# Hyland Alfresco vs M-Files Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that M-Files excels in user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher overall score compared to Hyland Alfresco. Users appreciate its intuitive design, noting that it is "simple to learn" and allows for easy access to documents from anywhere, enhancing productivity.
- **According to verified reviews** , M-Files shines in its implementation process, with users highlighting the "quick and seamless" onboarding experience. In contrast, Hyland Alfresco faces challenges in this area, with some users mentioning difficulties in setup and configuration.
- **Users say** that M-Files offers superior support quality, with many praising the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team. This is a stark contrast to Hyland Alfresco, where reviewers express concerns about the quality of support, indicating a need for improvement.
- **Reviewers mention** that M-Files provides robust features for document management, such as effective version control and permission management. Users find it easy to locate documents without navigating complex folder structures, while Hyland Alfresco, although functional, does not receive the same level of praise for its document retrieval capabilities.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** M-Files' strong integration capabilities, particularly with tools like Outlook, which enhances daily workflows. In comparison, while Hyland Alfresco is recognized for centralizing digital content, some users feel it lacks the same level of integration with other commonly used applications.
- **Users report** that M-Files consistently meets their requirements with a high satisfaction rate, particularly in areas like file type support and search functionality. Hyland Alfresco, while offering a solid platform, tends to fall short in these specific areas, leading to mixed reviews regarding its overall effectiveness in meeting user needs.



| | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 3.8 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 55 | 273 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (45.8% of reviews) | Mid-Market (49.6% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | Contact Vendor for Pricing | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Hyland Alfresco

Pros:
- Centralization (3 reviews)
- Content Management (3 reviews)

Cons:
- Performance Issues (2 reviews)
- Document Management (1 reviews)

### M-Files

Pros:
- Ease of Use (93 reviews)
- Document Management (52 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (32 reviews)
- Training Required (26 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 7.5 (40 reviews) | 8.8 (221 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 7.1 (44 reviews) | 8.5 (222 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 6.3 (27 reviews) | 8.2 (181 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 6.3 (24 reviews) | 7.7 (87 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 6.4 (35 reviews) | 8.5 (212 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 6.0 (20 reviews) | 8.4 (86 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 5.4 (38 reviews) | 8.9 (216 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Hyland Alfresco

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### M-Files

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Contact Vendor

Price: Contact Vendor for Pricing


[Learn more about M-Files](https://www.g2.com/products/m-files/reviews)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Cloud Content Collaboration

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | N/A | N/A |
| **M-Files** | 9.3/10 | 48 |

#### File Management

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Device Syncing** | Not enough data | 9.5 (40 reviews) | 
| **Web Interface** | Not enough data | 9.2 (40 reviews) | 
| **File Type Support** | Not enough data | 9.6 (41 reviews) | 
| **Search** | Not enough data | 9.5 (42 reviews) | 
| **Mobile Apps** | Not enough data | 8.6 (40 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Cloud Content Collaboration

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 8.7 (5 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | 8.1 (6 reviews) | 
| **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | 8.6 (6 reviews) | 

#### Collaboration

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **File following** | Not enough data | 9.3 (39 reviews) | 
| **File Sharing** | Not enough data | 9.4 (40 reviews) | 
| **Simultaneously Editing** | Not enough data | 9.2 (39 reviews) | 
| **Change Tracking / Audit Logs** | Not enough data | 9.3 (41 reviews) | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **User and Role Management** | Not enough data | 9.1 (39 reviews) | 
| **Policies and Controls** | Not enough data | 9.3 (38 reviews) | 
| **Device Management** | Not enough data | 9.1 (41 reviews) | 
| **Storage Limits** | Not enough data | 8.7 (38 reviews) | 
| **Storage Zones** | Not enough data | 8.9 (38 reviews) | 
| **Security** | Not enough data | 9.4 (39 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Performance and Reliability** | Not enough data | 9.4 (38 reviews) | 
| **Reporting and Auditing** | Not enough data | 9.4 (36 reviews) | 
| **System of Record Integration** | Not enough data | 9.3 (34 reviews) | 
| **APIs** | Not enough data | 9.3 (32 reviews) | 

