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Healthcare · head to head

OpenClinica vs SilverCloud by Amwell

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
SilverCloud by Amwell logo

SilverCloud by Amwell

Healthcare

Guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy with a published randomised trial evidence base

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.; SilverCloud by Amwell the evidence base is for the guided model, and organisations that deploy SilverCloud as unstaffed self service get the completion rates of unguided self help, which is not what the trials measured.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, SilverCloud by Amwell covers Guided programmes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenClinica and SilverCloud by Amwell actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenClinica and SilverCloud by Amwell differ
AttributeOpenClinicaSilverCloud by Amwell
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

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 SilverCloud by Amwell

  • Guided programmes
  • Supporter review
  • Symptom measurement
  • Clinician dashboard
  • Risk detection
  • NHS talking therapies alignment
  • Multiple deployment models

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 SilverCloud by Amwell
  • A registry or observational cohort study collecting structured data across many sites over yearsnot SilverCloud by Amwell
  • A small device sponsor that needs eConsent and ePRO in the same system as its case report formsnot SilverCloud by Amwell
  • An informatics group that wants to self-host the open source edition for a non-regulated internal studynot SilverCloud by Amwell

SilverCloud by Amwell

  • An NHS talking therapies service needing a digital option that fits national reporting requirements and reduces waiting list pressure for step two interventionsnot OpenClinica
  • A health plan wanting a digital mental health offering it can defend to a clinical governance committee with peer reviewed trial evidencenot OpenClinica
  • A university counselling service facing demand it cannot staff, using guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy as a first stepnot OpenClinica
  • An employer that wants an evidence based clinical intervention rather than a wellbeing content librarynot 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.

SilverCloud by Amwell

  • The evidence base is for the guided model, and organisations that deploy SilverCloud as unstaffed self service get the completion rates of unguided self help, which is not what the trials measured.
  • Supporter capacity is normally the buyer responsibility rather than part of the licence, so the real cost includes trained staff time that does not appear on the software quote.
  • Digital cognitive behavioural therapy has substantial dropout across all vendors, so a service planning capacity from enrolment numbers rather than completion numbers will overstate the throughput gained.
  • It is now sold as part of the Amwell portfolio, and Amwell has restructured its product lines since acquiring SilverCloud, so buyers should ask how SilverCloud is positioned within the Amwell Converge platform and whether it can still be bought standalone.
  • Guided digital cognitive behavioural therapy is a step two intervention and does not serve moderate to severe presentations, so a service that buys it without a funded escalation pathway simply relocates the queue.

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

SilverCloud by Amwell

On request
  • SilverCloud by Amwell$undefined/year
    • Priced per member per month or per completed course depending on the buyer type
    • Supporter capacity is usually provided by the buyer, not included in the licence
    • Programme library scope affects the rate

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 SilverCloud by Amwell if

  • You need guided programmes.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want supporter review.
SilverCloud by Amwell review

Questions people ask

Is OpenClinica or SilverCloud by Amwell better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenClinica starts at On request and SilverCloud by Amwell at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenClinica or SilverCloud by Amwell?
OpenClinica starts at On request and SilverCloud by Amwell at On request.
Does OpenClinica or SilverCloud by Amwell run on more platforms?
OpenClinica runs on Web, Self-hosted, iOS, Android. SilverCloud by Amwell runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 SilverCloud by Amwell is typically brought in for.
What can OpenClinica do that SilverCloud by Amwell cannot?
OpenClinica covers Open source community edition, Electronic data capture, eConsent, eCOA and ePRO. SilverCloud by Amwell covers Guided programmes, Supporter review, Symptom measurement, Clinician dashboard.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Is SilverCloud still available under its own name?

Yes. It is marketed as SilverCloud by Amwell and has its own product pages and NHS partnership, though contracting runs through Amwell.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: What evidence supports it?

It has been evaluated in independently led randomised controlled trials, including a National Institute of Mental Health funded study published in Nature Human Behaviour in 2026 examining prevalence of mental disorders over two years at scale.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Do we need to provide the supporters?

In most deployments, yes. The guided model requires trained supporter time, and that staffing is usually the buyer responsibility rather than included in the licence.

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.

SilverCloud by Amwell: Is it suitable for severe presentations?

No. It is a step two style intervention for mild to moderate presentations, and it needs a funded escalation pathway for anything more severe.

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