Every European document management tool reviewed
Ostfildern, Germany
Founded 1998
agorum core pro: EUR 32.00 per month for a single user, EUR 19.20 per user per month at 100 users, EUR 9.90 at 500 users and EUR 8.96 at 1,000 users, all excluding VAT; above 1,000 users on request. agorum core open is free of charge
agorum core open is free without a time limit; agorum core pro is shown in a 30-minute online demo rather than a self-service trial
Best for: Organisations that want published prices and a choice between their own servers and a dedicated German cloud
agorum core is a document management platform from agorum Software GmbH, available in two editions. agorum core open is the free edition: agorum describes it as a full licence for permanent use, with document management and versioning, e-mail archiving, scanning, fileserver integration and access to the APIs. agorum core pro is the commercial edition and adds an integrated workflow editor, integrated AI functions and premium support.
The documentation covers installation on Linux and Windows and lists MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and MS SQL Server as databases. agorum states that documents are stored in line with GoBD and GDPR.
It ranks first here because price, deployment choice and hosting provider are all disclosed.
agorum Software GmbH is based at Vogelsangstrasse 22 in Ostfildern near Stuttgart, with Rolf Lang and Oliver Schulze as managing directors, and the imprint names no parent company. The company was founded in 1998 and had developed agorum core by 2002. agorum core pro runs on-premises or as agorum core pro cloud.
For the cloud, agorum states that each instance runs exclusively in ISO 27001 certified data centres in Germany, names IONOS Cloud as the provider and describes a dedicated instance per customer rather than a shared one. agorum does not name a security certificate held by the company itself on the pages read.
agorum core pro costs EUR 32.00 per month for a single user, EUR 19.20 per user per month at 100 users, EUR 9.90 at 500 users and EUR 8.96 at 1,000 users, all excluding VAT; larger installations are quoted on request.
The AI suite ALBERT is priced separately by tokens, from EUR 120.00 per month for one million tokens. agorum offers a 30-minute online demo for commercial customers and public bodies instead of a self-service trial. agorum core suits organisations that want to calculate the cost in advance and keep the option of moving between their own servers and a German cloud.
Teams that need workflows at no cost will not find them in agorum core open.
What agorum core does well
- agorum publishes its per-user prices, from EUR 32.00 per month for one user down to EUR 8.96 per user at 1,000 users, excluding VAT
- agorum core pro cloud runs as a dedicated instance in ISO 27001 certified data centres in Germany, with IONOS Cloud named as provider
- agorum core open is free of charge without a time limit and includes document versioning and e-mail archiving
- agorum states that the same licence prices apply on-premises and in the cloud
- The agorum documentation covers Linux and Windows servers and four databases: MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and MS SQL Server
Where agorum core falls short
- The licence name of agorum core open was not found on the agorum pages read, although agorum calls the edition open source
- agorum core open lacks the workflow editor and the AI functions of agorum core pro
- agorum offers a guided 30-minute demo, not a self-service trial of agorum core pro
- No certificate held by agorum Software GmbH itself, such as ISO 27001 or IDW PS 880, is named on the pages read
Standout feature. agorum core is the only product in this comparison that pairs a published sliding price scale with a dedicated cloud instance at a named European provider and a free edition.
Gescher, Germany
Founded 1992
Cloud packages at EUR 27 (Basic), EUR 39 (Business) and EUR 55 (Ultimate) per user per month plus VAT, with a 12-month minimum term; on-premises and hybrid operation are offered without a published price
30-day free trial of the cloud packages
Best for: Mid-sized and large organisations that need named certifications, workflows and a published per-user cloud price
d.velop documents is the document management system of d.velop AG and the core of a wider platform that also covers process automation, digital signatures, intelligent document processing, contract management and invoice processing. d.velop documents supports cloud, on-premises and hybrid operation.
