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Libraries · head to head

CONTENTdm vs Evergreen ILS

CONTENTdm logo

CONTENTdm

Libraries

Build, showcase, and preserve digital collections

From
$1495/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Evergreen ILS logo

Evergreen ILS

Libraries

Highly scalable open source library software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Evergreen ILS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CONTENTdm pricing requires custom quote with no public pricing available; 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: CONTENTdm covers Digital collection management, Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where CONTENTdm and Evergreen ILS differ
AttributeCONTENTdmEvergreen ILS
Starting price$1495/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloudWeb, Desktop, Api
Founded19672006

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Libraries).

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 CONTENTdm

  • Digital collection management
  • Metadata management
  • Compound object support
  • Full-text search
  • Faceted browse
  • IIIF viewer
  • WorldCat integration
  • Custom websites

Only in Evergreen ILS

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

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

CONTENTdm

  • Digital collectionsnot Evergreen ILS
  • Digitization projectsnot Evergreen ILS
  • Archival collectionsnot Evergreen ILS
  • Special collectionsnot Evergreen ILS

Evergreen ILS

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

Where each one falls short

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

CONTENTdm

  • Pricing requires custom quote with no public pricing available
  • Expensive relative to open-source 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

CONTENTdm

$1495/year
  • Basic$1495/year
    • Up to 10,000 items
    • 5GB storage
    • Basic discovery
  • Standard$2995/year
    • Up to 50,000 items
    • 25GB storage
    • Custom branding
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited items
    • Custom storage
    • IIIF support

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 CONTENTdm if

  • You need digital collection management.
  • You work on Cloud.
  • You also want metadata management.
CONTENTdm 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 CONTENTdm or Evergreen ILS better?
Neither clearly leads. CONTENTdm starts at $1495/year and Evergreen ILS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CONTENTdm or Evergreen ILS?
Evergreen ILS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1495/year for CONTENTdm and Free for Evergreen ILS.
Does CONTENTdm or Evergreen ILS run on more platforms?
CONTENTdm runs on Cloud. Evergreen ILS runs on Web, Desktop, Api.
Can I use Evergreen ILS for free?
Yes. Evergreen ILS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CONTENTdm starts at $1495/year.
What is CONTENTdm best used for?
CONTENTdm is most often used for digital collections, digitization projects, archival collections, special collections. Of those, digital collections and digitization projects are not what Evergreen ILS is typically brought in for.
What can CONTENTdm do that Evergreen ILS cannot?
CONTENTdm covers Digital collection management, Metadata management, Compound object support, Full-text search. Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management, MARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. Both handle Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CONTENTdm: What types of organizations use CONTENTdm?

CONTENTdm is used by libraries of all types including academic and research libraries, public libraries, historical societies, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions worldwide.

Source
Evergreen ILS: Is Evergreen ILS free?

Yes, Evergreen ILS is a free open source library management system. The software is available at no cost for libraries and organizations to install, deploy, and customize according to their needs.

Source
CONTENTdm: Does CONTENTdm preserve digital collections?

Yes, CONTENTdm secures and monitors digital originals in a cloud-based preservation archive to ensure collections remain safe for the future.

Source
Evergreen ILS: Does Evergreen ILS offer commercial support or hosting?

Evergreen ILS website does not list commercial hosting or support services. As an open source project, it relies on community contributions and institutional deployments. Libraries may arrange custom support through integrators or consultants, but no official commercial offerings are detailed on the website.

Source
CONTENTdm: How much metadata access does CONTENTdm provide?

CONTENTdm allows libraries to describe digitized materials with structured metadata and provides access to over 153 million books and 169 million library-vetted tags.

Source
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