Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Alfresco vs IBM FileNet comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

Customer Service

No sentiment score available
Alfresco offers helpful customer service, albeit slow technical support; community forums and Hyland training are also beneficial.
Sentiment score
5.8
IBM FileNet support is generally praised, but some users face delays and inconsistency, seeking improved skill and responsiveness.
People come from all over the world, and they have specialists at the other end of the world to help if needed.
The product-level support is better now than before.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
3.2
Alfresco needs improved user interface intuitiveness, developer tools, NoSQL integration, Office 365 support, and better configuration options.
Sentiment score
4.3
IBM FileNet needs enhanced cloud integration, improved usability, better automation, cost efficiency, and advanced analytics for user satisfaction.
The response time and resolution of issues by technical support need improvement.
There are only a few products large enterprises can choose from, and it doesn't really matter which one as it often depends on the consultants and the team implementing the solution.
 

Scalability Issues

No sentiment score available
Alfresco offers robust scalability and high availability with seamless clustering and efficient metadata management for disaster recovery.
Sentiment score
8.5
IBM FileNet offers scalable, adaptable infrastructure, supporting diverse business sizes with efficient integration and consistent performance for dynamic environments.
The bigger products like IBM FileNet can handle billions of documents and thousands of users.
 

Setup Cost

No sentiment score available
Alfresco provides a free Community Edition and a scalable Enterprise Edition with per-server licensing for advanced features.
No sentiment score available
IBM FileNet is costly with high licensing and setup fees, suitable for larger enterprises, but often expensive for smaller businesses.
The price is high, with yearly subscriptions increasing day by day.
FileNet and similar enterprise-level tools require substantial costs, starting in the millions.
 

Stability Issues

No sentiment score available
Alfresco is stable but benefits from experienced administrators, correct settings, and appropriate architecture to handle high demands.
Sentiment score
8.0
IBM FileNet offers stable performance, minimal downtime, and improved stability in recent versions, ensuring user satisfaction and consistent operation.
In terms of stability, we haven't experienced any big technical issues or downtime with IBM FileNet.
 

Valuable Features

No sentiment score available
Alfresco offers document management, customization, collaboration, and search features, appreciated for ease of use and extensibility.
Sentiment score
7.6
IBM FileNet provides scalable, high-performance content management, automation, and seamless integration, praised for reliability, security, and enterprise capabilities.
At this level, companies don't buy a ready-made solution.
The main features we find impactful are the workflow and document management along with FileNet file stores.
 

Categories and Ranking

Alfresco
Ranking in Enterprise Content Management
10th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
3.2
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Document Management Software (4th)
IBM FileNet
Ranking in Enterprise Content Management
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
99
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 IBM FileNet is 10.2%, up from 9.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Content Management
 

Featured Reviews

Karthi Keyan - PeerSpot reviewer
Flexible and customizable but lacking integration with Microsoft
I think the presentation layer could be improved - currently, it's too complex, and there are too many features cluttered all over the screen. Alfresco also needs to be well-integrated with Microsoft, as it's currently a nuisance for customers who rely on Microsoft's Office 365 solutions. There's a pretty obvious gap in the overlap between SharePoint when customers go to O365 and are presented with the SharePoint license and storage to start with, which Alfresco isn't taking advantage of.
WolfgangPichler - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides a compact solution for midsized companies
IBM does not do very good marketing for FileNet. Initially, after IBM acquired the product, there was good marketing support, but this has dwindled as IBM has lost personnel. More could be done to highlight the benefits to customers. Additionally, there are no visually appealing interfaces or apps for the product, which can influence customer buying decisions.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Enterprise Content Management solutions are best for your needs.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Government
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Insurance Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
23%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Insurance Company
9%
 

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 IBM FileNet?
The product is robust and can process a lot of documents for enterprise content management.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FileNet?
It depends on the business partner providing the solution to the customer. We have an ESA contract with IBM which allows us to offer the solution at a competitive price, providing added value when ...
What needs improvement with IBM FileNet?
The setup process is very complex, and I would prefer if it were easier. A modern interface would also be an enhancement.
 

Comparisons

 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Over 1,300 companies from 180 different countries. Including EuroStar, Saks Fifth Avenue, NASA Langley Research Center, and KLM.
Suncorp Group Limited, St. Vincent Health, Citigroup, SRCSD, and UK Dept for Work and Pensions.
Find out what your peers are saying about Alfresco vs. IBM FileNet and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.