Research · head to head
DNAnexus vs Labguru
DNAnexus
Research
Regulated cloud platform for genomic and multiomic data, with GxP and FedRAMP coverage
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Labguru
Research
Electronic lab notebook, LIMS and inventory in one system, now sold under the Cenevo group
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; Labguru ownership changed twice in short order, to Battery Ventures in 2024 and then into the Cenevo brand with Titian Software in 2025, so the medium-term roadmap is a group strategy decision rather than a product one and buyers should ask directly what happens to the notebook.
- They diverge on capability: DNAnexus covers Governed data storage, Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which DNAnexus and Labguru actually diverge.
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 Labguru
- Combined ELN and LIMS
- Validated cloud hosting
- Inventory and stock
- Chemistry module
- Equipment management
- Electronic batch records
- Label Wizard
- API and developer tools
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 Labguru
- A pharma sponsor analysing genomic endpoints in a registrational programme where 21 CFR Part 11 records are requirednot Labguru
- A biobank or consortium giving hundreds of external researchers governed access to a dataset too large to distributenot Labguru
- A diagnostics vendor packaging its pipeline as a versioned app so partner laboratories can run it without receiving the source codenot Labguru
Labguru
- A biotech that wants experiment records and sample inventory in one system instead of paying for an ELN and a LIMS separatelynot DNAnexus
- A chemistry group needing structure registration attached to the experiment rather than in a standalone databasenot DNAnexus
- A contract research organisation that must show sample traceability from receipt to reported result during a client auditnot DNAnexus
- An academic institute standardising dozens of small labs off shared spreadsheets and paper notebooks onto one searchable recordnot 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.
Labguru
- Ownership changed twice in short order, to Battery Ventures in 2024 and then into the Cenevo brand with Titian Software in 2025, so the medium-term roadmap is a group strategy decision rather than a product one and buyers should ask directly what happens to the notebook.
- The validated GxP hosting option is a separate commercial line, not a configuration setting, so a lab that discovers mid-project that it needs a validated instance faces a new contract and a new price rather than an upgrade.
- Being both an ELN and a LIMS means it is shallower than dedicated tools in each role; high-throughput sample management and deep bioinformatics workflows both hit limits that a specialist would not.
- No pricing is published at all, and modules such as chemistry, batch records and equipment are quoted on top, so the real annual figure only appears after a sales process.
- Validation, SOPs and periodic revalidation after vendor releases are the customer obligation on a regulated instance, and cloud release cadence means that revalidation is a recurring internal cost that never appears on the vendor quote.
Pricing, plan by plan
DNAnexus
On request- DNAnexus Platform$undefined/year
- Quoted per organisation through a sales process
- Storage and compute billed through the platform rather than at cloud list price
- Regulated and validated configurations are a separate commercial tier
Labguru
On request- Labguru$undefined/year
- Priced per user per year on quotation with volume tiers
- ELN, LIMS and inventory in the base platform
- Chemistry, batch records and equipment modules quoted separately
Which should you pick?
Choose DNAnexus if
- You need governed data storage.
- You work on Web, Linux.
- You also want workflow execution.
Choose Labguru if
- You need combined eln and lims.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
- You also want validated cloud hosting.
Questions people ask
- Is DNAnexus or Labguru better?
- Neither clearly leads. DNAnexus starts at On request and Labguru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, DNAnexus or Labguru?
- DNAnexus starts at On request and Labguru at On request.
- Does DNAnexus or Labguru run on more platforms?
- DNAnexus runs on Web, Linux. Labguru runs on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
- 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 Labguru is typically brought in for.
- What can DNAnexus do that Labguru cannot?
- DNAnexus covers Governed data storage, Workflow execution, App building, Controlled collaboration. Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Validated cloud hosting, Inventory and stock, Chemistry module.
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.
Labguru: Who owns Labguru now?
Battery Ventures acquired it in April 2024. Since July 2025 it operates under the Cenevo brand following a merger with Titian Software.
DNAnexus: Is validated use included?
No. Regulated and validated configurations sit in a separate commercial tier from ordinary research use.
Labguru: Is it an ELN or a LIMS?
Both, in one product. That is the main reason labs choose it, and also why it is shallower than a specialist in each role.
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.
Labguru: Does it support GxP work?
Yes, through a separately contracted validated cloud instance. Validation for your intended use remains your responsibility.
DNAnexus: Does it host UK Biobank?
Yes, DNAnexus hosts the UK Biobank research analysis platform, which has its own access approval and cost terms.
Labguru: Is pricing published?
No. It is quoted per user per year, with modules and validated hosting priced on top.
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