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NVivo vs Thermo SampleManager LIMS

NVivo logo

NVivo

Research

Easy-to-use, collaborative qualitative analysis software

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: NVivo base plan pricing not displayed on shop page; requires adding to cart or contacting sales; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where NVivo and Thermo SampleManager LIMS differ
AttributeNVivoThermo SampleManager LIMS
PlatformsWebWeb, 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 NVivo

Nothing recorded that Thermo SampleManager LIMS does not also cover.

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.

NVivo

  • Qualitative data analysis for researchnot Thermo SampleManager LIMS
  • Document and interview coding and analysisnot Thermo SampleManager LIMS
  • Transcription and collaborative research projectsnot Thermo SampleManager LIMS

Thermo SampleManager LIMS

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

Where each one falls short

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

NVivo

  • Base plan pricing not displayed on shop page; requires adding to cart or contacting sales
  • Volume licensing (10+ seats) requires sales contact only
  • No free version available, only trials without specified duration

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

NVivo

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the NVivo review.

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 NVivo if

Nothing in the data separates NVivo from Thermo SampleManager LIMS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

NVivo 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 NVivo or Thermo SampleManager LIMS better?
Neither clearly leads. NVivo 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, NVivo or Thermo SampleManager LIMS?
NVivo starts at On request and Thermo SampleManager LIMS at On request.
Does NVivo or Thermo SampleManager LIMS run on more platforms?
NVivo runs on Web. Thermo SampleManager LIMS runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
What is NVivo best used for?
NVivo is most often used for qualitative data analysis for research, document and interview coding and analysis, transcription and collaborative research projects. Of those, qualitative data analysis for research and document and interview coding and analysis are not what Thermo SampleManager LIMS is typically brought in for.
What can NVivo do that Thermo SampleManager LIMS cannot?
Thermo SampleManager LIMS covers Sample lifecycle management, Specifications and OOS handling, Laboratory execution system, Scientific data management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NVivo: How much does NVivo cost?

NVivo pricing is not displayed on the public website. Base plan pricing varies by subscription type and region. Individual/small teams can purchase directly through shop.lumivero.com, while organizations with 10+ licenses must contact sales for quotes.

Source
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.

NVivo: What are NVivo add-on costs?

NVivo AI Assistant costs $250 per year. Transcription costs $499 per year (50 hours annually) or $30 one-time (60 minutes). Collaboration Cloud for team sharing costs $99 per year.

Source
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.

NVivo: Does NVivo offer a free version?

No free version of NVivo is available. Free trials are available at the product website, though trial duration is not specified. Individual users can purchase licenses directly through lumivero.com.

Source
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.

NVivo: Is NVivo AI Assistant included in subscription?

No, NVivo AI Assistant is a paid add-on costing $250 per year. However, through August 18-September 15, 2026, AI Assistant is free with annual NVivo + AI subscriptions using code BTSAI100.

Source
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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