Tools of the Trade

A curated directory of the software researchers actually use - from literature discovery and reference managers to electronic lab notebooks, analysis pipelines, imaging and the new generation of AI research tools. Every entry is written by hand, and every outbound link is checked.

  • 263 tools listed
  • 20 categories
  • 224 free or open source

263 tools

bioRxiv

bioRxiv is an open access preprint repository for the biological sciences

PublishingWritingFREE

Biostars

Focus on bioinformatics, computational genomics, and biological data analysis.

DiscoveryPublishingFREE
New2026
Boltz logo

Boltz

Open Source Biomolecular Structure Prediction

AnalysisBioinformaticsFREE, OPEN SOURCE
New2026
BoltzGen logo

BoltzGen

Generative Binder Design at Speed

AnalysisBioinformaticsFREE, OPEN SOURCE

BRaVa Browser

Rare Variant Association Results Browser

AnalysisBioinformaticsFREE, OPEN SOURCE

Browzine

Collection of scholarly journals on your computer, tablet, or smartphone

DiscoveryFREE OPEN SOURCE

Cambridge Structural Database (CSD)

Repository for small-molecule organic and metal-organic crystal structures.

AnalysisDiscoveryFREE

Candid Foundation Directory

FundingPlanningFREE
New2026
Cell Ranger logo

Cell Ranger

10x Genomics Single-Cell Pipeline

AnalysisBioinformaticsFREE
New2026
CellProfiler logo

CellProfiler

Automated Image Analysis Pipelines

AnalysisImagingFREE, OPEN SOURCE

CERN Open Data

A portal that hosts several records, released as open data by the LHC experiments.

DiscoveryReference ManagementOPEN SOURCE
New2026
Chai-1 logo

Chai-1

Open Multimodal Structure Prediction

AnalysisBioinformaticsFREE FOR NON-COMMERCIAL USE

Built something researchers should know about?

We add tools on reader suggestions, and we list open-source projects and one-person side projects on the same terms as funded platforms. Listing is free, there is no paid placement, and we write the entry ourselves after trying the tool.

Request a listing Or email info@labcritics.com

Missing a tool?

Tell us what your lab runs on. Listing is free and we do not take payment for placement.

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How entries are chosen

  • It has to be alive. Links are verified, and tools that die or get acquired into irrelevance are retired rather than left to rot.
  • Researchers have to actually use it. Adoption in real labs matters more than a polished launch page.
  • Cost is stated plainly. Free, open source, freemium or paid - including when "free for academics" comes with conditions.
  • No paid placement. Nobody buys their way onto this list, and there are no affiliate links.
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What is in here

The directory covers the whole research workflow: planning and funding, literature discovery, reference management, lab notebooks and inventory, analysis and computation, figures and visualisation, writing, publishing, and data sharing. Alongside the long-established tools you would expect, it tracks the AI workbenches and foundation models now reshaping how computational research gets done.