# Lockbox LIMS Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Lockbox LIMS the right Laboratory Information Management System solution for you? Explore 21 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/178173/Lockbox/reviews --- Lockbox LIMS 4.9 (21) 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 24th, 2025 # Reviews of Lockbox LIMS Ease of use 4.7 Customer Service 5.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews SM Shana M Director - Genomics Sequencing LabBiotechnology, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Customer service 6/5, easy to customize and understand, out of the box solutions encourages and enabled!“ July 31, 2020 FB Fallon B financial analystHigher Education, 5,001 - 10,000 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I think that building the LIMS for our needs was a bit complex. “ November 18, 2021 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-21 of 21 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Matt M. Clinical Lab Operations & Technical Lead Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Necessary Partner during Pandemic" December 23, 2021 5.0 The customer service with TWA has been excellent. Our team did not have to the infrastructure or knowledge to build our own lockbox, but with \[SENSITIVE CONTENT\] and TWA is feels like we have our very own LIMs teammate and colleague. Pros We built our Lockbox LIMs to as our entire data center and management system for our SARsCov2 Diagnostic Lab. From an operations standpoint, this software has been one of the most critical tools for our ability to test and report clinical patient results. By far the best part of the software is that it enables me to get results out the door, and once those results are out, I don't need to think about them again. TWA and Lockbox Lims keeps all of our data safe and secure, and the dashboards and reports keep us properly informed about the status of the lab at any given time. Cons Error handling in Lockbox LIMs can be confusing for a novice user. Because our software pipeline was highly customized, there are unusual ways in which errors can arise. It did take some time to gain an intuition for what was happening under the hood to cause issues to arise. The good news is that \[SENSITIVE CONTENT\] was intimately involved with our workflow and daily use as we established and modified Lockbox LIMs, so help and an explanation was never far away. Review Source PW Peter W. Bioinformatician Research Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Lockbox LIMS by Thirdwave: Great LIMS for multi-center NIH funded program projects." July 15, 2019 5.0 We were trying to solve a communication and coordination between performance centers that are located in different US states, and countries around the world, that are work together as a consortium for NIH and EU funded projects and needed a way to track samples, as well as disseminate sample and project meta-data, and perform management of each program. Pros The first strength is the design of the lockbox schema, that covers most of the basic LIMS features required by any laboratory that may need GCLP or GMP level requirements, including database encryption, tracking of sample custody, protocol/SOP management, and implementation of electronic forms and data entry when implementing protocols. A second and most important strength go this lies is the ability to customize what the LIMS tracks, and share information using collaborative portals, that enable multi-site communications and coordinate data entry and dissemination. Rules and design are configured in the lims using an easy to use desktop like interface, then the same rules are pushed to a portal through the force 'lightning interface'. Finally, and what ultimately is responsible for all the functionality, is how the force API was leveraged to design a logically consistent set of LIMS applicable features that provide easy to use desktop like configuration tools so the end user organization. Cons There is nothing I really don't like about the software. However the underlying Force API is a very powerful and has many features, and it would have been useful to have shorter case/article documentation to provide more focused help for the Lockbox Lims application itself for administrator and end users. Since we had started using the Lims, Thirdwave had published a support portal with a searchable knowledge base that contains articles for the common administrative tasks for managing the Lockbox application, that provides specific guidance to setting up and managing Lockbox features. Alternatives considered [SampleManager LIMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/178164/SampleManager-LIMS/) Reason for choosing Lockbox LIMS SaaS pricing model; Add users, groups and modules needed; End user ability to customize the application; Ease of use; Support for creating real portal collaborative sites with modern social media type of functionality. Review Source NK Netravathi K. NGS Core Lead Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "NGS Core LIMS" November 22, 2021 4.0 Pros Working with the Professional team of \[SENSITIVE CONTENT\] and they understanding my needs and catering to it. Cons The system is a bit stubborn for customization Review Source