Softwr

Government · head to head

CKAN vs iCompass

CKAN logo

CKAN

Government

Open Source Data Portal Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
iCompass logo

iCompass

Government

Meeting and Agenda Management

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CKAN has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CKAN the package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install; iCompass iCompass (a Diligent Corporation product for local government agenda management) publishes no pricing on its own site; every call to action is Contact Us or Request a Demo, with no figures anywhere on the page.
  • They diverge on capability: CKAN covers Dataset Management, iCompass covers Agenda Creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CKAN and iCompass actually diverge.

Attributes where CKAN and iCompass differ
AttributeCKANiCompass
Starting priceFree$400/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20062001

Identical on both: 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 CKAN

  • Dataset Management
  • Data Harvesting
  • API Access
  • Visualization
  • Extensions
  • DataPusher
  • Harvester
  • Third-party Tools

Only in iCompass

  • Agenda Creation
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Document Management
  • Public Meeting Portal
  • Voting Management
  • Microsoft Office
  • Video Streaming
  • Document Storage

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

CKAN

  • Publishing open government datasets in a searchable public data portalnot iCompass
  • Self-hosting a data catalogue with harvesting and an APInot iCompass

iCompass

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

iCompass

  • iCompass (a Diligent Corporation product for local government agenda management) publishes no pricing on its own site; every call to action is Contact Us or Request a Demo, with no figures anywhere on the page.

Pricing, plan by plan

CKAN

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Data Management
    • API Access
    • Visualization

iCompass

$400/month
  • Government$400/month
    • Agenda Management
    • Meeting Minutes
    • Public Portal

Which should you pick?

Choose CKAN if

  • You need dataset management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want data harvesting.
CKAN review

Choose iCompass if

  • You need agenda creation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want meeting minutes.
iCompass review

Questions people ask

Is CKAN or iCompass better?
Neither clearly leads. CKAN starts at Free and iCompass at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CKAN or iCompass?
CKAN has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CKAN and $400/month for iCompass.
Does CKAN or iCompass run on more platforms?
CKAN runs on Web. iCompass runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use CKAN for free?
Yes. CKAN has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. iCompass starts at $400/month.
What is CKAN best used for?
CKAN is most often used for publishing open government datasets in a searchable public data portal, self-hosting a data catalogue with harvesting and an api. Of those, publishing open government datasets in a searchable public data portal and self-hosting a data catalogue with harvesting and an api are not what iCompass is typically brought in for.
What can CKAN do that iCompass cannot?
CKAN covers Dataset Management, Data Harvesting, API Access, Visualization. iCompass covers Agenda Creation, Meeting Minutes, Document Management, Public Meeting Portal. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CKAN: Is CKAN open-source and what license is it available under?

Yes, CKAN is an open-source data management system built on Python and available on GitHub. The license terms are available on their GitHub repository.

Source
CKAN: Does CKAN offer commercial support for organizations?

Yes, CKAN offers commercial support through certified providers including Link Digital and Datopian. Support includes advisory services, application development, integration, managed hosting, and web development.

Source
CKAN: Who is responsible for hosting costs when running CKAN?

Organizations deploying CKAN are responsible for their own hosting infrastructure. Commercial providers like Datopian and Link Digital offer managed hosting services if organizations prefer not to self-host.

Source
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