Hyland OnBase vs IBM FileNet vs OpenText Content Manager comparison

Hyland and IBM are both solutions in the Enterprise Content Management category. Hyland is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.7, while IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.0. Hyland holds a 6.4% mindshare in ECM, compared to IBM’s 9.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Hyland users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Hyland OnBase

Read 13 Hyland OnBase reviews

3,080 Views
1,971 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM FileNet

Read 102 IBM FileNet reviews

3,570 Views
3,284 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

OpenText Content Manager

Read 23 OpenText Content Manager reviews

1,866 Views
1,400 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Hyland OnBase

IBM FileNet

OpenText Content Manager

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Hyland OnBase, IBM FileNet, and OpenText Content Manager based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, OpenText, IBM and others in Enterprise Content Management.

To learn more, read our detailed Enterprise Content Management Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Content Management

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Enterprise Content Management category, the mindshare of Hyland OnBase is 6.4%, up from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM FileNet is 9.4%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Content Manager is 4.9%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Content Management

Featured Reviews

Srinivas Rao Kagitha

Senior Onbase Developer & Administrator at HTC Global Services (INDIA) Private

Offers good dashboards and reports but fails to offer better migration features

The migration is a bit difficult in the tool. Whenever we make certain changes to workflow or other stuff, migrating the code from one environment to another is a bit tedious. The tool has an option for export and import, which is not robust. Most of the time, we need to do things stuff manually. For example, if we make any changes in the existing life cycle or any queues, we have to move those changes manually. There is no robust way to migrate code from one environment to a lower environment, like prod. When it comes to the product's technical support, the turnaround time is a bit longer than expected. The issue may be because there are a number of issues or a large number of customers who are reaching out to the support team for help. I believe that the solution's technical team can provide a solution more quickly.

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Emad Rizki

System integrator at Indépendant

Facilitates seamless integration for large enterprises with strong deployment capabilities

FileNet was scalable and could be implemented into big multinational organizations. However, it has become very expensive recently. Compared to low-code solutions such as Appian and outsystems, FileNet has gaps, mainly because it requires coding, which is not preferred by clients due to pricing concerns in Pakistan. We transitioned clients to cloud solutions, although FileNet has been strongly integrated with on-prem deployments.

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Maurice Riverso

Records Management Officer at ANZPAA

Our our official repository and it has disposal management and retention management

The security architecture is the only problem as it's a little bit complex and too torturous at times. So it could be improved a little bit, but it is regarded as a very good system in Australia. It's probably overly subscribed. Also, what's missing is what people would like, which is basically online collaboration. That's a problem. But it has so many other things to offer that SharePoint, I'm sure, will not have. So, that will be an interesting issue to come up. It's not very good at providing stable and robust add-ins to Microsoft. That's a bit of a problem with Content Manager. They're kind of very volatile. So, that's been definitely something that could be improved.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution's most valuable features are integration and flexibility."

"Hyland OnBase is valued for its security, especially for those in the finance domain who require data confidentiality."

"We found the setup process to be okay since they do offer a troubleshooting guide."

"Integrating Hyland OnBase with our systems enabled us to automate document designs and templates, which was extremely helpful in the finance and banking industry."

"The solution is very developed and we are not taking full advantage of its functionalities."

"It provided data security features, allowing restrictions on sensitive documents, such as who could view or modify them."

"The most valuable features are that it's very secure and provides audit trails for our documents."

"The retention module is one of the most valuable features. Whatever we scan onto the system can be identified and we are notified when the records are due to be disposed."

More Hyland OnBase pros

"The most valuable features for us are Wex (Watson) for search, Datacap for OCR/ICR, and Automation Anywhere for RPA."

"It also helps with compliance and governance issues because it's a datastore that is not modifiable, and you can guarantee that. You cannot guarantee that with a folder-based file structure, where multiple people have access."

"The application, in terms of durability, has been able to withstand the usage, given that it was installed in 2003 and it's still working."

"The most valuable features of IBM File Manager are workflow, content, and process capabilities."

"In terms of stability, we haven't experienced any big technical issues or downtime with IBM FileNet, which is a difference compared to smaller products."

"It has a very broad market share and a lot of people know about it."

"It provides good stability and scalability for huge enterprises as well."

"FileNet can for sure cover the requirements of a medium and a big company, because of the scalability and the possibility to connect with many other IBM products."