SM Shana M. Director - Genomics Sequencing Lab Biotechnology Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "TWA Lockbox is my salvation" July 31, 2020 5.0 I built a pop-up Covid19 Clinical testing facility from scratch and they built me a functioning CLIA approved LIMS in 3 weeks, then a HIPAA compliant physician portal 2 weeks later. They are gold. Pros Customer service 6/5, easy to customize and understand, out of the box solutions encourages and enabled! Cons A bit slow on the compute every so often but that's honestly probably just my internet at home. Alternatives considered [Sapio LIMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/118964/Exemplar-LIMS/) Reason for choosing Lockbox LIMS They were big companies and I did not think they would support out of the box solutions. They just kept talking about having features designs for everything "out of the box" which was the hole I stepped into with Clarity. No lab does anything the same. All things need customization. Switched from [Clarity LIMS](https://www.capterra.com/p/84356/Clarity-LIMS/) I paid for the LIMS for 3 years on a $70K a year contract and it was so hard to customize for anything not exactly in their workflows that I never got it running. Just spent tons of time and money for nothing. So I found out about TWA and Lockbox, had one call and talked to one reference and signed up for $8k. then Covid happened and the rest was history. Review Source DB Douglas B. IT Consultant Computer Networking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "LockBox Lims a Laboratory Staple" December 27, 2019 5.0 Deployment of lockbox took a month to get users logging in and using the sandbox, then making modifications that made sense for our lab. Another month users were actually using the product and entering real data. now it is an integral part of the lab operations and we would be lost without the product for reporting creating lab reports as all of our data for reports is captured in lockbox. as we grow we will be looking at new opportunities to have some improvements made to make our work processes even more seamless. Pros 1) Price. 2) Value. 3) ease of use 4) customization options and availabilty 5) Third Wave Analytics team after looking at products that were way out of our league in terms of price, lockbox lims was not only at a price we could afford, provided us with value that has proven itself over the years, and with the ease of use and non technical computer users easily adapted to teh software. The software is able to be customized for the needs of the lab and make work easier. GREAT PRODUCT!!! Cons as with any software there are items that we wanted and could not make happen. there were certain customizations that Third Wave bent backwards to assist us in making customizations. those things come at a cost. as an early adopter of this product there is more available today than was previously due to lack of development. still implementing those new API's is not free. Understandable but wish it could be. Reason for choosing Lockbox LIMS Cost was a driving factor, ease of use, customizabilty and the people we would be working with. Review Source EM Erica M. Project Manager Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "COVID PCR and NGS LIMS" November 22, 2021 5.0 We are a diagnostic laboratory and as such are performing patient care. The LIMS is an integral part of this service that we provide and must be accurate and reliable. We have found that we can rely on LockBox LIMS to keep our patient records and perform sample tracking consistently. Pros ThirdWave Analytics created a COVID testing lab LIMS for us in record time, and has continued to be a valued partner in enhancing and expanding into novel diagnostics. Customer service is great! Cons Due to the relationships between objects in the database, some analyses require a workaround LIMS and it is not always intuitive how to do these workarounds. Our ThirdWave Analytics partner is always available to assist. Review Source EC Emma C. Scientist II, Product Development Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "This software has greatly simplified my job, and I am so grateful." May 1, 2019 5.0 I love working with Lockbox LIMS. They are very responsive and extremely helpful. Their software has made my job so much easier and it has allowed me to spend more time focusing on other aspects of my job and get more work done rather than spending all of my time tracking down samples. I would highly recommend this software and company to anyone considering it. Pros The software is simple to use and there are many ways for you to complete the same task. Using other software in the past was so frustrating as you have to be exact and complete the tasks in the same manner. If you made an incorrect click nothing would work as expected. Whereas with Lockbox LIMS, the software is very user-friendly and logical, which is a major benefit to people in my profession. It has been so easy for us to incorporate this into our daily functioning to save us so much time and energy. Cons Due to the nearly limitless possibilities, it was difficult initially to figure out exactly what we needed. We had to go through several iterations in order to get to our current final product. We had become so fixed