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Research · head to head

GWI vs LabArchives

GWI logo

GWI

Research

Access human insights and consumer insights from real people, instantly

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: GWI teams and Pro pricing requires contacting sales; no published rates for higher tiers; 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 GWI and LabArchives actually diverge.

Attributes where GWI and LabArchives differ
AttributeGWILabArchives
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 GWI

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.

GWI

  • Supporting agency pitches with audience datanot LabArchives
  • Selecting media channels with demographic insightsnot LabArchives
  • Developing content strategies with consumer researchnot LabArchives
  • Validating partnerships with market datanot LabArchives

LabArchives

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

Where each one falls short

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

GWI

  • Teams and Pro pricing requires contacting sales; no published rates for higher tiers
  • Enterprise solutions and custom datasets require separate consultation

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

GWI

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 Agent Spark prompts monthly
    • Unlimited GWI Canvas decks
    • Chart generation
  • Plus$150/month
    • Unlimited Agent Spark prompts
    • Save and export charts
    • Unlimited GWI Canvas decks
  • Teams$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • All Plus features
    • Access shared dashboards
  • Pro$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • All Plus features
    • Unlimited platform access

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 GWI if

  • You want to start without paying.
GWI 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 GWI or LabArchives better?
Neither clearly leads. GWI 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, GWI or LabArchives?
GWI starts at Free and LabArchives at Free.
Does GWI or LabArchives run on more platforms?
GWI runs on Web. LabArchives runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use GWI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GWI best used for?
GWI is most often used for supporting agency pitches with audience data, selecting media channels with demographic insights, developing content strategies with consumer research, validating partnerships with market data. Of those, supporting agency pitches with audience data and selecting media channels with demographic insights are not what LabArchives is typically brought in for.
What can GWI do that LabArchives cannot?
LabArchives covers Versioned entries, Witnessing and signing, Inventory, Scheduler.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GWI: Is there a free GWI plan?

Yes, GWI offers a free tier with 10 Agent Spark prompts monthly and unlimited GWI Canvas decks.

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.

GWI: What is the difference between GWI Plus, Teams, and Pro?

Plus costs $150/user/month with unlimited prompts and 50K profiling points. Teams is custom-priced with all Plus features plus shared dashboards and multi-user discounts. Pro is custom-priced with unlimited access, up to 250K profiling points, and advanced research tools.

Source
LabArchives: Who owns LabArchives?

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

GWI: How much does GWI charge for annual billing?

GWI offers a 15% discount for annual commitments. Plus annual pricing is $1,500/user annually (equivalent to $125/user/month).

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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