Capture vs Thread: test the participant journey end to end
Thread offers a platform for decentralized and hybrid research. Capture puts remote consent, phone questionnaires and site EDC in one study. The best test is the participant journey from invitation to first questionnaire.
- 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
- 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 Thread: the short version
- Thread offers a platform for decentralized and hybrid research, including participant-facing capabilities such as eCOA and eConsent.
- Decentralized platforms differ most in the participant journey: invitation, consent, onboarding and first task.
- Capture's journey: a secure link, verified eConsent, and questionnaires that open in the phone browser.
- Site data, consent and questionnaires share one participant record in Capture.
- Walk through the journey yourself in each system.
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 first ten minutes decide retention
Participants who struggle to consent or open their first questionnaire are the ones most likely to drop out. Every extra step, account creation, app download or password, loses some of them. Testing the journey yourself, on your own phone, reveals more than any demo.
In Capture, the participant receives a link, signs eConsent after confirming a one-time email code, and starts their first questionnaire straight away, with no app or password. See remote patient consent and BYOD ePRO.
What to compare
What to test when comparing Capture and Thread
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding | Participant drop-off | Secure link; no app, no password |
| eConsent | Evidence of consent | Email OTP, investigator countersignature, witness and LAR signatures, signed PDF |
| Device model | Cost and participant friction | BYOD in the browser with no app; clinic devices supported |
| Compliance tools | Missing diary days are missing data | Windows, three-step reminder ladder, quiet hours, at-risk participants flagged |
| Link to site data | Reconciliation effort | ePRO, eConsent and EDC in one study and one audit trail |
| 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 Thread 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 Thread fits, and when Capture does
Thread may fit studies that need a broad set of decentralized capabilities from one research platform, particularly where teams already use it.
Capture fits hybrid studies that want a simple participant journey and site EDC, consent and questionnaires in one self-serve study.
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 Thread to Capture
Start new studies in Capture: rebuild consent and questionnaires, and update participant materials to describe the new journey.
Switch at study boundaries rather than mid-study, especially for licensed instruments, whose electronic versions usually need the licence holder's approval in each new system.
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 a Thread alternative?
Yes, for hybrid studies that want consent, questionnaires and EDC in one self-serve platform.
Do participants create accounts?
No. They open a secure link sent by email or SMS.
Can I test the participant journey?
Yes. Enrol yourself as a test participant in the free sandbox.
Can I test Capture before deciding against Thread?
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 Thread's current offering with them.
Participant data in the same study as everything else
Free sandbox with every feature.