Software · head to head
Mark43 vs CKAN
The short version
- Only CKAN has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mark43 listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £3,955 to £5,900 per unit for the Mark43 Integration Platform add-on, submitted directly by Mark43 UK Limited; CKAN the package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install
- They diverge on capability: Mark43 covers Computer-Aided Dispatch, CKAN covers Dataset Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mark43 and CKAN actually diverge.
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 Mark43
- Computer-Aided Dispatch
- Records Management
- Evidence Management
- Analytics
- Mobile
- FBI CJIS
- NCIC
- State Systems
Only in CKAN
- Dataset Management
- Data Harvesting
- API Access
- Visualization
- Extensions
- DataPusher
- Harvester
- Third-party Tools
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mark43
- Citizen Servicesnot CKAN
- Records Managementnot CKAN
- Public Safetynot CKAN
- Civic Engagementnot CKAN
CKAN
- Publishing open government datasets in a searchable public data portalnot Mark43
- Self-hosting a data catalogue with harvesting and an APInot Mark43
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Mark43
- Listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £3,955 to £5,900 per unit for the Mark43 Integration Platform add-on, submitted directly by Mark43 UK Limited
CKAN
- The package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install
- Only Solr 9 and Solr 8 are supported, and from CKAN 2.10 they are the only Solr versions supported at all
- A working deployment requires PostgreSQL, Solr, Redis, nginx, supervisor and uWSGI to be installed and maintained separately
- Python 3.10 or later is required
Pricing, plan by plan
Mark43
$2000/month- Public Safety Suite$2000/month
- CAD
- RMS
- Analytics
CKAN
Free- Open SourceFree
- Data Management
- API Access
- Visualization
Which should you pick?
Choose Mark43 if
- You need computer-aided dispatch.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want records management.
Choose CKAN if
- You need dataset management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want data harvesting.
Questions people ask
- Is Mark43 or CKAN better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mark43 starts at $2000/month and CKAN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mark43 or CKAN?
- CKAN has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2000/month for Mark43 and Free for CKAN.
- Does Mark43 or CKAN run on more platforms?
- Mark43 runs on Web, Ios, Android. CKAN runs on Web.
- Can I use CKAN for free?
- Yes. CKAN has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mark43 starts at $2000/month.
- What is Mark43 best used for?
- Mark43 is most often used for citizen services, records management, public safety, civic engagement. Of those, citizen services and records management are not what CKAN is typically brought in for.
- What can Mark43 do that CKAN cannot?
- Mark43 covers Computer-Aided Dispatch, Records Management, Evidence Management, Analytics. CKAN covers Dataset Management, Data Harvesting, API Access, Visualization. Both handle Web support.