Is TIDE the same kind of tool as Synthego ICE?

Both quantify CRISPR editing outcomes by decomposing Sanger sequencing traces of an edited sample against an unedited control. TIDE is the originally published implementation of that approach; ICE is Synthego's implementation.

Can I switch from ICE to TIDE without changing my laboratory workflow?

Yes. TIDE takes the same inputs: a control trace and an edited trace, plus the guide RNA sequence. No additional sequencing chemistry or library preparation is required.

Does TIDE handle knock-in experiments?

TIDER, the knock-in variant of the method, quantifies template-directed edits alongside indels from the same Sanger data.

What if my analysis has to be audit-ready?

TIDE GxP is a validated deployment of the method with IQ/OQ/PQ documentation, audit trails, versioning and change control, intended for GxP laboratories, CDMOs and therapy developers.

Tool comparison

TIDE compared with Synthego ICE

Both tools read Sanger sequencing traces and report how a CRISPR experiment edited your cells. This page sets out where they overlap and where they differ, so you can decide which fits your project.

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Side by side

Key differences

Both tools quantify CRISPR editing from Sanger traces. The differences appear in three areas:

Knock-in analysis. ICE simulates the expected template sequence, while TIDE works from the actual user-supplied control data.
Peer review. Only TIDE was published in a peer-reviewed journal (Nucleic Acids Research, 2014).
Regulatory documentation. TIDE is available as a GxP-ready product.

An independent study comparing TIDE and ICE against orthogonal technologies is available in Methods and Protocols (2025).

Criterion	TIDE	Synthego ICE
What the method does	Decomposes a Sanger trace of an edited pool against a control trace to quantify insertions and deletions around the cut site.	The same decomposition approach: ICE also reads the two Sanger traces and reports an indel spectrum, so no workflow change is needed to switch.
Input data	Two standard Sanger sequencing traces: one control sample and one edited sample.	Two standard Sanger traces, as with TIDE. ICE runs on Synthego's platform with a vendor account; TIDE also offers a GxP deployment.
Peer-reviewed origin	Published by Brinkman et al. in Nucleic Acids Research (2014) and developed at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. 2800+ citations.	Released by Synthego as a company tool, with a later preprint describing the algorithm.
Regulated environments	TIDE GxP is offered as a validated deployment with IQ/OQ/PQ documentation, audit trails and change control for GxP work.	Provided as a hosted research tool.
Cost for standard analysis	The web app research version of TIDE is free to use.	Free to use with a vendor account.

10%

lowest editing frequency TIDE detected

20%

lowest editing frequency ICE detected

In the same head-to-head study, TIDE outperformed ICE at low editing frequencies. Both methods quantify edits from standard Sanger traces.

Yao et al., Methods and Protocols, 2025

Why researchers choose TIDE

An academically published method

TIDE originates from the Netherlands Cancer Institute and was described in Nucleic Acids Research in 2014. Reviewers, collaborators and journals can trace the method back to that publication.

A route from research to regulated work

The same decomposition method is available as a validated deployment. Laboratories can start in the free research tool and move to TIDE GxP when the work enters a regulated setting.

Evidence used in an approved therapy filing

TIDE analysis features in the editing characterisation supporting CASGEVY, the first FDA-approved CRISPR therapy.

Common questions

Run your own comparison: analyse a trace you have already processed elsewhere and see what TIDE reports.

Open the free TIDE tool Meet with us Knock-in analysis with TIDER