How Much Does a LIMS Cost?

If your laboratory organization has ever discussed the possibility of putting in a LIMS, you will likely have been asked by management “How much does a LIMS cost?”  This is a very good question and while coming up with the answer is more complicated than people think; we have broken down the costs for a LIMS below. Further, we have done so for the three most prevalent platforms that LIMS are delivered on; Free (Open Source), Software as a Services (SaaS), and Traditional (Web-based or Client/Server).

There are many cost factors associated with a LIMS including:

  • Software licenses
    • LIMS
    • Database
    • Instruments (sometimes)
  • Optional modules
    • Instrument interfacing
    • Stability
    • Instrument calibration
    • Etc.
  • Hardware
    • Infrastructure – servers, routers, disks
    • Peripherals – lap tops, mobile devices, barcode printers & readers, etc.
  • Implementation & Customization services
  • Training services
  • Validation services (if required)
  • Support services 

Not all of these cost factors are applicable for every LIMS solution.  For example, the cost of a SaaS based LIMS solution would not generally include the need for servers or routers and a Freeware (Open Source) LIMS solution would not generally include the cost of LIMS licenses, unless you choose to make a donation.

LIMS Costs by Platform

We have summarized below the types of costs you may incur with three popular LIMS platforms, Freeware (Open Source), SaaS, and Traditional (web based & client/server based), in the Table below: [ Read More… ]