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ETQ Reliance vs MasterControl

Both are cloud eQMS platforms for document control, CAPA and audits; ETQ Reliance is the broader no-code option, MasterControl favors life sciences.

Side by side

ETQ Reliance MasterControl
Vendor Hexagon MasterControl
Pricing model Quote only Quote only
Free tier No No
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Open source No No
Best for Quality and compliance teams needing a configurable eQMS for document control, CAPA, and audits across a regulated business. Life-sciences and regulated manufacturers needing a validated, GxP-focused quality management system.
Pricing

Priced per user/module through direct negotiation with Hexagon/ETQ; no public price list.

Pricing has not been verified yet — see the vendor's site.

Priced per user/module through direct negotiation with MasterControl; no public price list.

Pricing has not been verified yet — see the vendor's site.

Features
  • Document control and training management
  • Audit management and CAPA workflows
  • Supplier quality and nonconformance tracking
  • No-code workflow configuration
  • Life-sciences and regulatory compliance modules
  • Machine-learning-driven quality data management
  • Multitenant SaaS architecture with 40+ applications
  • Quality event management (deviations, complaints, CAPA)
  • Document control and training management
  • Audit management
  • GxPAssist AI-assisted investigations
  • Built-in quality business-intelligence dashboards
  • Calibration management
  • ISO 13485 and FDA/EMA compliance support

Verdict

ETQ Reliance and MasterControl both centralize the paperwork side of quality — document control, training records, audits, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) — on a multi-tenant cloud platform, rather than charting live process data the way InfinityQS or SIMCA do. Neither is an SPC tool; both manage the surrounding quality management system.

The difference is who each was built for. ETQ Reliance, now part of Hexagon, is pitched at quality and compliance teams across manufacturing broadly, with a no-code workflow builder that lets teams reshape processes without custom development. MasterControl is built specifically around the validation demands of pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device manufacturers pursuing FDA, EMA, GxP and ISO 13485 compliance, and adds an AI feature (GxPAssist) aimed at speeding investigations, plus built-in BI dashboards for quality metrics.

Choose ETQ Reliance if

  • Your regulatory scope spans general manufacturing, not only life sciences, and you want one eQMS across those businesses.
  • You want to configure workflows yourself, without engineering support, as processes change.
  • You already use Hexagon's metrology or shop-floor tools and want the quality system in the same vendor family.

Choose MasterControl if

  • You manufacture in a GxP-regulated environment and need a platform built around that validation burden specifically.
  • You want AI-assisted investigation support (GxPAssist) built into event and CAPA workflows.
  • You want quality BI dashboards included rather than assembled separately.

What they share

Both are quote-only, cloud-hosted, and cover document control, training, audits and CAPA as their center of gravity. Neither publishes list pricing, so budget for a sales conversation scoped to user count and modules rather than a self-serve signup either way. Neither ships statistical process control charting — pair either with InfinityQS for real-time control charts, or SIMCA if your process has many correlated variables. See how to choose a quality management system for how to weigh eQMS against SPC and MVDA tools in the first place.

Last reviewed September 22, 2026

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