Clinical Trials Search Tools
There are many free places to search for clinical trials. This page compares the main ones so you can pick the right starting point for your situation, language, and country.
How to use this list
- Have your diagnosis, medicines, and recent test results nearby before you search.
- Start broad, then open the official registry record before contacting a study team.
- Check whether study locations are close enough for visits, tests, and follow-up appointments.
Not sure where to start?
- In the United States: ClinicalTrials.gov
- In Europe: EU CTIS
- In the United Kingdom: Be Part of Research
- Anywhere, in plain language or your own language: AI search tools for patients
- If you prefer help from a person by phone: PAN Foundation Trial Finder
This page is for information only and is not medical advice. Being listed here is not an endorsement, and finding a study does not mean you qualify. Always talk with your own doctor before joining a study.
Official registries & databases
These are the official, source-of-record databases where clinical trials are registered.
Global & multi-region
| Tool | Type | Coverage | Languages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov (opens in new tab) | The largest single database of trials worldwide | English | The most complete data, with results for many trials, but the wording is technical and some sponsor updates lag. | |
| WHO ICTRP (opens in new tab) | One search across many national registries | English | Best for searching as broadly as possible and catching trials outside the US/EU; it only summarizes and links out to the original registry. |
National & regional registries
Listed by region: Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, then Africa.
| Tool | Type | Coverage | Languages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU CTIS (opens in new tab) | EU/EEA trials started since Jan 2022 | English + EU languages | The single EU entry point, with plain-language result summaries; covers only EU trials started since 2022. | |
| EU Clinical Trials Register - legacy (opens in new tab) | Older EU trials before Jan 2022 | English | An archive for pre-2022 EU trials; not for new studies, and UK data stopped updating in 2021. | |
| ISRCTN (opens in new tab) | UK and academic studies; feeds Be Part of Research | English | A free registry that accepts studies from any country. A source record rather than a guided patient tool. | |
| REEC (opens in new tab) | Trials conducted in Spain | Spanish | Spain's public AEMPS registry covers authorized medicine trials and clinical studies; EU CTIS may still be needed for newer EU-era details. | |
| Human Research Switzerland / SNCTP (opens in new tab) | Trials in Switzerland and nearby countries | German, French, Italian, English | The Swiss federal study portal searches clinical trials by keyword, disease, recruitment status, and location; it is country-focused. | |
| DRKS (opens in new tab) | Trials in Germany | German, English | Many of its trials also appear in EU systems or ClinicalTrials.gov, so cross-check to avoid duplicates. | |
| Health Canada Clinical Trials Database (opens in new tab) | Canadian drug trial authorization checks | English, French | Lists Health Canada-authorized phase I-III drug and biologic trials in patients; it is not a registry or recruitment tool. | |
| Recherche Santé Québec (opens in new tab) | Trials in Québec and global real-time search | French, English | The public health research registry for Québec, combining local study data with ClinicalTrials.gov in real time. | |
| ReBEC (opens in new tab) | Trials in Brazil | Portuguese, English | Bilingual records with tags for neglected tropical diseases; the interface is technical. | |
| ANZCTR (opens in new tab) | Primary registry for Australia and New Zealand | English | The WHO primary registry for Australia and New Zealand. A source record rather than a guided patient tool. | |
| jRCT (opens in new tab) | Trials in Japan | Japanese, English search | The official Japanese registry with English search. A source record rather than a guided patient tool. | |
| ChiCTR (opens in new tab) | Trials in mainland China | Chinese, English | A WHO registry for mainland China with bilingual records, though English coverage is uneven. | |
| CTRI (opens in new tab) | Trials in India | English | India's mandatory registry with open public search, on an older and fairly technical interface. | |
| CRIS (opens in new tab) | Trials in South Korea | Korean, English | South Korea's WHO registry with English access; Korea-focused and fairly technical. | |
| Singapore HSA Register (opens in new tab) | Ongoing clinical trials in Singapore | English | The official national register for ongoing trials in Singapore; listings carry less detail than full WHO registry records. | |
| PACTR (opens in new tab) | Trials across Africa | English | The Africa-wide WHO registry. A source record rather than a guided patient tool. | |
| SANCTR (opens in new tab) | Trials in South Africa | English | The official national register for South African clinical trials, displaying purpose, eligibility, locations, and contact details. |
Patient search portals
These are easier-to-use search tools built on registry data. The small tags show extra features. Finding a study here does not mean you qualify — confirm details on the official record.
