Capture vs Advarra eReg and eConsent: site technology or one study platform
Advarra pairs IRB services with site technology such as eRegulatory and eConsent. Capture puts eConsent, ePRO and EDC in one study with one audit trail. They solve different problems, and some teams need both.
- eConsent in the same study as the data
- Not an IRB or eReg binder
- Free sandbox, no sales call
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Tests
5
Hands-on
4
To confirm
1
- Consent a test participant remotelySame test, both systems
- Complete a diary on your own phoneSame test, both systems
- Miss an entry and watch the remindersSame test, both systems
- See participant data next to site dataSame test, both systems
- Compare total cost for your studyAsk both vendors
Capture vs Advarra: the short version
- Advarra describes itself as a provider of IRB review and technology for research sites and sponsors, with products that include an eRegulatory management system with an eConsent module and CTMS software, per its website.
- Advarra is best known for IRB services; its eReg and eConsent products are described as connecting to that review process and to site CTMS products.
- Capture is not an IRB, not an eRegulatory binder and not a CTMS. It is a study platform: EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one system.
- The practical difference is where consent lives. In Capture, signed consent sits in the same study and audit trail as the participant's forms and diaries.
- If you want your site regulatory binder and IRB workflow in one place, an eReg product is the relevant tool. If you want consent plus data capture, compare it with Capture.
0
sales calls needed to start building
1
audit trail across EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization
Free
sandbox with every feature, no time limit
EU + US
hosting in Frankfurt or N. Virginia
The comparison
Different layers of the same study
A clinical study has two layers of electronic work. One is the regulatory and operations layer: IRB submissions and approvals, the investigator site file, delegation, training and site financials. The other is the study data layer: consent, case report forms, patient-reported outcomes and randomization. Advarra describes products that serve the first layer, including eRegulatory and CTMS systems, with eConsent as a module of its eReg system. Capture serves the second.
That is why many teams do not choose between them. A site may use an eRegulatory system for its regulatory binder and a study platform for the data and consent, or choose a single platform for consent if a separate eReg is not needed. The decision depends on who owns consent in your study: the site, or the sponsor-run data system.
If consent is the question, read eConsent software for clinical trials and best eConsent software. For the regulatory-binder side, investigator site file index template shows what a site file contains, and institutional review board and IRB submission checklist cover the IRB side. Capture can export a blank eCRF PDF for ethics or IRB submission.
What to compare
What to test when comparing Capture and Advarra
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Where consent is stored | Consent evidence and the participant record | Signed consent in the same study, participant record and audit trail as forms and diaries |
| Signature process | Evidence of consent | On-screen signature with email OTP, legal-binding acknowledgement, investigator countersignature with password re-authentication; optional witness and LAR signatures |
| Signed document | Inspection and archive | PDF with embedded signature data, timestamps and audit trail; each signature hashed to the document content |
| Consent templates | Time to first consent form | Templates for basic clinical trial, biobank, genomic, multi-site, pediatric assent and more at /templates/consent |
| IRB workflow and regulatory binder | What your site needs beyond consent | Not provided: Capture is not an IRB, an eReg system or a CTMS |
| Link to data capture | Reconciliation effort | EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one study; one participant record |
| Commercial model | Fit for your study size | Free sandbox; no setup fee; pay only when you go live |
This table shows Capture's answers only. Ask Advarra for theirs, and confirm current capabilities and terms directly with them.
Participant data
ePRO on participants' own phones, in the same audit trail
Participants open a secure link with no app to install. Diaries and questionnaires follow the schedule with completion windows, and reminders go out when a task is due, the next day and before the window closes, respecting quiet hours in each participant's time zone. Compliance is visible by study, country and site.
- BYOD in the browser, no app store.
- Licence tracking for licensed instruments.
- At-risk participants flagged.
At-risk participants
eConsent
Consent with evidence you can hand to an inspector
Participants sign on screen after confirming a one-time email code and acknowledging that the signature is legally binding. The investigator countersigns with password re-authentication. Witness and legally authorised representative signatures are supported, and each signature is linked to the exact document content.
- Remote or in-clinic signing.
- Signed PDF with audit trail.
