Imperagen vs Recursion
Which Drug Discovery AI tool is better in 2026?
Imperagen
Closed-loop, AI-guided enzyme engineering for improved and production-ready enzyme designs.
Recursion
Pioneering AI-driven solutions in drug discovery to radically improve lives.
Side-by-side
Recursion is the more established option (raised $500M); pricing is comparable on both sides.
| Metric | Imperagen | Recursion |
|---|---|---|
| Taglinei | Closed-loop, AI-guided enzyme engineering for improved and production-ready enzyme designs. | Pioneering AI-driven solutions in drug discovery to radically improve lives. |
| Foundedi | — | 2013🏆 |
| HQi | — | Salt Lake City, US |
| Employeesi | 1-10 | 501-1000🏆 |
| Neuron scorei | 36 | 66🏆 |
| Total fundingi | $6.7M | $500M🏆 |
| Latest roundi | Seed · May 2026 | IPO · Apr 2021 |
| Valuationi | — | $2B🏆 |
| Cheapest paid plani | — | Pricing not disclosed |
| Free plani | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free triali | ✗ | ✗ |
| Top tier pricei | Custom Enterprise · Contact sales | Pricing not disclosed |
| Pricing summaryi | 1 published plans | Enterprise · Contact sales |
| Categoriesi |
Capability matrix
Developer-facing capabilities and access signals for Imperagen and Recursion.
| Capability | Imperagen | Recursion |
|---|---|---|
| MCP support | ✗ | ✗ |
| Public API | ✗ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✗ |
| OAuth 2.0 | ✗ | ✗ |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free trial | ✗ | ✗ |
| Verified | ✗ | ✗ |
| Active deal | ✗ | ✗ |
🟢 Strengths of Imperagen
- Strong in Drug Discovery
🔵 Strengths of Recursion
- Has raised more capital ($500M vs $6.7M)
- Higher Neuron score (66 vs 36)
- Newer company (2013)
Which should you choose?
Choose Recursion if price matters most — it starts at Enterprise · Contact sales, which is friendlier for teams watching burn. Both Drug Discovery tools ship core features, so the cost delta often decides it for small teams and solo operators.
Choose Recursion if you want the most established option — it has raised $500M, suggesting more runway for enterprise features, support, and long-term roadmap. For mission-critical workflows or larger teams, that stability often outweighs a lower monthly price.
Frequently asked questions
Imperagen vs Recursion — which is better?
It depends on your priority. Imperagen is the leaner option; Recursion has broader feature depth. See the side-by-side table above.
Is Imperagen cheaper than Recursion?
No — Recursion's cheapest paid plan is Enterprise · Contact sales, while Imperagen's is Enterprise · Contact sales.
Do Imperagen and Recursion offer free plans?
Imperagen: Paid only. Recursion: Paid only.
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