LIMS complete buyers guide is available!
You can download it here.
Adopting LIMS is too expensive. That’s probably your first thought when considering digitalization for your laboratory. But what if it’s not and LIMS could even let you save money? You’ll never know unless you try. Keep reading to learn how much standard LIMS costs and the key factors shaping the price.
Laboratory Information Management System, or LIMS, is an automated platform that offers numerous benefits, like workflow automation, improved data quality, and regulatory compliance. However, most laboratories still hesitate to implement such a system, thinking it’s too expensive.
Let’s bust this myth right now. Some LIMS providers do have higher pricing than others, making people believe LIMS software price is a costly endeavor. But not all LIMS are the same. If you do thorough market research, you will definitely find a bulk of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) LIMS solutions fitting your budget requirements.
But whatever LIMS you choose, it won’t be free. In this article, we’ll discuss how much you will have to pay for a standard LIMS and what factors affect the final price. But before that, let’s briefly discuss why it’s important to understand the cost of the LIMS system.
Understanding the cost of a LIMS system is essential for laboratories aiming to make informed decisions when selecting a LIMS solution. The cost of a LIMS can vary widely based on several factors, such as the type of deployment, the number of user licenses, the extent of customization, and the costs associated with implementation and ongoing support. By comprehending these cost factors, laboratories can budget effectively and ensure that their chosen LIMS system aligns with their specific needs and requirements. This understanding helps in avoiding unexpected expenses and ensures a smoother implementation process.
When talking about LIMS, there’s no such thing as an average market price. One significant factor to consider is user license costs, which can vary depending on the number of users and the specific features required. The final cost depends on many aspects, like what features you need, whether you use a cloud or on-premises system, how many users need access to the platform, and so on. Therefore, the price might range from $10,000 to $200,000 (from €9,000 to €190,000). This is quite a large range.
To get a better picture, we can analyze the pricing based on the primary factors that shape it: implementation, subscription/license, and support.
When your QC lab is ready to go digital, you should plan every step to make this transfer smooth and fast. That's why your initial expenses will be related to onboarding, meaning you will have to pay for prior consultations with a LIMS provider, planning the implementation process, and team training.
At 1LIMS, we have a unique approach to onboarding. Before we start planning the implementation itself, we arrange LabCheck workshops. During on-site or remote workshops, our experts evaluate how you manage quality control in your lab, measure inefficiencies, and define ways to resolve them. As a result, you know the exact financial benefits you get with 1LIMS implementation, like cost reduction, increase in sample throughput, or the percentage of annual savings.
Here is what it looks like in four steps.
For a better understanding, here is an example. One of our clients paid €6,500 for the LabCheck workshop to evaluate the requirements and needs regarding the current and future state.
The next thing that requires investment during the implementation phase is master data configuration. Even if your organization is not the biggest one, your QC laboratory probably handles huge amounts of data. So, it will take time and resources to move all this data, including contacts, articles, test units, and test plans, to the new system.
Coming back to the 1LIMS client we talked about earlier, setting up master data and e-mail configuration cost the company around €480. They also paid an extra €3,520 for implementing Eurofins integration, sample label configuration, and product ownership with project management.
This is not a fixed price for all our clients. The sum might vary depending on the data and your organization's specific requirements.`
When all the required data is successfully transferred and configured, the system is thoroughly tested to validate how the LIMS works. At 1LIMS, testing and validation are included in the onboarding and implementation efforts.
One more aspect you need to consider when planning your budget is customization. It may incur additional costs if your laboratory needs specific features, like unique workflows or data fields (not included in the basic setup). The same applies to integrations and compliance. You'll need to pay extra to connect the LIMS with your ERP or laboratory devices or to validate the system for regulated environments.
Good Automated Manufacturing Practices Version 5, or GAMP 5, is a set of guidelines and best practices for validating automated systems in the pharmaceutical industry. Developed by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), GAMP 5 aims to ensure that automated systems, including software like LIMS, are designed, implemented, and maintained to meet regulatory requirements.
GAMP is not obligatory for all QC labs, but it's an industry-standard in spheres like pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and biotech. Therefore, if you have specific requirements for the LIMS implementation, like GAMP 5 compliance, it might cost you extra based on the scope of the implementation.
The pricing differs depending on the company rate and the time required for customization.
