Labsistant vs LabArchives
LabArchives is an electronic lab notebook that sells inventory as a separate product, priced per user. Labsistant is built for inventory: storage locations, expiry alerts and audit history, with a free plan and $49/mo for 10 users.
Pricing Comparison
Every tier, side by side. One price per lab vs. a price per user.
| Labsistant | LabArchives | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Team | Lab | Free ELN | Inventory | ELN + Inventory | Enterprise | |
| Monthly price | $0 | $49 | $149 | $0 | Billed yearly | Billed yearly | Contact Sales |
| Annual cost | $0 | $588 | $1,788 | $0 | $99/user academic, $199/user corporate* | $360/user academic, $675/user corporate* | Custom* |
| Users included | 2 | 10 | 40 | Priced per user | |||
| Extra user cost | — | +$7/user | +$7/user | Every user is a full per-user price | |||
| Inventory items | 50 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Inventory not included | Included | Included | Included |
| Free tier | — | 30 day trial | Free ELN (2 notebooks, 1GB per user). Inventory: 90-day trial* | ||||
| Contract required | No | No | No | Paid plans are priced per user per year* | |||
| Published pricing | Contact Sales | ||||||
| A 10-user lab, per year | — | $588 | $1,788 | $0 (no inventory) | $990 academic, $1,990 corporate* | $3,600 academic, $6,750 corporate* | Custom* |
LabArchives pricing (*) is taken from the pricing page on LabArchives' public site, which lists academic and corporate rates per user per year. Last verified October 2026. Enterprise pricing requires a sales conversation.
Feature Comparison
LabArchives is a notebook first, with inventory as an add-on product. Labsistant is inventory first. "Not listed" means LabArchives' site does not describe the feature, not that it is missing.
| Feature | Labsistant | LabArchives* |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant & Setup | ||
| Edna, the Lab Assistant (creates items, schedules, reports) | Team | Not listed |
| Spreadsheet Import | Guided setup, all tiers | Bulk uploads |
| Inventory | ||
| Inventory Management | Free: 50 items, Paid: Unlimited | Separate Inventory product |
| Samples | Lab | Samples and lots |
| Barcode / QR Scanning | Scanning and label printing | |
| Pull / Split Portions | Team | Not listed |
| Lot Cost / Per-Unit Cost Tracking | Team | Not listed |
| Hazard Levels (5-tier classification) | Team | Not listed |
| Storage | ||
| Storage Management | Free: 5 locations, Paid: Unlimited | Freezer box view |
| Private Locations & Access Sharing | Team | Not listed |
| Zone Management (Standard, Containment, Clean Room) | Lab | Not listed |
| Alerts | ||
| Low Inventory Alerts | ||
| Expiration Warnings | ||
| Experiments | ||
| Experiment Management | Team | In the ELN |
| Link Inventory to Experiments | Team | ELN + Inventory bundle |
| Audit & History | ||
| Audit Trail | 7d / 90d / Unlimited | Notebook audit trail |
| 21 CFR Part 11 | Not claimed | Stated for the ELN |
| Analytics | ||
| Expiry & Low-Stock Reporting | Team | |
| Days Until You Run Out (reagents) | Lab | Not listed |
| CSV Export | All tiers | Not listed |
| Users & Roles | ||
| Role-Based Permissions | Including custom roles | |
| Integrations | ||
| API | Not yet available | Enterprise |
| ELN / Notebook | ||
| Electronic Lab Notebook | Not included | Core product |
| Pricing | ||
| Free Tier with Inventory | 2 users, 50 items | Free plan is notebook only; Inventory is a 90-day trial |
| Lowest Paid (10-user lab) | $49/mo ($4.90/user) | $990/yr academic Inventory ($99/user) |
Making the Right Choice
These are different tools for different needs. Here's how they compare.
When to Choose Labsistant
- Your primary need is inventory tracking, not a notebook
- You want one price for the lab instead of a license for every person
- You want a free plan with inventory in it, not a trial that runs out
- You want to know where every item is stored, down to the shelf and box
- You want to avoid vendor lock-in with easy data export
- Keep LabArchives for your notebook and use Labsistant for inventory. They complement each other
When to Choose LabArchives
- You need an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) first
- Your institution already licenses LabArchives
- You want notebook and inventory from a single vendor
- You need a vendor that states 21 CFR Part 11 compliance
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Labsistant a LabArchives alternative?
For lab inventory, yes. LabArchives is best known for its electronic lab notebook and sells inventory as a separate product, priced per user per year. Labsistant is built for inventory: one price covers the lab, $49 a month for up to 10 users, and the Free plan covers 2 users and 50 items.
Is LabArchives Inventory free?
LabArchives has a free electronic lab notebook plan. Its Inventory product starts with a 90-day trial and is then $99 per user per year for academic labs and $199 for corporate labs, according to its pricing page in October 2026. Labsistant's Free plan includes inventory for 2 users and 50 items, with no trial clock.
LabArchives or Benchling: which is better for lab inventory?
Both are notebook-first platforms with inventory alongside. LabArchives publishes its per-user prices; Benchling quotes through sales. If inventory is the main need rather than a notebook, Labsistant covers reagents, supplies, storage locations and expiry alerts for $49 a month for a lab of 10. Our Benchling comparison has the details on that side.
Can I keep LabArchives for my notebook and use Labsistant for inventory?
Yes. Keep experiment records in LabArchives and track reagents, supplies, samples and where they are stored in Labsistant. The two do not connect today, so they run side by side.
Can I move my inventory into Labsistant?
Yes. Bring your inventory as a CSV file and Labsistant's guided setup imports it, matches your columns, and asks where each item is stored.
Is my data portable?
Yes. Labsistant exports your data as CSV at any time, on every plan, Free included. Your data is always yours.
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Labsistant vs Genemod
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Labsistant vs QBench
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Labsistant vs LabWare
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Labsistant vs STARLIMS
Enterprise LIMS vs. modern inventory software.
Labsistant vs Labguru
All-in-one platform vs. purpose-built inventory.
Disclaimer: LabArchives pricing and feature information marked with an asterisk (*) comes from LabArchives' public site, labarchives.com: its pricing page, its Inventory product page and its own descriptions of its notebook. Information was last verified in October 2026. Pricing, features, and plans may have changed since then. We encourage you to verify current pricing directly with LabArchives. Labsistant is not affiliated with LabArchives.