Softwr

Research · head to head

Labguru vs Marvin

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
Marvin logo

Marvin

Research

Qualitative research repository with AI notetaking, and an MCP server you can query from Claude

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Marvin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Marvin transcription is inconsistent, with missing punctuation and specifically poor Portuguese accuracy reported, so non-English research teams spend the time cleaning up that the licence was meant to save.
  • They diverge on capability: Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Marvin covers AI Notetaker.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Labguru and Marvin actually diverge.

Attributes where Labguru and Marvin differ
AttributeLabguruMarvin
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, On-premiseWeb

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), 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 Marvin

  • AI Notetaker
  • AI Moderated Interviewer
  • Ask AI
  • Deep Research
  • Thematic and emotion analysis
  • Clips and highlight reels
  • Virtual observation room
  • MCP server and API

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

Marvin

  • A two-person research team that needs interviews transcribed, tagged and searchable without hiring an analyst or buying an enterprise repository.not Labguru
  • A product organisation where findings are never read, wanting product managers to query past research from Claude or ChatGPT instead of logging into a research tool.not Labguru
  • A team running discovery at volume that wants an AI moderator to conduct unmoderated interviews overnight and have them analysed by morning.not Labguru
  • A researcher who needs to send stakeholders a highlight reel of customer quotes rather than a slide deck summarising them.not 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.

Marvin

  • Transcription is inconsistent, with missing punctuation and specifically poor Portuguese accuracy reported, so non-English research teams spend the time cleaning up that the licence was meant to save.
  • Speaker diarisation errors attribute moderator speech to the participant, and a misattributed quote propagates into themes and into the insight report you show stakeholders, which is a research credibility risk rather than a cosmetic bug.
  • SSO, EU or US data residency, PII redaction and a HIPAA BAA are bundled into a paid Compliance add-on available only from Pro upwards, so the headline Pro quote is never the real price for a regulated or European buyer.
  • Starter includes only two full seats, so a four-researcher team is forced to Pro on seat count alone, and the three-way split between full, collaborator and viewer seats makes cost modelling awkward when no paid tier is priced publicly.
  • Every paid tier is sales-gated with annual commitment typically required, so there is no monthly paid trial and no published seat cost to budget against before entering a sales cycle.
  • Integration coverage has gaps, with no Intercom connector despite repeated requests from teams wanting support conversations in the same repository, and reviewers describe the tags versus labels distinction in the interface as confusing.

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

Marvin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 full seats and 3 collaborator seats
    • 5 file uploads per month
    • AI notetaking and transcription
  • Starter$undefined/year
    • 2 full seats, 10 collaborator seats, 50 viewer seats
    • Unlimited uploads
    • Thematic analysis
  • Pro$undefined/year
    • 5 full seats, 15 collaborator seats, 100 viewer seats
    • Agentic Ask AI and Deep Research
    • Marvin MCP server and API
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • 5 full seats, 15 collaborator seats, unlimited viewer seats
    • Salesforce integration included
    • Dedicated support

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 Marvin if

  • You need ai notetaker.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ai moderated interviewer.
Marvin review

Questions people ask

Is Labguru or Marvin better?
Neither clearly leads. Labguru starts at On request and Marvin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Labguru or Marvin?
Marvin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Labguru and Free for Marvin.
Does Labguru or Marvin run on more platforms?
Labguru runs on Web, iOS, Android, On-premise. Marvin runs on Web.
Can I use Marvin for free?
Yes. Marvin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Labguru starts at On request.
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 Marvin is typically brought in for.
What can Labguru do that Marvin cannot?
Labguru covers Combined ELN and LIMS, Validated cloud hosting, Inventory and stock, Chemistry module. Marvin covers AI Notetaker, AI Moderated Interviewer, Ask AI, Deep Research.

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.

Marvin: Is there a genuinely free plan?

Yes. Two full seats, three collaborator seats and five file uploads a month at no cost. It is enough to evaluate the analysis quality on real interviews.

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.

Marvin: What does Pro cost?

Not published. Only the Free tier carries a price. Starter, Pro and Enterprise are all quoted.

Labguru: Does it support GxP work?

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

Marvin: Can I get SSO and EU data residency?

Yes, but as a separately priced Compliance add-on from Pro upwards, not included in any base tier. Price it into the quote from the start.

Labguru: Is pricing published?

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

Marvin: What is the MCP server for?

It lets Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot query your research repository directly with cited answers, so stakeholders get findings without opening Marvin.

Share

Related pages

More on Labguru

More on Marvin

Keep looking

Other head to heads