### Workflow Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | N/A | N/A |
| **M-Files** | 8.9/10 | 73 |

#### Setup

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Activities** | Not enough data | 9.1 (60 reviews) | 
| **Flows** | Not enough data | 9.0 (57 reviews) | 
| **Dependencies** | Not enough data | 8.9 (57 reviews) | 
| **Notifications** | Not enough data | 8.7 (61 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Updates** | Not enough data | 9.0 (59 reviews) | 
| **Audit Trail** | Not enough data | 8.8 (56 reviews) | 
| **Integration** | Not enough data | 9.0 (59 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | 8.4 (53 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Workflow Management

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 9.0 (10 reviews) | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | 8.9 (11 reviews) | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | 8.8 (10 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | 8.6 (11 reviews) | 
| **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | 8.9 (11 reviews) | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | 8.9 (12 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | 8.9 (12 reviews) | 

### Engineering Document Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | N/A | N/A |
| **M-Files** | 9.3/10 | 35 |

#### Data Management

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Document Identification** | Not enough data | 9.3 (33 reviews) | 
| **Workflows** | Not enough data | 9.2 (30 reviews) | 
| **Version Control** | Not enough data | 9.3 (28 reviews) | 

#### Dashboards

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Resource-based Reports** | Not enough data | 8.4 (29 reviews) | 
| **Data Visualization and Analysis** | Not enough data | 8.5 (29 reviews) | 
| **Quality-Based Reports** | Not enough data | 8.6 (29 reviews) | 
| **Automated Dashboards** | Not enough data | 8.6 (30 reviews) | 

#### Collaboration

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Change Tracking** | Not enough data | 9.3 (31 reviews) | 
| **Simultaneous Access** | Not enough data | 8.6 (28 reviews) | 
| **File Sharing** | Not enough data | 9.0 (33 reviews) | 
| **Commenting on Documents** | Not enough data | 9.3 (27 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Authorization** | Not enough data | 9.0 (29 reviews) | 
| **QR Code** | Not enough data | 8.8 (24 reviews) | 
| **Updates on Files** | Not enough data | 9.4 (29 reviews) | 

### Process Orchestration

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | N/A | N/A |
| **M-Files** | N/A | N/A |

#### Functionality - Process Orchestration

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Peak Demand Handling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Process Customization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Process Automation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Workflow Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **High-Stakes Process Automation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Integration & Adaptability - Process Orchestration

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Third-Party Software Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Endpoint Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Intuitive Process Design** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Process Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Business Process Adaptation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customer-Facing Process Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multi-Endpoint Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Regulatory Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### IT Documentation

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | N/A | N/A |
| **M-Files** | 9.3/10 | 61 |

#### Management and Discovery - IT Documentation

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Search and Indexing** | Not enough data | 9.1 (56 reviews) | 
| **Version Control** | Not enough data | 9.3 (54 reviews) | 
| **Access and Permissions** | Not enough data | 9.4 (53 reviews) | 

#### Operations - IT Documentation

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Integrations** | Not enough data | 9.2 (51 reviews) | 
| **Automation** | Not enough data | 8.9 (50 reviews) | 
| **Reporting** | Not enough data | 9.4 (54 reviews) | 

### Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | 7.2/10 | 25 |
| **M-Files** | 8.6/10 | 196 |

#### Agentic AI - Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 8.0 (20 reviews) | 
| **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | 8.2 (18 reviews) | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | 8.3 (19 reviews) | 

