LabArchives vs openBIS

LabArchives is a suite of online applications for documenting research data and managing laboratory resources. Its ELN for Research records, organizes, searches, and shares scientific data; Inventory organizes, tracks, and orders lab inventory; and Scheduler manages equipment and other resources. The ELN includes more than 20 built-in widgets and supports custom widgets, with integrations such as GraphPad Prism, SnapGene, REDCap, Jupyter, and Protocols.io. A free plan includes two owned notebooks, 1GB per user, and a 25MB file limit. Professional Academic costs $330 a year per user, with unlimited owned notebooks, 100GB per user, and a 250MB file limit. Browser access works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while mobile browsers support image, video, and audio capture; an Android app wraps the browser-based session. LabArchives lists audit trails, electronic signatures, approval workflows, and offline access, with PDF and read-only offline HTML in ZIP export formats. It states certifications including FedRAMP, SOC 2, and ISO 27001, and support for HIPAA and GDPR requirements.

openBIS combines research data management, a digital lab notebook, and sample and protocol management. Researchers can connect data of any size and format to experiments through its web interface or API. The notebook links experiments with materials, samples, and protocols in the inventory, where teams can track lab materials and create experimental procedures to share with lab members.

BigDataLink provides a git-like way to link large datasets across locations while openBIS serves as the metadata repository. The system supports Excel import and export, and lab notebooks and inventory folders can be exported to Excel and PDF. User profiles and access privileges govern access, and database modifications are tracked. Plugins can extend existing functions or add new ones. Jupyter notebooks can be used with openBIS, and its APIs can connect workflow managers for cluster analysis.