Softwr

Government · head to head

Legistar vs OnBase

Legistar logo

Legistar

Government

Legislative Management System

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OnBase logo

OnBase

Government

Enterprise Information Platform

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Legistar pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process; OnBase pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies
  • They diverge on capability: Legistar covers Legislation Tracking, OnBase covers Content Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Legistar and OnBase actually diverge.

Attributes where Legistar and OnBase differ
AttributeLegistarOnBase
Starting priceOn request$400/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
Founded19991991

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Legistar

  • Legislation Tracking
  • Meeting Agendas
  • Voting Records
  • Public Portal
  • Document Management
  • Video Streaming
  • Microsoft Office
  • Records Systems

Only in OnBase

  • Content Management
  • Workflow Automation
  • Case Management
  • Records Management
  • Intelligent Capture
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Epic

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Legistar

  • Legislative agenda managementnot OnBase
  • Meeting management and video processesnot OnBase
  • Public records managementnot OnBase
  • Government transparencynot OnBase

OnBase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Legistar

  • Pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process

OnBase

  • Pricing starts at 2,000 USD per month, making it expensive for small agencies
  • Complex implementation and configuration required for government-specific workflows
  • Requires significant IT resources for deployment and ongoing management

Pricing, plan by plan

Legistar

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Legistar review.

OnBase

$400/month
  • Government$400/month
    • Content Management
    • Process Automation
    • Case Management

Which should you pick?

Choose Legistar if

  • You need legislation tracking.
  • You also want meeting agendas.
Legistar review

Choose OnBase if

  • You need content management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want workflow automation.
OnBase review

Questions people ask

Is Legistar or OnBase better?
Neither clearly leads. Legistar starts at On request and OnBase at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Legistar or OnBase?
Legistar starts at On request and OnBase at $400/month.
Does Legistar or OnBase run on more platforms?
Legistar runs on Web. OnBase runs on Web, Mobile.
What is Legistar best used for?
Legistar is most often used for legislative agenda management, meeting management and video processes, public records management, government transparency. Of those, legislative agenda management and meeting management and video processes are not what OnBase is typically brought in for.
What can Legistar do that OnBase cannot?
Legistar covers Legislation Tracking, Meeting Agendas, Voting Records, Public Portal. OnBase covers Content Management, Workflow Automation, Case Management, Records Management. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OnBase: What is OnBase used for in government?

OnBase is used for digital permitting, inspections, and plan review processes. Government agencies use it to streamline workflows, enable online forms, automate approvals, and provide citizen access to application status.

Source
OnBase: Does OnBase support mobile access?

Yes. Mobile access is a key feature of OnBase, allowing users to manage documents and cases on the go.

Source
OnBase: What document management capabilities does OnBase provide?

OnBase provides centralized document storage with version control, search and retrieval tools, records management across physical and electronic lifecycles, and compliance with policies and regulations.

Source
OnBase: Can OnBase workflows be customized?

Yes. OnBase is flexible and configurable with user-defined workflows for case management, streamlining processes like accounts payable, employee onboarding, and contract management.

Source
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