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Research · head to head

DNAnexus vs LabArchives

DNAnexus logo

DNAnexus

Research

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

From
On request
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

  • Only LabArchives has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; 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.
  • They diverge on capability: DNAnexus covers Governed data storage, LabArchives covers Versioned entries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DNAnexus and LabArchives actually diverge.

Attributes where DNAnexus and LabArchives differ
AttributeDNAnexusLabArchives
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotePer user per year
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 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.

DNAnexus

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

LabArchives

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

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

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

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 DNAnexus if

  • You need governed data storage.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want workflow execution.
DNAnexus 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 DNAnexus or LabArchives better?
Neither clearly leads. DNAnexus starts at On request and LabArchives at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DNAnexus or LabArchives?
LabArchives has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for DNAnexus and Free for LabArchives.
Does DNAnexus or LabArchives run on more platforms?
DNAnexus runs on Web, Linux. LabArchives runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use LabArchives for free?
Yes. LabArchives has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DNAnexus starts at On request.
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 LabArchives is typically brought in for.
What can DNAnexus do that LabArchives cannot?
DNAnexus covers Governed data storage, Workflow execution, App building, Controlled collaboration. LabArchives covers Versioned entries, Witnessing and signing, Inventory, Scheduler.

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.

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.

DNAnexus: Is validated use included?

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

LabArchives: Who owns LabArchives?

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

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.

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.

DNAnexus: Does it host UK Biobank?

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

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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