#### File Management

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **File Type Support** | 8.0 (22 reviews) | 9.2 (132 reviews) | 
| **Metadata** | 7.9 (22 reviews) | 9.1 (137 reviews) | 
| **OCR Scanning** | 6.5 (10 reviews) | 8.3 (97 reviews) | 
| **Versioning** | 8.2 (22 reviews) | 9.1 (118 reviews) | 
| **Collaboration** | 7.5 (19 reviews) | 8.6 (120 reviews) | 
| **Document Assembly** | 7.4 (15 reviews) | 8.5 (112 reviews) | 
| **Form Creation** | 6.5 (20 reviews) | 8.1 (96 reviews) | 
| **Portals and Sites** | 7.2 (21 reviews) | 8.2 (92 reviews) | 
| **Disposition** | 6.9 (14 reviews) | 8.3 (101 reviews) | 
| **Search** | 7.0 (22 reviews) | 9.0 (135 reviews) | 
| **Web Interface** | 7.3 (23 reviews) | 8.7 (118 reviews) | 
| **Mobile Apps** | 6.8 (14 reviews) | 8.4 (101 reviews) | 

#### Workflow

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Process Automation** | 6.3 (20 reviews) | 8.7 (121 reviews) | 
| **Conditions** | 6.6 (17 reviews) | 8.5 (119 reviews) | 
| **Activities** | 7.0 (18 reviews) | 8.5 (112 reviews) | 
| **Records Management** | 7.1 (16 reviews) | 8.8 (112 reviews) | 
| **Case Management** | 6.5 (12 reviews) | 8.6 (100 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Internationalization** | 7.8 (15 reviews) | 8.9 (95 reviews) | 
| **Performance and Reliability** | 7.7 (22 reviews) | 8.7 (130 reviews) | 
| **Reporting and Auditing** | 6.9 (16 reviews) | 8.3 (112 reviews) | 
| **System of Record Integration** | 7.5 (14 reviews) | 8.6 (111 reviews) | 
| **APIs** | 7.9 (16 reviews) | 8.5 (97 reviews) | 

### Knowledge Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Hyland Alfresco** | N/A | N/A |
| **M-Files** | N/A | N/A |

#### Knowledge Base

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Q & A** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Link Sharing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Searchable** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Verification** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Role-Based Permission** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Public vs Private** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Content

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Trackable Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Import** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **File Viewing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Update Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Communication

| Feature | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Social Features** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Tagging ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Upload ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Comments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (3):** [Document Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/document-management), [Engineering Document Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/engineering-document-management), [Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/enterprise-content-management-ecm)

**Unique to Hyland Alfresco (1):** [Process Orchestration Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/process-orchestration)

**Unique to M-Files (3):** [Cloud Content Collaboration Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-content-collaboration), [Workflow Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/workflow-management), [IT Documentation Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/it-documentation)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Hyland Alfresco | M-Files | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 18.8% | 33.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 45.8% | 49.6% | 
| **Enterprise** | 35.4% | 17.1% | 

### By Industry

#### Hyland Alfresco

- **Information Technology and Services:** 19.6%
- **Computer Software:** 11.8%
- **Higher Education:** 9.8%
- **Government Administration:** 7.8%
- **Financial Services:** 5.9%
- **Information Services:** 5.9%
- **Research:** 3.9%
- **E-Learning:** 3.9%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 3.9%
- **Insurance:** 3.9%
- **Other:** 23.5%

#### M-Files

- **Information Technology and Services:** 16.7%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 4.8%
- **Construction:** 4.8%
- **Oil & Energy:** 4.8%
- **Computer Software:** 4.4%
- **Financial Services:** 4.4%
- **Automotive:** 4.0%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 3.5%
- **Information Services:** 3.5%
- **Real Estate:** 2.6%
- **Other:** 46.3%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Hyland Alfresco

- [Laserfiche](https://www.g2.com/products/laserfiche/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (1247 reviews)
- [Teamcenter](https://www.g2.com/products/teamcenter/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1311 reviews)
- [Revver](https://www.g2.com/products/revver/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (396 reviews)
- [Box](https://www.g2.com/products/box/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (5257 reviews)
- [Foxit PDF Editor](https://www.g2.com/products/foxit-pdf-editor/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (3660 reviews)
- [PandaDoc](https://www.g2.com/products/pandadoc/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (3587 reviews)
- [Seismic Enablement Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/seismic-enablement-cloud/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1800 reviews)
- [Progress ShareFile](https://www.g2.com/products/progress-sharefile/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (1537 reviews)
- [Sanity](https://www.g2.com/products/sanity/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (915 reviews)
- [Conga Composer](https://www.g2.com/products/conga-composer/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (906 reviews)

