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Research · head to head

Elicit vs LabArchives

Elicit logo

Elicit

Research

The AI research assistant

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LabArchives logo

LabArchives

Research

Electronic lab notebook with witnessing, version history and long-term institutional retention

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Elicit pro and Scale plans available at different monthly prices; annual billing options not specified; LabArchives the corporate rate is roughly 75 per cent above the academic rate for the same product, so a university spinout crossing into commercial status faces a step change in cost at exactly the point its budget is tightest.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elicit and LabArchives actually diverge.

Attributes where Elicit and LabArchives differ
AttributeElicitLabArchives
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per year
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Elicit

Nothing recorded that LabArchives does not also cover.

Only in LabArchives

  • Versioned entries
  • Witnessing and signing
  • Inventory
  • Scheduler
  • Education edition
  • Single sign-on
  • Structured data entry
  • DOI and repository publishing

What people use each for

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

Elicit

  • Screening and summarizing 40,000+ academic papers in systematic reviewsnot LabArchives
  • Extracting structured data from 200+ research sources automaticallynot LabArchives
  • Querying full-text papers using AI for custom literature analysisnot LabArchives
  • Tracking new relevant research with personalized notification alertsnot LabArchives

LabArchives

  • A university group that must keep research records after a PhD student leaves, rather than losing them with a laptopnot Elicit
  • A core facility that needs instrument booking and a shared record of who ran what and whennot Elicit
  • A small biotech building patent-defensible evidence of invention with witnessed, timestamped entriesnot Elicit
  • A teaching department running undergraduate laboratory courses where instructors need to see and grade notebook worknot Elicit

Where each one falls short

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

Elicit

  • Pro and Scale plans available at different monthly prices; annual billing options not specified
  • Enterprise plan pricing not disclosed; requires contacting vendor

LabArchives

  • The corporate rate is roughly 75 per cent above the academic rate for the same product, so a university spinout crossing into commercial status faces a step change in cost at exactly the point its budget is tightest.
  • Inventory and Scheduler are separate per-user line items, so a lab that assumed one price per person for a working system ends up paying two or three.
  • It is now a Dotmatics product inside a large scientific software portfolio, which puts roadmap priority with enterprise pharmaceutical buyers rather than with the academic labs that made it popular.
  • The interface is functional rather than pleasant, and adoption typically fails not on features but on researchers quietly continuing to keep notes elsewhere; you need a mandate, not a rollout email.
  • Instrument integration is thin compared with dedicated laboratory information management systems, so automated capture from analytical equipment usually still means manual upload or custom scripting.

Pricing, plan by plan

Elicit

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports
    • Unlimited search across 138+ million papers
    • Unlimited summaries and chat with papers
  • Pro$49/month
    • Standard usage for Research Agent, Research Reports, and Systematic Literature Reviews
    • Dedicated workflow screening up to 5,000 papers
    • Up to 20 table columns
  • Scale$169/month
    • 5x usage for Research Agent, Research Reports, and Systematic Literature Reviews
    • Figure extraction and interpretation
    • Real-time team collaboration
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom usage limits
    • Unlimited alerts and up to 40,000 paper screening
    • Up to 40 table columns

LabArchives

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited storage
    • Core notebook and versioning
    • Intended for evaluation and individual use
  • Professional (Academic)$330/year
    • Full ELN with witnessing and signing
    • Academic rate per user per year
    • Corporate rate is $575 per user per year
  • ELN plus Inventory bundle$360/year
    • Notebook plus sample and reagent inventory
    • Academic rate; corporate rate is $675 per user per year
  • Inventory standalone$99/year
    • Sample tracking without the notebook
    • Academic rate; corporate rate is $199 per user per year

Which should you pick?

Choose Elicit if

  • You want to start without paying.
Elicit review

Choose LabArchives if

  • You need versioned entries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want witnessing and signing.
LabArchives review

Questions people ask

Is Elicit or LabArchives better?
Neither clearly leads. Elicit starts at Free and LabArchives at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elicit or LabArchives?
Elicit starts at Free and LabArchives at Free.
Does Elicit or LabArchives run on more platforms?
Elicit runs on Web. LabArchives runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Elicit for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Elicit best used for?
Elicit is most often used for screening and summarizing 40,000+ academic papers in systematic reviews, extracting structured data from 200+ research sources automatically, querying full-text papers using ai for custom literature analysis, tracking new relevant research with personalized notification alerts. Of those, screening and summarizing 40,000+ academic papers in systematic reviews and extracting structured data from 200+ research sources automatically are not what LabArchives is typically brought in for.
What can Elicit do that LabArchives cannot?
LabArchives covers Versioned entries, Witnessing and signing, Inventory, Scheduler.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Elicit: Does Elicit offer a free plan?

Yes, Elicit's Basic plan is free and includes unlimited search across 138+ million research papers, unlimited summaries, chat with papers, source viewing, and Zotero import. Limited usage is included for Research Agent and Research Reports.

Source
LabArchives: Does LabArchives satisfy patent evidence requirements?

Its versioning, timestamping and witnessed signatures are designed for that purpose, and it is widely accepted for it, but the legal weight depends on your institution's process being followed, not on the software alone.

Elicit: What is the difference between Elicit's Pro and Scale plans?

Elicit's Pro plan ($49/month) includes standard usage limits, dedicated screening of up to 5,000 papers, and access to 135 data sources. The Scale plan ($169/month) offers 5x higher usage limits, screening of up to 40,000 papers, figure extraction, team collaboration, and access to 200 data sources.

Source
LabArchives: Who owns LabArchives?

Dotmatics. The product is branded LabArchives by Dotmatics and shares that company's corporate footprint.

Elicit: What security features does Elicit Enterprise offer?

Elicit's Enterprise plan includes single sign-on (SSO), SAML, two-factor authentication (2FA), PRISMA-grade screening and extraction accuracy, and a dedicated customer success team. Pricing is custom and requires contacting the vendor.

Source
LabArchives: Is there really a free tier?

Yes, with limited storage. It is suitable for trialling or a single researcher, not for a group that needs retention guarantees.

LabArchives: Can we export everything if we leave?

Yes, notebooks export in bulk, but exported archives lose much of the interactive structure, so treat the export as an archive rather than as a migration path into another ELN.

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