REDCap
REDCap is a Vanderbilt-developed secure web application for building online surveys and research databases, provided free to 8,329+ non-profit institutional partners across 166 countries with built-in HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, FISMA, and GDPR compliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What REDCap does
REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases, developed and owned by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Created in 2004, the platform is engineered specifically for online and offline research data capture and ships with built-in compliance capabilities for HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, FISMA (low/moderate/high), and GDPR. The core technology is server software built on PHP 8.0+ with MySQL/MariaDB/Percona, supporting on-premise and cloud deployments across Linux, Unix, Windows, and Mac. The product surface has expanded to include the REDCap Mobile App (offline data collection on iOS/Android), MyCap (participant-reported outcomes), and Clinical Data Interoperability Services (CDIS) for FHIR-based integration with Epic and Cerner EHRs. A REDCap Shared Library provides curated, pre-built data collection instruments reviewed by the REDLOC committee.
REDCap is distributed through a consortium-led model: non-profit organizations join the REDCap Consortium by signing a license agreement with Vanderbilt University and self-hosting the software on their own infrastructure. The software, source code, and consortium support are provided at no cost; the model is funded in part by an NIH/NCATS grant (UL1 TR000445). The platform is not open-source, and commercial entities cannot hold a license directly. For organizations preferring managed hosting, Vanderbilt offers a fee-based hosted instance (US-only, monthly subscription), and REDCap Cloud — a separate third-party company — provides 21 CFR Part 11 validated hosting for commercially-sponsored trials. There is no traditional sales force; adoption occurs institution-by-institution through the consortium, annual REDCapCon conference, Community Site, and organic academic word-of-mouth.
As of 2024, REDCap reports 8,329 active institutional partners across 166 countries, with 2.8M+ cumulative projects, 4.4M+ users, and 55,400+ journal citations. Distribution channels include AWS CloudFormation and Microsoft Azure Quick Starts for cloud deployment, and the REDCapCon conference (rotating internationally since 2009) anchors community engagement. The company does not disclose revenue; the freemium default for the core non-profit segment means the platform's economic value is captured through reduced commercial EDC spend, NIH-supported development, and the independent REDCap Cloud business rather than through direct Vanderbilt revenue.
REDCap firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- REDCap
- Legal name
- Vanderbilt University
- Website
- https://projectredcap.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- REDCap is a Vanderbilt-developed secure web application for building online surveys and research databases, provided free to 8,329+ non-profit institutional partners across 166 countries with built-in HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, FISMA, and GDPR compliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
REDCap industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Data Capture (EDC) / Clinical Research Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Records & Information Management (RIM) / Records Management (HDAEAGAC)
Keywords
Where REDCap is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
REDCap business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Free Consortium Licensing: REDCap software and consortium support are provided at no cost to non-profit organizations that join the REDCap Consortium. The license, codebase, and all consortium support are completely free. This represents the primary distribution model.
- Vanderbilt Hosted Services: Vanderbilt offers its own REDCap system (redcap.vumc.org) for a monthly fee to organizations that prefer not to self-host. This is a contract between Vanderbilt and the home organization (U.S. based institutions only).
- REDCap Cloud (Third-Party): REDCap Cloud is a separate third-party company offering fee-based hosting in their custom version of REDCap. Recommended for commercially-sponsored research studies requiring 21 CFR Part 11 validation. This is separate from REDCap licensing and the consortium.
- Institutional Funding Support: REDCap is supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NCATS UL1 TR000445), providing funding for continued development and maintenance at Vanderbilt University.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free for non-profit consortium members |
| Subscription | Monthly | Vanderbilt hosted REDCap (monthly fee) |
| Subscription | Monthly | REDCap Cloud (fee-based third-party hosting) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
REDCap product offering
Product offeringCore offering
REDCap is a secure web application that enables researchers to build and manage online surveys and databases without programming knowledge, specifically geared to support online and offline data capture for research studies. It is licensed free of charge to non-profit organizations through the REDCap Consortium, with companion mobile apps (REDCap Mobile App, MyCap) and Clinical Data Interoperability Services (CDIS) extending functionality for offline and EHR-integrated data collection.
Product overview
REDCap is a single, unified secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases for research studies, offered free of charge to non-profit organizations through the REDCap Consortium. The core platform (REDCap) is complemented by the REDCap Mobile App for offline data collection and MyCap for participant-reported outcomes. CDIS (Clinical Data Interoperability Services) enables integration with Electronic Health Records via FHIR. Additional offerings include the REDCap Shared Library of pre-built instruments, the REDCap Community Site for technical support, and the annual REDCapCon conference. For commercially-sponsored trials requiring 21 CFR Part 11, third-party hosted option REDCap Cloud is available separately.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MyCap: A mobile application that makes it easy for researchers to capture participant/patient reported outcomes using mobile devices.
- REDCap Mobile App
Products and services
- REDCap Core Platform A secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases, specifically designed to support online and offline data capture for research studies and operations. Supports compliance with 21 CFR Part 11, FISMA, HIPAA, and GDPR. Available free of charge to non-profit organizations via the REDCap Consortium.
