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Healthcare · head to head

OpenClinica vs Sectra

OpenClinica logo

OpenClinica

Healthcare

Clinical trial EDC with a genuinely open source community edition alongside a quoted commercial platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sectra logo

Sectra

Healthcare

Enterprise imaging and PACS from a Swedish vendor that also sells the pathology and cardiology modules on one platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenClinica the free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.; Sectra sectra does not make scanners, so it cannot cross-subsidise software against modality hardware the way an integrated manufacturer can, and it often loses on headline price in a bundled tender.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Sectra covers Sectra IDS7.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenClinica and Sectra actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenClinica and Sectra differ
AttributeOpenClinicaSectra
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, Cloud, On-premise

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

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 OpenClinica

  • Open source community edition
  • Electronic data capture
  • eConsent
  • eCOA and ePRO
  • Randomisation
  • EHR-to-EDC
  • Audit trail
  • Reporting and analytics

Only in Sectra

  • Sectra IDS7
  • Digital pathology module
  • Sectra VNA
  • Sectra UniView
  • Image Exchange Portal
  • Sectra Amplifier
  • Breast imaging workflow
  • Sectra One Cloud

What people use each for

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

OpenClinica

  • An academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs Part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eClinical budgetnot Sectra
  • A registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over yearsnot Sectra
  • A small device sponsor that needs eConsent and ePRO in the same system as its case report formsnot Sectra
  • An informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal studynot Sectra

Sectra

  • A hospital group digitising histopathology that does not want a second image archive and a second integration project alongside radiologynot OpenClinica
  • A regional health service replacing several departmental PACS with one archive and one clinician viewernot OpenClinica
  • An imaging provider moving off a capital refresh cycle to a cloud subscription with predictable annual costnot OpenClinica
  • A trust that needs to send and receive studies with neighbouring organisations routinely, where the Image Exchange Portal is already the regional normnot OpenClinica

Where each one falls short

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

OpenClinica

  • The free community edition is a different and older product line from the commercial platform, so evaluating the open source build tells you little about what the paid product actually does.
  • The vendor provides no support or services at all for the community edition, which means outages, patching, database upgrades and validation documentation are entirely your problem.
  • Commercial pricing is not published, so you cannot benchmark it against alternatives without entering a sales process, and third-party figures around USD 1,000 a month are indicative rather than contractual.
  • Study build is skilled work: complex edit checks, randomisation schemes and integrations usually mean paying for vendor or consultant configuration services on top of the licence, which is a frequently underestimated line in the budget.
  • As a smaller vendor than the large eClinical suites it has a thinner partner and consultant ecosystem, so finding experienced build staff or a CRO already fluent in the platform is harder than with the market incumbents.

Sectra

  • Sectra does not make scanners, so it cannot cross-subsidise software against modality hardware the way an integrated manufacturer can, and it often loses on headline price in a bundled tender.
  • Diagnostic AI is not built in house; Amplifier orchestrates third party algorithms, so the algorithms themselves need separate licences, separate clinical validation and separate information governance sign off.
  • Sectra One Cloud is priced against a committed annual study volume, and organisations whose imaging activity grows faster than forecast meet overage charges partway through the term.
  • The pathology module assumes you have already solved slide scanning and laboratory workflow, which is the larger and more expensive part of digitising histopathology and is not in Sectra scope.
  • Depth of Epic and Oracle Health integration varies by region and by which modules you buy, so a reference site in Sweden is a weak predictor of what integration will cost a United States buyer.

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenClinica

On request
  • Community Edition$undefined/year
    • Free and open source under the LGPL
    • Self-hosted, on the older 3.x line
    • No vendor support or services of any kind
  • OpenClinica Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Pricing only through a sales process
    • Hosted and validated instance
    • EDC, eConsent, eCOA, randomisation and analytics modules

Sectra

On request
  • Sectra Enterprise Imaging$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence plus annual maintenance, or Sectra One Cloud subscription
    • Priced on committed annual study volume and modules selected
    • Pathology, cardiology and ophthalmology licensed as separate modules

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenClinica if

  • You need open source community edition.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android.
  • You also want electronic data capture.
OpenClinica review

Choose Sectra if

  • You need sectra ids7.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want digital pathology module.
Sectra review

Questions people ask

Is OpenClinica or Sectra better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenClinica starts at On request and Sectra at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenClinica or Sectra?
OpenClinica starts at On request and Sectra at On request.
Does OpenClinica or Sectra run on more platforms?
OpenClinica runs on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android. Sectra runs on Windows, Web, Cloud, On-premise.
What is OpenClinica best used for?
OpenClinica is most often used for an academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eclinical budget, a registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over years, a small device sponsor that needs econsent and epro in the same system as its case report forms, an informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal study. Of those, an academic coordinating centre running investigator-initiated trials that needs part 11 compliant capture without an enterprise eclinical budget and a registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over years are not what Sectra is typically brought in for.
What can OpenClinica do that Sectra cannot?
OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Electronic data capture, eConsent, eCOA and ePRO. Sectra covers Sectra IDS7, Digital pathology module, Sectra VNA, Sectra UniView.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenClinica: Is OpenClinica free?

There is a genuinely free, LGPL licensed community edition you host yourself with no vendor support. The commercial platform with eConsent, eCOA and a validated hosted instance is quoted and paid.

Sectra: Does Sectra include diagnostic AI?

No. Sectra Amplifier is a marketplace and orchestration layer for third party algorithms, each licensed and validated separately.

OpenClinica: Is the open source version still maintained?

Yes, releases on the 3.x line continued through 2025, but it is a separate and older architecture from the commercial product.

Sectra: Is pathology really on the same platform as radiology?

Yes, the pathology module uses the same archive and workflow engine, which is the main reason buyers digitising histopathology shortlist Sectra.

OpenClinica: Does it meet 21 CFR Part 11?

The commercial hosted platform is built for Part 11 and GCP compliance. If you self-host the community edition, compliance and validation are entirely your responsibility.

Sectra: How is Sectra One Cloud priced?

On committed annual study volume plus the modules selected, as a subscription rather than a capital purchase. The vendor does not publish rates.

OpenClinica: What does the commercial version cost?

Not published. Third-party listings suggest enterprise arrangements from around USD 1,000 per month, but real cost depends on study count, subjects, modules and build services.

Sectra: Is Sectra CE marked and FDA cleared?

The diagnostic viewing software carries CE marking under the medical device regulation and FDA 510(k) clearance for diagnostic interpretation, but the exact cleared indications differ per module and per market, so confirm for pathology specifically.

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