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Research · head to head

REDCap vs Stata

REDCap logo

REDCap

Research

Research data capture licensed free to non-profits, and not licensable at all to companies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stata logo

Stata

Machine Learning

Data science software for research professionals

From
$48/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: REDCap a for-profit company cannot hold a licence or self-host REDCap, so a biotech or CRO that liked it at university simply cannot deploy it the same way and must buy a commercially licensed hosted version instead.; Stata the entry Stata/BE edition is capped at 2,048 variables and 798 independent variables in a model
  • They diverge on capability: REDCap covers Form and survey designer, Stata covers Statistical analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which REDCap and Stata actually diverge.

Attributes where REDCap and Stata differ
AttributeREDCapStata
Starting priceOn request$48/year
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Linux, WindowsLinux, Mac, Windows
CategoryResearchMachine Learning
FoundedUnknown1985

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 REDCap

  • Form and survey designer
  • Longitudinal projects
  • Data quality rules
  • Randomisation
  • Audit trail and e-signature
  • API and exports

Only in Stata

  • Statistical analysis
  • Data management
  • Graphics
  • Econometrics
  • Survey analysis
  • Python
  • ODBC
  • Excel

What people use each for

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

REDCap

  • An academic research group at an institution that already runs REDCap, where a new study database costs nothing beyond the time to build itnot Stata
  • A hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloudnot Stata
  • An investigator initiated trial that needs randomisation, an audit trail and statistical export without a commercial EDC budgetnot Stata
  • A multi site academic collaboration where each site can be given scoped access to a single longitudinal projectnot Stata

Stata

  • Statistical analysis and data analysisnot REDCap
  • Econometric modelingnot REDCap
  • Biostatistics and epidemiologynot REDCap
  • Academic and research data analysisnot REDCap

Where each one falls short

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

REDCap

  • A for-profit company cannot hold a licence or self-host REDCap, so a biotech or CRO that liked it at university simply cannot deploy it the same way and must buy a commercially licensed hosted version instead.
  • Because each institution hosts its own instance, support, uptime, backup and version currency vary by university, and a researcher has no recourse to Vanderbilt when the local instance is two years out of date.
  • It is free of licence fee but not free of cost: the hosting institution carries server, security, patching and support staffing, which is why some institutions charge internal recharges per project.
  • Validation for regulated use is the deploying institution responsibility, so an instance is not Part 11 compliant simply because REDCap supports the features; someone locally has to produce and maintain the evidence.
  • The interface and reporting are dated compared with commercial survey and EDC tools, and complex logic is built through data dictionary spreadsheets rather than a modern visual builder, which slows non technical study teams.

Stata

  • The entry Stata/BE edition is capped at 2,048 variables and 798 independent variables in a model
  • Raising the variable limit to 32,767 requires Stata/SE and 120,000 requires Stata/MP
  • Stata/MP is licensed by core count, so 2 core and 4 core licences are priced separately
  • Student licences require proof of enrolment at a degree granting institution
  • Stata/MP is not sold on a 6 month student term
  • Perpetual student licences cost several times the annual price, for example $298 against $94 for Stata/BE

Pricing, plan by plan

REDCap

On request
  • REDCap non-profit licence$undefined/year
    • No licence fee to non-profit and government institutions that join the consortium
    • Institution must install and host it on its own infrastructure
    • For-profit organisations may not hold a licence or self-host

Stata

$48/year
  • Stata/BE$48/year
    • Basic edition
    • Core features
  • Stata/SE$295/year
    • Standard edition
    • Larger datasets

Which should you pick?

Choose REDCap if

  • You need form and survey designer.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want longitudinal projects.
REDCap review

Choose Stata if

  • You need statistical analysis.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want data management.
Stata review

Questions people ask

Is REDCap or Stata better?
Neither clearly leads. REDCap starts at On request and Stata at $48/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, REDCap or Stata?
REDCap starts at On request and Stata at $48/year.
Does REDCap or Stata run on more platforms?
REDCap runs on Web, Linux, Windows. Stata runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
What is REDCap best used for?
REDCap is most often used for an academic research group at an institution that already runs redcap, where a new study database costs nothing beyond the time to build it, a hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloud, an investigator initiated trial that needs randomisation, an audit trail and statistical export without a commercial edc budget, a multi site academic collaboration where each site can be given scoped access to a single longitudinal project. Of those, an academic research group at an institution that already runs redcap, where a new study database costs nothing beyond the time to build it and a hospital collecting patient reported outcomes where data must stay on institutional infrastructure rather than a vendor cloud are not what Stata is typically brought in for.
What can REDCap do that Stata cannot?
REDCap covers Form and survey designer, Longitudinal projects, Data quality rules, Randomisation. Stata covers Statistical analysis, Data management, Graphics, Econometrics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

REDCap: Is REDCap really free?

The licence is free to non-profit institutions and government organisations that join the consortium, but they must host and support it themselves, so there is real internal cost.

Stata: How much does Stata cost?

Stata does not publish specific pricing on its website. Customers must use the 'Order Stata' or 'Request a quote' functions to obtain pricing. StataNow is available as a subscription option, but specific monthly or annual costs are not displayed publicly.

Source
REDCap: Can my company use REDCap?

Not by holding a licence or self-hosting. For-profit organisations must use a separately licensed commercial hosted route.

Stata: What are the differences between Stata editions?

Stata offers multiple editions including Stata/BE and Stata/MP, with different capabilities and performance characteristics. Edition selection affects pricing, but specific comparisons and costs require requesting a quote.

Source
REDCap: Is REDCap 21 CFR Part 11 compliant?

It has the features to support Part 11 use, but compliance depends on how the hosting institution configures, validates and documents its own instance.

Stata: Does Stata offer a subscription model?

Yes, StataNow is offered as a subscription option that delivers new features immediately upon release. However, specific pricing for StataNow subscriptions is not published on the website.

Source
REDCap: Who supports it?

Your local institutional REDCap administrator, not Vanderbilt. Support quality varies by site.

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