eLabFTW vs Indigo ELN

eLabFTW is an electronic lab notebook for storing experiments and protocols, organizing records, and supporting collaboration. Users can tag and categorize entries, search them, manage lab resources and quantities, link resources to experiments, and book shared equipment with its Scheduler. One instance can host several teams, with entry-level visibility and editing controls plus Team Groups permissions. Research data can be imported and exported in formats including PDF, ZIP, CSV, JSON, and ELN. Its REST API lets external programs read and write data, and documentation links to a Python library. Listed integrations include PubChem, the Bloxberg blockchain, and Keeex timestamping workflows; authentication options include LDAP, SAML2, and two-factor authentication. The self-hosted software costs nothing under AGPLv3, with no features behind a paywall. It must be installed on a server and configured and maintained by a systems administrator; the site recommends managed hosting for people unfamiliar with server administration. Paid options include PRO Support at €3,000 a year and PRO Hosting plans from €3,200 a year to €8,700 a year.

Indigo ELN is a free electronic lab notebook for creating, storing, retrieving, and sharing chemistry records. It organizes work into projects, notebooks, experiments, and components, while allowing experiment templates and added components without changing the core code. Ketcher provides chemical structure editing, and Indigo handles reaction rendering and chemical property calculations. Searches can use entity attributes, or product structures and reaction schemes with BingoDB integration. APIs connect customer services, databases, and electronic signature services. Role-based authorities and access control lists govern projects, notebooks, and experiments. Pages can be printed to PDF, and SDF files can be imported or exported. The system runs on the web and can be self-hosted; the maker says a Docker image is available, with documented local Docker and AWS deployment. The core product is free under GNU GPL version 3 and provided without warranty. EPAM offers paid customization, integration, support, and maintenance. The demo environment is unavailable while work continues toward a public version 3.0 environment.