Medrio alternatives for teams whose study lives on the participant's phone

Medrio is a fast, no code EDC with eCOA, eConsent and RTSM built around it. If your study is site led and data management is the whole job, it's a strong choice. If your protocol depends on participants staying engaged between visits, through a branded mobile app, push reminders, wearable data and long term follow up, that's what WeGuide was built for. It can replace Medrio for participant facing work or run alongside it.

Organise a demo See the full comparison

No pressure, no hard sell. A 30 minute walkthrough with a research colleague who's built platforms like yours.

Where WeGuide differs

Native participant apps, not a browser link
Wearable data built in
Engagement between visits, not just data capture

Used by leading research and medical institutes.

Why research teams look for a Medrio alternative

The short version

Medrio built its reputation on one promise: small and growing clinical teams can build and change an EDC study themselves, quickly, without a programmer. Twenty years on, that promise still holds, and the platform now wraps eCOA, eConsent, RTSM, CTMS and eTMF around the EDC core.

See the full comparison

Why teams look elsewhere

The pressure usually comes from the participant side of the study. Medrio describes its ePRO as a web based solution that participants open from any internet connected device. That works well for site visits and short diary windows. It gets harder when a protocol asks participants to report every day for months, sync a smartwatch, receive push reminders on their phone, read study education content, or stay in a registry for years. A browser link in an email or text message is a thin thread to hang that kind of engagement on, and Medrio's DCT page doesn't list televisits among its components.

WeGuide starts from the other end. We built a participant platform first: whitelabel iOS and Android apps under your brand, eConsent, eCOA with a library of validated instruments, native wearable data and an engagement layer that keeps people in the study. Data capture flows out through our Integration Engine. If your study is site based EDC with randomisation and supply management, Medrio is probably still the better fit, and we'll say so on the call. If the participant experience is where your study is won or lost, read on.

A quick way to tell which side you're on: count the touchpoints. If most of your data is entered by site staff at scheduled visits, and participants only complete the occasional questionnaire, an EDC first platform like Medrio is designed for exactly that shape of study. If participants are expected to consent remotely, report symptoms or outcomes on their own schedule, wear a device, receive education content and stay enrolled for a year or more, the participant platform becomes the centre of the study and the EDC becomes one of its outputs. Many teams sit somewhere in between, which is why the hybrid option further down this page exists.

The other common trigger is branding. Sponsors, patient organisations and academic institutions increasingly want participants to see their name, not a vendor's, on the screen they open every day. That's hard to achieve with a browser based diary and straightforward with a whitelabel app.

Key differences between WeGuide and Medrio

For teams that have hit the edge of what an EDC first platform does for participants, here's what changes with WeGuide.

Native participant apps, not a browser link

Medrio ePRO runs in the browser on whatever device a participant has. WeGuide ships native iOS and Android apps fully branded under your organisation's name and identity. Consent, questionnaires, education content, messages and device sync all live in one app that sits on the participant's home screen for the life of the study. Because it's your brand on the icon, participants associate the study with the institution they trust, not a software vendor they've never heard of.

Wearable data built in

Garmin, Apple Health, Health Connect and Fitbit Air integrations are native to WeGuide. Participants connect a device once during onboarding and data syncs into the study automatically. Medrio ingests data from wearables, sensors and external devices through its import and export APIs, which means sourcing the device data and setting up that feed for each study. With WeGuide, device data sits next to questionnaire and consent data for the same participant from day one.

Engagement between visits, not just data capture

Push notifications, in app messaging, scheduling, patient education content and gamification give participants a reason to keep opening the app. Medrio is built to capture clean data efficiently. WeGuide is built to keep the participant relationship alive long enough for that data to exist. Both matter. The question is which one your protocol is more likely to fail on.

Compare

Full comparison: WeGuide vs Medrio

REDCap

Feature

Request a Demo

Primary use case

Participant platform with eConsent, eCOA, wearables, engagement, registries and telehealth

No code EDC / CDMS for small and scaling clinical teams, with integrated eClinical modules

Target customer

Academic research, mid market sponsors, CROs, registries and longitudinal cohorts

Sponsors, CROs and sites across pharma, biotech, medtech, diagnostics and animal health

Participant mobile app

Native iOS and Android apps, whitelabel under your organisation's brand, shipped under your own App Store account or the existing WeGuide app

Web based ePRO on any internet connected device, no native app described

eCOA and ePRO

Native, with a library of validated instruments

Supports patient, clinician and observer reported assessments, validated instruments and custom questionnaires

eConsent

eScreening and eConsent with version control, re-consent workflows and audit trail

In clinic and remote eConsent with version management, re-consent and multimedia content, Part 11 compliant

Wearable integration

Native Garmin, Apple Health, Health Connect and Fitbit Air, plus raw accelerometer and gyroscope data at 25 Hz on supported Garmin models

Ingests wearable, sensor and external device data through import and export APIs, no named native consumer wearable integrations

