Krystal DMS vs Mayan EDMS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Mayan EDMS
Free electronic document management with workflows
| Feature | Krystal DMS | Mayan EDMS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Document Management | Document Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50 | ★ 1,100 |
| First released | 2012 | 2011 |
| Replaces | DocuWare | DocuWare, M-Files |
What are Krystal DMS and Mayan EDMS?
Krystal DMS
Krystal DMS is an open-source document management system that helps organizations store, index, and retrieve documents through a web interface. It includes metadata management, search, and permission controls.
- Metadata indexing
- Document search
- Role permissions
- Web interface
Mayan EDMS
Mayan EDMS is an open-source electronic document management system for storing, indexing, and organizing documents with OCR. It includes workflows, document versioning, and granular permissions.
- OCR and full-text search
- Document workflows
- Versioning and history
- Granular access control
Krystal DMS vs Mayan EDMS: key differences
Krystal DMS is written in Java, while Mayan EDMS is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Krystal DMS versus Apache-2.0 for Mayan EDMS. Krystal DMS is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Mayan EDMS. Mayan EDMS has the considerably larger community, at 1,100 GitHub stars versus 50. Mayan EDMS lists first-class Docker deployment; Krystal DMS does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Krystal DMS if…
- Straightforward feature set
- Free to use
Watch out for
- Limited modern tooling
- Sparse documentation
Choose Mayan EDMS if…
- Powerful workflow engine
- Enterprise-grade features
Watch out for
- Complex to configure
- Resource intensive
Frequently asked questions
Is Krystal DMS or Mayan EDMS better?
Neither is universally better. Mayan EDMS has the larger community, while Krystal DMS is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Krystal DMS and Mayan EDMS free and open-source?
Yes. Krystal DMS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mayan EDMS under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Krystal DMS and Mayan EDMS with Docker?
Krystal DMS: check the project docs for container support. Mayan EDMS: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Krystal DMS or Mayan EDMS?
Krystal DMS has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Mayan EDMS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.