REDCap vs Qualtrics: which suits your research?
Universities often license both, and researchers ask which to use. One was built for research data capture, the other for surveys and experience management. The answer depends on whether your study is a survey or a study.
- Survey or study?
- Longitudinal needs
- When to consider a third option
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
| REDCap | Qualtrics | Capture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Research data | Surveys | Clinical trials |
| Typical hosting | Institution | Vendor cloud | EU or US cloud |
| Longitudinal visits | |||
| ePRO + eConsent + EDC | |||
| Self-serve sign-up | Via institution | Via licence |
The short version
- REDCap is a research data capture tool developed at Vanderbilt University and licensed to non-profit institutions through the REDCap Consortium, usually hosted by the institution. It supports both forms and surveys, including longitudinal projects.
- Qualtrics is a commercial survey and experience management platform, widely licensed by universities, strong on survey design, distribution and analytics.
- For one-off surveys, either works; Qualtrics often has the richer survey features.
- For studies with visits, repeated measures and clinical data, REDCap is usually the better fit of the two.
- For regulated clinical trials needing EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomisation with trial controls in one system, consider a trial platform such as Capture.
The key question
Is it a survey or a study?
A survey asks a group of people questions, usually once, and analyses the answers together. A study follows individuals over time, links their answers to clinical information, and often involves staff entering data as well as participants. Survey platforms are optimised for the first; research data capture tools for the second.
Qualtrics excels at survey logic, question types, distribution and reporting, which is why marketing and social science researchers love it. REDCap was designed for clinical and translational research: records per participant, events and arms for longitudinal designs, data entry forms alongside surveys, and exports built for statisticians. Neither claim is about quality; they solve different problems.
Regulated trials
For trials that need 21 CFR Part 11 or Annex 11 controls, ask what each option provides in practice: audit trail completeness, electronic signatures, access control and validation evidence. With institution-hosted systems, much depends on local configuration. See REDCap vs Castor for a similar comparison with a commercial EDC.
Evening diary
Question 3 of 8
How would you rate your fatigue today?
0 = no fatigue, 10 = worst imaginable
A third option
When the study outgrows both
Capture is built for clinical trials: EDC forms for sites, ePRO for participants, eConsent and randomisation in one study with one audit trail. It is self-serve, hosted in the EU or US, and free to build and test before going live.
- Longitudinal schedules with windows and reminders.
- Participant questionnaires on phones, no app.
- AI drafts forms from a REDCap data dictionary or a survey export.
Rebuild a survey or instrument in minutes
Upload a data dictionary or survey export to the free sandbox.
Side by side
REDCap and Qualtrics compared
| Area | REDCap | Qualtrics |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Academic, Vanderbilt University | Commercial survey and experience platform |
| Licensing | No licence fee for non-profit consortium members | Commercial licence, often university-wide |
| Hosting | Usually on the institution's servers | Vendor cloud |
| Data model | Records per participant, events and arms | Responses per survey |
| Staff data entry | Designed for it | Possible, not the main use |
| Survey design and distribution | Capable | Very strong, with extensive logic and distribution options |
| Reporting and analytics | Basic reports, exports for statistics software | Extensive built-in reporting |
| Randomisation and consent | Randomisation module and e-consent features, depending on local set-up | Not designed for trial randomisation |
Capabilities depend on version, licence and local configuration. Check with your institution.
Scenarios
Which tool for which project
A cross-sectional survey of 2,000 members of the public about health attitudes, with complex branching and quotas: Qualtrics is designed for this. A cohort study where coordinators enter clinical data at visits and participants complete questionnaires at home between them: REDCap fits better, because every answer is linked to a participant record and an event.
A randomised trial with eligibility checks, allocation concealment, adverse event reporting, electronic signatures and participant diaries: both can be stretched to parts of it, but a trial platform handles it natively. That is where Capture fits, with EDC, ePRO, eConsent and randomisation in one study. See ePRO software for clinical trials for the participant side.
Before you choose
Questions to answer first
One-off or longitudinal?
Repeated measures favour a research data tool.
Who enters data?
Participants only, or staff as well.
Identifiable health data?
Check agreements, hosting and approvals.
Regulatory use?
Trial controls and validation evidence needed.
What does your institution support?
Licences, hosting and help desk.
Can Qualtrics run longitudinal studies?
It can send repeated surveys to the same contacts and link responses, but it is not built around a participant-and-visit data model like a research data capture tool.
Which is better for multi-site studies?
REDCap separates sites with data access groups. For multi-site trials with monitoring, queries and signatures, consider a trial platform.
Should I use REDCap or Qualtrics?
Qualtrics for surveys, especially one-off ones; REDCap for studies that follow participants over time and combine surveys with staff-entered data.
Is Qualtrics suitable for clinical trials?
It is a survey platform. For regulated trial data, check audit trail, signatures, access control and validation evidence carefully, or use a trial platform.
Is REDCap free?
REDCap is available at no licence cost to non-profit institutions in the REDCap Consortium; the institution carries hosting and support costs.
Can I move from REDCap or Qualtrics to Capture?
Yes. Upload a data dictionary or survey export and the AI form builder drafts the forms for review.
Can I try Capture free?
Yes, in the free sandbox.
Keep exploring
Related pages
When your survey becomes a study
EDC, ePRO and eConsent in one system. Free sandbox.