Capture vs Merative Zelta: reviewing your platform after a transition
Changes of ownership and product names are good moments to check that your data platform still fits. Capture lets you test a full study build on a real protocol, free, before any commitment.
- 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 Zelta: the short version
- Zelta, from Merative, is a clinical data platform including EDC, formerly known as IBM Clinical Development.
- Merative was formed from the former IBM Watson Health business, and Zelta continues the IBM Clinical Development product line.
- Teams compare alternatives when renewing contracts, when a product transition prompts a platform review, or when they want ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one self-serve system.
- Capture lets you test a full study build before any commitment, with AI drafting from the protocol.
- Capture's controls include a field-level, hash-chained audit trail, re-authenticated e-signatures and role-based access.
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
When a product transition prompts a review
Changes of ownership and product names are natural moments for sponsors to check whether their data platform still fits: roadmap, support, contract terms, and whether newer approaches such as AI-assisted builds or bring-your-own-device ePRO would save time. None of these are reasons to move on their own, but they are good reasons to look.
A fair review compares the same protocol in each option. Build one real visit, enter data, raise a query and export the result. Capture's free sandbox makes that test possible without a sales process.
What to compare
What to test when comparing Capture and Zelta
| Criterion | Why it matters | Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation effort | How quickly you can test | Free sandbox with every feature; no sales call |
| Build | Time from protocol to forms | AI Study Generator drafts visits and forms from the protocol |
| Data quality | Clean data at entry | Range and custom-value edit checks with auto-queries |
| Participant data | ePRO and eConsent | In the same study; BYOD with no app |
| 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 Zelta 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 Zelta fits, and when Capture does
Zelta is often a reasonable choice for organisations with established processes and trained users on the platform, and for studies where continuity with existing builds matters more than changing approach.
Capture fits teams that want a faster build process they own, EDC combined with ePRO, eConsent and randomization, and payment only when a study goes live.
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 Zelta to Capture
Move at study boundaries and reuse your specifications: upload annotated CRFs or form specifications and review the forms the AI drafts.
Keep completed studies archived with their full exports and audit trails, and make sure the new platform's exports include a data dictionary so portfolio data stays comparable.
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.
What is Zelta?
A clinical data platform from Merative, formerly known as IBM Clinical Development.
Is Capture a Zelta alternative?
Yes, for teams that want a self-serve platform with EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomization in one study.
Can we test Capture on a real protocol?
Yes. Upload it to the free sandbox and review the draft study.
Can I test Capture before deciding against Zelta?
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 Zelta's current offering with them.
Keep exploring
Related pages
EDC vendor comparison guide
Comparing vendors.
EDC RFP template
Structure your review.
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See how fast your study can start
Free sandbox with every feature. No credit card, no sales call.