IBM eDiscovery Manager vs Smarsh Enterprise Platform comparison

IBM and Smarsh are both solutions in the eDiscovery category. IBM is ranked #21, while Smarsh is ranked #13. IBM holds a 1.4% mindshare in eD, compared to Smarsh’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution.

IBM eDiscovery Manager

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100% willing to recommend

Smarsh Enterprise Platform

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IBM eDiscovery Manager

Smarsh Enterprise Platform

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 6, 2025

The Smarsh Enterprise Platform and IBM eDiscovery Manager serve distinct niches in enterprise data management. Smarsh is likely more appealing for cost-effectiveness and support, while IBM offers advanced features for those with specific eDiscovery needs.

Features: Smarsh Enterprise Platform is effective in communication archiving, automating compliance for emails, social media, and other channels. IBM eDiscovery Manager is strong in detailed document search, legal hold management, and advanced analytics. Smarsh enables seamless archiving across platforms, while IBM provides sophisticated tools for eDiscovery, appealing to legal professionals with its comprehensive feature set.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Smarsh offers cloud-based deployment with strong support, allowing a quick start. IBM deployment is more complex due to customization needs for large-scale operations but comes with extensive resources. Smarsh's easier deployment may suit smaller enterprises, whereas IBM's flexibility might attract those with specific demands.

Pricing and ROI: Smarsh is generally more affordable, with quicker ROI from lower setup costs and a subscription model. While IBM has a higher upfront cost, it provides significant value in compliance and legal processes, potentially offering better ROI for businesses with demanding eDiscovery needs. Smarsh is ideal for cost-conscious enterprises, while IBM suits those seeking an extensive feature set.

To learn more, read our detailed eDiscovery Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

eDiscovery

August 2025

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Helped 865,295 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

IBM eDiscovery Manager

Ranking in eDiscovery

21st

Average Rating

9.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Smarsh Enterprise Platform

Ranking in eDiscovery

13th

Average Rating

0.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the eDiscovery category, the mindshare of IBM eDiscovery Manager is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Smarsh Enterprise Platform is 3.0%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

eDiscovery

Featured Reviews

Ivan Castaneda

eDiscovery Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Stable with administrative aspects and an easy to navigate backend

The initial setup isn't exactly straightforward. It's a little complex. A company really should hire some experts that can navigate the implementation. Including testing, the deployment took about three hours. It's not a long or drawn-out process. Technically, you only need one person to handle the setup, however, it's advisable to at least have two people who are knowledgeable. In our case, we implemented it first in a separate environment and, once we saw everything was working as it should, then we sent it to production. There isn't much maintenance required. There's another application that handles that, however, we do have to monitor logs and the server where we put the searches.

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Comparisons

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Compared 67% of the time

Microsoft Purview eDiscovery vs IBM eDiscovery Manager

Compared 33% of the time

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Epiq eDataMatrix vs Smarsh Enterprise Platform

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Microsoft Purview eDiscovery vs Smarsh Enterprise Platform

Compared 32% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

eDiscovery

August 2025

Download IBM eDiscovery Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

eDiscovery

August 2025

Download Smarsh Enterprise Platform product report

Also Known As

eDiscovery Manager

Micro Focus eDiscovery, Autonomy eDiscovery, HPE Autonomy eDiscovery, HPE eDiscovery, Actiance

Overview

IBM eDiscovery Manager enables authorized IT and legal staff to search, cull, hold and export case-relevant content to manage electronically stored information (ESI). eDiscovery Manager helps you respond to discovery requests and Streamlines and standardizes the electronic discovery process. It Preserves the electronically stored information (ESI) evidence in a security-rich, auditable, high-scale, trusted evidence repository that includes chain-of-custody tracking and Enhances your capacity to organize ESI, email and other content to reduce discovery costs and risks.

IBM

Smarsh Enterprise Platform provides essential solutions for organizations needing comprehensive communication capture and archiving. Tailored for compliance, e-discovery, and risk management, it handles communication data efficiently.

Designed for organizations across industries, Smarsh Enterprise Platform addresses critical needs for securely capturing, archiving, and analyzing communications. It integrates seamlessly to manage data across multiple channels, ensuring compliance and facilitating e-discovery processes. This technology supports various communication modes such as email, social media, and mobile messages, bringing all essential data into a single, manageable repository. Its architecture is adaptable and scalable, helping companies maintain stringent regulatory standards.

What are the key features of Smarsh Enterprise Platform?

Comprehensive Data Capture: Easily supports capturing messages from numerous channels.
Advanced Search and Discovery: Enables swift retrieval for analysis and legal purposes.
Secure Cloud Archiving: Provides safe, reliable storage with cloud scalability.

Which benefits and ROI can be expected when evaluating Smarsh Enterprise Platform?

Regulatory Compliance: Ensures adherence to industry standards, reducing legal risks.
Cost Efficiency: Lowers archiving and retrieval costs through streamlined processes.
Enhanced Data Security: Protects sensitive information with robust security measures.

Smarsh Enterprise Platform is versatile, proving beneficial in industries like finance and healthcare, where data compliance is critical. It helps financial firms manage communication audit trails and assists healthcare organizations in safeguarding patient-related communications.

Smarsh

Sample Customers

Hansgrohe

Bank AlJazira, MTS India, Vodafone Ireland

Find out what your peers are saying about Google, Microsoft, Commvault and others in eDiscovery. Updated: August 2025.

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