More IBM FileNet pros

"For a records management system, Content Manager is a really good system."

"The most valuable features of OpenText Content Manager are its stability, reliability, security, and workflow engine."

"An advantage is integration with your IP directory."

"It has a robust search but has often been difficult for people to learn."

"I did not face issues with the product's scalability...The solution's technical support is good."

"We like how the solution allows us to have retention of records and workflows, as well as its fire plan."

"The product can be integrated with different solutions."

"The tool's implementation has made life easier for customers. It is sold by SAP. The integration between SAP and the solution is good, making it easy to access the documents. It is widely recognized as a market leader in enterprise document management."

Cons

"An area for improvement would be the training - getting our people up to speed on how to use it required more training than we expected due to the complexity of the solution."

"We found the size of images to be a restriction, though this may have been due to the API used rather than the Hyland application."

"We need to troubleshoot why our reports didn't get downloaded in a day. There is a workflow feature which powerful but also complicated."

"We are struggling with duplicates and would like to have OCR functionality when using this solution."

"Software malfunctioning usually occurs when we receive documents from external sources."

"The solution’s initial setup is a little difficult."

"For user experience, they would have to do more with the interface. It is not easy to work with and is a little messy. It is getting better, but it is not yet good enough. Other products are comparatively doing better in terms of the user interface. I have been hearing about Box, which is very easy to use and learn for the users. OnBase has to work on this aspect. It should have BPM capabilities. We compete with tools that provide the BPM feature and support those standards. They can do better in terms of the pricing model. It is a really expensive tool in Latin America. They should have different prices for different regions."

"The dashboards do have some room for improvement as compared to the other vendors which are there in the market."

More Hyland OnBase cons

"I would like to have an offline DR deployment. If that is doable, then it would be a big win."

"The installation and configuration to start up needs expert level knowledge."

"The area of migrations to new versions must be made easier. It's quite good that they have now begun to improve the API area, to modernize the interfaces, but there's always a very big investment involved in migrating from one version to another. That prohibits rolling out new functionalities to customers. It's not so easy.... In that area, they really must improve."

"We would like to have more automation of rollout solutions."

"The usability is fair. It could be a bit better. It could be better designed. They could put more effort into the user experience and do a better job of integrating other components, like Datacap, to be a bit more seamless."

"Needs a better administration tool."

"I think the support could be better, and it could improve."

"Programmers have to translate user needs into IBM FileNet, which causes misinterpretations."

More IBM FileNet cons

"Pricing is an issue, as it is too expensive."

"It's not very good at providing stable and robust add-ins to Microsoft."

"The ease of use should be addressed."

"Support could be enhanced. The first line of support consists of individuals who lack experience with some key aspects. When you create a support ticket, the time to resolve the issue may be prolonged because the first person may not understand the system or the solution."

"Due to very limited use in the industry, vendor and contract support are hard to find."

"The stability of the solution is an area of concern where improvements can be made."

"The product could improve its scalability."

"OpenText Content Manager needs to improve its user interface. Its installation process is difficult and can be made easier."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution costs around $6,000 per month."

"OnBase is reasonably priced."

"The tool's price is high."

"There are a number of different types of licenses. There are concurrent licenses, individual licenses and imaging licenses."

"They can do better in terms of the pricing model. It is a really expensive tool in Latin America. They should have different prices for different regions."

"The biggest issue is the cost of the FileNet, because the license cost is very high. If a customer doesn't have good technical guides that are aware of the license calculation, they will pay too much. FileNet's license calculation depends on the processor and number of users. So my advice to a new customer is to be very careful with your calculations before purchasing FileNet."

"The tool is expensive, and I rate its pricing a ten out of ten."

"Yearly, we pay for the maintenance, which is $20,000."

"FileNet is not cheap, but you absolutely get what you pay for. "

"There are lots of components to the product. Make sure before you invest that you know which components you need."

"It is still a leading ECM solution provider, however the cost to implement and maintain are higher than other solutions."

"When it comes to pricing, IBM needs to make an effort to improve the cost. That's the main issue regarding use of FinalNet in Columbia."

"The cost is about $40,000, plus yearly maintenance."

More IBM FileNet pricing and cost advice

"I rate the product price an eight or nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive. The solution is expensive."

