By study type
The best data collection software for each type of study
Clinical trials, observational studies, registries, ePRO diaries, post-market studies, surveys and field studies each need something different. Here is our ranked shortlist for each.
This guide is published by ResearchGuru Ltd, which also makes ResearchGuru EDC. How we rank.
Clinical trials
Academic and investigator-initiated clinical trials
Investigator-led drug, device and behavioural trials need randomisation, visit schedules, edit checks, queries, electronic signatures and an audit trail, usually without a dedicated data management team.
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ResearchGuru EDC Our pick
The vendor builds and tests the eCRF from your protocol, with randomisation, queries, e-signatures and an audit trail it describes as designed to support FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GCP and GDPR. Numbered tables, figures and listings come from the same platform at the end.
8.6/10 - 2
OpenClinica
Published monthly prices, including a Launch plan for up to 150 participants and 3 sites, and an expert-managed build on higher plans.
7.7/10 - 3
Castor EDC
A self-build platform with randomisation, ePRO and eConsent, a flat per-study licence, and hosting in the EU, UK, US or Australia.
7.5/10 - 4
Sealed Envelope Red Pill
UK-hosted, ISO 27001-certified, and built around Sealed Envelope's long-running randomisation service.
5.8/10 - 5
REDCap
Free if your institution is a REDCap Consortium member and supports it; your team builds the database itself.
7.1/10
Clinical trials
Large multinational Phase II-III trials
Global sponsor and CRO programmes with many sites need randomisation and drug supply, imaging, eCOA, EHR links and proven scale. Enterprise platforms are built for this, and this is not where ResearchGuru EDC is strongest.
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Medidata Rave EDC Our pick
EDC unified with randomisation and supply (RTSM), eCOA and imaging, with the widest set of published security certificates in our comparison.
6.8/10 - 2
Veeva EDC
Fast study builds and support for complex designs such as master protocols and adaptive trials, and a natural fit for organisations already on Veeva CTMS or eTMF.
6.7/10 - 3
Oracle Clinical One
Forms, visits, randomisation, kits and dispensing set up and run in one cloud service, plus EHR-to-eCRF data flow.
6.3/10 - 4
Viedoc
Unlimited users, many languages, and experience with Japanese and Chinese regulations.
7.3/10
Observational research
Observational and cohort studies
Cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies need clean longitudinal data, follow-up tracking and analysis-ready outputs at each data cut.
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ResearchGuru EDC Our pick
Follow-up visits, participant ePRO and edit checks in one database, then built-in analyses (from regression to Cox and Kaplan-Meier) and numbered tables at every data cut.
8.6/10 - 2
REDCap
Longitudinal projects, surveys and a mobile app, free for consortium members.
7.1/10 - 3
Castor EDC
Self-build forms and surveys with hosting in four regions.
7.5/10 - 4
OpenClinica
Published prices and an open-source edition for teams with IT support.
7.7/10 - 5
Ledidi Core
Built-in descriptive and inferential statistics for simple observational designs.
6.0/10
Registries
Patient registries
Registries run for years, add sites over time, take data from several sources and report regularly to steering committees and funders.
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ResearchGuru EDC Our pick
Site-level access, controlled changes over many years, imports from spreadsheets logged in the audit trail, and regular report tables produced inside the platform.
8.6/10 - 2
Castor EDC
Widely used for registries and post-market follow-up, with self-build forms.
7.5/10 - 3
REDCap
Free at consortium institutions, with longitudinal and survey features.
7.1/10 - 4
OpenClinica
Mature platform with published prices and CDISC export.
7.7/10 - 5
Ledidi Core
Registries with statistics built into the same platform.
6.0/10
Participant data
ePRO, eDiaries and patient-reported outcomes
Diaries and questionnaires completed by participants at home need personal links, reminders, translations, and data that sit alongside the site-entered record.
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ResearchGuru EDC Our pick
Personal study links with no app to install, automatic reminders, forms in many languages (including right-to-left scripts), an offline Android app, eConsent, and diary data in the same study as the site data.
8.6/10 - 2
TrialKit
Native iOS and Android apps for ePRO and eConsent, including offline use.