in using our spreadsheet based tracking that we initially created something that was not as useful as it could have been. However, after working with our primary contact at Third Wave on a regular basis we were able to develop something fantastic. She had many great ideas and based on her knowledge and experience we were able to greatly increase our productivity. Review Source Carl S. ISO Technical Manager Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great platform, great customer service" February 19, 2020 5.0 We use the platform to collect customer data and track the customers to the services used. We are also working on creating a maintenance tracking database which should be up and running soon. Customer service has been great through the whole process. Pros I appreciate the flexibility of the software to be changed to meet our various needs. We have customized a lot to meet our unique needs. Cons There is a finite upper limit on the amount of customization that can be done, but it is manageable to work around. Review Source Ryan C. Lead Chemist Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Lockbox LIMS for Drug Compound Lifecycle Management" November 29, 2018 5.0 We have been using Lockbox LIMS for over a year and a half at our therapeutics company to manage the lifecycle of our drug compounds and therapeutic programs, and we couldn't be happier. We use Lockbox to track all of our samples, including sample attributes, storage locations, and sample lineage (derived samples and aliquots). The sample and storage management modules are feature-rich, flexible, and easy to use. I was able to implement the system for our lab without any assistance from my IT department, which tells you how easy it is to install. The customer support has been excellent. I wholeheartedly recommend Lockbox to any research lab, QC lab, or other type of organization that needs a LIMS. Pros Ease of use and implementation, flexibility, customer service. Cons My only "con" so-to-speak for the software is that some of my colleagues never fully realized how powerful it was. Review Source Bruce C H. Founder Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Superlative LIMS for Microbiology Testing Service Lab" February 17, 2020 5.0 Lockbox LIMS permits us to track samples which divide and grow from an original submission and allows for one time client information entry with mutiple contacts/client. Pros Modularity is a key component for us as a microbiology lab. Customization is where the system shines and is a major need satisfied. Cons Initially the paradigm shift was a factor with us. We were implementing a number of software changes across the board and reached saturation for picking up new procedures. Reason for choosing Lockbox LIMS Functionality/ ease of use/robustness/ but particularly price Review Source MP Mattias P. Laboratory Operations Lead Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Best LIMS Software I've Used" October 24, 2019 4.0 Overall, Lockbox LIMS allows us to track all the necessary laboratory functions (specimen tracking, equipment, inventory, etc), accounts, vendors, patients, testing processes, results, and reporting. Lockbox LIMS support team is by far the best I've worked with--incredibly responsive, friendly, and professional. Pros Very user-intuitive. Backed by functionality of salesforce platform makes it very easy to integrate all the necessary information, categorize by multiple differentiation points, easy reporting, easy viewing of all pertinent information in one spot. Cons Primary links based on internal numbering scheme as opposed to user-designated fields (e.g. links for patients are not MRN but internal "Subject" numbers so you have multiple reference points). Review Source Response from Third Wave Analytics November 16, 2019 Thank you for your positive review and feedback! Lockbox does indeed support linking based on user designated identifiers. We will get in touch to show you how to turn that on in your instance. JD Jeremy D. Systems Administrator Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent LIMS for CRO's" May 20, 2019 5.0 Our experiences with Lockbox have been nothing but positive. During the development process, we thought we had hit game-breaking roadblocks but they worked with us to resolve those issues and even passively improved the flow of some of our processes as we worked through those issues. In the 2+ years I have been working with the team at Lockbox, I have always had the feeling they truly care about our experience with their software and wanted our company to get the most out of their software in order to help us succeed. Pros The possibilities with Lockbox go on and on. What started as a desire to improve our inventory management has grown to incorporate most of the lab aspects of our business. It is very flexible and easy to use and customize. Customer service is top-notch and they are willing to listen to ideas for future improvements and customer needs. Also, being built on Salesforce, having access to the Salesforce AppExchange cannot be overlooked. Cons Initially, it was hard to wrap my head around how much the software could do if we wanted to use it to its maximum potential. Review Source BS Brandi S. Quality Systems