The cloud is sold in three packages: Basic with digital archiving and 100 GB of storage, Business with 1,000 GB, digital workflows, collaboration and an AI assistant, and Ultimate with 2,000 GB, unlimited workflows and additional signature capabilities. d.velop reports more than 15,000 customer organisations and lists public administration, healthcare, finance and industry as its main sectors.
d.velop AG is based at Schildarpstrasse 6-8 in Gescher, Germany, was founded there in 1992 and employs approximately 1,100 people. d.velop AG describes itself as a subsidiary group owned by d.velop holding GmbH and as under complete European ownership.
The certification page lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 50001:2018 and TISAX Level 2 for d.velop AG, and an IDW PS 880 certification of d.velop documents for audit-proof archiving in accordance with GoBD. For cloud infrastructure d.velop names two partners, Amazon Web Services and Open Telekom Cloud, with European data locations.
The d.velop documents cloud packages cost EUR 27, EUR 39 and EUR 55 per user per month plus VAT. The d.velop store states a 12-month minimum term with automatic annual renewal unless cancelled three months before the end of the contract year. A 30-day free trial gives access to all features.
No price is published for on-premises or hybrid operation. d.velop documents fits organisations that need attested archiving and workflows and accept a yearly commitment. It ranks second rather than first because one of the two named infrastructure partners is an American provider; buyers who want to avoid that should ask d.velop which platform their tenant would run on.
What d.velop documents does well
- d.velop publishes cloud prices of EUR 27, EUR 39 and EUR 55 per user per month plus VAT
- d.velop documents is certified under IDW PS 880 for audit-proof archiving in accordance with GoBD, according to the d.velop certification page
- d.velop AG holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and TISAX Level 2
- d.velop documents can be operated in the cloud, on-premises or as a hybrid
- d.velop offers a 30-day free trial with access to all features
Where d.velop documents falls short
- d.velop names Amazon Web Services as one of its two cloud infrastructure partners, next to Open Telekom Cloud
- The d.velop store sets a 12-month minimum term with automatic renewal and three months' notice
- d.velop publishes no price for on-premises or hybrid operation
- Digital workflows and the AI assistant start in the Business package at EUR 39, not in Basic
Standout feature. d.velop documents combines a published per-user cloud price with the longest list of certificates in this comparison, including an IDW PS 880 certification for audit-proof archiving under GoBD.
Aachen, Germany
Founded 2014
One-time purchase per concurrent connection: EUR 89.00 including 19% VAT in the Private Edition (maximum two connections) and EUR 125.00 net in the Business Edition; ecoDMS ONE costs EUR 750 net for three connections plus EUR 150 net per year
30-day free trial without a licence, with up to three concurrent connections
Best for: Small businesses and private users who want a one-time licence and an archive on their own hardware
ecoDMS is a client-server archive from ecoDMS GmbH that is installed on the customer's own system.
The product page lists Windows, Linux, macOS and NAS systems as platforms, and the web client, which ecoDMS includes in the full version at no extra charge, gives browser access from PC, tablet and smartphone. ecoDMS describes full-text search through OCR, version management that keeps the original and a PDF, e-mail archiving for Outlook and Thunderbird, audit-compliant logging of all changes and deletion under retention periods.
The separate ecoDMS ONE package bundles the archive with e-mail archiving (ecoMAILZ), the WORKZ workflow add-on and API access.
ecoDMS GmbH is registered at Dresdener Strasse 1 in Aachen, Germany, with Thomas Uber and Benedikt Weber as managing directors.
The company was founded in October 2014, and its imprint states that it is a company of applord Holding Europe GmbH; the applord group has locations in Germany and Austria. ecoDMS reports more than 14,000 corporate and more than 12,000 private customers. ecoDMS is self-hosted, so the data stays where the customer installs the server.
A hosted service exists only through certified resellers. ecoDMS calls the product GoBD and GDPR compliant and audit-proof, without naming a third-party certificate on the product page.
ecoDMS is licensed per concurrent connection as a one-time purchase: EUR 89.00 including 19% VAT in the Private Edition, limited to two connections, and EUR 125.00 net in the Business Edition with unlimited connections.
Buyers choose 24 or 48 months of updates; afterwards the licence keeps working but is no longer maintained. ecoDMS ONE costs EUR 750 net for three connections and EUR 250 net per additional connection, plus an annual service fee of EUR 150 net for three connections. The 30-day trial allows three concurrent connections. ecoDMS suits small offices that can run a server or NAS; organisations that want a vendor-operated cloud should look elsewhere.