- REDCap Mobile App Companion mobile application for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices enabling offline data collection that syncs when connectivity is available. Must be used alongside REDCap at a partner institution.
- MyCap Mobile application for capturing participant and patient reported outcomes (ePRO) on mobile devices, used as an extension of REDCap research studies.
- REDCap Cloud Third-party fee-based hosted REDCap solution for commercially-sponsored clinical trials requiring 21 CFR Part 11 validation. Operated by a separate company from REDCap licensing and the consortium.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2.8 million projects created using REDCap software
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use REDCap
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
REDCap technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature8 records
REDCap partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreAmazon's AWS CloudFormation service collaborated with the REDCap consortium to provide automation tools for fast, friction-free deployment of entire REDCap server environments on AWS cloud infrastructure. AWS Quick Start guides provide organization IT departments with step-by-step instructions for deploying production-ready REDCap. Requires REDCap 8.9.3+.
- Microsoft AzurecoreMicrosoft's Azure Cloud Platform collaborated with the REDCap consortium to provide automation tools for rapid deployment of REDCap server environments on Azure infrastructure. Azure Quick Start ARM templates provide automated deployment capabilities. Requires REDCap 8.11.0+.
- REDCap CloudminorREDCap Cloud is a third-party company offering fee-based hosting services for their custom version of REDCap. Recommended for commercially-sponsored research studies requiring 21 CFR Part 11 validation. Completely separate from REDCap licensing and the REDCap consortium. Visit redcapcloud.com for more information.
- Vanderbilt UniversitycoreVanderbilt University created REDCap in 2004 and owns all rights, title, and interest in the software. Vanderbilt manages the REDCap Consortium, provides software licensing, coordinates publications related to REDCap, and maintains the primary REDCap system at redcap.vumc.org.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
REDCap competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OpenClinica: Open-source EDC system for clinical trials, historically used in academic and pharmaceutical research. Targets the same clinical research data capture needs as REDCap with comparable features including regulatory compliance support.
- Castor EDC: Cloud-based electronic data capture platform for clinical research, serving academic institutions, hospitals, and commercial sponsors. Most directly comparable commercial alternative to REDCap, with overlapping customer base in academic medical centers.
- Form.com: Form and survey data collection platform with mobile data capture capabilities. Serves enterprise and field research customers with similar functionality to REDCap, including offline data collection.
- REDCap Cloud: Third-party company offering fee-based hosted REDCap services for commercially-sponsored research requiring 21 CFR Part 11 validation. Uses a customized version of REDCap software but operates as an independent company separate from Vanderbilt licensing.
Emerging players
- KoBoToolbox: Free, open-source mobile data collection platform widely used in humanitarian and field research. Competes with REDCap for international development, public health, and academic field research deployments.
- Open Data Kit (ODK): Open-source suite of tools for mobile data collection in offline environments, popular in global health and academic field research. Comparable to REDCap's mobile/offline data collection capabilities for resource-constrained settings.
Broad incumbents
- Qualtrics: Survey and experience management platform used in academic research for data collection. While broader in scope (CX, employee experience), its research survey capabilities overlap with REDCap's online survey functionality.
- Medidata Rave: Enterprise-grade clinical trial data capture and management platform owned by Dassault Systèmes. Serves large pharmaceutical sponsors and CROs; competes with REDCap in academic medical centers conducting sponsored clinical trials.
- Veeva Vault CDB: Clinical Data Base part of Veeva's broader life sciences cloud suite, serving pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors. Overlaps with REDCap in clinical trial EDC functionality but operates as part of a wider enterprise platform.
- Oracle Clinical One: Unified clinical trial platform from Oracle Health Sciences, offering EDC, RTSM, and ePRO. Competes for both commercial sponsor work and large academic medical center trials where REDCap is also used.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
REDCap social profiles
Digital presenceREDCap compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
REDCap financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
REDCap leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
REDCap funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
REDCap M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about REDCap
What does REDCap do?
REDCap is a secure web application that enables researchers to build and manage online surveys and databases without programming knowledge, specifically geared to support online and offline data capture for research studies. It is licensed free of charge to non-profit organizations through the REDCap Consortium, with companion mobile apps (REDCap Mobile App, MyCap) and Clinical Data Interoperability Services (CDIS) extending functionality for offline and EHR-integrated data collection.
Is REDCap a public or private company?
REDCap is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was REDCap founded?
REDCap was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is REDCap based?
REDCap is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does REDCap make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Free Consortium Licensing is the primary driver. The others are vanderbilt Hosted Services, REDCap Cloud (Third-Party) and institutional Funding Support.
Who are REDCap's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OpenClinica, Castor EDC, Form.com and REDCap Cloud. Emerging players are KoBoToolbox and Open Data Kit (ODK). Broad incumbents are Qualtrics, Medidata Rave, Veeva Vault CDB and Oracle Clinical One.
Does REDCap have an API?
No public API is recorded for REDCap.
What industry is REDCap in?
REDCap's product category is Electronic Data Capture (EDC) / Clinical Research Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAGAC, Records & Information Management (RIM) / Records Management.