| Tool | Type | Best for… | Languages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.Veeva (opens in new tab) | Alerts | Beginners who want a clean search with bookmarks | English | Easy to use, with a built-in glossary and the option to search by hospital; shows the same data as the registries it draws from. |
| Antidote (opens in new tab) | MatchingEligibility questions | Patients who want a guided trial search | English | Question-led matching helps translate trial criteria into simpler steps; final eligibility still comes from the study team. |
| FindMeCure (opens in new tab) | A patient-friendly global trial search | English | Searches for nearby trials and offers patient guides; its separate TrialHub planning tools are for industry users. | |
| ClinLife (opens in new tab) | MatchingEligibility questionsHuman support | Profile-based matching in many countries | 35+ languages | Matches patients to nearby trials after health questions and offers medical-team support; availability depends on active ClinLife study sites. |
| StudyKIK (opens in new tab) | Alerts | Patients responding to study-specific listings | English | Public study pages let patients sign up for selected studies with text and email follow-up; it is mainly a recruitment platform, not a complete registry. |
| CenterWatch (opens in new tab) | Browsing a large condition-based trial directory | English | Pairs tens of thousands of clinical trial listings with patient education resources; verify each listing against the source study record. | |
| ResearchMatch / Trials Today (opens in new tab) | Matching | U.S. volunteers looking for studies or researcher matches | English, Spanish, Chinese | Free NIH-funded volunteer matching with a linked Trials Today search; profile matching requires signup and is U.S.-focused. |
| Be Part of Research (opens in new tab) | MatchingAlerts | UK residents who want to join a study | English (some Welsh) | Easy and patient-first: matches UK volunteers to studies and sends alerts, with the best features behind a free account. |
| clinicaltrial.be (opens in new tab) | Matching | Simpler European search by condition or profile | Multiple languages (strongest in English) | An easy European search by condition or patient profile; coverage depends on data partners and the site is newer. |
| Australian Clinical Trials (opens in new tab) | Patients in Australia and New Zealand | English | One of the friendliest national portals, pairing plain-language guides with search across ANZCTR and ClinicalTrials.gov. | |
| Recherche clinique Québec (opens in new tab) | Human support | French-speaking patients in Québec | French, English | French-first search that prioritizes local Québec recruiting info; uses third-party data, so confirm details on the source record. |
| PAN Foundation Trial Finder (opens in new tab) | AlertsHuman support | Patients who want human help by phone | English (phone help in more languages) | Easy to use, with free phone support to help you navigate; trial data comes mainly from ClinicalTrials.gov. |
AI search tools for patients
These tools use AI to search for studies and explain clinical trials and medical evidence in plain language — usually the easiest starting point for patients. The small tags show extra features. Use them to understand your options, then confirm details on an official registry.
| Tool | Type | Best for… | Languages | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial Radar (opens in new tab) | Eligibility questionsAlertsMapsResearch evidence | Plain-language AI help searching public trials, with filters and maps | Multiple languages | Trial Radar is our own tool. It offers multilingual search, eligibility questions, alerts, and shareable plain-language study chats with PubMed and FDA context; its AI summaries are a starting point, so confirm details on official records and with study teams. |
| TrialX (opens in new tab) | MatchingEligibility questions | Turning dense protocols into plain language | English | A conversational finder with pre-screening that puts dense study protocols into everyday words; the study team still confirms eligibility. |
| MyTrials.ai (opens in new tab) | MatchingEligibility questions | A quick, guided match by your condition | English, French | Matches you to trials after a short health survey, with a stated focus on keeping your data de-identified. |
| WithPower (opens in new tab) | Maps | Clear summaries of what to expect before you apply | English | Plain-language summaries that answer practical questions like safety and whether you must pause current medicines; coverage depends on the data they ingest. |
| ClinicalTrials.live (opens in new tab) | Typing a question instead of using filters | English | Turns a typed question into summarized results instead of filter menus; a smaller, newer platform, so check results carefully. | |
| Peer (opens in new tab) | Research evidence | Asking a health question and seeing the research behind the answer | English | Answers health questions in plain language with citations from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov and dozens of other sources; an evidence explainer rather than a trial-matching tool. |
For health professionals
The tool below requires a verified clinician sign-in, so it is not open to patients directly. Patients can ask their doctor whether it could help.
OpenEvidence (opens in new tab)
Free for verified U.S. clinicians: it answers medical questions with citations from the latest evidence and added clinical trial matching.
How we chose these tools
We included tools that are free to search without payment. Mirror sites that only republish ClinicalTrials.gov data, paid-login tools, and services focused mainly on paid studies were left out. Trial Radar is our own product: we built this directory and have included it in the comparison, so apply the same checks to it as to any other tool. OpenEvidence is listed separately for health professionals because it requires verified clinician access.
Search studies with Clinical Trial Radar
Explore clinical trial registry data and peer-reviewed research to understand your options — free for everyone.
Open Clinical Trial Radar Back to Home