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Software · head to head

CityView vs OpenCities

CityView logo

CityView

Software

Community Development Software

From
$10000/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenCities logo

OpenCities

Software

Digital Government Experience Platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CityView high implementation and licensing costs for smaller municipalities; OpenCities population-based pricing model limits scalability for growing municipalities
  • They diverge on capability: CityView covers Building Permits, OpenCities covers Website Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CityView and OpenCities actually diverge.

Attributes where CityView and OpenCities differ
AttributeCityViewOpenCities
Starting price$10000/year$500/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
Founded19762008

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 CityView

  • Building Permits
  • Business Licensing
  • Code Enforcement
  • Inspections Management
  • Online Citizen Portal
  • Esri ArcGIS
  • Microsoft Office
  • Payment Gateways

Only in OpenCities

  • Website Management
  • Digital Forms
  • Search Optimization
  • Accessibility Compliance
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Analytics

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

CityView

  • Citizen Services
  • Records Management
  • Public Safety
  • Civic Engagement

OpenCities

  • Citizen Services
  • Records Management
  • Public Safety
  • Civic Engagement

Both are used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

CityView

  • High implementation and licensing costs for smaller municipalities
  • Complex setup and customization requiring expert assistance

OpenCities

  • Population-based pricing model limits scalability for growing municipalities
  • No self-hosted or on-premises deployment option
  • Limited code customization without vendor support

Pricing, plan by plan

CityView

$10000/year

No published plan breakdown. See the CityView review.

OpenCities

$500/month
  • Government Platform$500/month
    • Website CMS
    • Digital Forms
    • Accessibility

Which should you pick?

Choose CityView if

  • You need building permits.
  • You also want business licensing.
CityView review

Choose OpenCities if

  • You need website management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want digital forms.
OpenCities review

Questions people ask

Is CityView or OpenCities better?
Neither clearly leads. CityView starts at $10000/year and OpenCities at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CityView or OpenCities?
CityView starts at $10000/year and OpenCities at $500/month.
Does CityView or OpenCities run on more platforms?
CityView runs on Web. OpenCities runs on Web, Mobile.
What is CityView best used for?
CityView is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement.
What can CityView do that OpenCities cannot?
CityView covers Building Permits, Business Licensing, Code Enforcement, Inspections Management. OpenCities covers Website Management, Digital Forms, Search Optimization, Accessibility Compliance. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CityView: Is CityView cloud-based or on-premise?

CityView offers both cloud-based SaaS deployments and on-premise options depending on municipality preference and requirements.

Source
OpenCities: Does OpenCities work offline?

No, OpenCities is a cloud-based SaaS platform that requires an internet connection. All editing and management is done through web browsers.

Source
CityView: What modules are included?

CityView Suite includes Property Information, Permits and Inspections, Planning, Code Enforcement, Licensing, Animal Licensing, Service Requests, Rental Housing, Cemetery Management, Parking Management, and Cashiering modules.

Source
OpenCities: What accessibility standards does OpenCities meet?

OpenCities is maintained to comply with WCAG AA requirements, ensuring equitable access to government services and information for all residents.

Source
CityView: How long has CityView been in the market?

CityView has over 40 years of experience serving local governments with community development and municipal land management solutions.

Source
OpenCities: Can I integrate OpenCities with other government systems?

Yes. OpenCities integrates with Google Analytics, govDelivery for notifications, EngagementHQ for feedback collection, Legistar for meeting management, and Active Directory for intranet workflows.

Source
CityView: What is the pricing structure?

CityView pricing ranges from $10,000 to $75,000+ per year for mid-sized municipalities, or approximately $100 to $250 per user per month for SaaS deployments, depending on modules selected.

Source
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