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Software · head to head

Legistar vs OpenCities

Legistar logo

Legistar

Software

Legislative Management System

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenCities logo

OpenCities

Software

Digital Government Experience Platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Legistar pricing is not published; sold by quote through a sales process; OpenCities population-based pricing model limits scalability for growing municipalities
  • They diverge on capability: Legistar covers Legislation Tracking, OpenCities covers Website Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Legistar and OpenCities actually diverge.

Attributes where Legistar and OpenCities differ
AttributeLegistarOpenCities
Starting priceOn request$500/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile
Founded19992008

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Legistar

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

Only in OpenCities

  • Website Management
  • Digital Forms
  • Search Optimization
  • Accessibility Compliance
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Analytics

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Legistar

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

OpenCities

  • 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

OpenCities

  • Population-based pricing model limits scalability for growing municipalities
  • No self-hosted or on-premises deployment option
  • Limited code customization without vendor support

Pricing, plan by plan

Legistar

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Legistar review.

OpenCities

$500/month
  • Government Platform$500/month
    • Website CMS
    • Digital Forms
    • Accessibility

Which should you pick?

Choose Legistar if

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

Choose OpenCities if

  • You need website management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want digital forms.
OpenCities review

Questions people ask

Is Legistar or OpenCities better?
Neither clearly leads. Legistar starts at On request and OpenCities at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Legistar or OpenCities?
Legistar starts at On request and OpenCities at $500/month.
Does Legistar or OpenCities run on more platforms?
Legistar runs on Web. OpenCities 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 OpenCities is typically brought in for.
What can Legistar do that OpenCities cannot?
Legistar covers Legislation Tracking, Meeting Agendas, Voting Records, Public Portal. OpenCities covers Website Management, Digital Forms, Search Optimization, Accessibility Compliance. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenCities: Does OpenCities work offline?

No, OpenCities is a cloud-based SaaS platform that requires an internet connection. All editing and management is done through web browsers.

Source
OpenCities: What accessibility standards does OpenCities meet?

OpenCities is maintained to comply with WCAG AA requirements, ensuring equitable access to government services and information for all residents.

Source
OpenCities: Can I integrate OpenCities with other government systems?

Yes. OpenCities integrates with Google Analytics, govDelivery for notifications, EngagementHQ for feedback collection, Legistar for meeting management, and Active Directory for intranet workflows.

Source
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Related pages

More on Legistar

More on OpenCities

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