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Government · head to head

DataSF vs NEOGOV

DataSF logo

DataSF

Government

San Francisco Open Data Portal

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NEOGOV logo

NEOGOV

Government

Public sector HR suite covering civil service recruiting, onboarding, training and policy management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DataSF has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: DataSF covers Open Datasets, NEOGOV covers Civil service recruiting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DataSF and NEOGOV actually diverge.

Attributes where DataSF and NEOGOV differ
AttributeDataSFNEOGOV
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2009Unknown

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 DataSF

  • Open Datasets
  • Data API
  • Visualizations
  • Data Catalog
  • Automated Updates
  • Socrata
  • ArcGIS
  • Analysis Tools

Only in NEOGOV

  • Civil service recruiting
  • Veterans preference handling
  • GovernmentJobs.com posting
  • Onboarding workflows
  • Learning and training records
  • Policy management

What people use each for

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

DataSF

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

NEOGOV

  • A city or county HR department that must run scored examinations and ranked eligibility listsnot DataSF
  • A public safety agency needing policy acknowledgement records that stand up in litigationnot DataSF
  • An agency replacing a commercial applicant tracking system that cannot handle veterans preferencenot DataSF
  • A school district or university consolidating recruiting, onboarding and mandated training recordsnot DataSF

Where each one falls short

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

DataSF

Nothing recorded yet. See the DataSF review.

NEOGOV

  • Each module is shallower than the specialist product it competes with, so agencies buying the full suite for coherence accept weaker performance management and learning than they would get separately.
  • Policy management arrived through the PowerDMS acquisition rather than being built in, and the join between it and the rest of the suite still reads as two products.
  • Implementation is long and configuration heavy because the civil service rules that make the product valuable have to be encoded for your jurisdiction, and that work is billed.
  • Pricing is not published and scales with headcount, so a large agency can pay several times what a comparable one pays without knowing it unless someone reads the public contracts.
  • Private equity ownership since the Warburg Pincus investment has coincided with an acquisition led strategy, and buyers should expect further products bolted on rather than deeper integration of the existing ones.

Pricing, plan by plan

DataSF

Free
  • Public AccessFree
    • Dataset Access
    • API Access
    • Visualizations

NEOGOV

On request
  • NEOGOV Suite$undefined/year
    • Quoted per module and scaled by employee headcount
    • Implementation and data migration priced separately from the subscription
    • Available through cooperative purchasing and state term contracts

Which should you pick?

Choose DataSF if

  • You need open datasets.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want data api.
DataSF review

Choose NEOGOV if

  • You need civil service recruiting.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want veterans preference handling.
NEOGOV review

Questions people ask

Is DataSF or NEOGOV better?
Neither clearly leads. DataSF starts at Free and NEOGOV at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DataSF or NEOGOV?
DataSF has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for DataSF and On request for NEOGOV.
Does DataSF or NEOGOV run on more platforms?
DataSF runs on Web. NEOGOV runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use DataSF for free?
Yes. DataSF has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NEOGOV starts at On request.
What is DataSF best used for?
DataSF is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what NEOGOV is typically brought in for.
What can DataSF do that NEOGOV cannot?
DataSF covers Open Datasets, Data API, Visualizations, Data Catalog. NEOGOV covers Civil service recruiting, Veterans preference handling, GovernmentJobs.com posting, Onboarding workflows.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NEOGOV: Why not use a commercial applicant tracking system?

Because civil service rules such as ranked eligibility lists, rule of three certification and veterans preference are not expressible in commercial products, so the statutory steps end up in spreadsheets.

NEOGOV: Can I find out what other agencies pay?

Yes. These are public procurements, so executed contract values appear in council agenda packets and state term contract listings. Read several before negotiating.

NEOGOV: What did NEOGOV acquire?

PowerDMS, a policy management and accreditation product, in 2021, which is now sold as the policy module of the suite.

NEOGOV: Is it only for the United States?

Effectively yes. The value is in encoding US civil service and public safety requirements.

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