Capture vs secuTrial: institution-provided or self-serve
secuTrial is widely used in European academic research, often through university clinical trial units. Capture is self-serve, hosted in Frankfurt for EU studies, and free to build and test.
- 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
- Rebuild one of your real formsSame test, both systems
- Break an edit check and follow the querySame test, both systems
- Complete a questionnaire on a phoneSame test, both systems
- Sign a test eConsentSame test, both systems
- Compare total cost for your studyAsk both vendors
Capture vs secuTrial: the short version
- secuTrial, from interActive Systems in Berlin, is an EDC widely used in European academic research, often provided through university clinical trial units.
- Institution-provided EDC comes with local support and established processes, a real advantage for academic investigators.
- Teams look elsewhere when they need to start faster, work across institutions, or want participant tools in the same study.
- Capture is self-serve with EU hosting in Frankfurt and no per-site fees as other institutions join.
- If your clinical trial unit supports a system, discuss the options with them first.
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
Academic studies across institutions
Many European universities offer an EDC through their clinical trial unit, with training, support and validated processes. That is valuable, and investigators should use it where it fits. Friction appears when a study spans several institutions with different systems, when timelines are short, or when the study needs ePRO, eConsent and randomization that the local setup does not cover.
Capture lets an academic sponsor build and test the study before funding or approval is final, invite teams from other institutions as sites, and keep everything in one study. See clinical trial software for European universities.
What to compare
What to test when comparing Capture and secuTrial
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Timelines for investigator-led studies | Self-serve sign-up and free sandbox; build before approval |
| Multi-institution studies | Adding sites elsewhere | Invite site teams; no per-site fees; site-level separation |
| Hosting | EU data residency | EU (Frankfurt) hosting chosen at setup |
| Modules in one study | Reconciliation and vendor count | EDC, ePRO, eConsent, randomization and kits with one audit trail |
| 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 secuTrial for theirs, and confirm current capabilities and terms directly with them.
Self-serve build
Your team builds and amends, with AI doing the drafting
The AI form builder drafts questions or lab tables from a description or an uploaded file, and the AI Study Generator drafts the schedule from your protocol. Nothing is saved without human review. Forms move from draft to approved and are locked for live use, so amendments are deliberate and recorded.
- Ten question types plus repeating table sections.
- Calculated fields such as BMI, BSA, eGFR and QTc.
- Configuration export and import between studies.
Question form
CRF or ePRO
Lab table
Analytes, units, ranges
- Number
1. Systolic blood pressure
Required · Number · mmHg · 0 dp
- Number
2. Diastolic blood pressure
Required · Number · mmHg · 0 dp
- Number
3. Pulse rate
Required · Number · beats/min
- Number
4. Body temperature
Required · Number · °C · 1 dp
- Single choice
5. Position during measurement
Required · Sitting, Supine, Standing
- + 9 more questions
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.
Build the same form in Capture
Free sandbox with every feature. No credit card.
Fit
When secuTrial fits, and when Capture does
secuTrial is often the best fit when your institution provides it with local support and validated processes, and when the study stays within that institution's infrastructure.
Capture fits multi-institution academic studies, investigators who need to start quickly, and studies that need ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one place.
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 secuTrial to Capture
Talk to your clinical trial unit first; many support more than one system. Build the study in Capture's sandbox to compare, and export a blank eCRF PDF for the ethics submission.
Historical data stays in its original export and is combined at analysis if needed. See how to switch EDC vendors mid-study for when a mid-study move makes sense.
Evaluation
How to compare EDC vendors side by side
Same form in both systems
Build one real form with edit checks.
Site workflow
Enter data, raise and answer a query.
Participant workflow
Consent and a questionnaire on a phone.
Monitoring
Set SDV and review what a monitor sees.
Exports
Data dictionary, codes and labels.
Total cost
Setup, per-site and per-participant fees.
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 a secuTrial alternative?
Yes, particularly for multi-institution academic studies and investigators who need a self-serve start.
Can Capture host data in the EU?
Yes, in Frankfurt, chosen at setup.
Are there per-site fees?
No. Adding a site means inviting its team and activating it.
Can I test Capture before deciding against secuTrial?
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 secuTrial's current offering with them.
Keep exploring
Related pages
secuTrial alternatives
A broader alternatives guide.
European universities
Academic sponsors.
Capture vs Castor
EDC, eCOA and eConsent from the Netherlands.
Capture vs Viedoc
EDC with patient modules, from Sweden.
Capture vs Medrio
EDC and eCOA for early-phase and mid-sized studies.
Capture vs OpenClinica
Cloud EDC with an open-source heritage.
Compare Capture against your shortlist
Free sandbox with every feature. No sales call.