Many small studies start in a spreadsheet. It is familiar and free. It is also hard to audit, easy to overwrite and difficult to share safely. Capture replaces it without adding complexity.
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Tests
5
Hands-on
4
To confirm
1
Capture vs Excel: the short version
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
The classic problems are well known to data managers: a value overwritten by mistake with no way to see the original, two versions of the file on different laptops, a column sorted without its neighbours, dates in three formats, and an identifying column emailed to someone who should not have it. Each is easy to do and hard to detect.
An EDC prevents them by design: fields with types and ranges, edit checks at entry, one database, roles that limit access, and an audit trail of every change. See ALCOA+ data integrity and paper CRF to eCRF conversion.
What to compare
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Audit trail | Who changed what, when and why | Field-level, append-only, with user, time, old and new value and reason |
| Data checks | Clean data at entry | Range and custom-value edit checks raise auto-queries |
| Identity separation | Minimum necessary access | Names at the site; coded IDs for researchers and sponsors |
| Single source of truth | No conflicting copies | One database with roles and site separation |
| Scheduling | Repeat visits and diaries | Visit anchors, windows and reminders by email or SMS |
| Cost | Budget for small studies | Free sandbox; no setup fee; pay only when you go live |
This table shows Capture's answers only. Ask Excel for theirs, and confirm current capabilities and terms directly with them.
Compliance controls
Every change is written to an append-only, hash-chained audit trail with user, time, old and new value and reason. Electronic signatures require password re-authentication and carry a meaning statement. Roles separate sites, and identifying data is segregated from study data at the database layer.
Weight changed 68.0 to 68.5 kg
Site coordinator · Reason: Transcription error
Query Q-0014 answered on Weight
Site coordinator · Reason: Source checked
Vital signs form locked
Data manager · Reason: Visit cleaned
Longitudinal studies
Each visit is anchored to screening, a milestone, an earlier visit, a fixed study day or a date recorded on a form, with a window and an enforcement mode. Questionnaires follow the schedule, reminders go out by email or SMS, and the status overview shows every participant against every visit.
Window -3 / +3 days around the anchored target date
Soft window
Stays available with a protocol deviation flag
Hard window
Locks outside the window
Warning only
Stays available with a warning
Auto-close
Marked missed when the window closes
Describe it or upload it, and let the AI draft the questions in the free sandbox.
Fit
A spreadsheet can be enough for a tiny, low-risk internal project where no one else will rely on the data and nothing is identifiable.
Capture fits any study where the data matters to others: publications, ethics committees, sponsors or regulators.
Identity and access
Site coordinators see participant names; researchers and sponsor-side users work with coded IDs. Identifying data is segregated at the database layer, sites see only their own participants, and data is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS in transit, hosted in the EU or US.
Site coordinator
Jane Peterson
DOB: 04-Mar-1978
Subject 01-004
Sees direct identifiersResearcher
Subject 01-004
DOB: withheld
Coded ID only
Sees coded ID onlySame record, two roles. Row-level security enforces the split.
Switching
Upload your spreadsheet's column headers or a data dictionary and let Capture's AI draft the forms. Add types, ranges and edit checks, and decide which forms belong to which visits.
Keep the original spreadsheet archived, record the date new collection started, and document any historical data you import or merge at analysis.
Evaluation
Agreements, access control and hosting checked.
Schedules, windows and reminders needed.
Audit trail with reasons required.
Consent or investigator sign-off needed.
Site separation and roles needed.
Part 11 or GCP expectations apply.
All comparisons
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.
It lacks a per-field audit trail, access control and edit checks, which makes it hard to defend for trial data.
Upload your column headers or data dictionary; the AI drafts forms for your review.
Capture has a free sandbox and no setup fee; you pay only when you go live.
Yes. The free sandbox includes every feature with sample data, no credit card and no time limit. You pay only when you go live.
From public positioning and the criteria teams tell us matter. We state only Capture's own capabilities as fact; confirm Excel's current offering with them.
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