Indigo ELN
Indigo ELN: A chemistry-focused ELN with structured experiments, chemical search, APIs, and exports. Ranked #21 of 23 in Electronic Lab Notebook Software by our editors (6.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for open-source chemistry-focused labs.
At a glance
- Editor score6.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forOpen-source chemistry-focused labs
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Open-source core with projects, notebooks, and experiment templates
- Chemical structure editing, reaction search, and compound records
- APIs plus PDF and SDF export for connected workflows
Where it doesn't
- Self-managed deployment requires organizational setup and customization
- Web-only access may not fit teams needing native applications
- The project is undergoing transformation with possible code inconsistencies
Our verdict on Indigo ELN
Indigo ELN is a web-based, open-source electronic lab notebook for scientists conducting chemistry research. It organizes projects, notebooks, experiment templates, experiments, chemical structures, reaction information, compound records, and batch records. User, role, authority, and access-control management support controlled sharing, while component-based experiment structures allow teams to shape templates around their work. Its strongest fit is for chemistry-focused labs that want an open-source foundation they can manage and customize.
The Core Indigo ELN plan is presented as a free, open-source core product under GPLv3. It includes projects, notebooks, experiment templates, experiments, search, PDF printing, SDF import/export, and APIs for external services and databases. The published plan structure keeps the product focused rather than dividing capabilities across multiple paid tiers. Indigo ELN 2.0 is described as free, and the vendor’s news page reports Indigo ELN 2.1 released on February 20, 2025.
Chemistry functionality is the main differentiator. Integrated Ketcher supports chemical structure editing, while entity, product-structure, and reaction-scheme search help organize scientific information. Compound and batch records add structure to registration workflows, and APIs can connect customer services, databases, external compound registration, structure-search, and electronic-signature services. Teams should also account for self-managed deployment and the project’s stated transformation, which may bring code and documentation inconsistencies. Indigo ELN suits organizations prepared to manage and adapt an open-source chemistry system; teams seeking a turnkey, broadly packaged ELN may prefer another option.
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Indigo ELN pricing
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Indigo ELN fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Audit trail | Not verified |
| Electronic signatures | Yes |
| Approval workflows | Not verified |
| Offline access | Not verified |
| Search scope | Not verified |
| API access | Yes |
| Export formats | PDF, SDF |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 7 integrations: MongoDB, BingoDB, Ketcher, external compound registration services, external structure-search services, customer services and databases … |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | lifescience.opensource.epam.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Indigo ELN integrations
Indigo ELN lists 7 integrations on its own site.
- MongoDB
- BingoDB
- Ketcher
- external compound registration services
- external structure-search services
- customer services and databases
- electronic-signature services
Alternatives to Indigo ELN
- Benchling NotebookA mature, collaborative ELN with structured records, compliance controls, and broad API support.9.4
- ELabELNA mature ELN with broad deployment, compliance, integration, and data-management coverage.9.2
- eLabFTWA compliance-ready, open-source ELN with flexible hosting and broad exports.9.0
See all Indigo ELN alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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