AI Coding & Data Agents for Researchers

v2.4.0 · updated 2026-11-06
A privacy-first guide to AI coding and data-analysis tools for scientific work. Start from your data, see what's appropriate, and what it costs in capability. As open as possible, as closed as necessary.
Local 2.4.0 preview reviewed 2026-11-06. 78 tools; 78 carry this review date after a full first-party re-verification, an adversarial check of every safety-relevant change and addition, and a cross-tool consistency pass. 50 offer a configurable route for special-category data on infrastructure the institution controls; 28 are not appropriate for it. Evidence holds and unresolved limits are recorded in evidence/LIVE_AUDIT_2026-11-06.md. Privacy and pricing change fast — confirm your exact plan/tier and region before relying on any row.
Classify your data first (ELIXIR RDMkit · Data sensitivity). This is decision-support, not legal advice — confirm with your DPO / data steward and the vendor's own terms before using sensitive or regulated data. Privacy & pricing change often; each row shows when it was last checked.
What data will you put into the tool?
Non-sensitive = public / anonymised / synthetic  ·  Personal = pseudonymised (GDPR)  ·  Special-category = health / genetic / clinical (GDPR Art. 9)
Pick your data class to see what's suitable — or browse all below.
What the data-handling labels mean — Local supports local/self-hosted inference; configure providers, telemetry and integrations Zero-retention documented content-retention limits for a qualifying route; exclusions and product storage can differ No-train documented no-training scope; plan, provider and storage exceptions can differ Opt-out trains on your data unless you turn it off Trains by default your inputs train the vendor's model Unclear training/retention not established for this route; verify current terms
Type
Data handling
Capability
Only
⚡ Best starting points — by need
ToolTypeData handlingCapability Non-sens. Personal Special Links