a free and open source electronic lab notebook
Designed by researchers, for researchers, with usability in mind.
With eLabFTW you get a secure, modern and compliant system to track your experiments efficiently but also manage your lab with a powerful and versatile database.
If you do experimental research, then eLabFTW is for you. Whatever your field is. It is also well suited for universities, tinkerers or biotech companies.
Keep track of your experiments and collaborate with your team easily!
features
Features
Open-source with an AGPL licence means free as in beer but also free as in freedom. You have the freedom to modify it, look how it works and even redistribute your changes!
Strong encryption, good practices and modern codebase offers the best security for your data. The only ELN with A+ rating on Mozilla's Observatory.
You can access your lab book from any device, running any operating system, from anywhere in the world!
Use your favorite operating system. You only need a recent browser.
Several timestamping methods available (RFC3161 or Blockchain) to prove anteriority.
Store reagents, protocols, plasmids, cell lines, mice or anything you want, you can customize everything!
Import and export your data in common file formats (PDF, ZIP, CSV, JSON). Your data is not locked somewhere.
eLabFTW is translated in several languages because not everyone is comfortable with english.
Use the integrated scheduler to book anything you need to like microscopes, rooms, machines, etc.
Make yourself a favor, use an open source solution
Cloud services can shut down, get bought, or change privacy policy any day, the last thing you want is proprietary formats and data lock-in. Using eLabFTW, you stay in control.
Features for users
- Can fit any kind of lab/company (chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, deep tech startup, etc.)
- Timestamp legally your experiments
- Export in PDF, ZIP, CSV, JSON
- Draw doodles directly with your mouse
- Use templates for your experiments
- Add steps to your protocols or experiments
- Use the REST API for accessing programmatically your data with an external program (see API Documentation)
- Upload any type of files, embed images in the text
- Draw molecules with Chemdoodle
- Be part of a growing community of users and contributors
- Highly customizable: you can change the colors, the status list, the items types list, etc.
- Todolist
- Custom shortcuts
See some gifs of eLab in action
Features for sysadmins
- One eLabFTW instance can host a hundred teams and thousands of users
- No need for a lot of RAM or CPU, eLabFTW is efficient and doesn’t use a lot of resources
- Works in Docker containers
- LDAP authentication
- SAML2 authentication with a centralized identity provider
- 2 factors authentication
- PRO support available from Deltablot
- CSRF, XSS, bruteforce login protections
- Automated vulnerability scanning, secure configuration, high code quality and best practices to make secure software (see page on security)
- Perfect score on Mozilla’s Observatory test for security:
Resources
- PDF for presentations
- The FAQ can probably answer the questions you have left
- Page listing all the features
They talk about it
- eLabFTW: a simple tool for open science, data quality, and reproducibility
- eLabFTW as an Open Science tool to improve the quality and translation of preclinical research
- An Open Source Stack for Physical Science Startups
- Manage Any Scientific Laboratory with this Amazing Fee Open-source LIMS Software: eLabFTW
- Data management at the SEM facility for diagnostics and plasma surface technology
- Considerations for implementing electronic laboratory notebooks in an academic research environment
What users say about it
Darth Vader
«Join me, and together we can rule the lab with eLabFTW, a powerful electronic lab notebook that is strong with the open-source side. It is your destiny to use this tool, as it is embraced by scientists, researchers, and students throughout the galaxy.
eLabFTW allows you to harness the full potential of your experiments, data, and inventory management. With its intuitive interface, it is as if you have an apprentice, ever ready to serve your every need in the pursuit of scientific domination.
Do not underestimate the power of eLabFTW’s security features. Encryption, two-factor authentication, and regular backups ensure that your research data remains secure, protected from any rebel forces that may seek to undermine your work.
Embrace the dark side of efficiency and productivity with eLabFTW. Together, we shall bring order to the scientific community and achieve greatness in our research endeavors. The force is strong with this one.»
Donald Trump
«Folks, let me tell you about eLabFTW, it’s just the best, the greatest electronic lab notebook out there. I mean, it’s tremendous. It’s open-source, which means it’s free, and who doesn’t love free stuff? I know I do. It’s like the best deal ever, believe me.
This fantastic tool, eLabFTW, it’s used by scientists, researchers, and even students all over the world. They’re all using it, and they’re winning bigly. It’s got everything you need to manage your experiments, your data, and even your inventory. It’s like having your own personal lab assistant, but better, because it’s always there for you.
And let me tell you, the security on this thing, it’s top-notch. It’s got encryption, two-factor authentication, and even backups. It’s like a fortress, nobody’s getting in there. We need more things like eLabFTW in this world, trust me.
So, if you’re a scientist or a researcher, you’ve got to try eLabFTW. It’s going to make your life so much easier, and you’ll be more productive than ever before. It’s a total game-changer, folks.»
Captain Jean-Luc Picard
«Engage! Let me introduce you to eLabFTW, a remarkable electronic lab notebook that is truly an asset to the scientific community. As an open-source platform, it is accessible to researchers, scientists, and students across the galaxy, enabling them to boldly go where no one has gone before in their research endeavors.
eLabFTW provides a comprehensive solution for managing experiments, data, and inventory, allowing users to focus on the exploration of new frontiers in their respective fields. With its user-friendly interface, it is as if you have a dedicated crew member at your side, assisting you in your scientific mission.
In the words of the United Federation of Planets, eLabFTW promotes the values of collaboration, innovation, and the pursuit of knowledge. I encourage all scientists and researchers to utilize this exceptional tool in their quest for understanding and discovery. Make it so!»
screenshots
documentation
Documentation / Installation instructions
Wait, wait! Maybe you don’t need to install it! If you are doing research in an University or Institute you might want to ask the IT service to install it on the local network. This way, all the other teams can use the same install!
eLabFTW should be installed on a server. It uses the Docker container technology, so you don’t directly download it, you use a configuration file that instructs Docker to fetch the eLabFTW image.
If you’re not familiar with Docker and server administration, it is recommended to opt for a managed hosted solution. See our pricing on this page: eLabFTW hosted pricing.
If you want to install it yourself head to the documentation.
contact
If you think you found a bug or want to suggest an improvement, please open a GitHub issue.
If you want to chat, please drop us an email at: contactdeltablot.email.
You can also use Twitter.
If you wish to talk privately (about a security issue for instance), you can do so with GPG. See my Keybase page.
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