Labster vs Openlab

Labster provides interactive virtual lab assignments for teaching science concepts and practicing laboratory techniques. Its catalog includes more than 300 simulations across STEM subjects. Learners follow guided scenarios, repeat work at their own pace, and receive immediate feedback. Instructors can use automatic grading, customizable quizzes, and a modular assignment builder. A course mapping tool helps match simulations to a syllabus, and listed LMS integrations include Canvas, Google Classroom, Blackboard, Moodle, Schoology, and D2L Brightspace.

Simulations run in supported browsers on Windows and Mac computers. Some are available on iPads and Chromebooks through the Labster app; smartphones, including iPhones and Android phones, are not supported for playing them. Purchases are available to instructors, faculty, and administrators at educational institutions. A free trial is offered, but there is no free plan. Pricing is on request; institutional or department engagements typically begin at $5,000 a year, billed annually, with final pricing dependent on the solution and implementation requirements.

Openlab provides immersive virtual biology and chemistry labs for students to practice laboratory protocols before entering a physical lab. Learners can interact with virtual equipment such as pipettes and test tubes, and explore molecular structures and DNA. Interactive quizzes test learners at each protocol step, while teachers can track progress through a web dashboard. Professors can request virtual labs based on an experiment described in a document or video. Openlab currently supports Oculus Quest 2 with hand tracking, so students interact using their hands. The maker suggests using the labs before real lab work, as a class supplement, or as a group activity. Openlab says it will ship a headset to an institute for a limited-time free trial and help with setup. Its terms state that services are free of charge, while noting that fees or subscriptions may be introduced in the future with notice. The platform is web-based, and the company is based in Varese, Italy.