--- title: "RealTime-CTMS Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is RealTime-CTMS the right Clinical Trial Management solution for you? Explore 68 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/126679/RealTime-CTMS/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- RealTime-CTMS 4.9 (68) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated August 26th, 2026 # Reviews of RealTime-CTMS Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 4.9 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews DT Diana T Clinical Office ManagerMedical Practice, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “My experience with RealTime-CTMS is that the information is real time and is available to you quickly on a real time basis, very helpful when is dealing with patient care on a day to day basis.“ May 8, 2026 TD Tim D ManagerResearch, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It’s so in-depth that it can seem daunting at times“ April 29, 2023 RA Ravi A Director of Clinical AdministrationResearch, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It excels in document management (eDocs), data capture (eSource), and patient management (CTMS).“ October 19, 2023 GA Giovanna A Director of Operations Pharmaceuticals, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “ESource does not have logic/edits build in to help the the research staff when entering data.“ November 3, 2020 MZ Maria Paula Z Finance AssistanceResearch, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I also love the training program that covers every user's needs, and the customer service deserves a 5-star rating!“ April 12, 2024 MW Melonie W Research Data ManagerResearch, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It is HARD to navigate this software.“ January 4, 2022 LM Luis M Clinical Research SupervisorResearch, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The UI is clean and intuitive.“ November 30, 2022 MW Melonie W Research Data ManagerResearch, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It is NOT intuitive (and I'm a digital native).“ January 4, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 68 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Gary L. N. Chief Business Officer Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "RealTime: It's Far More Than A CTMS" September 21, 2018 5.0 Having so our processes and materials sensibly organized and readily accessible in one place has improved our overall efficiency. It supports our QA/ QC processes in ways that have allowed us to improve the quality of our data and accounts receivable. We are especially impressed with all the the staff at RealTime. The quality of training, support and maintenance has been excellent. Pros Great user interface, sensible workflow/ navigation and exceptional functionality aside, it was designed, developed and continues to be enhanced by people who have actually done clinical trials. This is evident in every aspect of the software. The whole product suite and related offerings, e.g., eDocs, eSource, SitePAY and Text are terrific, and for us it is evolving to be an overall Business Management System. Cons We would like to see more granularity in access privileges. Review Source RC Ricardo C. VP, Operations Pharmaceuticals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Value and Functionality, Hoping Support Bounces Back" August 20, 2026 4.0 My personal experience with RealTime-CTMS since 2017 has been overwhelmingly positive. The platform offers a complete, user-friendly, and cost-effective solution built specifically around the daily operational and financial needs of a clinical research site. While we have encountered a temporary increase in system bugs and slower support ticket resolution times in recent months, upper management stepped in to help address our critical issues, and we have been informed that structural changes are currently being made to improve support responsiveness. Overall, we view these recent challenges as short-term growing pains, and we remain confident in our continued partnership with RealTime given their strong track record and robust system capabilities. Pros RealTime-CTMS is an exceptionally user-friendly platform clearly built from the clinical research site perspective. Having used the system since 2017, I consider it a great value for the money, offering a robust feature set that easily rivals any major competitor in the industry. It comprehensively covers all operational and financial aspects of running a site through its various integrated modules. The platform excels at managing recruitment efforts and tracking enrollment via its CRM capabilities, streamlines study visit logistics through intuitive study templates and clear visit tracking, and provides seamless electronic source data capture through eSOURCE along with clean Investigator Site File organization in eDOCS. Overall, it delivers a complete, site-centric solution that effectively powers daily operations and financial management. Cons Recently, our team has experienced an increase in system bugs alongside a decline in support responsiveness, with open tickets taking much longer to resolve than in the past. Critical issues, such as inaccurate financial report data and an ongoing inability to merge duplicate subject profiles, remained open for weeks, with the duplicate profile issue still unresolved. While direct phone support was previously easy to access, resolving recent issues required escalation through upper management. That said, company leadership has communicated that structural changes are underway to address support timeliness, so these recent setbacks appear to be growing pains rather than a permanent shift. Alternatives considered [CRIO](https://www.capterra.com/p/166083/Clinical-Research-IO/) Reason for choosing RealTime-CTMS We had a less than ideal experience with CRIO during a study where the sponsor provided the access. Review Source MW Melonie W. Research Data Manager Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "There's a learning curve, but they're supportive." January 4, 2022 4.0 Pros This software really is quite fully featured, and the things that it does lack are