Comparison
Open Lab vs Prolific
Prolific is a participant marketplace. Open Lab is the platform that hosts and runs your study — the two are complementary, not competitors.
| Feature | Open Lab | Prolific |
|---|---|---|
| What it provides | Study hosting, data collection, dashboard, collaboration | A pool of vetted paid participants |
| Pricing | Subscription for the platform | Pay-per-participant + service fee |
| Replaces… | Replaces self-hosted study servers | Replaces your own recruitment channels |
| Common pairing | Host your lab.js study here | Recruit participants from there |
| Best for | Running and managing the study | Sourcing the participants |
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 →Prolific
Pay per participant + service fee
Prolific does not charge a platform subscription. You pay the participants directly (recommended minimum ~£6/hour, typical £8/hour) plus a service fee on top (~33% at the time of this review). No charge for posting a study you don't run.
Prolific pricing page →Pricing checked 2026-05. Always confirm on the vendor's own page before quoting in a grant application — rates change.
When Prolific is the better choice
Prolific is the right choice when you need a quality-controlled pool of paid participants. We integrate via shareable study links — paste them into your Prolific study to send participants to Open Lab.
When Open Lab is the better choice
Open Lab is the right choice for hosting, running, and managing your study itself. Most researchers use both: Open Lab for the platform, Prolific for the recruitment.