Participant engagement

Push notifications, in app messaging, scheduling, education content, gamification

Reminder messages for diary completion

Telehealth

Built in televisits

Not listed among Medrio's products or DCT components

EDC and data management depth

Medical Form Builder with conditional logic, with deeper eCRF capture through the Integration Engine

Core strength: no code study build, edit checks, mid study changes, full CDMS through database lock

Randomisation and trial supply (RTSM)

Not offered. Connect a dedicated RTSM through the Integration Engine

Native Medrio RTSM, integrated with the EDC

CTMS and eTMF

Not offered, handled by your existing systems through the Integration Engine

Native Medrio CTMS and eTMF, integrated with the EDC

Patient registries and long term cohorts

Core use case (GenV, FSHD Global)

Not a stated use case

Multilingual support

Built in translation management across consent, eCOA and app content (used on INHERIT)

Language coverage not stated on Medrio's ePRO, eConsent, EDC or DCT pages

Integrations

Two way REDCap sync, Salesforce, HL7 / FHIR, REST API and webhooks

Integrated Medrio suite, import and export APIs for devices, labs and other eClinical vendors

Compliance

ISO 27001:2022, HIPAA (BAA available), GDPR, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, TGA registered Class I medical device software

FDA 21 CFR Part 11, ICH E6(R2), HIPAA, GDPR

Typical setup

Configuration alongside your team, typically two to four weeks

Studies can go live "within hours to days" for EDC, with a four week deployment cited for ePRO

Pricing

Project based, quote on request, includes hosting, support and modules

Not published, quote on request

REDCap

Top alternatives to Medrio in 2026

Here's the shortlist of platforms most teams evaluate alongside Medrio. Some are like for like EDC swaps, one is a different kind of tool. Each has its own sweet spot.

Alternative #1

Where WeGuide goes further

For teams that want the participant side of a study in one platform, here's what changes when you move to WeGuide.

Whitelabel participant apps under your brand

Native Garmin, Apple Health, Health Connect and Fitbit Air

Engagement that runs between visits

Patient registries and long term cohorts

Built in televisits

eScreening and eConsent in one flow

Multilingual delivery at the participant level

No code Program Builder for the whole participant journey

Regulated participant data on a managed platform

Built for regulated research

Every WeGuide study runs on our managed infrastructure. Your IT team doesn't patch servers, manage backups, or run disaster recovery drills.

TGA Registered

Registered Class I medical device software with the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

ISO 27001

Certified information security management covering access, audit, and incident response.

Data Hosted in Australia

Participant data is hosted in Australian data centres with sovereign data controls.

GDPR Compliant

GDPR, HIPAA, and 21 CFR Part 11 ready for multi-country and US-based studies.

Biometric Security

Participant access protected by PIN code and biometric authentication on device.

256-bit AES Encryption

All data encrypted at rest and in transit with automated backups and disaster recovery.

Where Medrio excels

Fast, no code study build. Medrio's drag and drop builder, copyable forms and template library let data managers build and launch an EDC study without programmers. Users on review sites consistently point to quick database setup and easy mid study changes as the reason they chose it.

A full trial operations stack in one vendor. EDC, eCOA, eConsent, RTSM, CTMS and eTMF are all Medrio products that share one data environment. For a sponsor that wants one contract covering data capture, randomisation, supply and documents, that's a real simplification WeGuide doesn't try to match.

Capable eConsent. In clinic and remote consent in the same study, version management, re-consent when the protocol changes, and multimedia content such as video and quizzes. If eConsent is your main gap, Medrio already covers it well.

Built for small and scaling teams. Medrio positions itself squarely against enterprise complexity, and its CTMS is pitched at growing sponsors and CROs rather than top 50 pharma. For a biotech or medtech company running its first few studies, that fit matters.

Twenty years of regulated use. Part 11, ICH GCP, HIPAA and GDPR alignment, audit trails and validated electronic signatures are mature. Medrio also serves medtech, diagnostics and animal health, which few eClinical vendors focus on.

If your study is site based, data management is the core job and you need RTSM or CTMS from the same vendor, Medrio is a defensible choice. We'd rather tell you that than sell you something you don't need.

Run WeGuide alongside Medrio

‍

You don't have to rip out Medrio to fix participant engagement. Some teams keep Medrio for EDC, randomisation and supply, and use WeGuide for the participant facing side: the branded app, eConsent, eCOA, wearable data and reminders. Our Integration Engine connects through REST API, webhooks and HL7 / FHIR, so participant data can flow into the systems your data managers already use. We don't have a prebuilt Medrio connector, so we scope the integration with you on the discovery call. If your study has no meaningful participant activity outside the site, adding WeGuide won't earn its keep, and we'll say so.

In a hybrid setup the split is usually simple. Medrio stays the system of record for site entered eCRF data, queries, randomisation and supply. WeGuide owns everything the participant touches: recruitment screening, consent, questionnaires, device data, reminders and messages. Your data managers keep the workflows they know, and participants get one branded app instead of a series of links.

