LabCollector ELN

LabCollector ELN is an electronic lab notebook for managing experimental data in books that can be shared with a team. Tree-style organization and keyword and content search help users locate records. The editor supports text, tables, linked LabCollector records, images, and spreadsheet options including a flat spreadsheet and Zoho Sheet. Users can create custom fields and templates for pages, reactions, and spreadsheets, and associate workflows with pages. The ELN describes audit trails, activity and task-time logs, and optional versioning for books, experiments, and pages. Electronic signature validation based on CFR 21 Part 11 is available only in the Compliancy Pack. A Chemistry plugin supports reaction design and imports structures from LabCollector’s Chemical Structures module. AgileBio offers cloud hosting or self-hosting, including deployment on an intranet, one computer, or a web server account. The free Startup Pack includes three users and 1,000 data records; its optional ELN is limited to 500 pages and experiments. The ELN Pack starts at €600 a year and includes unlimited pages and experiments.

LabCollector ELN offers configurable notebooks, collaboration, and both hosted and self-hosted deployment. Check whether the free-pack ELN limit or the Compliancy Pack requirement fits your needs before choosing a plan.

LabCollector ELN may suit academic institutions, startups, and laboratories that need shared experiment records, templates, workflows, and deployment choices. The maker describes it for both small and large organizations.

Overview

LabCollector ELN organizes experimental work into searchable books that teams can share and adapt with templates and workflows. It is best suited to laboratories seeking a configurable notebook alongside broader lab-management tools, especially those that want to choose between cloud hosting and self-hosting. Its flexibility is appealing, but signature-dependent regulated workflows require the separate Compliancy Pack.

Key features

Tree-style organization and keyword and content search give labs a way to arrange and retrieve experimental records. The editor supports text, tables, images, linked LabCollector records, and spreadsheets, including a flat spreadsheet and Zoho Sheet. Custom fields and templates for pages, reactions, and spreadsheets can accommodate different record structures; workflows associated with pages add a way to align records with lab processes.

Teams can share books. Audit trails, activity and task-time logs, and optional versioning for books, experiments, and pages help maintain a record of activity and changes. User-level permissions and automatic backups every 30 seconds, alongside manual backup, are useful safeguards for routine management. The ELN also offers CFR 21 Part 11-based electronic signature validation, but only through the Compliancy Pack, so labs that need this capability must account for the added requirement.

The Chemistry plugin supports reaction design on pages and in reports, including importing structures from LabCollector’s Chemical Structures module. Integrations include Zoho spreadsheets, Elasticsearch search, OpenAI audio transcription, and Trinka text enhancement. PDF, ZIP, Excel, and .eln exports offer several ways to take records out of the system.

Pricing

LabCollector offers a free plan and a 30-day trial. The free Startup Pack costs nothing for lifetime use and includes 3 users, 1,000 data records, 1 recipe/SOP, and optional ELN use capped at 500 pages and experiments. That cap makes it a practical starting point for a small lab, but not a fit for teams expecting an uncapped notebook.

The limited-time LabCollector ELN offer costs €25 a month, billed at €25/user/month. It includes a 5-user LabCollector license plus ELN; only 25 licenses are available at this price, which is guaranteed for the license lifetime. The page also shows a crossed-out €3000/year price. Buyers should weigh the per-user monthly charge and five-user license against the free pack’s tighter record and ELN limits.

Inventory Pack costs €400 a year, billed from 400€ /user /year, with a 3-user minimum, unlimited records, unlimited custom fields, and unlimited recipes and SOPs. It is the lower paid option for labs that need broader inventory capacity, but it does not include the unlimited pages and experiments called out for ELN Pack. ELN Pack costs €600 a year, billed from 600€ /user /year, includes Inventory Pack, and adds unlimited pages and experiments; optional user groups make it the clearest fit for labs expanding their notebook use. LIMS/LIS Pack costs €1,000 a year, billed from 1000€ /user /year, includes Inventory Pack and adds an unlimited test catalog, parameters, and patients. It is aimed at labs needing those LIMS/LIS elements rather than simply more notebook pages.

Platforms

LabCollector ELN supports Android, API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted deployment, web, and Windows. AgileBio offers cloud hosting or self-hosting; the application can run on an intranet, one computer, or a web server account. Supported environments include Windows 11 and later, Windows Server 2019 and later, Linux, MacOS X 10.x and later, Apache, Nginx, and IIS web servers, and recent Ajax-enabled browsers. That deployment range suits labs with different infrastructure preferences, though self-hosting places the software within the lab’s own environment.

Who it's for

AgileBio describes the ELN as suitable for small and large academic institutions, startups, and globally operating laboratories. Its configurable pages, collaboration, and deployment choices make it relevant across those settings; the free pack’s 500-page-and-experiment limit is most useful for modest needs, while ELN Pack is the paid choice when uncapped notebook capacity matters. Labs requiring CFR 21 Part 11-based signatures should factor in the Compliancy Pack.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Custom fields, templates, page workflows, and tree-style organization let labs shape how experimental records are captured and found.
• Pro: Cloud hosting and self-hosting accommodate different deployment preferences, including intranets and individual computers.
• Pro: The free Startup Pack supports 3 users for lifetime use, giving smaller teams room to begin without a subscription.
• Con: Startup Pack ELN use is limited to 500 pages and experiments, a meaningful ceiling for growing notebooks.
• Con: Electronic signature validation is only in the Compliancy Pack, so it is not part of the base ELN offering.
• Con: The paid packs are priced per user, and Inventory Pack, ELN Pack, and LIMS/LIS Pack carry a 3-user minimum.

Alternatives

Consider LabArchives if its free plan’s two owned notebooks, 1GB per user, 25MB file limit, and SnapGene and GraphPad Prism integrations suit your needs better. SciNote is another freemium option, with a one-user free plan, dedicated workspace, and no guaranteed support. NETVIBES is a paid option with a free plan and an Enterprise Data Science plan.

Labfolder may be worth considering if you prefer a freemium ELN whose pricing depends on user count and requires a quote. IGOR may suit readers looking for a paid plan with no team-size limit and 100 GB storage per user; its Academia plan is $30 a month, billed $360 annually, or $36 per user/month on monthly billing, with an optional inventory module for $5/user/month. ELabELN is a paid alternative whose plan has unlimited users and no per-seat fees.

eLabFTW is worth a look if you want free AGPLv3 self-hosted software and can handle server hosting and administration. Benchling Notebook offers an academic plan free for academic researchers that includes Notebook and Molecular Biology, alongside a customized industry solution.

Browse the broader Electronic Lab Notebook Software selection to compare more options.

Verdict

LabCollector ELN is a strong fit for laboratories that want customizable, shareable notebooks with the freedom to choose hosted or self-hosted deployment. Its tiered packs make the path from limited free use to uncapped pages and experiments clear, but the free-pack cap and separate Compliancy Pack requirement are reasons to look elsewhere if your team needs room to grow or signature validation as a standard feature.