Capture vs IQVIA EDC: separate the platform from the service provider
When your CRO also provides the EDC, platform and service decisions are bundled. Capture lets sponsors own the study platform, invite any CRO to work in it, and keep data exportable whichever provider they use.
- Free sandbox, no sales call
- EDC, ePRO, eConsent, randomization
- Part 11-aligned controls
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Tests
5
Hands-on
4
To confirm
1
- Build one real form from your protocolSame test, both systems
- Time from contract to first site liveSame test, both systems
- Check ePRO, eConsent and randomization togetherSame test, both systems
- Export data with a data dictionarySame test, both systems
- Compare total cost for your study sizeAsk both vendors
Capture vs IQVIA: the short version
- IQVIA offers EDC and other clinical technologies as part of its technology portfolio, often alongside its CRO services.
- IQVIA's technology is frequently used in studies where IQVIA also provides CRO services, which can simplify vendor management for sponsors who outsource broadly.
- Sponsors compare alternatives when they want to own the data platform independently of their CRO choice, or run studies in-house.
- Capture is CRO-independent: sponsors, CROs and academic teams can all build and run studies in it, and the sponsor keeps the data exportable.
- EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization share one study and audit trail.
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
Separating the platform from the service provider
When a CRO also provides the EDC, the platform decision is bundled with the service decision. That is convenient, but it can make it harder to change CROs, bring work in-house or reuse a study build elsewhere. Some sponsors prefer to choose the data platform themselves and let CROs work in it.
Capture supports that model: the sponsor holds the study, CRO and site staff are invited with the roles they need, and data exports in open formats with a data dictionary at any time. Study configurations can be exported and imported into new studies. See EDC for CRO-independent trials.
What to compare
What to test when comparing Capture and IQVIA
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Platform ownership | Who controls the build and data | The sponsor owns the study; CROs work in it with assigned roles |
| Reuse | Building the next study faster | Configuration export and import between studies |
| Modules | ePRO, eConsent and randomization | All in one study with one audit trail |
| Exports | Changing providers later | CSV and Excel with a data dictionary, raw and decoded |
| Compliance controls | Part 11 and GCP expectations | Field-level audit trail, re-authenticated e-signatures, role-based access |
| 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 IQVIA for theirs, and confirm current capabilities and terms directly with them.
Speed to start
Build your study this week, before any contract
Upload the protocol and the AI Study Generator drafts the visits, windows and forms for your team to review. Refine them in the visual builder, test with sample data in the free sandbox, and export a blank eCRF PDF for ethics submission. You pay only when you go live with real participants.
- AI-drafted visits and forms from your protocol.
- Free sandbox with every feature, no credit card.
- No setup fee and no sales call to start.
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.
Run the same test in Capture today
Upload a protocol to the free sandbox and compare the draft.
Fit
When IQVIA fits, and when Capture does
IQVIA's technology is often a good fit when IQVIA is running the study as your CRO, when you want one provider accountable for both services and systems, or for very large programmes that rely on its global infrastructure.
Capture fits sponsors who want a platform of their own that any CRO or in-house team can use, and smaller studies where a self-serve build is faster than a service-led one.
Compliance controls
The controls inspectors look for, built in
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.
- Field-level audit trail, never hard deleted.
- Re-authenticated e-signatures.
- Role-based access with site separation.
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
Switching
Moving from IQVIA to Capture
Plan platform changes at study boundaries, and agree in CRO contracts which platform new studies will use. Export forms and specifications and let Capture's AI draft the new build for review.
Make exit terms explicit for every vendor: export formats, timelines and costs. See clinical trial data ownership and portability.
Evaluation
How to run a fair enterprise EDC evaluation
Use your own protocol
Ask each vendor to build one real visit, not a demo study.
Time the path to first site
Contract, build, testing and training, in weeks.
Count the systems
EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization: one or several?
Test an amendment
Who changes a form, and how long it takes.
Check the audit trail
Change a value and read the record.
Price your real study
Setup, licences, per-site fees and change orders.
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 IQVIA EDC alternative?
Yes, for sponsors who want to own their study platform and let any CRO or in-house team work in it.
Can our CRO work in Capture?
Yes. Invite CRO staff with the roles they need, such as monitor or data manager.
Can we run studies without a CRO?
Yes. Many teams build and run studies themselves in Capture. See how to run a clinical trial without a CRO.
Can I test Capture before deciding against IQVIA?
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 IQVIA's current offering with them.
Keep exploring
Related pages
IQVIA EDC alternatives
A broader alternatives guide.
Data ownership and portability
Keep your data portable.
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Enterprise EDC from Medidata, part of Dassault Systèmes.
Capture vs Veeva Vault CDMS
Vault EDC and CDMS within Veeva's clinical platform.
Capture vs Oracle Clinical One
Oracle's unified clinical platform and InForm heritage.
Capture vs Merative Zelta
Formerly IBM Clinical Development.
See how fast your study can start
Free sandbox with every feature. No credit card, no sales call.