How the switch works

For teams that are ready to move beyond Medrio for participant facing work, or run WeGuide alongside it, here's how onboarding typically plays out.

Discovery Call

A 30 minute conversation with one of our research delivery team. We look at your protocol, your current Medrio setup and what's actually blocking you. No sales pitch.

Study Configuration

Our team works alongside yours to configure the study in WeGuide: consent flows, eCOA schedules, wearable connections and engagement. If you're keeping Medrio for EDC, we scope and configure the integration at this stage. Typical timeline: two to four weeks.

Participant Onboarding

The whitelabel app goes live. Your coordinators invite participants, who download the app under your organisation's brand. Consent flows, reminders and support content are ready from day one.

Ongoing Support

You get a named research delivery contact, not a ticketing queue. We stay involved for the life of the study.

Case studies: research teams that needed more than data capture

BRACE Trial (Murdoch Children's Research Institute)

An international randomised trial testing whether the BCG vaccine could protect healthcare workers during COVID-19, run across several countries with thousands of participants. It was a hybrid design: vaccination and blood collection happened in person, and WeGuide supported the participant facing side of the study between those site contacts.

GenV (Generation Victoria)

A whole of state longitudinal birth cohort in Victoria, Australia, covering roughly 124,000 people: about 50,000 children and 74,000 parents. Engagement over many years needs a branded app families keep on their phones, push notifications and multi modal data capture. That's cohort territory, not EDC territory. The platform has to hold up as children grow, parents change phones and the study adds new waves of data collection.

FSHD Global

A longitudinal patient registry for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, combining patient reported outcomes with wearable integration. Registries like this outlive any single trial, which is why they need a participant platform rather than a study database. Participants report from home on their own phones, devices sync in the background, and the research team keeps a continuous picture of a rare disease over time instead of a snapshot at each clinic visit.

Helping researchers transform ideas into discoveries.

Hear what our clients have to say!

"GenV trusted WeGuide to run a multi-year population health study with roughly 124,000 Victorians, about 50,000 children and 74,000 parents. Longitudinal engagement at this scale requires push notifications, multi-modal data capture, and a whitelabel app that families will keep on their phones for years.""

Susan Clifford

Senior Research Officer

“The main benefit of WeGuide is its convenience. I can’t imagine how we would follow thousands of participants and collect their data without WeGuide!”

Kaya Gardiner

Trial Project Manager

"WeGuide has transformed how we manage our patient registry. The ease of digital screening and obtaining eConsent has significantly improved our workflow."

Emma Weatherley

Managing Director

"The WeGuide trial offers staff a practical tool for recording daily COVID-19 symptoms and temperatures. For those in high-risk areas, daily reminders and alerts provide peace of mind and reassurance about their health."

Kate Cranwell

Manager

"It’s obvious that WeGuide is committed to develop technology that benefits people in the community. WeGuide has been a great partner in achieving this goal within Western Health."

Paul Eleftheriou

Chief Medical Officer

Questions

Straight answers on how WeGuide compares to Medrio, what running both looks like, and when staying on Medrio is the right call.

Is WeGuide a replacement for Medrio EDC?

Not one for one. Medrio is an EDC and CDMS with RTSM, CTMS and eTMF around it. WeGuide is a participant platform: whitelabel apps, eConsent, eCOA, wearables, engagement and telehealth, with a Medical Form Builder that covers many data capture needs. If you need a full CDMS through database lock with randomisation and supply, keep Medrio or another EDC and connect WeGuide to it.

Does Medrio have a mobile app for participants?

Medrio describes its ePRO as a web based solution that participants open on any internet connected device, without device compatibility worries. That's a sensible design for many studies. WeGuide takes a different approach with native iOS and Android apps branded under your organisation, which support push notifications and native wearable sync with Garmin, Apple Health, Health Connect and Fitbit Air.

Can WeGuide integrate with Medrio?

WeGuide's Integration Engine supports REST API, webhooks and HL7 / FHIR, plus a two way REDCap sync. There is no prebuilt Medrio connector today, so we scope the data flow with you during discovery and configure it as part of onboarding.

Which has better eConsent, Medrio or WeGuide?

Both are strong. Medrio's eConsent supports in clinic and remote consent, version management, re-consent and multimedia content. WeGuide offers eScreening and eConsent with version control, re-consent workflows and an audit trail. The practical difference is that WeGuide's consent sits inside the same branded app participants use for the rest of the study.

How does pricing compare?

Neither vendor publishes a price list. Medrio provides pricing on request. WeGuide is project based and quoted per study, with hosting, support and modules included. We'll give you a clear quote after the discovery call.

How long does it take to launch a study on WeGuide?

After a discovery call, our team configures the study alongside yours, typically in two to four weeks, then the whitelabel app goes live and you get a named delivery contact for the life of the study. If an integration with Medrio or another EDC is part of the plan, we scope it in the discovery call so it's built during the same configuration window rather than after launch.

More comparisons