Softwr

Legal · head to head

iManage vs Relativity

iManage logo

iManage

Legal

Document and email management for law firms and professional services

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Relativity logo

Relativity

Legal

Ediscovery and legal data platform for large matters

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: iManage it manages documents and email but not matters, billing or accounting, so it is an addition to a practice management system rather than a replacement for one.; Relativity quote-only and expensive, typically billed on data volume, so costs escalate with matter size
  • They diverge on capability: iManage covers iManage Work, Relativity covers Large-scale processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which iManage and Relativity actually diverge.

Attributes where iManage and Relativity differ
AttributeiManageRelativity
PlatformsWindows, Web, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Legal).

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 iManage

  • iManage Work
  • Outlook email filing
  • Security Policy Manager
  • Records Manager
  • Full text and metadata search

Only in Relativity

  • Large-scale processing
  • Review workflow
  • Analytics and active learning
  • Application ecosystem

What people use each for

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

iManage

  • Corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchablenot Relativity
  • Firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matternot Relativity
  • Practices with records retention obligations spanning electronic and physical filesnot Relativity
  • Financial services, accounting and government teams with the same matter-centric document problemnot Relativity

Relativity

  • Large litigation with very high document volumesnot iManage
  • Corporate investigations requiring defensible, auditable reviewnot iManage
  • Firms whose review process is already built around the platformnot iManage

Where each one falls short

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

iManage

  • It manages documents and email but not matters, billing or accounting, so it is an addition to a practice management system rather than a replacement for one.
  • Administration requires specialist skills, and organisations without a dedicated document management administrator tend to run it badly configured.
  • Its value depends on fee earners filing email consistently, which is a behaviour change firms routinely fail to enforce.
  • Nothing about pricing is published and the surrounding modules are licensed separately, so the gap between the core product and a working configuration is discovered late.
  • The market-share figures it cites, such as 81 per cent of the Am Law 200, are vendor published and not independently audited.

Relativity

  • Quote-only and expensive, typically billed on data volume, so costs escalate with matter size
  • Complex enough that certified specialists are a job title, which is a real staffing cost
  • Considerable overkill for small matters, where lighter self-service tools are far cheaper

Pricing, plan by plan

iManage

On request
  • iManage Work$undefined/year
    • Per user licensing quoted per organisation
    • Cloud or on-premises deployment
    • Security, records and analytics modules licensed separately

Relativity

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Relativity review.

Which should you pick?

Choose iManage if

  • You need imanage work.
  • You work on Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want outlook email filing.
iManage review

Choose Relativity if

  • You need large-scale processing.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want review workflow.
Relativity review

Questions people ask

Is iManage or Relativity better?
Neither clearly leads. iManage starts at On request and Relativity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, iManage or Relativity?
iManage starts at On request and Relativity at On request.
Does iManage or Relativity run on more platforms?
iManage runs on Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android. Relativity runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
What is iManage best used for?
iManage is most often used for corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchable, firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matter, practices with records retention obligations spanning electronic and physical files, financial services, accounting and government teams with the same matter-centric document problem. Of those, corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchable and firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matter are not what Relativity is typically brought in for.
What can iManage do that Relativity cannot?
iManage covers iManage Work, Outlook email filing, Security Policy Manager, Records Manager. Relativity covers Large-scale processing, Review workflow, Analytics and active learning, Application ecosystem.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

iManage: Does iManage replace practice management software?

No. It handles documents and email. Firms run it alongside a practice management and billing system such as Aderant or Elite 3E.

Relativity: What does Relativity cost?

It does not publish rates. Ediscovery is generally billed on data volume and users, quoted per matter or organisation.

iManage: Who owns iManage?

It has been independent since a management buyout from Hewlett-Packard completed in July 2015. Bain Capital Tech Opportunities made a minority growth investment in April 2023, with management retaining control.

Relativity: Is Relativity only for law firms?

No. Corporate legal departments and government agencies use it for investigations as well as litigation.

iManage: Is iManage worth it for a small firm?

It is sold to small firms as well as large ones, but the licensing and administrative overhead usually outweighs the benefit over a well organised document store below roughly twenty fee earners.

Relativity: Do I need trained staff?

In practice yes. Relativity certification is a recognised specialism, and that staffing cost is part of the total.

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