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Alfresco vs Box comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Alfresco
Ranking in Enterprise Content Management
10th
Ranking in Document Management Software
4th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Box
Ranking in Enterprise Content Management
5th
Ranking in Document Management Software
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Storage (11th), Digital Asset Management (3rd), Content Collaboration Platforms (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Enterprise Content Management category, the mindshare of Alfresco is 7.6%, down from 8.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Box is 4.1%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Content Management
 

Featured Reviews

Karthi Keyan - PeerSpot reviewer
May 3, 2022
Flexible and customizable but lacking integration with Microsoft
I mainly use Alfresco for content management, workflow, integration to scanning solutions, and reduction The most valuable feature is the flexibility of the searching elements of the metadata. Other good features are that it's open-source and allows a lot of customization. I think the…
Parthasarathy Chellapillai - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 26, 2024
Used for data storage and data collaboration, but its data security could be improved
If I have restricted access within an organization by keeping the data in Box, there are other applications through which I can barge into the data. If anyone wants to keep a file restricted to four people, I can access it because it's available in the cloud. I can directly access the file and pull in the data by entering the file's name. Someone from outside the organization can't access it. However, someone from within the organization who is not supposed to access the data can access it, provided it is in Box. Box is almost like a folder structure outside your system. The solution uses the cloud, and you don't need any separate storage in your system. Even if your system crashes down, the data will be saved. Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product allows engineering teams and developers to introduce new things in a seamless and easy way."
"Alfresco allows broad searches with many index fields that you can search on, although the created fields and their values may not be intuitive."
"The most valuable feature is the flexibility of the searching elements of the metadata."
"I like the ease of use, sections, and calendar."
"Document repository."
"The system's performance is impressive, and file sharing is notably straightforward."
"I like that Box makes it easy to deploy virtual machines."
"Governance and ease of use are why I think a lot of people like Box, including ourselves. Basically, we're concerned about what information is being sent to Box, so we use a lot of the Box governance features to make sure that what is being sent to Box is appropriate. If it is not appropriate, it is not allowed to be sent. It is also pretty easy to use. It is the easiest to use for customers and for technologists."
"Box is very user-friendly; more so than SharePoint."
"You can upload your bin, upload your files quickly, and download your files quickly. It provides a lot of other alternatives."
"The application is very light in terms of uploading and downloading files."
"It is really easy to load files to and from this solution."
"The ability to collaborate around data anywhere, anytime is the most powerful features of Box."
 

Cons

"Metadata, auto class, disposition log, and legal hold."
"I would like them to consider document capture functionality."
"I think the presentation layer could be improved - currently, it's too complex, and there are too many features cluttered all over the screen."
"The configuration of Alfresco is a big challenge."
"Alfresco has a very steep learning curve, and unfortunately, during the learning process, it's very easy to make errors, which often are unforgiving."
"I find their API to be quite complex and it could be more straightforward."
"I haven't really come across a case where we're not able to use it for what it is, so I don't really have anything holding us up or any customers holding us up at this point that I know of. There are always some limitations, but as a technologist, I just live with them, and there is always room for improvement, but I don't have anything quantifiable."
"Data privacy, regarding where to store your data: Offering several transparent(!) options (where to store my data and whether to sync back or not and where to sync) regarding the local law situations (USA, EU, Switzerland!) would increase the credibility of a US based company (after NSA ‘snooping’)."
"I don't like the low level of role-based security it provides – it's very cumbersome, and the support is ordinary at times."
"Like all cloud platforms, there are always areas of improvement around sync to local devices."
"The search features and role permissions are not very user friendly. It only searches the first few pages of a document, which is quite a problem."
"The price must be lowered."
"The room for improvement is in the area of integrations. They need to establish more integrations, especially with Office 365 and Outlook."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license for Alfresco is expensive - not the maximum, but close. There are also extra costs once you start building integrations, as implementation seems to be very costly."
"It is cheaper compared to head-to-head competitors."
"If you buy Alfresco through a partner, there is usually a OEM licensing option."
"There are costs for any upgrade or additional functions."
"The more you dig, the deeper the level of tools, and the more expensive it becomes."
"They are very price competitive when pushed. Initially, they come out with a standard list price, but they are willing to be very competitive. The Box price was pretty much equal to or lower than the Citrix price, and Box has more features."
"Better sign a full year's contract to get a discount."
"I believe Box is cheaper than SharePoint."
"My organization pays for the license."
"Our pricing and licensing is excellent. I'd tell all Higher Ed customers to talk with Internet2 for excellent pricing and support."
"I'm in Higher Ed, so we purchase through Internet2-Net+. I absolutely recommend going that route for Higher Ed customers."
"Box's pricing is excellent."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Government
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Insurance Company
10%
Educational Organization
57%
Computer Software Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
4%
Manufacturing Company
4%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would Alfresco give an organization more benefits in terms of cost, features & security as compared to Sharepoint?
Alfresco scores are high on all features of an ECM solution and tools. Back office processing, rated as 3.36 good. Business Process Application 3.55 Good to excellent. Document Management 4.12...
What needs improvement with Alfresco?
The configuration of Alfresco is a big challenge. The index fields and their values are not intuitive, making it difficult to find documents. You often need a cross-reference document to navigate c...
What is your primary use case for Alfresco?
I use Alfresco primarily to look up documents. However, it is not as user-friendly as the previous solution, Nautilus, which I was more familiar with due to my involvement in its configuration and ...
What do you like most about Box?
The solution is used for data storage and any kind of visualization.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Box?
The solution is expensive when it comes to API calls.
 

Comparisons

 

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Over 1,300 companies from 180 different countries. Including EuroStar, Saks Fifth Avenue, NASA Langley Research Center, and KLM.
GE, Toyota, P&G, Caterpillar, Flex, Schneider Electric, Sally Beauty, Eurostar, AstraZeneca, AirBnB, Whirlpool, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Nationwide, Aeropostale etc
Find out what your peers are saying about Alfresco vs. Box and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.