DATATRAK has long pitched one unified platform; Medidata Rave is the enterprise EDC many large sponsors standardise on. Before you compare features, verify what each vendor sells today. Here is the checklist, plus a lean third option you can test free.
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Vendors
3
Open items
5
What to know first
Due diligence
When we searched for DATATRAK, the results were mostly press releases and filings from 2002 to 2014, with no recent news we could rely on. That does not mean the product has gone, only that the public record we found is dated, and that you should treat any unfamiliar name on a shortlist as a due diligence task before a product evaluation. Ask for the legal entity that will sign, the current product name and version, the hosting provider, the support team location, and the date of the last major release.
For Medidata the record is current and extensive, but the same discipline applies: Medidata rebranded its platform in 2023 (its fact sheets moved from "Clinical Cloud" to "Platform"), so confirm which modules are included in the Rave EDC quote and which are separate products. Product names change; contracts should name modules explicitly.
Two further checks apply to both. First, request a validation package or supporting documentation so your own computer system validation is not starting from nothing; see EDC validation checklist. Second, ask for an exit plan: what you receive at contract end, in what format.
Dimensions
| Dimension | Unified suite (DATATRAK-style) | Enterprise EDC (Rave-style) | Capture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope pitch | One vendor for EDC plus randomization, safety, CTMS and more (historic positioning; confirm today). | EDC at the centre of a wider platform with partner products. | EDC, ePRO, eConsent, randomization, safety and monitoring workflows in one study. |
| Who builds | Ask: vendor services or your team. | Often specialist builders at sponsor or CRO. | Your team, with AI-drafted visits and forms from a protocol. |
| Trial management | Historically included as a module; confirm. | Typically a separate product. | Not a full CTMS; site activation, delegation log and monitoring views are included. |
| Ecosystem | Smaller partner and talent pool; confirm. | Large pool of trained users and CRO partners. | Self-serve; no ecosystem needed to start. |
| Try before contract | Ask. | Ask. | Free sandbox, every feature, no card. |
Left columns describe categories, not verified current product facts. Capture column is from Capture product pages.
Vendor due diligence takes weeks. Use them to build your study in the free sandbox and see how a self-serve system feels.
Unified, in practice
A unified platform is only valuable if the modules you need are actually in it and work together. Take a Phase 2 study with a diary, randomization and consent, and list what has to talk to what. In Capture these share a single study and audit trail, so a randomized subject, their consent record and their diary live together. The schedule below is a demo-data example.
| Assessment | Screen | Baseline | Wk 2 | Wk 4 | Wk 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eConsent | |||||
| Randomization | |||||
| Vitals and labs (eCRF) | |||||
| Symptom diary (ePRO) | D | D | D | D | |
| Adverse events |
x = done at visit, D = diary
Process
Confirm each vendor's legal entity, product name, module list and a reference customer.
Same enrolment, sites, modules and two protocol amendments to all vendors, and ask for 24-month pricing.
Have each vendor or your team build one visit with an edit check and a calculated field.
Compare people involved, days elapsed, answers on validation and exit, and total cost.
The public material we found about DATATRAK is mostly from 2002 to 2014 and we could not confirm its current ownership or product scope. Ask the vendor for the legal entity, the current product name and a reference customer before shortlisting.
Historically it was marketed as a single unified eClinical platform including EDC with medical coding, randomization and supply management, patient data capture, safety, CTMS and training. Confirm today's module list with the vendor.
Not in general. Rave is a large, widely used enterprise EDC with a big ecosystem; the better fit depends on your modules, team, CRO and budget. Compare them with the same written scenario and a hands-on build.
We do not state either vendor's pricing. Request quotes for the same enrolment, sites, modules and amendments, and compare 24-month totals.
Capture covers EDC, ePRO, eConsent, randomization, safety reporting and monitoring workflows in one study. It is not a full CTMS, so check whether you need portfolio planning or finance in the same system.
Yes. The free sandbox has every feature, with no credit card and no time limit; you pay only at go-live.
Keep exploring
Capture vs DATATRAK
What "unified" means for your study.
Capture vs Medidata Rave
Head-to-head with Capture.
Medidata Rave alternatives
Other options to consider.
Medidata Rave vs Veeva Vault EDC
The other enterprise pairing.
EDC validation checklist
Validation questions for any vendor.
Pricing
Published Capture pricing.
Build EDC, ePRO, consent and randomization in one free sandbox. No credit card; pay only at go-live.