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Labguru vs Thermo SampleManager LIMS

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
Thermo SampleManager LIMS logo

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

Research

Enterprise LIMS for regulated QC laboratories, with LES and SDMS in one product

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.; Thermo SampleManager LIMS no pricing is published in any form, and Thermo Fisher routes even basic cost questions through a request for quote, so early stage budget planning is guesswork.
  • They diverge on capability: Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Thermo SampleManager LIMS covers Sample lifecycle management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Labguru and Thermo SampleManager LIMS actually diverge.

Attributes where Labguru and Thermo SampleManager LIMS differ
AttributeLabguruThermo SampleManager LIMS
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, On-premiseWeb, Windows, Linux

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 Thermo SampleManager LIMS

  • Sample lifecycle management
  • Specifications and OOS handling
  • Laboratory execution system
  • Scientific data management
  • Stability studies
  • Instrument management
  • Environmental monitoring

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 Thermo SampleManager LIMS
  • A chemistry group needing structure registration attached to the experiment rather than in a standalone databasenot Thermo SampleManager LIMS
  • A contract research organisation that must show sample traceability from receipt to reported result during a client auditnot Thermo SampleManager LIMS
  • An academic institute standardising dozens of small labs off shared spreadsheets and paper notebooks onto one searchable recordnot Thermo SampleManager LIMS

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

  • A pharmaceutical QC laboratory that needs enforced method execution and electronic signatures for GMP release testingnot Labguru
  • A multi site chemical or petrochemical business standardising sample handling and specifications across laboratoriesnot Labguru
  • A water or environmental testing laboratory with high sample throughput and regulatory reporting obligationsnot Labguru
  • A laboratory replacing a LIMS plus separate LES and SDMS estate and wanting to retire two integrations along with the old systemnot 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.

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

  • No pricing is published in any form, and Thermo Fisher routes even basic cost questions through a request for quote, so early stage budget planning is guesswork.
  • Implementation is configuration heavy and normally requires Thermo Fisher professional services or a specialist partner, and services costs routinely exceed the licence cost in the first year.
  • Computer system validation is the customer responsibility on top of implementation, so a GMP laboratory carries a validation programme of its own before go live and repeats a subset of it at every upgrade.
  • Cloud hosting is charged as an annual fee scaled to licence count, so seats drive infrastructure cost as well as licence cost and occasional users are expensive twice.
  • The product carries a long codebase history and its configuration model is specialist, which makes in house administrators hard to recruit and creates a dependency on external consultants for changes that would be self service in a newer LIMS.

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

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

On request
  • SampleManager LIMS$undefined/year
    • Quoted through the Thermo Fisher sales team, nothing published
    • Annual hosting fee calculated on the number of licences for cloud deployments
    • Deployment as Thermo managed AWS, on premise, or customer cloud

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 Thermo SampleManager LIMS if

  • You need sample lifecycle management.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want specifications and oos handling.
Thermo SampleManager LIMS review

Questions people ask

Is Labguru or Thermo SampleManager LIMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Labguru starts at On request and Thermo SampleManager LIMS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Labguru or Thermo SampleManager LIMS?
Labguru starts at On request and Thermo SampleManager LIMS at On request.
Does Labguru or Thermo SampleManager LIMS run on more platforms?
Labguru runs on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise. Thermo SampleManager LIMS runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
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 Thermo SampleManager LIMS is typically brought in for.
What can Labguru do that Thermo SampleManager LIMS cannot?
Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Validated cloud hosting, Inventory and stock, Chemistry module. Thermo SampleManager LIMS covers Sample lifecycle management, Specifications and OOS handling, Laboratory execution system, Scientific data management.

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.

Thermo SampleManager LIMS: Does SampleManager include LES and SDMS?

Yes. Laboratory execution and scientific data management are part of the product rather than separate purchases, which removes two integration projects.

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.

Thermo SampleManager LIMS: How much does it cost?

Nothing is published. Pricing is quoted, and cloud deployments carry an annual hosting fee based on licence count.

Labguru: Does it support GxP work?

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

Thermo SampleManager LIMS: Is it validated when I buy it?

Thermo Fisher supplies qualification documentation, but computer system validation of your configured instance remains your responsibility.

Labguru: Is pricing published?

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

Thermo SampleManager LIMS: Can I run it on premise?

Yes. Thermo managed AWS, on premise and customer cloud deployments are all offered.

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