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Software · head to head

CollectiveAccess vs Evergreen ILS

C

CollectiveAccess

Software

Open source collections management and presentation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Evergreen ILS logo

Evergreen ILS

Software

Highly scalable open source library software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CollectiveAccess requires technical knowledge to install and configure on web servers; Evergreen ILS server installation is supported only on Debian 10, 11, 12 and 13 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04
  • They diverge on capability: CollectiveAccess covers Configurable cataloging, Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CollectiveAccess and Evergreen ILS actually diverge.

Attributes where CollectiveAccess and Evergreen ILS differ
AttributeCollectiveAccessEvergreen ILS
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop, Api
Founded20032006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 CollectiveAccess

  • Configurable cataloging
  • Digital asset management
  • Relationship mapping
  • Provenance tracking
  • Loan management
  • Exhibition management
  • Web publishing (Pawtucket)
  • Import/export tools

Only in Evergreen ILS

  • Circulation management
  • MARC cataloging
  • Acquisitions
  • Serials management
  • OPAC with faceted search
  • Patron management
  • Offline circulation
  • Consortia support

Both cover

  • Role-based access
  • LDAP
  • Self-hosted deployment
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

CollectiveAccess

  • Museum collection managementnot Evergreen ILS
  • Archival descriptionnot Evergreen ILS
  • Digital asset managementnot Evergreen ILS
  • Exhibition developmentnot Evergreen ILS

Evergreen ILS

  • Running a consortium-scale library catalogue and circulation systemnot CollectiveAccess
  • Self-hosting an open source integrated library system across multiple branchesnot CollectiveAccess

Where each one falls short

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

CollectiveAccess

  • Requires technical knowledge to install and configure on web servers
  • Limited commercial support compared to proprietary alternatives

Evergreen ILS

  • Server installation is supported only on Debian 10, 11, 12 and 13 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04
  • PostgreSQL 14 is the minimum supported version
  • OpenSRF 3.3.0 or later must be installed separately before Evergreen itself
  • Installation is a manual multi-service process requiring a dedicated PostgreSQL superuser account and shell access

Pricing, plan by plan

CollectiveAccess

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CollectiveAccess review.

Evergreen ILS

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full ILS functionality
    • Circulation system
    • OPAC
  • Hosted (via partners)$200/month
    • Everything in Self-Hosted
    • Managed hosting
    • Professional support

Which should you pick?

Choose CollectiveAccess if

  • You need configurable cataloging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want digital asset management.
CollectiveAccess review

Choose Evergreen ILS if

  • You need circulation management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Api.
  • You also want marc cataloging.
Evergreen ILS review

Questions people ask

Is CollectiveAccess or Evergreen ILS better?
Neither clearly leads. CollectiveAccess starts at Free and Evergreen ILS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CollectiveAccess or Evergreen ILS?
CollectiveAccess starts at Free and Evergreen ILS at Free.
Does CollectiveAccess or Evergreen ILS run on more platforms?
CollectiveAccess runs on Web. Evergreen ILS runs on Web, Desktop, Api.
Can I use CollectiveAccess for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CollectiveAccess best used for?
CollectiveAccess is most often used for museum collection management, archival description, digital asset management, exhibition development. Of those, museum collection management and archival description are not what Evergreen ILS is typically brought in for.
What can CollectiveAccess do that Evergreen ILS cannot?
CollectiveAccess covers Configurable cataloging, Digital asset management, Relationship mapping, Provenance tracking. Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management, MARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. Both handle Role-based access, LDAP, Self-hosted deployment, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CollectiveAccess: Is CollectiveAccess free?

Yes, CollectiveAccess is completely free and open-source software licensed under the GNU Public License version 3, with no commercial licensing model.

CollectiveAccess: What does CollectiveAccess do?

CollectiveAccess is web-based collections management software for cataloguing and publishing museum and archival collections, with multi-user support allowing collaboration on metadata entry and collection organization.

CollectiveAccess: Who uses CollectiveAccess?

CollectiveAccess is used by hundreds of institutions from national museums to local history consortia, highly specialized archives, and catalogues raisonnés, including the Munich City Museum which manages over 200,000 objects.

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