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Research · head to head

Labguru vs Medidata Rave

Labguru logo

Labguru

Research

Electronic lab notebook, LIMS and inventory in one system, now sold under the Cenevo group

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medidata Rave logo

Medidata Rave

Research

Electronic data capture for regulated clinical trials, sold only through a sales process

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Medidata Rave no pricing is published at all, so a first time sponsor cannot budget a study without entering a sales process and usually cannot benchmark the quote against anything.
  • They diverge on capability: Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Medidata Rave covers Case report form design.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Labguru and Medidata Rave actually diverge.

Attributes where Labguru and Medidata Rave differ
AttributeLabguruMedidata Rave
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, On-premiseWeb

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 Labguru

  • Combined ELN and LIMS
  • Validated cloud hosting
  • Inventory and stock
  • Chemistry module
  • Equipment management
  • Electronic batch records
  • Label Wizard
  • API and developer tools

Only in Medidata Rave

  • Case report form design
  • Edit checks and queries
  • Part 11 audit trail
  • Rave Lite
  • Coding and safety
  • Platform integrations

What people use each for

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

Labguru

  • A biotech that wants experiment records and sample inventory in one system instead of paying for an ELN and a LIMS separatelynot Medidata Rave
  • A chemistry group needing structure registration attached to the experiment rather than in a standalone databasenot Medidata Rave
  • A contract research organisation that must show sample traceability from receipt to reported result during a client auditnot Medidata Rave
  • An academic institute standardising dozens of small labs off shared spreadsheets and paper notebooks onto one searchable recordnot Medidata Rave

Medidata Rave

  • A sponsor running a registrational Phase III study where inspection readiness and a validated audit trail are non negotiablenot Labguru
  • A biotech that wants its CRO to run data management and benefits from the CRO already having Rave trained staff and templatesnot Labguru
  • A sponsor standardising forms across a programme so that a global library is reused rather than each study being built from scratchnot Labguru
  • A device or Phase IV study where Rave Lite gives the same compliance posture at a lower configuration burdennot Labguru

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Medidata Rave

  • No pricing is published at all, so a first time sponsor cannot budget a study without entering a sales process and usually cannot benchmark the quote against anything.
  • Cost is dominated by study build rather than licence, and every protocol amendment that changes a form triggers billable rework, so a study with unstable protocols costs far more than the initial quote implied.
  • Configuration requires trained specialists, so most sponsors cannot build a study in house and are dependent on Medidata professional services or a CRO, which lengthens startup.
  • The system assumes a professional clinical data management function; a small sponsor without data managers will not operate it directly and will pay a CRO to do so.
  • Deep use of the wider Medidata platform for randomisation, imaging and patient reported data creates commercial lock in, because moving EDC later means unpicking integrations that were bought as one bundle.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Medidata Rave

On request
  • Medidata Rave EDC$undefined/year
    • Priced per study through a sales process
    • Study build and configuration charged separately from licence
    • Mid study amendments generally billable

Which should you pick?

Choose Labguru if

  • You need combined eln and lims.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
  • You also want validated cloud hosting.
Labguru review

Choose Medidata Rave if

  • You need case report form design.
  • You also want edit checks and queries.
Medidata Rave review

Questions people ask

Is Labguru or Medidata Rave better?
Neither clearly leads. Labguru starts at On request and Medidata Rave at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Labguru or Medidata Rave?
Labguru starts at On request and Medidata Rave at On request.
Does Labguru or Medidata Rave run on more platforms?
Labguru runs on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise. Medidata Rave runs on Web.
What is Labguru best used for?
Labguru is most often used for a biotech that wants experiment records and sample inventory in one system instead of paying for an eln and a lims separately, a chemistry group needing structure registration attached to the experiment rather than in a standalone database, a contract research organisation that must show sample traceability from receipt to reported result during a client audit, an academic institute standardising dozens of small labs off shared spreadsheets and paper notebooks onto one searchable record. Of those, a biotech that wants experiment records and sample inventory in one system instead of paying for an eln and a lims separately and a chemistry group needing structure registration attached to the experiment rather than in a standalone database are not what Medidata Rave is typically brought in for.
What can Labguru do that Medidata Rave cannot?
Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Validated cloud hosting, Inventory and stock, Chemistry module. Medidata Rave covers Case report form design, Edit checks and queries, Part 11 audit trail, Rave Lite.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Medidata Rave: Who owns Medidata?

Dassault Systemes, which acquired Medidata in 2019. Rave is sold as part of the Dassault life sciences portfolio.

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.

Medidata Rave: How is Rave priced?

Per study, through a sales process. Nothing is published, and study build and amendments are charged separately from the licence.

Labguru: Does it support GxP work?

Yes, through a separately contracted validated cloud instance. Validation for your intended use remains your responsibility.

Medidata Rave: Is Rave validated out of the box?

Medidata supplies validation and qualification documentation, but the sponsor still owns study level user acceptance testing and its own validation evidence.

Labguru: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted per user per year, with modules and validated hosting priced on top.

Medidata Rave: What is Rave Lite for?

Lower complexity studies, typically Phase I, Phase IV and medical device, where a full study build is not justified.

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