likely in the development pipeline for future releases (as long as you let the support staff know!). Cons It is HARD to navigate this software. It is NOT intuitive (and I'm a digital native). The labeling of different sections seems rather obtuse (and I think, for example, it's strange to track user accounts for external providers/visiting Monitors in a completely separate location from user accounts for site staff - shouldn't all user accounts be in one place?). Review Source LH Leslie H. Founder Financial Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "This CTMS covers all the bases, gives you solid tracking capabilities, and won't take forever to get the hang of." August 21, 2026 4.0 Honestly, my experience with RealTime-CTMS has been pretty good overall. It gives you one central place to manage recruitment, participant visits, study activities, financials, and reporting — which means we're not juggling a dozen spreadsheets anymore. It's much easier to get a quick sense of where each study stands. For day-to-day stuff, it's pretty intuitive. Scheduling visits, pulling up participant info, tracking recruitment — those all work smoothly. That said, the more advanced stuff like setting up a new study, digging into accounting reports, managing permissions, or handling integrations definitely takes some extra training. Once you've got everything configured the way you want, it does end up saving a lot of administrative time. Feature-wise, this platform has a lot going for it, especially for a research site. The appointment reminders, visit tracking, automatic target-date calculations, recruitment tools, financial reports, and document storage are all genuinely useful. I also like that you can attach files directly to a study and share them easily. But keep in mind, it's not really built to be a general file-management tool — that's just not its main strength. Exporting and file conversion work fine for standard reports and day-to-day operational data. But if you need something for an external presentation, be prepared to do some manual formatting afterward. More flexibility with report layouts and export options would definitely be a nice upgrade. Customer support has been decent for routine questions — they're responsive and helpful. But when you get into trickier configuration problems or financial glitches, you might need to go back and forth a bit. I've also hit a few bugs here and there, though nothing that's ever stopped me from using the system for long. For a busy research site that uses the recruitment, scheduling, financial, and reporting features daily, the cost is pretty reasonable. But if you're a smaller organization with only a handful of studies, the price tag and the time it takes to set everything up might be a tougher sell. All in all, RealTime-CTMS is a solid, comprehensive system. It just has a learning curve, occasional quirks, and some reporting limitations that keep it from being perfect. Pros RealTime-CTMS has made a real difference in how we run clinical research. It pulls together all the key pieces — enrolling participants, scheduling visits, keeping track of studies, sending appointment reminders, and managing the financial side of things. The calendar with automatic visit-window calculations is a big help for staying on top of deadlines, and it's definitely reduced scheduling errors. I also appreciate the recruitment tracking feature, which gives a clear view of where prospective participants are in screening. But what I value most is how it links operational and financial data, giving the team real insight into study performance. Cons There’s no shortage of features here, but that definitely comes with a learning curve when you're just getting started. Some screens feel a bit cluttered, and a few workflows take more clicks than you'd expect. Getting studies, financial rules, reports, and user permissions configured requires time and careful attention. I've also run into the occasional bug or hiccup—mostly with loading times, notifications, and data refreshing. The reports and exported files are useful, though the layout and customization options could be a lot more flexible. And for smaller research sites, the price tag might be tough to justify. Review Source LH Lindsey H. Study Start-Up and Regulatory Manager Medical Practice Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "RealTime has been a big help for our finances!" August 27, 2019 5.0 We needed a CTMS that helped us separate from our SMO and go into research on our own. This software helped us get set up and organized from Day 1, easing the transition to perform all administrative functions in house instead of outsourcing. Pros I love how the accounting side helps link patient visits to reimbursements. This has made my job so much better for AP/AR and tracking payments. Cons There is a learning curve, but once you get past that, it really is easy to use! Alternatives considered [Clinical Conductor CTMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/88069/Clinical-Conductor-CTMS/) Reason for choosing RealTime-CTMS Created by study coordinators with study coordinators in mind. The entire format and workflow just made sense to us! Review Source DT Diana T. Clinical Office Manager Medical Practice Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "RealTim-CTMS Review " May 8, 2026 5.0 My experience with RealTime-CTMS is that the information is real time and is available to you quickly on a real time basis, very helpful when is dealing with patient care on a day to day basis. Pros We like to use RealTime CTMS to view patient records and images for patients interventions and surgical options. Cons Sometimes the Images don't load, records are not not readable but over all this is just a small issue. That can be overcome. Review Source Sayanta B. Research Engineer Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "An Amazing Real-time Research Tool" June 17, 2021 5.0 The overall experience with RealTime-CTMS is very satisfying. Pros The most amazing thing about the software is the research it provides with its activities. The software has real time linking Research. Also it has a software as a service cloud based deployment