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Software · head to head

Evergreen ILS vs CONTENTdm

Evergreen ILS logo

Evergreen ILS

Software

Highly scalable open source library software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CONTENTdm logo

CONTENTdm

Software

Build, showcase, and preserve digital collections

From
$1495/year
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: Evergreen ILS server installation is supported only on Debian 10, 11, 12 and 13 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04; CONTENTdm pricing requires custom quote with no public pricing available
  • They diverge on capability: Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management, CONTENTdm covers Digital collection management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Evergreen ILS and CONTENTdm differ
AttributeEvergreen ILSCONTENTdm
Starting priceFree$1495/year
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, ApiCloud
Founded20061967

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 Evergreen ILS

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

Only in CONTENTdm

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

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Evergreen ILS

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

CONTENTdm

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

CONTENTdm

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Evergreen ILS

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

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

Which should you pick?

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

Choose CONTENTdm if

  • You need digital collection management.
  • You work on Cloud.
  • You also want metadata management.
CONTENTdm review

Questions people ask

Is Evergreen ILS or CONTENTdm better?
Neither clearly leads. Evergreen ILS starts at Free and CONTENTdm at $1495/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Evergreen ILS or CONTENTdm?
Evergreen ILS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Evergreen ILS and $1495/year for CONTENTdm.
Does Evergreen ILS or CONTENTdm run on more platforms?
Evergreen ILS runs on Web, Desktop, Api. CONTENTdm runs on Cloud.
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 Evergreen ILS best used for?
Evergreen ILS is most often used for running a consortium-scale library catalogue and circulation system, self-hosting an open source integrated library system across multiple branches. Of those, running a consortium-scale library catalogue and circulation system and self-hosting an open source integrated library system across multiple branches are not what CONTENTdm is typically brought in for.
What can Evergreen ILS do that CONTENTdm cannot?
Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management, MARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. CONTENTdm covers Digital collection management, Metadata management, Compound object support, Full-text search. 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
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
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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