### Alternatives to M-Files

- [DocuWare](https://www.g2.com/products/docuware/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (250 reviews)
- [Laserfiche](https://www.g2.com/products/laserfiche/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (1247 reviews)
- [Revver](https://www.g2.com/products/revver/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (396 reviews)
- [Hyland OnBase](https://www.g2.com/products/hyland-onbase/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (324 reviews)
- [iManage Work](https://www.g2.com/products/imanage-work/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (342 reviews)
- [OpenText Documentum Content Management](https://www.g2.com/products/opentext-documentum-content-management/reviews) — 3.7/5 stars (57 reviews)
- [Docusign CLM](https://www.g2.com/products/docusign-clm/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (492 reviews)
- [Box](https://www.g2.com/products/box/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (5257 reviews)
- [Progress ShareFile](https://www.g2.com/products/progress-sharefile/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (1537 reviews)
- [Microsoft OneDrive for Business](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onedrive-for-business/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (10386 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Hyland Alfresco

- Title: [What is Alfresco Enterprise?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-alfresco-enterprise) — 1 comment *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Alfresco Enterprise is no longer available and has been superseded by our current offerings. Alfresco Content Services delivers a comprehensive set of..."
- Title: [What are the features of a good document management system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/alfresco-content-services-what-are-the-features-of-a-good-document-management-system) — 1 comment *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Hello, 
Thank you for your question.    The need for information management is greater now than ever before.  With a Content Service Platform, organizations..."
- Title: [What happened to Alfresco?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-happened-to-alfresco) — 1 comment *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Hi, Thanks for your question.  Alfresco hasn’t gone anywhere. In October 2020, Alfresco was acquired by Hyland to support its efforts to be the #1 content..."
- Title: [What is Alfresco content services?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/alfresco-content-services-what-is-alfresco-content-services) — 1 comment *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Hi.  Thank you for your question.  Alfresco Content Services is a cloud-enabled content services platform for managing all types of information. Alfresco..."
- Title: [What is Alfresco content services?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-alfresco-content-services) — 1 comment *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Hi, Thank you for the question.  Alfresco Content Services is a cloud-enabled content services platform for managing all types of information. Alfresco..."

### M-Files

- Title: [Is anyone else struggling with AI tagging and advanced workflows adding chaos instead of clarity?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-anyone-else-struggling-with-ai-tagging-and-advanced-workflows-adding-chaos-instead-of-clarity) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">One thing you could try is turning on smaller workflows one at a time and validating results in a test vault before..."
- Title: [How are you dealing with the older‑feeling desktop client and extra clicks in everyday work?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-are-you-dealing-with-the-older-feeling-desktop-client-and-extra-clicks-in-everyday-work) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You could also look at adjusting view settings and shortcuts so you’re only seeing fields and actions you use most..."
- Title: [What are you doing to cope with slow performance on large data sets and in the cloud?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-you-doing-to-cope-with-slow-performance-on-large-data-sets-and-in-the-cloud) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It might help to check whether the vault structure or underlying hardware/network might be slowing things down, because..."
- Title: [How are you helping new and non‑technical colleagues get over the M-Files learning curve?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-are-you-helping-new-and-non-technical-colleagues-get-over-the-m-files-learning-curve) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You could also look into formal enablement or champion training so non-technical users get support from peers, since..."
- Title: [Complex setup and constant metadata tweaks slow my rollout and ongoing work](https://www.g2.com/discussions/complex-setup-and-constant-metadata-tweaks-slow-my-rollout-and-ongoing-work) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Have you considered rolling out M-Files in smaller phases with well-defined metadata rules and testing each phase..."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/hyland-alfresco-vs-m-files)