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Should I use AACT?

Aggregate Analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov - aact.ctti-clinicaltrials.org

Worth it. Buy if you're a researcher or data analyst who needs ClinicalTrials.gov data in bulk and can write SQL — it's free and the de facto standard. Skip it if you want a searchable interface or vendor support; use ClinicalTrials.gov directly.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 6 relevant public sources; most 'AACT' search results are unrelated (theatre association, stock ticker, activation tool).

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security postureSecurity page returns no content

Pricing

Free

Public access

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Clinical trial researchers
  • Data-savvy meta-analysts
  • Health policy analysts
  • BI teams comfortable with SQL

Not for

  • Non-technical users wanting a search UI
  • Patients browsing trials for themselves
  • Teams needing vendor support or SLAs
  • Buyers shopping for trial-management software

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Bring your own PostgreSQL client and SQL skills — onboarding is entirely DIY.

medium

Some JDBC drivers fail to connect; expect community forums, not a helpdesk.

low

Data before November 15, 2021 sits in a separate archive with its own schema.

low

Free but account-gated; registration required before querying.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free access to the full dataset in queryable form.
  • Long track record: peer-reviewed description published in 2012.
  • Standard PostgreSQL, so it plugs into existing analysis tools.
  • Published database schema for self-serve exploration.

Cons

  • SQL required; no point-and-click interface.
  • JDBC driver connection problems reported by users.
  • Pre-November 2021 data lives in a separate archive.
  • Security page returns no content; posture undocumented.

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/04/2026 - 6 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x2security x1news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 6

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free full registry dataset
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Requires SQL, client setup, technical skills
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Complete trials mirror with published schema
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture. Security page returns no content
  • Free Price Public research database
  • 2012 Launched Described in PLOS ONE paper
  • All ClinicalTrials.gov Data scope Full registry mirror
  • PostgreSQL only Interface SQL client required

Pricing

Public access

Free

  • Full ClinicalTrials.gov mirror
  • PostgreSQL queries
  • Account registration required

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

User chatter is sparse; the loudest signal is a connectivity complaint, not complaints about the data itself.

“Can't connect to AACT (publicly available PostgreSQL database 11.x) using DataDirect PostgreSQL JDBC driver 5.1.4”
Progress Community forums
Full analysis

Based on 6 relevant public sources; most 'AACT' search results are unrelated (theatre association, stock ticker, activation tool).

Free public PostgreSQL mirror of all ClinicalTrials.gov trials. Ideal for SQL-savvy researchers; skip if you need a UI or support.

Methodology

Based on 6 relevant public sources; most 'AACT' search results are unrelated (theatre association, stock ticker, activation tool).

Sources

  1. AACT Archive (before November 15, 2021)aact.ctti-clinicaltrials.org
    official
  2. official
  3. review
  4. review
  5. AACT product security pageaact.ctti-clinicaltrials.org
    security
  6. news

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