Labvanced

Overview

Labvanced brings experiment creation and study operations together in a graphical workflow, so researchers can assemble studies without writing code. The range spans questionnaires, media stimuli, behavioral tracking and participant recruitment connections. That breadth is useful for varied research designs, but does not make every deployment equally accessible: offline desktop use is restricted to group and departmental license holders.

Built and maintained by Scicovery GmbH in Paderborn, Germany, Labvanced was released in 2018. Its license options address individuals, labs, departments and consortia, teaching, campuses and commercial use.

Key features

Study design and measurement

The visual builder is the platform’s core advantage for researchers who want to create experiments graphically rather than code them. Millisecond-precise reaction-time measurement and webcam-based eye tracking support behavioral work; questionnaires, audio and video stimuli, mouse tracking and real-time multi-participant studies broaden the types of tasks it can accommodate.

Eye-tracking outputs include heatmaps, gaze coordinates, fixations, dwell time and time to first fixation. Data can be exported as CSV or TSV, and experiment specifications as JSON. These options help researchers analyze results outside the platform, though the export formats are not a substitute for choosing an analysis workflow.

Recruitment and research setups

Documented recruitment connections include Prolific, CloudResearch, Sona Systems, Besample, Panelabs, Amazon Mechanical Turk and Clickworker. This gives study creators several routes to participant sourcing without making recruitment itself automatic.

The desktop app guide describes connecting EEG systems, eye trackers, motion sensors and wearables through Lab Streaming Layer. The app can run locally without internet access, but only group and departmental license holders can use offline desktop mode. It supports Windows, MacOS and Linux Ubuntu.

The Chrome Web Bridge extension enables controlled studies on live third-party websites while recording gaze, clicks, hovering and scrolling. That is a focused option for research involving real websites, but it requires Google Chrome.

Privacy and support

Labvanced says its website is SSL encrypted and that it does not save participant names, email addresses or IP addresses, except for email collection used for repeated-measures reminders. Webcam eye-tracking video is not transmitted to Labvanced servers or experimenters by default. The free plan includes documentation and study templates; paid tiers list live chat, with some also including premium email support or onboarding.

Pricing

Labvanced uses a freemium model, with a free plan and a 7-day trial. The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and includes 300 MB storage, 10 recordings and one active recruiting link. Those caps make it a reasonable starting point for a small study, but a tight fit for repeated recruitment or accumulating recordings.

Researcher Basic has custom pricing. Its listed term is one year, billed for Duration 1 year (0% discount), with prices displayed in euros excluding and including VAT. It includes 3,000 MB storage, 200 recordings per year and selected active recruiting links. That higher capacity is better aligned with ongoing individual research, though the selected-link limit is less flexible than an unrestricted recruiting setup. The available plan information does not establish seat counts or trial renewal terms.

Platforms

Labvanced supports web, Windows, MacOS and Linux, alongside an API and extension. The desktop app’s stated Linux compatibility is Linux Ubuntu; Web Bridge is a Chrome extension. Offline operation applies to the desktop app and is limited to group and departmental license holders.

Who it's for

Labvanced is a strong fit for behavioral researchers who want a graphical experiment builder with reaction-time measurement, webcam eye tracking and a path to hardware integration. Labs running multi-participant or media-rich studies can also benefit from its range of study components and recruitment connections. It is less suitable for a solo researcher whose work exceeds the free quotas, or anyone who needs offline use but does not hold a group or departmental license.

Pros and cons

• Pros: No-code study creation paired with precise reaction-time measurement and webcam eye tracking suits researchers who want to build and measure within one platform.
• Pros: Recruitment connections and Lab Streaming Layer hardware support address participant sourcing and research-device workflows.
• Pros: Offline desktop mode is available for group and departmental license holders, useful where a study must run without internet access.
• Cons: The free plan’s 300 MB storage, 10 recordings and one active recruiting link constrain sustained or larger studies.
• Cons: Offline desktop use is not available to every license holder, and live-site studies depend on Chrome Web Bridge.
• Cons: Researcher Basic has custom pricing, making its cost harder to assess before choosing a plan.

Alternatives

For a narrower eye-tracking tool, compare the Eye Tracking Software category. GazeRecorder is a free option with a non-commercial-use plan and support for Android, iOS, web and Windows. GazePlotter is a free, open-source option for readers who want software licensed under GNU GPL v3, with Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, web and Windows support.

Hawkeye offers a free plan limited to one project and five sessions, plus a Starter Plan at 39.99 USD per month billed monthly; it may suit a small iOS or web project. OpenGazer is a free, self-hosted Linux gaze tracker that requires a webcam and Linux build dependencies, for readers comfortable with that setup.

Feng-GUI is a paid web and API alternative with a Basic plan at 99.00 USD per month, billed monthly, covering up to 400 monthly credits, five users, 5 GB storage, three months retention, and image and website processing. GazeSense is a paid Linux and Windows option with a 1-Month License at 199.00 USD per month, billed for the first month of use, and a 7-day risk-free trial invite plus a 7-day money-back guarantee.

Retra is a free, open-source Android option. Pupil Core is a paid alternative built around a wearable eye-tracking headset and open-source software suite, priced at 3615.00 EUR per once.

Verdict

Choose Labvanced if you need to create behavioral studies without code and want measurement, recruitment connections and research hardware support in the same workflow. Its breadth is the main reason to choose it; the free quotas, custom-priced Researcher Basic plan and restricted offline access are reasons to compare alternatives before committing to a sustained or offline project.