structure which makes easy scaling and development. Cons The least thing I like about this software is that it lacks a huge amount of marketing. As a result of which not many people know about this software. Also the free tier should be promoted more so that young Devs can use it efficiently. Review Source Bronson O. Clinical Research Coordinator Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great Clinical Trial Management System" February 20, 2019 5.0 Pros Many features that steamline clinical research trials. Simplifies tracking visits and financials. Great recruitment tracking. Cons Whereas basic system is a great value, add on features such as e-regulatory, stipend payments and e-source are expensive to acquire. Review Source Casey R. Director of Operations Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Specific to your site" December 6, 2019 5.0 I've used other CTMS software companies and RealTime is leaps and bounds above. Everything I wished the others had, RT does. It saves me so much time on the reports, logs, stats that I was previously maintaining and calculating manually. It is set up custom to your site. The training is scheduled with your staffs availability and is very efficient, precise, effective and clear. I can't say enough. Pros The time it saves on reports and stats. The ease of use. The TEXT and PAY features. The ease of use. The time saving it provides. Cons So far, I have no negative experiences. I have no cons to report. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Study coordinator Research Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great software for organization!" August 29, 2019 5.0 Pros The great thing about this software is all the features offered to help keep everything from appointments to business affairs in check. An all inclusive software to help keep tabs on every aspect necessary. Cons No issues with the software. Very pleased! Review Source LP Lora P. Director of Clinical Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Comprehensive Platform for Research Sites" December 7, 2016 5.0 Our site has been utilizing RealTime for approximately 5 years and it has been instrumental to our overall growth, including expansion to multiple locations. RealTime provides a single platform that encompasses all of our site's needs. Not only does the software serve as a trial management system, it also includes patient appointment reminders via text messages, an electronic regulatory system and a stipend payment system. Additionally, the system is fully integrated with our company website. RealTime is a user friendly system that has increased organization, productivity and recruitment goals for our site. As a site director, I find the system a must have to monitor the work flow of my coordinators and recruiters. Additionally, it is invaluable for study payment accountability and invoicing. RealTime is our site's go to CTMS! Review Source Response from RealTime eClinical Solutions February 10, 2017 Hi Lora. We are very happy to hear that our software has helped your site tremendously. As our first CTMS customer, we really appreciate your loyalty and look forward to continuing our service to you and your team. JW Jen W. Director of Operations Pharmaceuticals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great CTMS!" September 6, 2016 5.0 I have been using realtime for several years. It is easy to use and easy to understand. The helpdesk is great at answering questions. Realtime also listens to the feedback that they get and makes changes to the system based on the feedback. I highly recommend them. Pros Easy to use. Very helpful customer support. Has all of the functions that you need. Cons It takes several steps to switch back and forth between patients and administarative tasks. Review Source Response from RealTime eClinical Solutions February 10, 2017 Hello Jen, thank you for your great review and continued support! A tip or trick in our system is to right click on any of the links and open in a separate tab to toggle between the patient and admin screens. This will definitely save you some steps. LM Luis M. Clinical Research Supervisor Research Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "RealTime will elevate your clinical trials department" November 30, 2022 5.0 Pros Virtually everything. The UI is clean and intuitive. Branded options for the site and Pay cards are a nice touch. Accounting functions such as invoicing/payment tracking and the template building services have been game changers. All you need is in one place and it’s easy to understand thanks to the thorough trainings. Also, can’t say enough good things about the staff/customer service. RealTime has truly elevated our clinical trials department and helped us to grow as rapidly as we have! Cons Very minor and not truly a dislike: RT app doesn’t have accounting capabilities. Review Source DH David H. CIO Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "ERG Realtime Implementation and Usage" April 29, 2021 5.0 Overall experience is exceptionally good. Wonderful team to work with. They are open to our multiple product enhancement suggestions, and I value them as a partner. Great customer support. Their technology roadmap is exciting, and I look forward to our future together. Pros Recruitment features and reporting capabilities are excellent Cons Accounting module needs to be improved. eConsent function would be a great addition Review Source JB Justin B. President Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wouldn't do clinical research without a CTMS" March 13, 2019 5.0 Excellent. Realize that taking full advantage of the CTMS requires diligent management know-how in order to effectively create the process for maximizing the CTMS's benefit. Pros This makes tracking our incoming payments SO much easier. Honestly, the more areas that I can get the CTMS implemented, the better the information I have to manage the business. Cons It does take a while for new features to be implemented. Review Source DH Danielle H. Financial Director Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Excellent Customer Service" December 20, 2021 5.0 I enjoy working with this system. There