ArchivesSpacevs
Omeka
Omeka: Publish collections and create rich digital experiences
ArchivesSpace
Open source archives information management application
As of 30 August 2026, ArchivesSpace has a free plan and paid plans start at $300/year. ArchivesSpace is an open source, web-based archives information management application for managing and providing web access to archives, manuscripts, and digit. Softwr lists it under Libraries. ArchivesSpace is made by ArchivesSpace Community, launched in 2013, available on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Overview
What ArchivesSpace does
ArchivesSpace is an open source, web-based archives information management application for managing and providing web access to archives, manuscripts, and digital objects. It supports accessioning, description, arrangement, preservation, and reference workflows. ArchivesSpace is the most widely used archival management system in the world.
What people use it for
- Digital archive management
- Repository management
- Cultural heritage preservation
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about ArchivesSpace.
- Requires Java 17 or 21 (or Java 11/17 for older versions), adding infrastructure complexity
- Mandatory Solr 9 (or 8 for older versions) for all production deployments since v3.2.0
- Production deployments must use external MySQL 5.x or 8.x; embedded database only for testing
- Minimum 1 GB RAM required, 2 GB recommended; Docker installation recommended as of v4.0.0 due to complexity
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of ArchivesSpace
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- ArchivesSpacevsCONTENTdm
CONTENTdm: Build, showcase, and preserve digital collections
- ArchivesSpacevsDSpace
DSpace: The software of choice for academic and research repositories
- ArchivesSpacevsVuFind
VuFind: Library resource portal designed by libraries
Pricing
What ArchivesSpace costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Very Small
$300 /yr
- Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Very Small, etc.)
- Non-Academic: 0-50 FTE staff
Small
$1,000 /yr
- Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Small, etc.)
- Non-Academic: 51-150 FTE staff
Medium
$3,000 /yr
- Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Medium, etc.)
- Non-Academic: 151-300 FTE staff
Large
$5,000 /yr
- Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Large, etc.)
- Non-Academic: 301-400 FTE staff
Very Large
$7,500 /yr
- Academic/Public Library tier (JSTOR/Artstor Very Large, etc.)
- Non-Academic: 400+ FTE staff
Capabilities
Features
Accession management
Resource description
Digital object management
Agent and subject authorities
Location management
Assessment module
Public user interface
EAD/MARCXML export
Batch import/export
Aeon
Integration with Aeon
ArchivesSnake API
Integration with ArchivesSnake API
Archivematica
Integration with Archivematica
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is ArchivesSpace free to use?
ArchivesSpace application is free to download and use. However, community membership is required and costs $300-$7,500 annually depending on organization type and size.
SourceHow much does ArchivesSpace membership cost?
Membership costs range from $300/year (Very Small institutions) to $7,500/year (Very Large institutions). Costs are based on FTE staff size for non-academic archives (0-50 staff: $300; 400+ staff: $7,500) or JSTOR/Artstor classification for academic institutions.
SourceWhen does the ArchivesSpace membership year run?
ArchivesSpace membership runs from July 1 to June 30 each year and renews annually. New members joining outside this period receive prorated fees for their initial term.
SourceBehind it
Who makes ArchivesSpace
- Company
- ArchivesSpace Community
- Based in
- New York, NY
Keep looking
Where to go from ArchivesSpace
- ArchivesSpace alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- ArchivesSpace pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- ArchivesSpace badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Libraries softwareThe full category
- Best Libraries softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Libraries software for
Compare ArchivesSpace with
- Archivematica
- DSpace
- CollectiveAccess
- CONTENTdm
- Omeka
- Ex Libris Alma
- VuFind
- Evergreen ILS
- Koha
- FOLIO
- SirsiDynix Symphony
- Axiell Collections
- Base UI
- daisyUI
- Leafmap
- OCLC WorldShare Management Services
- Ex Libris Alma
- FOLIO
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for ArchivesSpace, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on ArchivesSpace
ArchivesSpace alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
ArchivesSpace pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare ArchivesSpace
Put it head to head with anything we hold
ArchivesSpace badge
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