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Cybersecurity · head to head

BigID vs OnBase

BigID logo

BigID

Cybersecurity

Data discovery and classification across cloud, on-premise and unstructured stores

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit BigIDFull review
OnBase logo

OnBase

Government

Enterprise Information Platform

From
$400/month
Free plan
No
Visit OnBaseFull review

The short version

  • OnBase starts at $400/mo; BigID prices on request.
  • Only BigID lists structured and unstructured scanning; only OnBase lists intelligent Capture.
  • Where OnBase falls short: pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigID and OnBase actually diverge.

Attributes where BigID and OnBase differ
AttributeBigIDOnBase
Starting priceOn request$400/month
Pricing modelQuoteSubscription
PlatformsWeb, API, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment

Identical on both: free tier (No).

Not yet recorded: founded for BigID.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BigID

  • Structured and unstructured scanning
  • Identity correlation
  • Data security posture management
  • Access intelligence
  • Privacy request support
  • Retention and minimisation
  • AI data controls
  • Policy and remediation workflow

Only in OnBase

  • Content Management
  • Workflow Automation
  • Case Management
  • Records Management
  • Intelligent Capture
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Epic

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BigID

  • A bank that has to prove which of thirty year old file shares contain customer identifiers before a data centre migrationnot OnBase
  • A privacy team that cannot fulfil deletion requests because nobody knows which unstructured stores hold a given customer’s recordsnot OnBase
  • A security team wanting to find sensitive data sitting in publicly readable object storage buckets before an attacker doesnot OnBase
  • A company building retrieval augmented AI that must exclude regulated personal data from the index it feeds to a modelnot OnBase

OnBase

  • Citizen Servicesnot BigID
  • Records Managementnot BigID
  • Public Safetynot BigID
  • Civic Engagementnot BigID

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BigID

  • Pricing scales with data sources and volume, so the cost rises exactly as the estate you need to scan grows, and the modules shown in a demo, including AI security posture and headless deployment, are frequently separate licences that appear only in the final quote
  • Scanning large unstructured estates is slow and computationally expensive, so most organisations sample rather than scan everything, which reintroduces uncertainty into the very question they bought the tool to settle
  • Classification accuracy on messy unstructured content requires tuning, and out of the box false positives on things like reference numbers create a large triage backlog that a small governance team cannot clear
  • It discovers and reports but does not remediate, so realising value requires a separate process and often separate tooling to actually delete, restrict or move the data it flags
  • It is built for large enterprises and both the price and the administrative overhead are disproportionate below a few thousand employees, where a lighter DSPM tool covers the security use case for far less

OnBase

  • Pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies
  • Complex implementation and configuration required for government-specific workflows
  • Requires significant IT resources for deployment and ongoing management

Pricing, plan by plan

BigID

On request
  • BigID PlatformOn request
    • Priced by number of data sources and data volume
    • Discovery and classification core
    • Optional DSPM, access intelligence and AI security modules licensed separately

OnBase

$400/month
  • Government$400/mo
    • Content Management
    • Process Automation
    • Case Management

Which should you pick?

Choose BigID if

  • You need structured and unstructured scanning.
  • You work on Web, API, Self-hosted.
  • You also want identity correlation.
BigID review

Choose OnBase if

  • You need content management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want workflow automation.
OnBase review

Questions people ask

Is BigID or OnBase better?
Neither clearly leads. BigID starts at On request and OnBase at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigID or OnBase?
BigID starts at On request and OnBase at $400/month.
Does BigID or OnBase run on more platforms?
BigID runs on Web, API, Self-hosted. OnBase runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is BigID best used for?
BigID is most often used for a bank that has to prove which of thirty year old file shares contain customer identifiers before a data centre migration, a privacy team that cannot fulfil deletion requests because nobody knows which unstructured stores hold a given customer’s records, a security team wanting to find sensitive data sitting in publicly readable object storage buckets before an attacker does, a company building retrieval augmented ai that must exclude regulated personal data from the index it feeds to a model. Of those, a bank that has to prove which of thirty year old file shares contain customer identifiers before a data centre migration and a privacy team that cannot fulfil deletion requests because nobody knows which unstructured stores hold a given customer’s records are not what OnBase is typically brought in for.
What can BigID do that OnBase cannot?
BigID covers Structured and unstructured scanning, Identity correlation, Data security posture management, Access intelligence. OnBase covers Content Management, Workflow Automation, Case Management, Records Management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigID: What does BigID cost?

It is quoted by data source count and volume. Reported contracts run from roughly 15,000 to 175,000 US dollars a year, and add-on modules such as AI security posture are licensed on top.

OnBase: What is OnBase used for in government?

OnBase is used for digital permitting, inspections, and plan review processes. Government agencies use it to streamline workflows, enable online forms, automate approvals, and provide citizen access to application status.

Source
BigID: Does it handle unstructured data?

Yes, and that is its main advantage. It classifies data in files and shares and correlates findings back to individuals, not just to data types.

OnBase: Does OnBase support mobile access?

Yes. Mobile access is a key feature of OnBase, allowing users to manage documents and cases on the go.

Source
BigID: Will it delete the data it finds?

Not by itself in most deployments. It identifies and routes findings; deletion and remediation happen through your own processes or connected systems.

OnBase: What document management capabilities does OnBase provide?

OnBase provides centralized document storage with version control, search and retrieval tools, records management across physical and electronic lifecycles, and compliance with policies and regulations.

Source
BigID: Is it a privacy tool or a security tool?

Both are sold from the same discovery core. Buyers increasingly come from security wanting data security posture management rather than from legal wanting privacy.

OnBase: Can OnBase workflows be customized?

Yes. OnBase is flexible and configurable with user-defined workflows for case management, streamlining processes like accounts payable, employee onboarding, and contract management.

Source
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