The Open Source LIMS for Modern Laboratories

SENAITE LIMS is a free, open-source Laboratory Information Management System built on proven enterprise technology. It manages the entire laboratory workflow — from sample registration and analysis to result verification and reporting. No license fees, no vendor lock-in, full code ownership.

We are the Core Developers of SENAITE. We created it, we maintain it, and we help laboratories around the world run it in production every day.

What SENAITE Does

SENAITE handles the daily work of a laboratory:

  • Sample Management — register samples, assign analysis services, track sample states from reception to publication
  • Worksheets — organize analyses into worksheets for lab technicians, with support for reference samples, duplicates, and blanks
  • Result Entry and Verification — enter results manually or import them from instruments automatically. Multi-level verification ensures data integrity.
  • Instrument Interfaces — connect laboratory instruments for automatic result import. SENAITE supports serial, file-based, and API-based interfaces.
  • Reporting — generate analysis reports (certificates of analysis) as PDF. Templates are fully customizable.
  • Calculations — define formulas that compute derived results from measured values. Supports interim fields, dependent analyses, and custom Python expressions.
  • Client Portal — give your clients direct access to their samples and reports through a dedicated portal.
  • Audit Trail — every action is logged. Full traceability of who did what and when.

Who Uses SENAITE

SENAITE runs in laboratories across industries and continents:

  • Water and Environmental — municipal water utilities, environmental monitoring agencies, wastewater treatment plants
  • Mining and Metals — exploration labs, processing plants, quality control
  • Food and Beverage — quality assurance, regulatory compliance testing
  • Clinical and Veterinary — hospital labs, diagnostic centers, veterinary labs
  • Agriculture — soil analysis, fertilizer testing, crop research
  • Industrial — manufacturing QC, materials testing, R&D labs

From single-site labs to multi-location enterprises, SENAITE scales to fit.

Why Open Source Matters

Commercial LIMS products come with annual license fees, vendor lock-in, and limited customization. SENAITE takes a different approach:

  • No license costs — the software is free. You pay only for services you actually need: setup, customization, training, support.
  • Full code ownership — you can read, modify, and extend every line. No black boxes, no hidden dependencies.
  • No vendor lock-in — your data is yours. If you ever want to move on, nothing stops you.
  • Community-driven — SENAITE is developed in the open on GitHub. Bug reports, feature requests, and contributions from laboratories worldwide shape the roadmap.
  • Enterprise-grade — built on Plone and Zope, battle-tested technologies that power some of the largest content management deployments in the world.

Technology

SENAITE is built on a solid stack:

  • Python — the language of science. Well-known, well-documented, widely used in laboratories.
  • Plone / Zope — enterprise content management framework with built-in security, workflow engine, and role-based access control.
  • JSON API — RESTful API for integration with external systems, dashboards (like SENAITY), and custom frontends.
  • Docker — containerized deployment for easy setup, scaling, and reproducibility.
  • Buildout — declarative configuration for reproducible SENAITE installations.

Getting Started

The fastest way to try SENAITE is with Docker:

docker pull senaite/senaite:2.x
docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 senaite/senaite:2.x

Open http://localhost:8080 in your browser and you have a running SENAITE instance in under a minute. See our step-by-step guide for a detailed walkthrough.

How We Can Help

As the Core Developers of SENAITE, we offer the full range of professional services:

  • Consulting — requirements analysis, project planning, implementation strategy
  • Custom Development — add-ons, instrument interfaces, integrations, workflow customization
  • Training — hands-on workshops for users, admins, and developers
  • IT Services — server setup, maintenance, monitoring, SLAs

We also build SENAITY, a real-time Kanban dashboard that gives you instant visibility into your SENAITE sample pipeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SENAITE LIMS really free?

Yes. SENAITE is released under the GPLv2 open-source license. You can download, install, and use it without paying any license fees. You only pay if you need professional services like custom development, training, or managed hosting.

What industries use SENAITE?

SENAITE is used in water and environmental labs, mining and metals, food and beverage, clinical and veterinary diagnostics, agriculture, and industrial quality control. It is flexible enough to support most laboratory workflows regardless of industry.

Can SENAITE replace our current LIMS?

In most cases, yes. SENAITE covers the core LIMS workflow: sample registration, analysis assignment, result entry, verification, and reporting. We have helped laboratories migrate from commercial systems like LabWare, STARLIMS, and custom in-house solutions. We can assess your specific situation in a free initial consultation.

Does SENAITE support instrument integration?

Yes. SENAITE supports automatic result import from laboratory instruments via serial interfaces, file-based import (CSV, XML), and API-based connections. We build custom instrument interfaces for any instrument that provides digital output.

Can I run SENAITE in the cloud?

Yes. SENAITE runs on any Linux server, whether on-premise, in a private cloud, or on public cloud providers like AWS, Azure, or Hetzner. Docker images are available for easy deployment. We also offer managed hosting with SLAs.

How is SENAITE different from commercial LIMS products?

No license fees, no vendor lock-in, full source code access. You own everything. SENAITE is also built on Python, which means your own developers can extend and customize it. See our detailed comparison for more.

What is SENAITY?

SENAITY is a real-time Kanban dashboard that connects to your SENAITE instance. It provides a visual overview of your sample pipeline with search, comparison, anomaly detection, and analytics. Free tier available at senaity.com.

Get in touch to discuss your laboratory requirements.