Softwr

Healthcare · head to head

Clue vs OpenClinica

Clue logo

Clue

Healthcare

Period and cycle tracking app owned by German company Biowink, positioned around science based tracking and a published stance against sharing data with law enforcement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenClinica logo

OpenClinica

Healthcare

Clinical trial EDC with a genuinely open source community edition alongside a quoted commercial platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Clue has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clue clues stated policy on not sharing data with law enforcement without a valid legal process is the companys own published position and legal interpretation, not an independent guarantee, and it can still be compelled to comply with a legally binding request under EU or other applicable law.; OpenClinica the free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.
  • They diverge on capability: Clue covers Cycle and symptom tracking, OpenClinica covers Open source community edition.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clue and OpenClinica actually diverge.

Attributes where Clue and OpenClinica differ
AttributeClueOpenClinica
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree with a Plus subscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, Android

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

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 Clue

  • Cycle and symptom tracking
  • Cycle insights and patterns
  • Research partnerships
  • EU-based data hosting
  • Fertility and conception mode
  • Perimenopause and other life stage tracking

Only in OpenClinica

  • Open source community edition
  • Electronic data capture
  • eConsent
  • eCOA and ePRO
  • Randomisation
  • EHR-to-EDC
  • Audit trail
  • Reporting and analytics

What people use each for

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

Clue

  • Someone specifically weighing data jurisdiction and legal exposure when choosing a period tracking app, given Clues EU basis and published stance on law enforcement requestsnot OpenClinica
  • A user who wants cycle tracking positioned around scientific research partnerships rather than lifestyle or community contentnot OpenClinica
  • A buyer comparing Clue directly against Flo on current published privacy policy language before choosing which app to trustnot OpenClinica
  • Someone tracking perimenopause or other non-standard cycle stages that some period apps do not support wellnot OpenClinica

OpenClinica

  • An academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs Part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eClinical budgetnot Clue
  • A registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over yearsnot Clue
  • A small device sponsor that needs eConsent and ePRO in the same system as its case report formsnot Clue
  • An informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal studynot Clue

Where each one falls short

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

Clue

  • Clues stated policy on not sharing data with law enforcement without a valid legal process is the companys own published position and legal interpretation, not an independent guarantee, and it can still be compelled to comply with a legally binding request under EU or other applicable law.
  • Deeper cycle insights and predictions, the features most likely to justify tracking in the first place, are gated behind the Clue Plus subscription rather than fully free.
  • Being a smaller company than some competitors, Clue has less capital and legal resource to contest large-scale legal requests than a larger, better-funded rival might, despite its stated intent to do so.
  • Research partnerships using anonymised user data, while opt-in, still mean user-derived data can be used in ways beyond direct app functionality, and users should check current consent settings.
  • Cycle predictions rely on self-reported data and general population models, so accuracy for irregular cycles or specific medical conditions remains limited regardless of which app is used.

OpenClinica

  • The free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.
  • The vendor provides no support or services at all for the community edition, which means outages, patching, database upgrades and validation documentation are entirely your problem.
  • Commercial pricing is not published, so you cannot benchmark it against alternatives without entering a sales process, and third-party figures around USD 1,000 a month are indicative rather than contractual.
  • Study build is skilled work: complex edit checks, randomisation schemes and integrations usually mean paying for vendor or consultant configuration services on top of the licence, which is a frequently underestimated line in the budget.
  • As a smaller vendor than the large eClinical suites it has a thinner partner and consultant ecosystem, so finding experienced build staff or a CRO already fluent in the platform is harder than with the market incumbents.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clue

Free
  • Clue Plus$9.99/month
    • Free tier covers core cycle tracking, logging and basic predictions
    • Clue Plus adds deeper cycle insights, extended predictions and personalised content
    • Annual Plus plans typically offered at a lower effective monthly rate

OpenClinica

On request
  • Community Edition$undefined/year
    • Free and open source under the LGPL
    • Self-hosted, on the older 3.x line
    • No vendor support or services of any kind
  • OpenClinica Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Pricing only through a sales process
    • Hosted and validated instance
    • EDC, eConsent, eCOA, randomisation and analytics modules

Which should you pick?

Choose Clue if

  • You need cycle and symptom tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want cycle insights and patterns.
Clue review

Choose OpenClinica if

  • You need open source community edition.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
  • You also want electronic data capture.
OpenClinica review

Questions people ask

Is Clue or OpenClinica better?
Neither clearly leads. Clue starts at Free and OpenClinica at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clue or OpenClinica?
Clue has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clue and On request for OpenClinica.
Does Clue or OpenClinica run on more platforms?
Clue runs on iOS, Android. OpenClinica runs on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
Can I use Clue for free?
Yes. Clue has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpenClinica starts at On request.
What is Clue best used for?
Clue is most often used for someone specifically weighing data jurisdiction and legal exposure when choosing a period tracking app, given clues eu basis and published stance on law enforcement requests, a user who wants cycle tracking positioned around scientific research partnerships rather than lifestyle or community content, a buyer comparing clue directly against flo on current published privacy policy language before choosing which app to trust, someone tracking perimenopause or other non-standard cycle stages that some period apps do not support well. Of those, someone specifically weighing data jurisdiction and legal exposure when choosing a period tracking app, given clues eu basis and published stance on law enforcement requests and a user who wants cycle tracking positioned around scientific research partnerships rather than lifestyle or community content are not what OpenClinica is typically brought in for.
What can Clue do that OpenClinica cannot?
Clue covers Cycle and symptom tracking, Cycle insights and patterns, Research partnerships, EU-based data hosting. OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Electronic data capture, eConsent, eCOA and ePRO.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clue: Does Clue share data with law enforcement?

Clue publishes a policy stating it does not share health data with law enforcement or public authorities without a legally binding request and states it will challenge requests it considers improper. This is the companys stated position; verify the current policy directly for specifics.

OpenClinica: Is OpenClinica free?

There is a genuinely free, LGPL licensed community edition you host yourself with no vendor support. The commercial platform with eConsent, eCOA and a validated hosted instance is quoted and paid.

Clue: Why does Clue emphasise being an EU company?

Clue operates under EU GDPR data protection rules and states this legal basis makes it harder for authorities outside the EU, including US authorities, to compel data disclosure than for a company based in the US.

OpenClinica: Is the open source version still maintained?

Yes, releases on the 3.x line continued through 2025, but it is a separate and older architecture from the commercial product.

Clue: Is Clue free?

Core cycle tracking, logging and basic predictions are free. Deeper insights and extended predictions require Clue Plus.

OpenClinica: Does it meet 21 CFR Part 11?

The commercial hosted platform is built for Part 11 and GCP compliance. If you self-host the community edition, compliance and validation are entirely your responsibility.

OpenClinica: What does the commercial version cost?

Not published. Third-party listings suggest enterprise arrangements from around USD 1,000 per month, but real cost depends on study count, subjects, modules and build services.

Share

Related pages

More on Clue

More on OpenClinica

Keep looking

Other head to heads