The Smarter Operetta CLS Alternative
from €14,000

Continuous in-incubator live cell imaging at up to 10× lower cost. No annual licence fees. Open API included free. SCAN add-on: 96-well in <90s, 384-well in <6 min. Made in Germany.

€150,000–200,000 Device Price

The Operetta CLS requires €150,000–200,000 capital investment. For labs primarily needing continuous brightfield monitoring and migration assays, this price point is difficult to justify.

Harmony software licence

Revvity Harmony software requires ongoing licence fees. Advanced analysis modules sold separately. No open API, no ImageJ integration — your data stays in a proprietary ecosystem.

Bench-Top — Not Incubator

The Operetta CLS is a bench-top system. Cells must be removed from the incubator for imaging, making true continuous monitoring impossible.

Automatic Autofocus

Works like a smartphone camera — fully automatic. Included adapter frame magnetically fixes well plates for reproducible positioning. Included perforated bottom plate for T-flasks (T-12.5 to T-175) and dishes (35–100mm). Focus range: 2mm.

Open API — Free

Full open API included at no cost. Native Hamilton STAR, VANTAGE, Beckman Coulter Biomek integration. ImageJ / FIJI fully supported. Python and REST API. No lock-in — your data, your workflow.

SCAN Add-on — from €10,000

Motorized XY+Z stage for automated 96 and 384-well scanning. 24 images in 20 seconds — 96-well in <90s, 384-well in <6 min. Whole-well stitching, automated plate change, single USB-C connection.