- Consent in the same study as the data.
Meaning of signature
I have reviewed this adverse event and confirm the assessment of seriousness, severity and causality.
Signer
Dr. A. Ozola, PI
Password
••••••••••
Walk through the participant journey
Consent and complete a diary on your own phone in the free sandbox.
Fit
When Advarra fits, and when Capture does
Per its own positioning, Advarra is often a strong fit for sites and institutions that want IRB services and regulatory management from one provider, with CTMS and eReg tools that connect to that workflow. Check which products your site or sponsor already uses.
Capture fits studies that want consent captured in the same system as the case report forms, diaries and randomization, built by the study team, with a free sandbox to test the whole flow before any contract.
One platform
EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one study
Sites enter data on locked, approved forms with edit checks that raise queries at entry. Participants complete questionnaires on their own phones and sign eConsent with verified signatures. Randomization and kit management run in the same study, and everything shares one field-level audit trail.
- One participant record across every module.
- No integrations to build or reconcile.
- Phase 1 through Phase 3.
Switching
Moving from Advarra to Capture
Recreate your consent form in the visual flow or start from a template at /templates/consent, then test remote and in-clinic signing in the free sandbox, including the investigator countersignature.
Switch at a study boundary. Consent already collected in another system stays valid in its original record and should be archived with its documentation; do not re-consent participants solely because of a change of system unless your IRB or ethics committee requires it. Confirm any IRB-approved consent wording changes with your IRB first.
If your site keeps a regulatory binder in an eReg system, there is usually no need to move it; ask your sponsor and IRB whether a second system for consent and data is acceptable for your procedures.
Evaluation
How to evaluate patient-facing technology
Participant journey
Consent, onboarding and first questionnaire on a phone.
Device model
BYOD, provisioned devices or both.
Compliance tools
Windows, reminders and at-risk alerts.
Licensed instruments
Who migrates them and how licences are tracked.
Link to EDC
One audit trail or an integration.
Total cost
Build, per-participant and device costs.
All comparisons
Compare Capture with other platforms
Every comparison uses the same approach: what to test, where each option fits, and Capture's own answers. See all of them on the comparisons hub at /compare.
Is Capture an alternative to Advarra eReg?
Not for the regulatory binder or IRB workflow. Capture is not an eRegulatory system, an IRB or a CTMS. It is an alternative for the eConsent part, when you want consent in the same study as your data.
Is Capture an Advarra eConsent alternative?
It can be, for studies that want eConsent with EDC and ePRO in one system. Compare the signature process, the signed document and the link to data capture, and confirm Advarra's current offering with them.
How does eConsent signing work in Capture?
The participant signs on screen after confirming a one-time email code and acknowledging that the signature is legally binding. The investigator countersigns with password re-authentication, and witness and LAR signatures are supported.
Does Capture handle IRB submissions?
No. Capture is not an IRB. It can export a blank eCRF PDF, with cover page, form index and visit-by-form matrix, to include in an ethics or IRB submission.
Can I use Capture and an eReg system together?
Yes. Many teams keep the regulatory binder in an eReg tool and use a study platform for consent and data. Confirm with your sponsor and IRB that your procedures allow it.
Is Advarra's eConsent 21 CFR Part 11 compliant?
Advarra describes its eConsent as supporting Part 11 standards. Ask Advarra for its current documentation. Capture offers Part 11-aligned controls; compliance is a shared responsibility with the sponsor.
Can I test Capture before deciding against Advarra?
Yes. The free sandbox includes every feature with sample data, no credit card and no time limit. You pay only when you go live.
How did you build this comparison?
From public positioning and the criteria teams tell us matter. We state only Capture's own capabilities as fact; confirm Advarra's current offering with them.
Keep exploring
Related pages
eConsent software for clinical trials
Capture's eConsent in depth.
Best eConsent software
Vendor-neutral selection guide.
IRB submission checklist
What to prepare for review.
Investigator site file index template
What the regulatory binder holds.
Capture vs Signant Health
eCOA, eConsent and RTSM.
Capture vs Clario
Endpoint technology including eCOA.
Participant data in the same study as everything else
Free sandbox with every feature.