SHSelfHostIndex

OpenDocMan vs SeedDMS

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted document management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
OP OpenDocMan Free web-based document management system in PHP VS SE SeedDMS Easy-to-use web-based document management system
FeatureOpenDocManSeedDMS
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
CategoryDocument ManagementDocument Management
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-2.0
LanguagePHPPHP
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, docker, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 283★ 200
First released20042010
ReplacesDocuWare, M-FilesSharePoint, M-Files

What are OpenDocMan and SeedDMS?

OpenDocMan

OpenDocMan is an open-source, web-based document management system written in PHP. It features fine-grained access control, automated check-in and check-out, and file metadata management.

  • Fine-grained file access control
  • Check-in and check-out
  • File metadata and categories
  • LDAP support

SeedDMS

SeedDMS is an open-source web-based document management system that is easy to install and use. It supports versioning, access control, notifications, and full-text search for small and medium teams.

  • Document versioning
  • Fine-grained permissions
  • Full-text search
  • Email notifications

OpenDocMan vs SeedDMS: key differences

Both projects are written in PHP. OpenDocMan is the more established project (first released 2004), while SeedDMS arrived in 2010.

Why pick each one

Choose OpenDocMan if…

  • Runs on a standard LAMP stack
  • Simple to deploy

Watch out for

  • Dated interface
  • Limited modern features
OpenDocMan details

Choose SeedDMS if…

  • Quick to deploy
  • Approachable interface

Watch out for

  • Hosted mainly on SourceForge
  • Dated UI
SeedDMS details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenDocMan or SeedDMS better?

Neither is universally better. OpenDocMan has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are OpenDocMan and SeedDMS free and open-source?

Yes. OpenDocMan is licensed under GPL-2.0 and SeedDMS under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run OpenDocMan and SeedDMS with Docker?

OpenDocMan: yes. SeedDMS: yes.

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