REDCap

REDCap is research-focused software for building and managing online surveys and databases. It suits eligible nonprofit institutions with IT staff to run their own installation. Its research controls and data exports are substantial, but hosting, support, and access all depend on the institution.

Overview

REDCap is designed for research studies and organizational operations, not individual sign-ups or plug-and-play survey hosting. Projects can be designed online or prepared as a Microsoft Excel data dictionary and uploaded, giving research teams a structured way to build their data collection workflows.

The institutional model has real consequences: the organization installs and maintains the server, and users access REDCap in a browser. Deployment requires PHP 8.0 or higher, a MySQL-compatible database, and an SMTP email server; Microsoft SQL Server is incompatible. This is a sensible trade for institutions that want control over their environment, but a poor fit for teams without IT capacity.

Key features

Multi-site access, user-managed project permissions, audit trails, scheduling, a project calendar, and reporting support coordinated studies with controlled access and an activity record. Branching logic, calculated fields, and file uploads can accommodate more involved collection workflows than a basic survey tool. Exports to Excel, PDF, SPSS, SAS, Stata, and R connect collection with common analysis workflows.

CDIS can pull selected structured information from EHRs such as Epic and Cerner using FHIR and OAuth2, but an administrator must enable it. The companion REDCap Mobile App supports offline collection on iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets. That helps with fieldwork without a reliable connection, though users need an account at a REDCap partner institution.

REDCap is not open-source software: an eligible nonprofit must enter an end-user license agreement with Vanderbilt University to obtain the codebase. Deployments can be designed for environments aligned with HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, and FISMA, but each institution controls its own installation and compliance environment. Partner sites independently install, maintain, and support their systems; consortium administrators can access Community resources and webinars.

Pricing

The REDCap Consortium license is available at no charge to eligible nonprofit organizations that join the consortium and sign an institutional end-user license agreement. The organization must install, host, maintain, and support its own system, so the license does not remove the need for infrastructure and staff. For-profit organizations cannot hold a license or self-host under this option, and personal use is not offered.

A demonstration account costs nothing, billed Free one-time, and lasts three days. It cannot be extended, making it a short demonstration rather than an ongoing free tier.

Platforms

REDCap is accessed on the web, with platform support listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, API, and self-hosted deployment. The mobile app's offline collection is specifically supported on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

Who it's for

REDCap is a strong fit for eligible nonprofits running research studies or operational data collection that need structured workflows, controlled access, audit trails, and exports into statistical software. It is less suitable for individuals, for-profit organizations, or teams that need a vendor-managed service and direct, uniform support; installation and support sit with each partner institution.

Pros and cons

• Research-ready controls: permissions, audit trails, multi-site access, scheduling, and branching logic serve complex, coordinated studies.
• Useful analysis handoff: exports cover Excel, PDF, SPSS, SAS, Stata, and R.
• Offline mobile collection: the companion app supports field data capture, but requires a partner-institution account.
• Institutional control comes with operational work: the organization must provide compatible infrastructure and maintain the system.
• Eligibility is restrictive: for-profits and personal users cannot use the consortium license, and support varies by partner site.

Alternatives

For simpler online forms with a published free allowance, Jotform offers a Starter plan with 5 forms and 100 monthly submissions. mWater is a free alternative with unlimited standard use, forms, users, surveys, and integrations, while Epicollect5 offers free projects and entries subject to a fair usage policy. Survey Solutions is another free option with server and tablet components available as downloads.

If location-focused data work is the priority, GIS Cloud offers GIS-oriented publishing and tracking plans. For a free collection option with defined monthly caps, DataScope has a Free plan limited to 100 actions per month, 10 users, and 3 forms. CommCare is worth considering when an open-source platform matters. GeoFieldforce is another alternative.

Browse more survey software or mobile forms software to compare options by category.

Verdict

Choose REDCap if an eligible nonprofit has the IT capacity to operate a research-focused system and needs controlled, multi-site data collection with dependable analysis exports. Look elsewhere if you need personal or for-profit access, a managed hosted service, or support that does not depend on your institution.