Comparison
Open Lab vs Gorilla
Gorilla is a polished behavioural-experiment builder with a per-token pricing model. Open Lab is open-source-backed with predictable subscription pricing.
| Feature | Open Lab | Gorilla |
|---|---|---|
| Experiment authoring | lab.js (open-source) + your own code | Proprietary visual builder |
| Pricing model | Subscription · 50% academic discount · unlimited studies on Pro+ | Per-participant tokens |
| Cost predictability | Fixed monthly cost regardless of participant volume | Cost scales with participant count |
| Code portability | Tasks are lab.js JSON — portable, runs anywhere | Tasks are tied to Gorilla's runtime |
| Open-source foundation | Yes — lab.js is MIT-licensed | No |
| Best for | Predictable budgets, portable task assets, lab.js workflows | Highly visual no-code authoring with low-volume pilots |
Pricing snapshot
Open Lab
Free · Basic €100/yr · Pro €250/yr · Team €1,000/yr · Enterprise
Academic prices, billed annually — equivalent to €8.33/mo (Basic), €20.83/mo (Pro), €83.33/mo (Team). The 50% academic discount is applied automatically when you sign up with a verified institutional email. Non-academic and monthly billing are also available; Pro includes a 14-day free trial for new accounts. Cost is predictable as your participant counts scale.
See full pricing →Gorilla
Per-participant tokens (academic and commercial rates)
Gorilla charges per token redeemed by a participant. Token cost varies by academic vs commercial use and by complexity of the task. Cost scales linearly with participants — easy at low volumes, expensive past a few hundred per study. Check the current rate card on their pricing page.
Gorilla pricing page →Pricing checked 2026-05. Always confirm on the vendor's own page before quoting in a grant application — rates change.
When Gorilla is the better choice
Pick Gorilla if you need a polished pure-no-code visual builder and your participant volume is low enough that per-token pricing is cheaper than a Pro subscription.
When Open Lab is the better choice
Pick Open Lab if you want predictable monthly pricing as you scale, prefer to own task code in a portable open format, and your team can use lab.js (visual or code).