Vara vs eLabFTW

In short: eLabFTW is a free, open-source (AGPLv3) electronic lab notebook that institutions run on their own servers, with an item database, audit log, signatures, and trusted timestamps. It suits organizations that have IT support and want full control of their data. Vara is a tool to record and run your experiments, connected to the AI you already use. It is cloud only and ready when you sign up, and it focuses on turning a protocol or paper into steps you can follow, with a source on every parameter and a record of every run. Choose eLabFTW for self-hosting and institution-wide deployment; choose Vara if you are an individual or small lab that wants to start at the bench right away.

Side-by-side

Dimension	eLabFTW	Vara
What it is	Open-source lab notebook + item database	A tool to record and run your experiments, connected to the AI you already use
License	AGPLv3, free software	Closed-source cloud service
Deployment	Self-hosted (Docker / Podman), needs a sysadmin; hosted option from Deltablot	Cloud only, sign up and start; no self-hosting
Price	Software is free; hosting and support are paid	Free tier (3 experiments); Pro $6/month, Pro+ $19/month
Scale	One instance can host 100+ teams and thousands of users (per its site)	Individuals and small labs
Items / materials	Item database (plasmids, compounds, antibodies, cell lines) with storage locations	Materials and recipes reused across experiments; not a full inventory system
Compliance features	Audit log, verifiable signatures, RFC3161 trusted timestamps	No electronic signatures or trusted timestamps
External access	API	Remote MCP for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others, plus an API
At the bench	Used in the browser	Step-by-step execution with timers, a source on every parameter, every run recorded

eLabFTW details are from its official website and documentation, checked in October 2026.

When to choose eLabFTW

Your institution requires experiment data to stay on its own servers, or you want open-source code you can audit.
You have IT staff to install, upgrade, and back it up, or you are willing to pay for hosting.
You need one notebook deployed across an institute or many groups.
You need an audit log, signatures, and trusted timestamps for compliance or IP records.

When to choose Vara

You are an individual researcher or small lab with no server or IT support and want to start after signing up.
You want a protocol, SOP, or paper's methods turned into steps you can follow, with each parameter labeled by source (explicit / partial / inferred / missing).
You run steps at the bench with timers, record results and deviations for each run, and want downstream steps recalculated when you change a parameter.
You already use Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor and want it to read and write your experiments through remote MCP.

FAQ

Is eLabFTW really free?+

The software is free and open source under the AGPLv3 license, and its website says no features sit behind a paywall. It does have to run on a server that a systems administrator installs, configures, and maintains. If you don't want to run a server, its developer Deltablot sells a hosted service.

Can I host Vara on my institution's servers like eLabFTW?+

No. Vara is cloud only, and data is stored in a managed cloud database in Singapore. When you use AI features, the content you submit is processed by model providers in mainland China; see the Privacy Policy. If your institution requires experiment data to stay on its own servers, eLabFTW is the better fit.

Is eLabFTW 21 CFR Part 11 compliant?+

eLabFTW provides an audit log, cryptographically verifiable signatures, and RFC3161 trusted timestamping, but its FAQ says compliance depends on how the system is configured, validated, and used within your organization. Vara has no electronic signatures or trusted timestamps and is not suited to regulated work.

Can I use both?+

Yes. If your institution archives records in eLabFTW, you can use Vara to turn a protocol or paper into steps you can follow, run them at the bench and record each run, then export a Word or PDF file from Vara and archive it as your institution requires.

Get started with Vara

Run your first experiment in 5 minutes, or see how to connect Vara to Claude or ChatGPT.