Manager Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Lockbox LIMS Review" November 27, 2021 5.0 Lockbox LIMS is allowing us to leave the paper process and to reduce the time analysts in the laboratory complete and execute paperwork in the lab. An environmental monitoring program for cleanrooms would be a nice module to add. Pros The software is easy to use and intuitive. Our workflow is very complicated and the software was able to handle it. Cons The audit trail could be improved to more easily capture why changes were made. A better e-signature process. Reason for choosing Lockbox LIMS The software had all the features we needed and could be built to our needs. The cost was also within our budget. Review Source JH Jon H. Director Biotechnology Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great LIMS for Biotech Lab" May 8, 2019 5.0 Overall, it has been a great experience. I would highly recommend it. Pros We like how user friendly it is. We were able to get up and running on Lockbox to track our samples and projects within a few days. The screens are very user friendly. If we have questions, they answer them quickly. The software has helped us keep track of our samples and project status. Before we were using Excel. We are a CRO and Lockbox make our projects (samples, results, reports) much more organized. Cons When we first started using the software 2 years ago, the box map feature was not as nice as it is now. Now it provides even better features to customize which fields can be displayed. We have been too busy to turn on the new feature, but wished we had been trained on it initially because it is a nice way to find samples in boxes. Review Source FB Fallon B. financial analyst Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "LIMS for the Accounting/Finance/Admin" November 18, 2021 5.0 Pros I like that the lab can update statuses of submissions in the queue in real-time. Previously we were using PDFs/paper forms and manually typing the billing items into a spreadsheet. With the LIMS, I'm able to run reports for any status that I need in my billing process. Cons I think that building the LIMS for our needs was a bit complex. Our lab has multiple services and within those services multiple options for a service. There seemed to be many meetings explaining how we needed the service requests built into the LIMS, but once everything was ironed out, it seems to flow well. Review Source SP Sergio P. Research Fellow Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Use of Lockbox as a LIMS sytem in BWh" March 6, 2019 5.0 Pros We have tried several LIMS systems, and Lockbox is by far the best one. Its simple, affordable, user-friendly, and have good graphic inter phase. We were able to pick it up from the beginning. Also, the customer support is amazing, they are always responisve and make follow ups on every query. The team is always implementing upgrades and finding ways to make us, the customers, happier. Cons Using salesforce is always a little of a learning curve, but as I said, we were able to pick it up really fast. Review Source JB Joana B. Director Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Very Easy to Customize!" July 7, 2021 5.0 I had a great experience designing, building and using Lockbox! Pros Really liked how easy the software is to customize and integrated with Salesforce. Cons The testing required after an update to ensure all the changes took place and current or existing features didn't get lost or changed. Review Source JS Jennifer S. Research Associate Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "LIMS system for busy lab" February 12, 2020 5.0 Pros This software is easy to use and keeps the lab organized. Cons Some database knowledge is needed while you set up the database but the support received makes it easy and user friendly. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Research Associate Biotechnology Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Solid Platform for Laboratory sample management" May 24, 2020 5.0 It has been very helpful platform for our laboratory to control and manage our samples. The technical support was also really good and helpful. Pros The software is easy to use and very helpful in managing the the samples and keeping them organized Cons The configuration can be some how limited and you need a little bit of background in data base to be able to use it but it comes with a full demo so you can pick it up very easily Review Source JV Jess V. Director, Operations Biotechnology Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great tool for inventory management!" October 24, 2021 5.0 Pros The software has a wide range of features that can be customized to suit different lab workflows. Cons Due to the wide range of features, users might get confused about the necessary steps required for their actions. Thus, it is important for the administrators to enable only the necessary features for the particular groups of users. Review Source PL Patrick L. Laboratory technician Food & Beverages Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Excellent support and user friendly product" February 18, 2020 5.0 Very satisfied. Pros Lockbox provide excellent support, staff very kind and competent. Cons Configuration can be limited at some point. Review Source