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Machine Learning · head to head

KNIME vs LatchBio

KNIME logo

KNIME

Machine Learning

Open source data analytics and integration platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
LatchBio logo

LatchBio

AI

AI agents that run bioinformatics analyses, from a company that pivoted from workflow hosting

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only KNIME has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: KNIME the free Analytics Platform runs locally only, so anything shared or scheduled requires a paid Hub; LatchBio the company has pivoted from hosted bioinformatics workflows to AI agents, so organisations that adopted the earlier SDK and workflow product are now on a line that is no longer the strategic focus.
  • They diverge on capability: KNIME covers Visual workflows, LatchBio covers Agent driven analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KNIME and LatchBio actually diverge.

Attributes where KNIME and LatchBio differ
AttributeKNIMELatchBio
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Mac, WindowsWeb
CategoryMachine LearningAI
Founded2004Unknown

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

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 KNIME

  • Visual workflows
  • Data preprocessing
  • Machine learning
  • Visualization
  • Reporting
  • Python
  • R
  • Spark

Only in LatchBio

  • Agent driven analysis
  • Multi assay support
  • Published benchmarks
  • White labelled portals
  • Common file format handling
  • Managed compute

What people use each for

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

KNIME

  • Data science and machine learning workflowsnot LatchBio
  • ETL and data pipeline automationnot LatchBio
  • Predictive analytics and modelingnot LatchBio

LatchBio

  • A small biotech with sequencing data and no bioinformatician who needs a first pass differential expression or cell type annotation quicklynot KNIME
  • An assay or kit vendor that wants to give customers an analysis portal under its own branding rather than shipping raw filesnot KNIME
  • A wet lab scientist who wants to explore a dataset interactively before commissioning a formal analysis from a core facilitynot KNIME
  • A research group benchmarking agent produced analyses against its own established pipeline to decide how much routine work can be delegatednot KNIME

Where each one falls short

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

KNIME

  • The free Analytics Platform runs locally only, so anything shared or scheduled requires a paid Hub
  • The free AI assistant is limited to 20 interactions a month
  • Paid workflow runtime is metered in credits, with 120 included on Pro and overage at $0.025 per vCore minute
  • The Team plan at $99 a month includes 3 members, with additional seats at $49 a month each
  • Business Hub pricing is on request, and its tiers are capped at 4, 8 and 16 vCores with 5, 5 and 20 users

LatchBio

  • The company has pivoted from hosted bioinformatics workflows to AI agents, so organisations that adopted the earlier SDK and workflow product are now on a line that is no longer the strategic focus.
  • Agent generated analysis code has to be validated by someone who could have written it, which inverts the value proposition for the small labs that most need it and cannot check the output.
  • No pricing is published, so the cost of routine agent analysis at team scale cannot be estimated without contacting sales, and compute billed through the platform makes the bill usage dependent.
  • Regulated use is a poor fit: an agent that writes non deterministic analysis code is difficult to validate under GxP, so this is a research tool rather than something that will sit in a regulated diagnostic or submission workflow.
  • The vendor publishes its own benchmarks, which is more than most competitors do, but self reported benchmarks on selected datasets are not a substitute for testing the agent on your own data before committing.

Pricing, plan by plan

KNIME

Free
  • Analytics PlatformFree
    • 300+ data sources
    • Unlimited local processing
    • K-AI assistant (20 interactions/month)
  • Pro$19/month
    • 120 workflow runtime credits
    • Data app deployment
    • K-AI (500 interactions/month)
  • Team$99/month
    • All Pro features
    • Collaboration spaces for up to 3 team members
    • Additional members: $49/month each
  • Business Hub$null/month
    • Enterprise automation and governance
    • LDAP/OAuth authentication
    • Staged deployment

LatchBio

On request
  • LatchBio Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted through a sales process
    • Interactive sandbox available for trying the agent before contracting
    • Enterprise and white labelled portal deployments priced separately

Which should you pick?

Choose KNIME if

  • You need visual workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want data preprocessing.
KNIME review

Choose LatchBio if

  • You need agent driven analysis.
  • You also want multi assay support.
LatchBio review

Questions people ask

Is KNIME or LatchBio better?
Neither clearly leads. KNIME starts at Free and LatchBio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KNIME or LatchBio?
KNIME has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for KNIME and On request for LatchBio.
Does KNIME or LatchBio run on more platforms?
KNIME runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. LatchBio runs on Web.
Can I use KNIME for free?
Yes. KNIME has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LatchBio starts at On request.
What is KNIME best used for?
KNIME is most often used for data science and machine learning workflows, etl and data pipeline automation, predictive analytics and modeling. Of those, data science and machine learning workflows and etl and data pipeline automation are not what LatchBio is typically brought in for.
What can KNIME do that LatchBio cannot?
KNIME covers Visual workflows, Data preprocessing, Machine learning, Visualization. LatchBio covers Agent driven analysis, Multi assay support, Published benchmarks, White labelled portals.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

KNIME: Is KNIME free?

Yes, KNIME Analytics Platform is free with 300+ data sources, unlimited local processing, and 20 K-AI assistant interactions per month.

Source
LatchBio: Is LatchBio still selling the original workflow platform?

The company is now led by agent.bio and its agent products. Buyers evaluating the older Python SDK workflow platform should confirm current support directly.

KNIME: What do KNIME paid plans cost?

Pro plan starts at $19/month with 120 runtime credits. Team plan starts at $99/month for up to 3 members, with additional members at $49/month each.

Source
LatchBio: Can I try it before buying?

Yes. There is an interactive sandbox where you can upload data and run the agent before entering a sales conversation.

KNIME: What is KNIME's runtime credit system?

Pro and Team plans include runtime credits for workflow execution. Additional runtime beyond included credits costs $0.025 per vCore minute.

Source
LatchBio: Is it suitable for regulated work?

Not really. Non deterministic agent generated code is hard to validate under GxP, so treat it as a research and exploration tool.

KNIME: Does KNIME offer enterprise pricing?

Yes, Business Hub is available for enterprises needing automation, governance, LDAP/OAuth auth, and dedicated resources. Pricing available on request.

Source
LatchBio: What data types does it handle?

Single cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics and pharmacology data, ingesting FastQ, H5AD and spreadsheet formats.

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