If you don't need any specific customizations or don't have any compliance requirements, you'll only need to pay for LabCheck assessment, training, instance configuration setup, and product ownership. But keep in mind, this isn't the final investment – there are still license, subscription, and support costs left.
When it comes to deploying a LIMS system, laboratories have two primary options: cloud-based and on-premise. Let’s look closer at these options.
Cloud-based LIMS solutions offer significant advantages in terms of scalability and flexibility. They eliminate the need for substantial hardware and infrastructure investments, leading to considerable cost savings. Additionally, cloud-based solutions often come with automated updates and enhanced security features managed by the service provider. On the other hand, on-premise LIMS solutions provide greater control over data security and compliance, which can be crucial for laboratories handling sensitive information. However, this option requires significant upfront investments in hardware and infrastructure, as well as ongoing maintenance costs.
With that in mind, here’s a comparison between the license cost and subscription fees.
LIMS software license covers basic functionality such as sample tracking, data entry, workflow management, reporting, and more. Typically priced between $50,000 and $70,000 (€47,000 – €65,000), it's a one-time upfront payment that doesn't incur regular subscription fees in the future. Support and maintenance services are provided for an additional fee.
When it comes to the subscription-based model, you have to pay a subscription fee for each user accessing the system. The pricing differs across various LIMS vendors, but the price largely depends on the number of modules each user has access to – the more features and functionalities a user needs, the higher the cost. Support and maintenance are usually included in the subscription fee.
For example, 1LIMS subscription cost typically ranges from $45 to $95 (€43 – €90) per user per month. The exact price is determined based on the module configuration used and the number of analyses or orders the laboratory performs annually, as it depends on the required cloud storage – the more storage is needed, the higher the cost.
The choice between cloud or on-premise directly affects the support cost. So, let's see what to expect in terms of expenses.
LIMS vendors offer various pricing models to cater to different laboratory needs and budgets. The most common pricing models include:
When selecting a LIMS solution, it is crucial to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO), which includes upfront costs, implementation costs, support costs, and ongoing maintenance costs. By understanding the different pricing models and cost factors, you can make informed decisions and choose a LIMS solution that meets their specific needs and budget.
Support and maintenance typically cover expenses related to ongoing technical support, software updates, system maintenance, and user training to help staff stay proficient with the system. Like most LIMS vendors, 1LIMS's support pricing differs between cloud-based and on-premises implementations. Here's how it works in detail.
If you choose to deploy 1LIMS on-premises, your support costs will be higher. We define a special release plan for updates and create a separate testing instance in the cloud. The client tests this instance for two weeks, and once it is approved, we deploy each new release to the client's on-premises instances. Of course, it incurs additional costs, for example, for one of our clients, moving from the cloud to the internal server costs €5,280.
Cloud deployments are more cost-effective. The support cost is included in the subscription fee, and you only pay for cloud storage. This type of deployment also comes with automated updates, security patches, and bug fixes. If you require additional cloud storage, you will need to cover the associated costs. Your cloud server will automatically scale up using services like GCP or AWS.
Each LIMS provider sets their own pricing for implementation, subscription, license, and deployment, with costs varying depending on your lab's specific needs. However, regardless of your company's requirements, 1LIMS offers out-of-the-box functionality that suits most laboratory workflows. Here are more reasons to choose 1LIMS:
Most LIMS on the market are overloaded with functionality, which makes the implementation process long, tedious, and costly. 1LIMS gives you only what you need – nothing you don't. Thanks to our unique implementation methodology, we make sure the transition is fast and easy.
With 1LIMS, you don't buy a pig in a poke. We quantify what potential savings an organization can achieve through digital automation with 1LIMS and guarantee that our solution will deliver the expected ROI.
Our team can customize the look and functionality of 1LIMS without writing any code, which saves significant time and reduces costs.
Whether your company needs help with microbiological tests or optimizing lab processes, we provide expert support to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance with industry standards.
While we can't comment on other LIMS offerings, we can confidently state that 1LIMS is a cost-effective solution for managing your laboratory QC processes. On average, adopting 1LIMS costs our clients from €5,150 to €25,200.
Feel free to ask any questions about 1LIMS pricing or request a demo to see 1LIMS in action.
Privacy is important to us, so you have the option of disabling certain types of storage that may not be necessary for the basic functioning of the website. Blocking categories may impact your experience on the website. More information
