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… ]