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ComparisonM-Files or OpenText: which fits your organisation?
OpenText is one of the largest enterprise content management vendors, with a broad portfolio and deep integrations with SAP and other business systems. M-Files takes a different route: documents organised by metadata, linked to customers, projects and contracts, and used inside Microsoft 365.
See when to choose which Talk to an expert
Illustrative example
In short
OpenText and M-Files both manage documents, workflows and records with AI. OpenText offers a broad enterprise portfolio, including OpenText Content Management (Extended ECM), Core Content and Documentum, with deep integrations with SAP, Microsoft 365 and Salesforce and deployment on-premises, in private or public cloud. M-Files organises documents by metadata, links them to business objects such as customers, projects and contracts, and works inside Microsoft 365, where M-Files Cloud stores documents in your own tenant. SoftAdvice implements M-Files in the BeNeLux.
It depends on your landscape and your scale
Both are serious platforms. The question is where your documents live, which systems they must connect to, and who will run the platform.
Broad enterprise portfolio
Large organisations with complex landscapes, content tightly tied to SAP or other core systems, and specialised needs such as Documentum for life sciences or engineering.
- Deep SAP integration
- Records management and archiving
- Many deployment options
Documents in context, in Microsoft 365
Our choiceMid-sized and large organisations whose documents revolve around customers, projects, contracts and quality, with people working in Teams and Outlook, and a need to start fast.
- Metadata and business objects
- Inside Microsoft 365
- Ready-made solutions
Overlap
Both handle version control, workflows, permissions, records and retention, audit trails and AI on content. Then scope, landscape and partner decide.
- Records and retention
- Workflows
- AI on content
How OpenText and M-Files approach the same tasks
Based on what both vendors publish. Ask both for a demo on your own documents before you decide.
| Topic | OpenText | M-Files |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Enterprise content management with repositories and business workspaces | Metadata-driven: documents organised by what they are and what they belong to |
| Products | Content Management (Extended ECM), Core Content, Documentum | One platform, with solutions such as M-Files for Contracts, M-Files for Quality and Hubshare |
| Business systems | Deep integrations with SAP, Microsoft 365, Salesforce and Guidewire | Connects to CRM and ERP and to existing repositories without moving everything |
| Microsoft 365 | Integrations with Microsoft 365 and Teams | Works inside Teams and Outlook; M-Files Cloud stores documents in SharePoint Embedded in your tenant |
| Records and governance | Records management, legal holds, audit trails and archiving | Retention rules, permissions and audit trail driven by metadata |
| Workflows | Configurable workflow automation | Workflow states in the document lifecycle, set off by metadata |
| AI | OpenText Content Aviator: conversational search, summaries, translation | M-Files Aino: metadata suggestions and answers with sources, within M-Files permissions |
| Deployment | On-premises, private cloud, public cloud and managed services | M-Files Cloud, on-premises or hybrid |
We are an M-Files partner, so judge for yourself
SoftAdvice implements M-Files, so we are not neutral. If your content strategy revolves around SAP and you need a broad enterprise portfolio, OpenText is a serious option and we will say so.
If your documents are about customers, projects, contracts and quality, your people work in Microsoft 365 and you want a first process live in weeks, M-Files usually fits better.
- Ask both vendors for a demo on your documents
- Compare the total effort, not only the licence
- Check the partner who will implement it
Questions about M-Files and OpenText
What is the main difference between M-Files and OpenText?
OpenText offers a broad enterprise content portfolio with deep integrations into SAP and other core systems. M-Files organises documents by metadata, links them to business objects such as customers and projects, and works inside Microsoft 365.
We use SAP. Is OpenText then the better choice?
Not automatically. If your content processes run mainly inside SAP, OpenText’s SAP integration is a strong argument. If most documents are created and managed around customers, projects and contracts in Microsoft 365, M-Files can connect to SAP and still fit better.
Can we move from OpenText to M-Files?
Yes. Documents and their attributes can be migrated and mapped to M-Files metadata, or connected first and moved step by step per document type.
Which one is cheaper?
It depends on scope, users and deployment. Compare the full picture: licences, implementation and the effort to keep the platform running. For M-Files, the price calculator gives an estimate.
Compare on your own documents
In a one-hour demo we show M-Files on your own use case, so you can put it next to OpenText.