"The solution's licensing cost depends on the customer domain. Though its costs are high, the product is worth the money. You have to pay a one-time cost and support costs."

"I would suggest that you do a thorough evaluation of all competing products and look for support for these products in your local area."

"The fees incurred are for the licensing and maintenance."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

14%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

23%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

10%

Insurance Company

Government

18%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Hyland OnBase?

The solution is very developed and we are not taking full advantage of its functionalities.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Hyland OnBase?

I find pricing to be on the higher side due to its monolithic architecture. I would rate it six out of ten. Transitio...

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What needs improvement with Hyland OnBase?

I believe the reporting features need improvement, as other competitors in the market provide better analytics. Hylan...

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM FileNet?

The product is robust and can process a lot of documents for enterprise content management.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM FileNet?

From the company's perspective, the licensing cost for IBM FileNet is still affordable. Though the license cost is so...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM FileNet?

The API provided by IBM FileNet is a very out-of-date implementation. From the beginning, we cannot use a REST API; w...

See all answers

What do you like most about Micro Focus Content Manager?

An advantage is integration with your IP directory.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Micro Focus Content Manager?

Pricing is a disadvantage as it is very expensive, especially in this market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Micro Focus Content Manager?

Pricing is an issue, as it is too expensive. Support and services need to be more user-friendly. The support has been...

See all answers

Comparisons

Alfresco vs Hyland OnBase

Compared 17% of the time

OpenText Documentum Content Management vs Hyland OnBase

Compared 14% of the time

SharePoint vs Hyland OnBase

Compared 12% of the time

OpenText Content Management vs Hyland OnBase

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Power Apps vs Hyland OnBase

Compared 6% of the time

More Hyland OnBase Competitors

SharePoint vs IBM FileNet

Compared 17% of the time

OpenText Content Management vs IBM FileNet

Compared 15% of the time

OpenText Documentum Content Management vs IBM FileNet

Compared 14% of the time

Alfresco vs IBM FileNet

Compared 7% of the time

IBM ECM vs IBM FileNet

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM FileNet Competitors

SharePoint vs OpenText Content Manager

Compared 24% of the time

OpenText Content Management vs OpenText Content Manager

Compared 13% of the time

OpenText Documentum Content Management vs OpenText Content Manager

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Purview Records Management vs OpenText Content Manager

Compared 9% of the time

Alfresco vs OpenText Content Manager

Compared 6% of the time

More OpenText Content Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Hyland OnBase

July 2025

Download Hyland OnBase product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM FileNet

July 2025

Download IBM FileNet product report

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Content Manager

June 2025

Download OpenText Content Manager product report

Also Known As

OnBase

No data available

Micro Focus Content Manager, HPE Records Manager, HPE Content Manager

Overview

Hyland OnBase is acclaimed for its robust document management, automating workflows, and improving organizational efficiency across various industries. Praised for its ability to manage records compliantly, especially in regulated sectors like healthcare and finance, the tool also integrates smoothly with other enterprise systems. Users benefit significantly from streamlined processes, reduced manual tasks, and enhanced data accuracy, boosting productivity and customer satisfaction.

Hyland

IBM FileNet is a leading IBM enterprise content management product family. IBM FileNet is one of the ECM solutions that can change the way a company does business by enabling users to capture, activate, socialize, analyze, and govern content throughout its lifecycle.

There are many IBM FileNet products available, all of which are integrated and based on the FileNet P8 Platform.

IBM

OpenText Content Manager, formerly Records Manager, is a governance-based enterprise content management system designed to help government agencies, regulated industries and global organizations manage their business content from creation to disposal. Regardless of how you create and collaborate on your content, Content Manager gives you the ability to leverage accurate, contextual, and complete information throughout its lifecycle. Managing your content in this way helps you significantly improve services to your customers, business decisions and insight for future strategy.

OpenText

Sample Customers

Honda France Industries, Hill County Texas, Hylant Group, ING Lease France, State of South Carolina, Syracuse University, Swindon College, Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Rochester Institute of Technology, Moen, Odense University Hospital

Suncorp Group Limited, St. Vincent Health, Citigroup, SRCSD, and UK Dept for Work and Pensions.

Missouri State Courts

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Content Management

July 2025

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Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, OpenText, IBM and others in Enterprise Content Management. Updated: July 2025.

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