What ecoDMS does well
- ecoDMS is a one-time purchase: EUR 89.00 including VAT (Private Edition) or EUR 125.00 net (Business Edition) per concurrent connection
- ecoDMS licences count concurrent connections, not employees, and the software may be installed on any number of devices
- ecoDMS runs on Windows, Linux, macOS and NAS systems
- The ecoDMS web client is part of the full version at no extra charge
- The 30-day ecoDMS trial uses the same components as the full version, with up to three concurrent connections
Where ecoDMS falls short
- ecoDMS GmbH does not operate a cloud itself; a hosted service is offered only through certified resellers
- After the 24 or 48-month update period an ecoDMS licence is no longer supported or maintained unless extended
- Technical support is separate from the ecoDMS licence and paid, except in the ecoDMS ONE package
- No third-party certificate for the audit-proof claim is named on the ecoDMS product page
Standout feature. ecoDMS is the only product in this comparison sold as a one-time purchase per concurrent connection, starting at EUR 89.00 including VAT for private users.
Siegen, Germany
Founded 1998
GPL edition free of charge; Enterprise edition from about EUR 2,500 including one year of professional support, installation and all modules and plug-ins, after which support is a flat annual fee based on user count
The GPL edition is a free download that stays free for private and commercial use
Best for: Windows-based organisations that want a GPLv3 archive on their own server and pay only for support
bitfarm-Archiv is a document management and archiving system from bitfarm Informationssysteme GmbH, offered in a GPL edition and an Enterprise edition. bitfarm states that both are licensed under GPLv3 without licence costs and that Enterprise customers pay for support, not for the software.
The GPL edition has a Windows desktop client and is recommended for one to four users. The Enterprise edition adds web, iOS and Android clients, barcode recognition, Active Directory support, document versioning, contract management and operation across several sites, and is recommended for up to 5,000 users. bitfarm lists invoice processing with ZUGFeRD and XRechnung among the functions.
bitfarm Informationssysteme GmbH is based at Spandauer Strasse 18 in Siegen, Germany.
It was founded in 1998 by Markus Schmalenbach and Heino Schneider, who are still the managing directors, and the company describes itself as owner-managed to this day. bitfarm-Archiv is installed on-premises: the server requires Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 or 2026 and uses MySQL 8.4. bitfarm describes audit-proof archiving through a soft-WORM procedure with SHA256 checksums, a complete unchangeable document history and fully encrypted client-server database communication. No hosted option and no third-party certificate are named on the pages read.
The bitfarm-Archiv GPL edition is a free download, and bitfarm states it stays free for private and commercial use. The Enterprise edition is available from about EUR 2,500 including one year of professional support, installation and all modules and plug-ins.
After the first year, support is a flat annual fee that depends on user count and service type, and patches and updates are free. bitfarm-Archiv fits organisations with Windows administrators who want the archive in-house under a free licence. It is not the choice for teams without a Windows Server or for those who want the vendor to run the system.
What bitfarm-Archiv does well
- bitfarm-Archiv is licensed under GPLv3 in both the GPL and the Enterprise edition, without licence costs
- bitfarm Informationssysteme GmbH states that it has been owner-managed since its founding in 1998
- bitfarm publishes a starting price: Enterprise from about EUR 2,500 including a year of support, installation and all modules
- bitfarm-Archiv explains its audit-proof method: soft-WORM with SHA256 checksums and an unchangeable document history
- The Enterprise edition of bitfarm-Archiv includes web, iOS and Android clients
Where bitfarm-Archiv falls short
- The bitfarm-Archiv server runs only on Windows Server
- The GPL edition of bitfarm-Archiv has no versioning, no Active Directory support and only a Windows desktop client
- bitfarm mentions no hosted or cloud option on its licensing page
- bitfarm states that server installation and training of IT staff are required
Standout feature. bitfarm-Archiv is the only product here whose paid Enterprise edition is itself under GPLv3, so customers pay bitfarm for support and installation and not for the software.
