Software · head to head
CivicPlus vs CKAN
The short version
- Only CKAN has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: CivicPlus pricing not published, available by custom quote only; CKAN the package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install
- They diverge on capability: CivicPlus covers Government Websites, CKAN covers Dataset Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CivicPlus and CKAN actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 CivicPlus
- Government Websites
- Agenda Management
- Mass Notifications
- Online Forms
- Social Media Management
- GovDelivery
Only in CKAN
- Dataset Management
- Data Harvesting
- API Access
- Visualization
- Extensions
- DataPusher
- Harvester
- Third-party Tools
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CivicPlus
- Government website and communication platformnot CKAN
- Civic engagement and public sector solutionsnot CKAN
CKAN
- Publishing open government datasets in a searchable public data portalnot CivicPlus
- Self-hosting a data catalogue with harvesting and an APInot CivicPlus
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CivicPlus
- Pricing not published, available by custom quote only
- No standardised pricing tiers available
CKAN
- The package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install
- Only Solr 9 and Solr 8 are supported, and from CKAN 2.10 they are the only Solr versions supported at all
- A working deployment requires PostgreSQL, Solr, Redis, nginx, supervisor and uWSGI to be installed and maintained separately
- Python 3.10 or later is required
Pricing, plan by plan
CivicPlus
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the CivicPlus review.
CKAN
Free- Open SourceFree
- Data Management
- API Access
- Visualization
Which should you pick?
Choose CivicPlus if
- You need government websites.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want agenda management.
Choose CKAN if
- You need dataset management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want data harvesting.
Questions people ask
- Is CivicPlus or CKAN better?
- Neither clearly leads. CivicPlus starts at On request and CKAN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CivicPlus or CKAN?
- CKAN has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CivicPlus and Free for CKAN.
- Does CivicPlus or CKAN run on more platforms?
- CivicPlus runs on Web, Ios, Android. CKAN runs on Web.
- Can I use CKAN for free?
- Yes. CKAN has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CivicPlus starts at On request.
- What is CivicPlus best used for?
- CivicPlus is most often used for government website and communication platform, civic engagement and public sector solutions. Of those, government website and communication platform and civic engagement and public sector solutions are not what CKAN is typically brought in for.
- What can CivicPlus do that CKAN cannot?
- CivicPlus covers Government Websites, Agenda Management, Mass Notifications, Online Forms. CKAN covers Dataset Management, Data Harvesting, API Access, Visualization. Both handle Web support.