7.4/10 - 3
Medrio EDC
EDC, eCOA, eConsent and randomisation from one vendor.
7.4/10 - 4
Castor EDC
Mobile ePRO and eConsent on the full platform.
7.5/10 - 5
Viedoc
Web-based ePRO in many languages.
7.3/10
Post-market
Post-market and medical device studies
Post-market clinical follow-up, real-world evidence and device studies need fast set-up, adverse event tracking, and tables for periodic reports.
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ResearchGuru EDC Our pick
A managed build from your protocol, adverse event follow-up with e-mail alerts, and numbered tables ready for periodic safety and performance reports.
8.6/10 - 2
Castor EDC
Self-build platform widely used for MedTech and post-market follow-up.
7.5/10 - 3
Medrio EDC
No-code builds aimed at device and biotech sponsors.
7.4/10 - 4
TrialKit
Mobile-native data capture for sites and patients.
7.4/10
Surveys
Research surveys and questionnaires
Questionnaire studies, survey experiments and student research need quick self-service builds, routing and analysis, but rarely the controls of a clinical trial. A survey tool is usually the better choice here.
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Qualtrics Our pick
Advanced survey logic, many languages and Stats iQ (a paid add-on) for analysis inside the tool; many universities hold a licence.
6.4/10 - 2
Jisc Online Surveys
Designed for UK higher education, with published annual prices and ISO 27001 certification.
5.1/10 - 3
SurveyMonkey
Fast to set up, with published UK prices and a free Basic plan.
5.4/10 - 4
ResearchGuru EDC
Choose it when survey data must sit with clinical data, needs an audit trail, or must end in numbered report tables.
8.6/10
Field data
Field studies with poor connectivity
Household surveys, community studies and humanitarian assessments need offline Android apps, many languages and simple deployment across many data collectors.
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KoboToolbox Our pick
Free hosted plan for nonprofits and education, offline Android collection and multilingual forms.
6.3/10 - 2
ODK
Open-source standard for offline collection, with Entities for following participants across visits.
5.9/10 - 3
REDCap
Offline mobile app for consortium members.
7.1/10 - 4
ResearchGuru EDC
An offline Android app for clinical field studies that also need audit trails, queries and report tables.
8.6/10
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the best EDC for an academic or investigator-initiated clinical trial?
Our pick is ResearchGuru EDC, because the vendor builds the database for you and produces numbered tables, figures, listings and analyses in the same platform. OpenClinica and Castor are strong self-build alternatives, and REDCap is free if your institution already runs it.
Which EDC is best for a large multinational Phase III trial?
Medidata Rave EDC, Veeva EDC and Oracle Clinical One are built for global Phase II-III programmes with integrated randomisation, supply and eCOA. Viedoc is a strong option for multinational studies that include Japan or China.
What is the best software for an observational cohort study?
Our pick is ResearchGuru EDC, which combines follow-up data capture with built-in analyses such as Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier curves and numbered tables at each data cut. REDCap is a free alternative at consortium institutions.
What is the best software for a patient registry?
Our pick is ResearchGuru EDC for registries that need a managed build, controlled changes over many years and regular report tables. Castor and REDCap are common self-build alternatives.
What is the best software for ePRO and electronic diaries?
Our pick is ResearchGuru EDC for academic and small-to-mid studies: personal diary links, reminders, many languages, eConsent and an offline Android app, in the same study as the site data. TrialKit and Medrio are strong alternatives for sponsor studies.
What is the best EDC for a post-market or medical device study?
Our pick is ResearchGuru EDC, which builds the database for you and produces the tables needed for periodic reports. Castor and Medrio are strong self-build options for MedTech sponsors.
What is the best survey tool for academic research?
Qualtrics, if your university holds a licence; Jisc Online Surveys at UK universities; SurveyMonkey for quick questionnaires. For surveys inside a regulated study, use an EDC such as ResearchGuru EDC.
What is the best data collection tool for offline field work?
KoboToolbox and ODK are the standard choices for offline field data collection, and both have free options. For clinical field studies that also need an audit trail and queries, consider REDCap or ResearchGuru EDC.