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DNAnexus vs Seven Bridges

DNAnexus logo

DNAnexus

Research

Regulated cloud platform for genomic and multiomic data, with GxP and FedRAMP coverage

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Seven Bridges logo

Seven Bridges

Research

Cloud bioinformatics platform and trusted research environment, sold by Velsera

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DNAnexus no pricing is published, so an organisation cannot compare the total cost against running the same pipelines on its own cloud account until it is deep in a sales process.; Seven Bridges the parent merged into Velsera in 2023 alongside Pierian and UgenTec, so the platform now competes for roadmap attention with clinical interpretation and diagnostics products inside a private equity owned group.
  • They diverge on capability: DNAnexus covers Governed data storage, Seven Bridges covers Trusted research environment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DNAnexus and Seven Bridges actually diverge.

Attributes where DNAnexus and Seven Bridges differ
AttributeDNAnexusSeven Bridges
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, API, Cloud

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 DNAnexus

  • Governed data storage
  • Workflow execution
  • App building
  • Controlled collaboration
  • Compliance posture
  • Cohort browsing

Only in Seven Bridges

  • Trusted research environment
  • Cloud-agnostic
  • CWL pipelines
  • Compliance certifications
  • Cost prediction
  • Public data commons
  • Collaboration
  • Tool library

What people use each for

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

DNAnexus

  • A clinical diagnostics laboratory that needs a CLIA and CAP aligned environment for production sequencing pipelines without building the compliance evidence itselfnot Seven Bridges
  • A pharma sponsor analysing genomic endpoints in a registrational programme where 21 CFR Part 11 records are requirednot Seven Bridges
  • A biobank or consortium giving hundreds of external researchers governed access to a dataset too large to distributenot Seven Bridges
  • A diagnostics vendor packaging its pipeline as a versioned app so partner laboratories can run it without receiving the source codenot Seven Bridges

Seven Bridges

  • A cancer genomics group analysing controlled-access dbGaP data that cannot be moved to local infrastructurenot DNAnexus
  • A federal or federally funded programme that needs FedRAMP Moderate authorisation for its analysis environmentnot DNAnexus
  • A multi-institution consortium sharing pipelines and results under defined access controls rather than by emailing filesnot DNAnexus
  • A diagnostics developer building reproducible CWL pipelines that must stand up to later regulatory reviewnot DNAnexus

Where each one falls short

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

DNAnexus

  • No pricing is published, so an organisation cannot compare the total cost against running the same pipelines on its own cloud account until it is deep in a sales process.
  • Compute and storage are billed through the platform rather than at underlying cloud list price, so the compliance envelope carries a persistent margin on every terabyte and core hour, which grows with the science rather than staying fixed.
  • Data egress at genomic scale is slow and chargeable, so leaving the platform later is a real project rather than a contract decision, and that gravity weakens negotiating position at renewal.
  • The regulated and validated configurations sit in a higher commercial tier than the research configuration, so an organisation that starts in research mode and later needs GxP faces a repricing rather than a setting change.
  • Bioinformaticians used to running Nextflow on their own infrastructure find the platform abstractions constraining, and porting an existing pipeline into the app model is engineering work that does not carry over to any other platform.

Seven Bridges

  • The parent merged into Velsera in 2023 alongside Pierian and UgenTec, so the platform now competes for roadmap attention with clinical interpretation and diagnostics products inside a private equity owned group.
  • Pricing is not published and splits into a platform subscription plus consumption-based cloud compute, so a heavy analysis quarter produces a bill that headcount-based budgeting does not anticipate.
  • The analysis capability itself has credible open source equivalents in Nextflow and Cromwell on raw cloud, so you are principally paying for compliance and governance rather than for the science.
  • Pipelines are built around Common Workflow Language, which is a real learning curve and a portability commitment for teams whose existing work is in other workflow languages.
  • Cloud storage of large genomic datasets accrues continuously whether or not you are analysing, and egress charges apply when moving results out, both of which are outside the subscription line.

Pricing, plan by plan

DNAnexus

On request
  • DNAnexus Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per organisation through a sales process
    • Storage and compute billed through the platform rather than at cloud list price
    • Regulated and validated configurations are a separate commercial tier

Seven Bridges

On request
  • Seven Bridges Platform$undefined/year
    • Platform subscription quoted through Velsera sales
    • Cloud compute and storage charged on consumption on top of the subscription
    • Cost predictor tools provided to estimate analysis spend in advance

Which should you pick?

Choose DNAnexus if

  • You need governed data storage.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want workflow execution.
DNAnexus review

Choose Seven Bridges if

  • You need trusted research environment.
  • You work on Web, API, Cloud.
  • You also want cloud-agnostic.
Seven Bridges review

Questions people ask

Is DNAnexus or Seven Bridges better?
Neither clearly leads. DNAnexus starts at On request and Seven Bridges at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DNAnexus or Seven Bridges?
DNAnexus starts at On request and Seven Bridges at On request.
Does DNAnexus or Seven Bridges run on more platforms?
DNAnexus runs on Web, Linux. Seven Bridges runs on Web, API, Cloud.
What is DNAnexus best used for?
DNAnexus is most often used for a clinical diagnostics laboratory that needs a clia and cap aligned environment for production sequencing pipelines without building the compliance evidence itself, a pharma sponsor analysing genomic endpoints in a registrational programme where 21 cfr part 11 records are required, a biobank or consortium giving hundreds of external researchers governed access to a dataset too large to distribute, a diagnostics vendor packaging its pipeline as a versioned app so partner laboratories can run it without receiving the source code. Of those, a clinical diagnostics laboratory that needs a clia and cap aligned environment for production sequencing pipelines without building the compliance evidence itself and a pharma sponsor analysing genomic endpoints in a registrational programme where 21 cfr part 11 records are required are not what Seven Bridges is typically brought in for.
What can DNAnexus do that Seven Bridges cannot?
DNAnexus covers Governed data storage, Workflow execution, App building, Controlled collaboration. Seven Bridges covers Trusted research environment, Cloud-agnostic, CWL pipelines, Compliance certifications.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DNAnexus: Why pay for DNAnexus instead of raw AWS?

For the compliance evidence. GxP, FedRAMP, CLIA, CAP and Part 11 coverage removes a validation programme most organisations would otherwise have to build and maintain themselves.

Seven Bridges: Is Seven Bridges still sold?

Yes. It is sold by Velsera, formed in 2023 when Summa Equity merged Seven Bridges with Pierian and UgenTec. The Seven Bridges name was retained for the platform.

DNAnexus: Is validated use included?

No. Regulated and validated configurations sit in a separate commercial tier from ordinary research use.

Seven Bridges: What compliance does it hold?

FedRAMP Moderate, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, dbGaP and ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701, which is the usual reason institutions choose it over building on raw cloud.

DNAnexus: Can I get my data out?

Yes, but egress at genomic scale is chargeable and slow, so plan exit costs at the point of signing.

Seven Bridges: How is it priced?

Not published. Expect a platform subscription plus consumption charges for cloud compute and storage.

DNAnexus: Does it host UK Biobank?

Yes, DNAnexus hosts the UK Biobank research analysis platform, which has its own access approval and cost terms.

Seven Bridges: Do I have to use a specific cloud?

No. The platform is cloud-agnostic and designed to bring analysis to where the data already resides.

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