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Government · head to head

CitizenLab vs Laserfiche

CitizenLab logo

CitizenLab

Government

Digital Democracy Platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Laserfiche logo

Laserfiche

Government

Intelligent Content Management

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CitizenLab citizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com; Laserfiche self-hosted deployment requires dedicated IT resources and infrastructure management
  • They diverge on capability: CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Laserfiche covers Document Capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CitizenLab and Laserfiche actually diverge.

Attributes where CitizenLab and Laserfiche differ
AttributeCitizenLabLaserfiche
Starting price$500/month$50/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile, Windows, macOS, Linux
Founded20151976

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Government).

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 CitizenLab

  • Participatory Budgeting
  • Idea Management
  • Online Consultations
  • Surveys & Polls
  • AI-powered Analysis
  • Single Sign-On
  • Open Data Portals
  • GIS Systems

Only in Laserfiche

  • Document Capture
  • Workflow Automation
  • Records Management
  • Electronic Forms
  • Process Automation
  • Microsoft Office
  • SharePoint
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

CitizenLab

  • Running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a citynot Laserfiche
  • Collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and votingnot Laserfiche
  • Centralising engagement data across multiple municipal departmentsnot Laserfiche

Laserfiche

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

Where each one falls short

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

CitizenLab

  • CitizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • No prices are published on the plans page; every tier requires scheduling a demo
  • The Essential plan allows only 1 active project and 1 admin seat, with no project manager seats
  • Standard is limited to 4 admin seats and 5 project manager seats, and Premium to 8 admin seats and 25 project manager seats
  • Standard restricts Sensemaking to Light, capped at 30 inputs; auto-insights require Premium
  • The integrated Konveio document annotation and Echo blended engagement methods are excluded from Standard and require Premium
  • Auto-translation on Premium is limited to 3 languages
  • Custom fonts and other premium styling options are Premium only
  • Priority support is Premium only
  • Plans are split by population band, with separate ladders for cities under and over 100K population

Laserfiche

  • Self-hosted deployment requires dedicated IT resources and infrastructure management
  • Complex implementation often requires significant upfront customization
  • High total cost of ownership for on-premises deployments due to infrastructure needs

Pricing, plan by plan

CitizenLab

$500/month
  • Government$500/month
    • Participatory Budgeting
    • Idea Collection
    • Surveys

Laserfiche

$50/month
  • Cloud$50/month
    • Document Management
    • Workflow Automation
    • Records Management

Which should you pick?

Choose CitizenLab if

  • You need participatory budgeting.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want idea management.
CitizenLab review

Choose Laserfiche if

  • You need document capture.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want workflow automation.
Laserfiche review

Questions people ask

Is CitizenLab or Laserfiche better?
Neither clearly leads. CitizenLab starts at $500/month and Laserfiche at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CitizenLab or Laserfiche?
CitizenLab starts at $500/month and Laserfiche at $50/month.
Does CitizenLab or Laserfiche run on more platforms?
CitizenLab runs on Web, Ios, Android. Laserfiche runs on Web, Mobile, Windows, macOS, Linux.
What is CitizenLab best used for?
CitizenLab is most often used for running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a city, collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and voting, centralising engagement data across multiple municipal departments. Of those, running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a city and collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and voting are not what Laserfiche is typically brought in for.
What can CitizenLab do that Laserfiche cannot?
CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Idea Management, Online Consultations, Surveys & Polls. Laserfiche covers Document Capture, Workflow Automation, Records Management, Electronic Forms. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CitizenLab: How many projects can Essential tier teams manage?

The Essential tier is designed for teams starting small and is limited to 1 active project with 1 admin seat and no project manager seats.

Source
Laserfiche: Does Laserfiche offer both cloud and self-hosted options?

Yes. Laserfiche Cloud offers three tiers (Starter $53/user/month, Professional $73, Business $93). Laserfiche 12 provides self-hosted deployment for organizations requiring on-premise infrastructure or with strict security and regulatory constraints.

Source
CitizenLab: How many projects can Standard and Premium tiers manage?

Both Standard and Premium tiers support unlimited projects. Standard includes 4 admin seats and 5 project manager seats, while Premium includes 8 admin seats and 25 project manager seats.

Source
Laserfiche: What does Laserfiche capture from documents?

Laserfiche provides document capture, electronic forms, workflow automation, case management, mobile access, and government-certified records management with automatic filing and retention schedules.

Source
CitizenLab: Does Enterprise tier have any user seat limits?

No, the Enterprise tier is designed for organizations aiming to embed engagement deeply within their infrastructure and includes unlimited admin seats and project managers.

Source
Laserfiche: Can Laserfiche track document workflows automatically?

Yes. Laserfiche includes workflow automation that tracks and fulfills processes like FOIA requests, with access controls, audit trails, and automated recordkeeping for compliance.

Source
CitizenLab: What are the specific pricing amounts for each tier?

Specific pricing amounts are not disclosed on the plans page. The company directs interested organizations to talk to their team for personalized pricing offers.

Source
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