Oldenburg, Germany
Founded 2010
Price on request: the Amagno Business Cloud is sold in packages of 5, 20 and 100 users with 12.5 GB, 50 GB and 250 GB of storage, and the price calculator sends a quote by e-mail instead of showing an amount
30-day free test of the Business Cloud with 2 users and 100 MB of storage
Best for: German mid-sized companies that want a vendor-run cloud in Germany and configure workflows without scripting
Amagno is a document management and enterprise content management system from Amagno GmbH, sold as the Amagno Business Cloud and as Amagno On Premise.
Amagno positions the product as a digital workplace for departments such as accounting, purchasing, sales and quality management, with workflows that users configure without scripting and an optional AI component called Amagno.AI. The Business Cloud is sold in packages of 5, 20 and 100 users with 12.5 GB, 50 GB and 250 GB of storage, which can be combined; Amagno gives the example of 125 users as one package of each size. Additional storage can be added for a fee.
Amagno GmbH is registered at Rheinstrasse 16 in Oldenburg, Germany, with Jens Büscher as managing director. He founded the company in 2010, and the imprint names no parent company. For the Business Cloud, Amagno states encrypted data storage in certified data centres in Germany, without naming the data centre operator.
Amagno describes the product as an ISO 27001 certified DMS solution and refers to IDW PS 880 and GoBD, but the pages read do not name the certifying bodies. Amagno On Premise is intended for organisations with 50 or more user licences that run their own Microsoft Windows Server and database infrastructure.
Amagno does not publish prices. The pricing page lists the packages and states that the 20-user package is cheaper per user than the 5-user package and the 100-user package cheaper again, and the calculator sends a personal quote by e-mail. The minimum for direct sales is five user licences.
A 30-day test with 2 users and 100 MB of storage is free and ends automatically. Amagno suits companies that want a German cloud and no server of their own. It ranks below the products with published prices because a buyer cannot compare its cost without requesting a quote.
What Amagno does well
- Amagno Business Cloud stores data encrypted in certified data centres in Germany
- Amagno describes its product as an ISO 27001 certified DMS solution
- Amagno is available as a vendor-run cloud and as Amagno On Premise
- The 30-day Amagno test is free, includes all functions and ends automatically
- Amagno publishes its package sizes and storage allowances: 5, 20 and 100 users with 12.5 GB, 50 GB and 250 GB
Where Amagno falls short
- Amagno publishes no prices; the calculator returns a quote by e-mail
- Amagno does not name the operator of its German data centres
- Amagno On Premise is aimed at organisations with 50 or more user licences and requires Microsoft Windows Server
- Direct sales of Amagno start at a minimum of five user licences
Standout feature. Amagno is the one product in this comparison that is primarily a vendor-run cloud with storage stated to be in Germany, sold in fixed packages of 5, 20 and 100 users.
Carpi, Italy
Founded 2006
Price on request for the Business, Enterprise and Cloud editions, quoted by number of users and repository size; the Community Edition is free
30-day trial version as a download, plus credentials for a demonstration site
Best for: Teams that want an LGPL community edition on Linux or Windows with an upgrade path to commercial editions
LogicalDOC is a web-based document management system from LOGICALDOC Srl, offered as a free Community Edition and as commercial Business, Enterprise and Cloud editions.
LogicalDOC describes version control with check-in and check-out, a complete audit trail, retention policies with an integrated calendar, secure sharing with granular permissions, an API and a mobile app. The Community Edition is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3, with source code on SourceForge, and includes basic access control, advanced search, the web interface and SOAP and REST interfaces. LogicalDOC states that the Community Edition comes without technical support from its developers.
LOGICALDOC Srl is based at Via Aldo Moro 3 in Carpi, in the province of Modena, Italy, and gives 2006 as its founding year. LogicalDOC lists offices in Italy, the United States, Germany, Spain, France and Portugal.
LogicalDOC can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud or as a hybrid, and its system requirements name Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or more recent and Microsoft Windows Server 2022. For LogicalDOC Cloud the vendor speaks of a secure external data centre; neither a provider nor a country is named, and the privacy policy does not specify a storage location either.
