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RSpace

researchspace.com

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Spec score 8.8 #2 of 28 in Life Sciences Software

What it is

RSpace is an open-source electronic research notebook and research data management platform for research workflows. Its web application supports real-time collaboration, granular sharing controls, comments and annotations, with full-text and metadata search. Chemistry teams can draw compounds and calculate stoichiometry for reaction planning, while RSpace Inventory tracks samples alongside notebook documentation. Forms provide structured fields and ontology integration for FAIR metadata. Records can be exported as HTML, XML, PDF, DOC, JSON and RO-Crate. A RESTful API supports custom integrations. RSpace states that data is encrypted at rest and over networks and supports 21 CFR Part 11 and GLP. Research Space identifies ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certification. Deployment can be self-installed, managed in a private AWS instance, or run on premises for Enterprise. Plans include a free open-source option, Team plans at $6,000 a year and $12,000 a year, and Enterprise at $34,000 a year.

Spec sheet

What it does
RSpace is a collaborative electronic laboratory notebook and broader research data-management platform for documenting, organizing, sharing and connecting research data.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Product
RSpace is an open-source electronic research notebook and research data management platform for research workflows.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Intended users
The company describes its work as serving researchers, research data managers, librarians, stewards, research computing specialists, and policymakers.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Deployment
Enterprise customers can choose on-premises deployment or a private AWS instance in a location of their choice.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
API
RSpace exposes REST APIs for programmatic search, retrieval, document creation, file upload, sharing and data export.Read 15 Oct 2026 · community.researchspace.com
Integrations
The site advertises more than 20 integrations spanning storage, repositories, data-management-plan tools, chemistry, biology, instruments and collaboration software.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Security
RSpace states that user data is encrypted at rest and over a network and that it supports 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and GLP.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Compliance
Official feature material states GDPR, 21 CFR Part 11 and GLP compliance, plus suitability for NIH Data Sharing Policy requirements.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Support
The contact page offers a support team and knowledge base, while Enterprise includes live chat and premium email support.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Founded
2003Read 28 Sep 2026 · researchspace.com
Accreditations
The site identifies Research Space as ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
API documentation depth
The documentation hub lists seven developer articles covering API and SDK configuration, examples and community projects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · documentation.researchspace.com
Audit and signatures
The product includes audit trails, version history, signing and witnessing features.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Chemistry
RSpace includes chemical drawing and automatic stoichiometry calculations for reaction planning.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Chemistry workflows
RSpace provides chemical drawing, stoichiometry calculations and chemistry-specific data management.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Collaboration
The ELN supports real-time collaboration, granular sharing controls, comments, and annotations.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Collaborative notebooks
The ELN supports real-time collaboration, granular sharing controls, templates and structured organization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Company headquarters
LinkedIn lists headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Company history
Research Space says its originating company was spun out of the University of Edinburgh in 2003 by neuro-informatics researchers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Company size
LinkedIn lists ResearchSpace as a privately held software company with 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Deployment choices
Customers can use a managed AWS instance, private cloud or on-premises deployment, with data located in their country or the EU for EU states.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Documentation and support
The help center lists 109 researcher articles, 49 system-administrator articles, 34 inventory articles and seven developer articles; paid customers receive email and in-app support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · documentation.researchspace.com
Exports
Documents and files can be exported as HTML, XML, PDF, DOC and RO-Crate, with repository export options such as Figshare and Dataverse.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Integration availability
The integrations page marks many listed connectors, including S3, Box, ChemDraw, Dataverse, Dropbox and Figshare, as coming soon.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Inventory
Its integrated inventory system manages samples alongside experimental documentation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Limit: perceived value and adoption
Another Reddit user described RSpace as expensive for what it does and said colleagues rarely used its collaborative note-taking feature.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Limit: performance and file organization
A Reddit reviewer reported that RSpace felt slow and that attached files were dumped into one large gallery, making retrieval difficult.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Metadata
Forms support structured fields and ontology integration for FAIR research metadata.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Metadata and ontologies
Forms with structured fields and ontology support are provided for FAIR research practices.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Notable limitation
RSpace says Global IDs, digital signatures, and full audit history cannot be migrated from one server to another.Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Open-source announcement
Research Space announced the transition of RSpace to open source on June 26, 2024.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Open-source licence
The RSpace codebase is released under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0 or later.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Praise: typing and convenience
A Reddit user said RSpace was faster for entering notebook notes than handwriting and that they liked it despite some annoying issues.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Rating on G2
0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Recent release
The public GitHub releases page lists RSpace 2.22.0 released in May 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
SDKs
Public developer projects include a Python client and example clients/tutorials using curl, personal API tokens and OAuth guidance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Search
Advanced search covers full text, metadata and chemical structures.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Security certifications
Research Space states that it is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified.Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Self-hosting
Self-hosted deployment is supported through a WAR package and Docker Compose configuration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Support entity
The support documentation identifies Research Innovations Limited at 16 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, as the Edinburgh support office.Read 15 Oct 2026 · documentation.researchspace.com
System requirements
The Docker guidance suggests at least 4 GB RAM for a dedicated machine, 8 GB for better experience, and server guidance from 8 GB RAM for under 50 users to 32 GB for 250–5000 users.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Web access
RSpace is a web application accessed through a modern browser, with no end-user software installation required.Read 8 Oct 2026 · documentation.researchspace.com

Plans and prices

RSpace Open Source Free Self-install with your own engineers · migration cannot transfer Global IDs, digital signatures, or full audit history Read 8 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Team (Academia) $6,000 a year Minimal annual subscription Managed RSpace instance · open-source features · Microsoft 365 interoperability · private AWS instance · backups · uptime SLA · basic training/support Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Team (Commercial) $12,000 a year Minimal annual subscription Managed RSpace instance · open-source features · Microsoft 365 interoperability · private AWS instance · backups · uptime SLA · basic training/support Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Enterprise (Academia) $34,000 a year Minimal annual subscription On-premises or private AWS · SAML2/LDAP SSO · live training · migration · integration assistance · premium support · advanced analytics · co-branding · HIPAA available at extra charge Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Enterprise (Commercial) $34,000 a year Minimal annual subscription On-premises or private AWS · SAML2/LDAP SSO · live training · migration · integration assistance · premium support · advanced analytics · co-branding · HIPAA available at extra charge Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com
Infrastructure Priced on request Custom open-source deployment into a Research Cloud or Research Commons · tailored services and support Read 15 Oct 2026 · researchspace.com

Every RSpace plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Real-time collaboration with granular sharing controls
  • Chemical drawing and stoichiometry calculations
  • Inventory management alongside notebook records
  • Full-text and metadata search
  • Multiple export formats and REST API

Limits

  • Global IDs cannot migrate between servers
  • Digital signatures cannot migrate between servers
  • Full audit history cannot migrate between servers
  • Enterprise plans cost $34,000 a year

Who it suits

It suits research organizations, data managers, librarians, stewards, research-computing specialists and policymakers needing structured, collaborative electronic records. Browser access and API support fit teams connecting notebook data with other systems.

Verdict

RSpace combines an ELN, inventory, structured metadata, collaboration and compliance-oriented controls. Review migration restrictions and deployment requirements before choosing a plan.

Where Specifiction places it

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