The basics
What tinysamples does not do
Every planChecked against the app on
tinysamples tracks samples and what happens to them. It is not a notebook, an ordering tool, a sequence-design suite or a regulated-environment LIMS. It has no freezer map, no parent link between aliquots and no API. Each gap is listed below with what to use instead.
In this guide you will learn how to:
- Know the limits before you start
- See what to use for each gap
- Decide whether tinysamples fits your lab
On this page
It is not a notebook, an ordering tool or a sequence suite
There are no pages for experiment write-ups or free-form methods. A protocol here is an ordered list of steps and the values each one records, and a step can carry a short note for whoever logs it. tinysamples does not manage purchase orders or vendor catalogues, and it does not edit DNA or run alignments.
It is not for regulated work
There is no 21 CFR Part 11 validation package, no ISO 17025 or CLIA module, no validated electronic signatures and no instrument integration. Every entry does carry who made it and when, but that is a record, not a validated signature. If your work is regulated, or instruments have to write into the record, you need a LIMS. The five-question test says whether you do.
Freezers, aliquots and labels
| Not offered | What to do |
|---|---|
| A freezer map or box grid | A location is a name you type, such as Freezer B, rack 3, box 7, A4. |
| A link from an aliquot to its parent | Each aliquot is its own sample. Write the parent’s ID in a value on each aliquot. |
| Consent management or a shipping manifest | Not offered. |
| Label printing | You can print a sample’s record with its history, but not labels. |
| Barcode scanning on iPhone Safari | A Barcode value can be typed, or scanned with the camera in Chrome and Edge. It cannot be scanned on iPhone Safari. |
For a freezer inventory and a hand-off log you can keep in a spreadsheet, there is a free freezer inventory and a chain of custody form.
Software and data
| Topic | What is true today |
|---|---|
| API | None today. |
| Hosting | Not self-hosted or open source. It runs at app.tinysamples.com. |
| CSV import and export, and statistics | On Pro and Team, not on Free. See plans and what each includes. |
What to use instead
- A notebook or sequence tools: Benchling alternatives, by the job you need done compares them.
- Ordering: tinysamples vs Quartzy says where each fits.
- A whole-lab system: read does your lab actually need a LIMS?
Common questions
- Is tinysamples a LIMS?
- No. A LIMS runs a whole lab and takes months to set up. tinysamples tracks samples and takes two minutes. If you need instrument connections or validated workflows for regulated work, you need a real LIMS, not this.
- Does tinysamples store protocols?
- It stores protocols as ordered steps with the values each one records, because that is what a batch follows. It does not store experiment write-ups or methods documents.
What to do next
- How tinysamples is organisedHow the pieces of tinysamples fit together: a lab holds projects, a project holds protocols and batches, a batch holds samples, and every step logged becomes an entry in a sample’s history.
- Plans and what each includesWhat the Free, Pro and Team plans of tinysamples include, what they cost and where to see your plan. Recording samples is free on every plan.
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Still stuck? Email support@tinysamples.com. It goes to Sunayda and Alvee.