LogicalDOC publishes no prices. The quote form asks for the edition, the number of users and optionally the repository size, and LogicalDOC mentions OEM, volume, site, academic and not-for-profit pricing. A 30-day trial version can be downloaded, and the same registration gives credentials for a demonstration site.
LogicalDOC suits teams that want to start on the LGPL edition on their own Linux or Windows server and move to a supported edition later. Buyers who need a stated EU hosting location for a vendor-run cloud should ask LogicalDOC for it in writing before signing, because the website does not provide it.
What LogicalDOC does well
- LogicalDOC Community Edition is available under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3
- LogicalDOC supports on-premises, cloud and hybrid deployment
- LogicalDOC runs on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS or newer and Windows Server 2022
- A 30-day LogicalDOC trial is offered as a download together with access to a demonstration site
- LogicalDOC mentions academic and not-for-profit pricing
Where LogicalDOC falls short
- LogicalDOC publishes no prices for its Business, Enterprise and Cloud editions
- LogicalDOC does not state the provider or country of its cloud data centre
- The LogicalDOC Community Edition comes without official technical support
- No certifications are named on the LogicalDOC pages read
Standout feature. LogicalDOC is the only Italian product in this comparison and one of two with an open-source licence read on the vendor's own pages, LGPL version 3 for its Community Edition.
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Founded 2005
Community Edition free of charge; Professional Edition and OpenKM Cloud price on request, with special prices for academic and non-profit organisations
Trial of the Professional Edition on request, run in the OpenKM cloud; duration not published
Best for: Organisations that want a free Java-based DMS from Spain and can work with community support or a quote
OpenKM is a document management system from Open Document Management System S.L. that covers document management, records management and knowledge management. OpenKM comes in three forms: the free Community Edition, the commercial Professional Edition and OpenKM Cloud.
The Community Edition is distributed as a cross-platform installer that requires Java JDK 1.8 or newer and is supported through the community forum. The Professional Edition adds a support tracker with guaranteed responses around the clock, software patches, remote monitoring, performance tuning and help with migration and installation. OpenKM Cloud includes installation, automated backups, SSL encryption, antivirus protection, OCR and 24/7 monitoring.
Open Document Management System S.L. is based at c/ Bunyola 13 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and its terms place disputes under Spanish law with Palma de Mallorca as venue. The company was founded in 2005 by former developers and project managers and released the first version in January 2007.
On licensing, OpenKM states that versions 6.3 and earlier are under GPL-2.0 with source code on GitHub, and that from Community Edition 7.0 the source code is no longer published. For OpenKM Cloud the vendor gives a minimum network availability of 99% but names neither the hosting provider nor the country.
OpenKM Community Edition is free of charge. OpenKM publishes no price for the Professional Edition or for OpenKM Cloud; the cloud is described as pay-for-what-you-use, and OpenKM mentions special prices for academic and non-profit organisations.
A trial of the Professional Edition in the OpenKM cloud can be requested, without a stated duration. OpenKM suits organisations that want a free installable DMS and are comfortable with Java. It ranks last here because the price and the cloud hosting location are not published and because the current Community Edition is no longer open source in the sense of published source code.
What OpenKM does well
- OpenKM Community Edition is free of charge
- OpenKM is offered as Community Edition, Professional Edition on-premises and OpenKM Cloud
- OpenKM Professional includes a support tracker with guaranteed responses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- OpenKM Cloud includes automated backups, SSL encryption, antivirus protection and OCR
- OpenKM mentions special prices for academic and non-profit organisations
Where OpenKM falls short
- From Community Edition 7.0, OpenKM no longer publishes the source code; only versions 6.3 and earlier are under GPL-2.0
- OpenKM publishes no prices for the Professional Edition or the cloud
- OpenKM does not state the hosting provider or country of OpenKM Cloud
- No certifications are named on the OpenKM pages read
Standout feature. OpenKM is the only Spanish product in this comparison, with a free Community Edition, although the vendor states that the source code is no longer published from version 7.0.