are some features that go unused or under-utilized, but hopefully my employer will upgrade that in the future. Pros This software was easy to learn with informative instructional training videos. If I have a question or suggestion, customer service always responds timely and makes me feel important. Cons I'd like the reports to be more personalized. I look forward to that possibility in the future. Review Source DB Dominic B. CEO Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Realtime CTMS" April 7, 2019 5.0 This software has quickly become an essential part of our busy research site operations. A very contemporary and cost effective tool for systematic business management improvement Pros Multiple efficiencies vs older practices Cons US- based so communications difficult from time to time Review Source RL Robert L. Site Director Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "all " June 10, 2021 5.0 Pros I believe that this software has all the tools that we need to conduct our clinical trials without any stress, I love everything about this software/ Cons There is nothing that I don't like about the software Reason for choosing RealTime-CTMS Because it is an amazing software that help to make you work flow a lot easy. Review Source GR Gustavo R. Internal Auditor Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great customer support " November 22, 2021 5.0 Very Good Pros It's user friendly and customer service is always great Cons None at this time but working with the team at Real-Time for better experience Review Source DA Dalan A. Regulatory Coordinator Research Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "eSource functionality." October 2, 2019 5.0 Pros The ease of creating source (i.e. drag and drop). Cons Sometimes more complicated than instinctive. Navigating between features can be confusing without constant use or repetition. Review Source KA Ken A. Used the software for: ### "So happy to use RealTime as my CTMS" September 7, 2016 5.0 1\. System is user friendly to the point of being intuitive 2. Service is first rate ... accessible and knowledgeable ... and provides solutions the first try 3. RT is clearly run by folks with research site level experience rather than IT folks 4. RT is clearly interested in what their customers think ... and this survey is NOT the first example of this ... they listen and respond 5. RT helps us populate studies ... the system works! Review Source Response from RealTime eClinical Solutions February 10, 2017 Ken, we are very happy that the system is working great for you. Thank you for being a RealTime customer! KN Kim N. Research Manager Research Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "RealTime staff have been most helpful" April 27, 2018 5.0 Pros software appears to have a lot of functionality that will help my site be more financially organized Cons software if overwhelming at first. hard to learn all it has to offer. wish the training sessions were more "hands on" Review Source JC Juan C. Used the software for: ### "Excellent CTMS" December 6, 2016 5.0 Great value for the price. Easy to use and helps us keep upcoming and ongoing under control. Budgeting and visit payment control have increased our revenue as our visits don't drop through the cracks. Review Source Response from RealTime eClinical Solutions March 21, 2017 Hi Juan. Thank you for the nice review. We're happy that RealTime has helped increase revenue at your site. DC Denise C. Manager Clinical Trials Office Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Financial Reports sold us!" June 11, 2021 4.0 Pros 1\. One of our biggest must haves when selecting a new CTMS was the financials. We love the fact we can do study revenue reports and many others! 2. The ease of building studies. Especially the copy feature for visits as well as copy and past of arms into other studies. 3. We like the many options to accommodate the complicated budgets we need to enter. Cons 1\. It is not very easy to post a check that is paid with many line items and payment amounts that need to be adjusted to match the sponsor payment. 2. When emailing invoice to sponsor, there is no mechanism to ensure email was received such as a reach receipt by Sponsor. Also, there is no option to assign your own invoice # to invoices or accept RT number given. The system automatically assigns # based on last invoice. When you have multiple sites, it can pose a challenge. We can narrow it down by site and study under the manage study invoices for viewing only. 3. When adding arms… the arms have to go in alphabetical order of the arm name, instead of the order we choose. When we do arms 1-20, arm 10 falls after arm 1 and before arm 2, instead of after arm 9, and that is because the system reads everything alphabetically and numbers only up to 9. It should give us the option. Reason for choosing RealTime-CTMS Financial reporting and overall ease of using the system Switched from [Merge RIS](https://www.capterra.com/p/127857/Merge-RIS/) Merge was sunsetting Review Source RA Ravi A. Director of Clinical Administration Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "RealTime CTMS Review: Seamlessly Serving Clinical Trial Needs" October 19, 2023 5.0 1\. RealTime has likely helped streamline various aspects of your clinical trial management. 2. The accuracy and regulatory compliance offered by RealTime CTMS are paramount in clinical research.3. Company's commitment to continuous improvement. Pros RealTime CTMS is a standout Clinical Trial Management System known for its user-friendliness and exceptional customer support. It excels in document management (eDocs), data capture (eSource), and patient management (CTMS). With a user-friendly interface and a commitment to customer satisfaction, it's a top choice for clinical research professionals seeking efficiency and ease of use. Cons I don't have many criticisms to offer about RealTime CTMS. If I were to suggest an area for improvement, it would be to focus on enhancing the Enterprise system and the Finance module. Alternatives considered [CRIO](https://www.capterra.com/p/166083/Clinical-Research-IO/) Review Source ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.