduct at $12/month.
Does Castor EDC or Reduct run on more platforms?
Castor EDC runs on Web, iOS, Android. Reduct runs on Web, API.
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 Reduct is typically brought in for.
What can Castor EDC do that Reduct cannot?
Castor EDC covers Browser-based study build, 21 CFR Part 11 workflows, eConsent, ePRO and surveys. Reduct covers Transcript-based editing, Automatic transcription, Human transcription add-on, Highlight and tagging.

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.

Reduct: How is Reduct priced?

Per editor per month: 12 USD on Personal, 40 on Professional and from 75 on Enterprise, with transcription supplied as a pooled annual hour allowance per editor.

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.

Reduct: Do stakeholders who only watch and comment need a paid seat?

No. Commenters are separate from editor seats and included up to 10 on Personal and 50 on Professional, which is the main reason research teams choose it.

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.

Reduct: Can I use it as a proper video editor?

Only up to a point. It handles transcript-driven cutting, reels and multicam sync, then exports to Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro when you need real finishing.

Castor EDC: How long does a quote take?

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

Reduct: Is there a free tier?

No. There is a 14-day trial on Professional with five hours of transcription, but no permanent free plan.

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