Best Research Administration Software in 2026
Updated
In short: InfoEd Global is ranked #1 of 20 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Kuali Curriculum Management and OneRamp ERA Suite.
Research administration software can help institutions manage work across proposals, grants, awards, and agreements. Compared on proposal management, grant lifecycle, award management, and agreement management, these entries also show budget tracking, compliance workflows, and API access. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer additional points to consider. InfoEd Global, Kuali Curriculum Management, and OneRamp ERA Suite are among the options, alongside Pure Award Management and Cayuse Award Management. Compare the listed capabilities with the stages your team needs to manage and the systems or workflows with which the software may need to work.
20 research administration software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
0 of the 20 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 | InfoEd GlobalWeb · Windows · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 2 | Kuali Curriculum ManagementWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 3 | OneRamp ERA SuiteWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 4 | Pure Award ManagementWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 5 | Cayuse Award ManagementWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 6 | CommunityForceWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 7 | GrantsNowWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 8 | Infonetica Research FlowWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | InsightWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 10 | ResearchMaster EnterpriseWeb · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 11 | Worktribe Curriculum ManagementWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 12 | Clinion CTMSWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 13 | OmniStar GrantsWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 14 | eProtocolWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | Streamlyne ResearchWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | Workday ExpensesWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | Fibi Research Administration SoftwareWeb · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 18 | Advarra OnCoreWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 19 | OpenClinicaWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
| 20 | Web of ScienceWeb · API | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Compare all 20 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | Free plan | Paid from | Grant lifecycle | Proposal management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | InfoEd Global | 5.5 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Kuali Curriculum Management | 5.5 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | OneRamp ERA Suite | 5.5 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Pure Award Management | 5.5 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Cayuse Award Management | 5.4 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | CommunityForce | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | GrantsNow | 5.4 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Infonetica Research Flow | 5.4 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Insight | 5.4 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | ResearchMaster Enterprise | 5.4 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Worktribe Curriculum Management | 5.4 | No | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | Clinion CTMS | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | OmniStar Grants | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | eProtocol | 5.2 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Streamlyne Research | 5.2 | No | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Workday Expenses | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | Fibi Research Administration Software | 5.0 | No | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Advarra OnCore | 4.9 | No | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | OpenClinica | 4.7 | No | No | — | — | — |
| 20 | Web of Science | 4.7 | No | No | — | — | — |
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 research administration software is ranked first on Freedom251?
InfoEd Global is ranked #1 of 20 with a score of 5.5. Kuali Curriculum Management is second and OneRamp ERA Suite third.
How many of these have a free plan?
0 of the 20 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
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.