Best Electronic Lab Notebook Software in 2026
Updated
In short: LabArchives is ranked #1 of 24 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of LabCollector ELN and eLabFTW. The best-ranked option with a free plan is LabCollector ELN. The lowest first paid tier on this page is LabArchives at $8.25/mo.
When lab work needs a digital record, compare how each notebook supports documentation, review, and later retrieval. Approval workflows, audit trails, and electronic signatures describe different parts of record handling; search scope and export formats help you assess how records can be found and taken elsewhere. API access and offline access may also matter to your working setup. LabArchives, eLabFTW, and SciNote are among the named options to consider. Check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing alongside the listed capabilities to see which details fit the way your lab manages its records.
24 electronic lab notebook software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
5 of the 24 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LabArchivesWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | $8.25/mo | 6.8 | |
| 2 | LabCollector ELNWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | €25/mo | 6.7 | |
| 3 | eLabFTWWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | €250/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | SciNoteWeb · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | Benchling NotebookWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 6 | LabfolderWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.8 |
| 7 | Chemotion ELNWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 8 | NETVIBESWeb · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 9 | LabKey ELNWeb · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 10 | Alchemy Electronic Lab NotebookWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 11 | BIOVIA WorkbookWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 12 | Dotmatics Electronic Lab NotebookWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | ELabELNWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | IDBS E-WorkBookWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | LabIDWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | LabWare ELNWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | Sapio ELNWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | Signals NotebookWeb · Windows · Mac · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | Indigo ELNWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | openBISWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | Phoenix ELNWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | CDD Vault Electronic Lab NotebookWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 23 | IGORWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 24 | RSpaceWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
Compare all 24 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Audit trail | Electronic signatures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LabArchives | 6.8 | Free plan | $8.25/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | LabCollector ELN | 6.7 | Free plan | €25/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | eLabFTW | 6.6 | Free plan | €250/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | SciNote | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Benchling Notebook | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Labfolder | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Chemotion ELN | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | No | — |
| 8 | NETVIBES | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | LabKey ELN | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Alchemy Electronic Lab Notebook | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | BIOVIA Workbook | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Dotmatics Electronic Lab Notebook | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | ELabELN | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | IDBS E-WorkBook | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | LabID | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 16 | LabWare ELN | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | Sapio ELN | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 18 | Signals Notebook | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | Indigo ELN | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 20 | openBIS | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 21 | Phoenix ELN | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | CDD Vault Electronic Lab Notebook | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | IGOR | 4.8 | No | — | No | 30 /user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 24 | RSpace | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which electronic lab notebook software is ranked first on Freedom251?
LabArchives is ranked #1 of 24 with a score of 6.8. LabCollector ELN is second and eLabFTW third.
How many of these have a free plan?
5 of the 24 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, LabArchives has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8.25/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.