QBench vs. LabWare

QBench is the cloud-based, user-friendly, fast-moving, and innovative alternative to LabWare. See a side-by-side comparison below and learn why labs pick QBench over LabWare.

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Why Choose QBench over LabWare

Yes, there are numerous feature differences between the companies, but at its core, a lot of the decision comes down to whether you want to partner with an innovative, fast-moving, cloud-based company like QBench, or choose a legacy vendor like LabWare.

LabWare has been around since 1987 and boasts very high customer satisfaction on their website. They operate on a global scale and offer robust global support in more than 15 languages. They are a solid option for labs looking to digitize the capturing of lab notebook data and also improve their lab efficiency thanks to their combined ELN and LIMS solution.
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QBench takes a unique approach to LIMS by creating a configurable and flexible solution. This puts the power to make changes into your hands, giving you the ability to adapt quickly.

Modern labs are continuously evolving and need a flexible LIMS that easily adapts with them over time. Many QBench customers have felt the pain of legacy LIMS and how vendor-created, code-driven customizations lead to slow, costly updates. Rather than slow you down, QBench’s deep workflow configurability and easy-to-use tools allow for quick workflow adjustments, report modifications, and automation tweaks.
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We hear from so many buyers who've worked with a legacy vendor about why they love working with QBench. Many have contrasted QBench's modern and easy-to-use tools to how legacy vendors work and look like Windows 95.

‍One reviewer remarked about LabWare, “[The LabWare] Interfaces are not cohesive and differ from module to module, and most are not modern looking."

‍Another mentioned, "Clunky and outdated interface especially in the desktop version (but also web)..."

‍And another remarked, “Since LabWare is so complicated, if one does not have the proper training and understanding of the system prior to use, the user will be lost while trying to use and understand the system."

While LabWare is quite powerful, reviewers frequently mention how complicated it can be.

Why LIMS buyers love QBench

Top Reasons Why Labs choose QBench over LabWare

Cloud-Based and Configurable

LabWare has been around since 1987, but today it excels at on-premises deployments and primarily serves very large companies. LabWare meets the unique needs of each lab by using their LIMS Basic programming language to customize the platform. Labs of all sizes love QBench thanks to it being cloud-based and accessible to your entire team no matter where they connect from. Simply log into QBench and access your data all in one place. QBench doesn't required complex, on-site hosting, hiring IT staff, or custom development.

Flexible, No-Code Tools and Automations

If your lab has the budget for intensive custom development work, then LIMS platforms like LabWare might be a solid option. Labs looking for user-friendly no-code solutions love QBench for its robust yet easily-configurable automations and settings. With QBench, you don't need to hire an external development team or rely on a vendor for development support and services. Just log in and make the changes yourself as your lab scales.

Integrates with Your Software and Systems

As your lab scales and adopts new instruments and software platforms, you’ll need a LIMS that can keep up. QBench integrates with 50+ software platforms and lab instruments making it the perfect partner for scaling labs looking to connect their data and get more done. Not to mention a REST API that can empower your lab to build custom integrations for your lab’s tool of choice. Bring all your data in one place to organize and streamline your lab with QBench LIMS.

Rapidly Get Value from Your LIMS with a Fast Implementation

QBench's depth of administrator settings, ease of configuration, and flexibility to adapt to your workflows allows you to get up and running much faster than other LIMS. No-code tools allow you to do more yourself and easily edit workflows on the fly. While other LIMS can take 6-12 months and involve painful amounts of custom coding, QBench can often be configured and have workflows live in a few weeks.

QBench vs. LabWare Comparison

	QBench	LabWare
Product Innovation & Update Cadence	Monthly releases with new features	Unclear – LabWare 7 was released in 2015, and LabWare 8 was released in 2020
G2 Rating	4.6	4.5
How they meet the unique needs of each lab and adapt to workflow changes over time	Highly configurable and flexible setup. No-code tools. Powerful admin controls. Native integrations to other best-in-class software.	Custom code written in their LIMS Basic language. Ongoing professional services.
Deployment Method	Cloud-based	On-premises, cloud-hosted by LabWare (regionally available), cloud-hosted by a certified provider, cloud-hosted by you
User Interface	Intuitive	Complex
Implementation time	Quick	Long
Pricing	SaaS price: Starting at $249/user/month	Perpetual license GSA Advantage price from 2021: $7,043.22/user + 14% maintenance fee of $986.05/user/year for continued patches and product enhancements after year 1 + additional costs for access to technical support + additional costs for hardware and IT staff if you choose on-premises deployment SaaS price: Starting at $300/user/mo.
Pricing Source	QBench Pricing Page	GSA Advantage for on-premises price Note: the price for a non-government lab is likely 20% higher (see note below table) SaaS Price: Capterra
Notable features	Configurable, no-code automations Reports and data visualizations Inventory management Sample management Billing and invoicing support Robust API Integrated QMS	ELN Automation capabilities QA/QC features Instrument integrations Sample management Reporting tools and data visualizations
Industries served	Materials & Manufacturing Food & Beverage Biotech & Life Sciences Diagnostic Agriculture Environmental	Pharmaceutical Bioanalysis Biobanking & Clinical Research BioPharma CBD/THC Clinical Diagnostics & Public Health Contract Services Food & Beverage Forensics Mining & Metals Oil & Gas Process & Chemical Water & Environmental

For more background on LabWare and a deeper analysis of QBench vs. LabWare ready this post: LabWare vs. LabVantage vs. QBench: Which LIMS is Best?

Note on GSA prices: According to limswiki.org, “GSA prices represent the lowest possible negotiated price. These prices aren't available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus prices for non-government entities will be higher.”

Note on and on-premises deployments: It’s important for buyers to understand some key differences in how the software they are considering is deployed. Many legacy LIMS vendors (those that have been around for 20+ years) have built sizable on-premises install bases that come with big upfront perpetual license fees and annual maintenance + support fees. Since they charge a lot upfront for the perpetual license and implementations for their on-prem solutions, their incentives are to create vendor lock-in through complicated setups that need ongoing services when a lab needs to adjust its workflow. This approach to LIMS gets them ongoing professional services revenue from existing customers but leaves customers feeling locked in and nickel-and-dimed for small changes.

Reviews of QBench

QBench consistently wins several G2 awards each quarter and is now the Momentum Leader on G2’s LIMS Grid, and ranks #1 on G2’s Highest-Rated LIMS in North America list.

QBench reviews sourced by G2

QBench High Performer G2 Badge Fall 2023

Make The Right Choice for Your Lab: Schedule a Demo of QBench Today

Ready to speed up your lab with a cloud-based LIMS? Look no further than QBench, the best LabWare alternative on the market. With QBench your lab gets:

Configurable settings and automations
Sample management
Inventory management
Integrations with 50+ platforms
Responsive support
Compliance support and an integrated QMS

And more. Click the button below to see how your lab can benefit from QBench LIMS with a demo.

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