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M-Files alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll document management systems

Top picks

Common reasons people leave M-Files: no free plan; entry tier is billed per seat, and enterprise plan pricing requires a sales quote. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces M-Files, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Mayan EDMS currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1MaMayan EDMSOpen source—YesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 459.4
2Docspell logoDocspellOpen source—YesWeb, Self-hosted, Android5 of 557.5
3Microsoft SharePoint logoMicrosoft SharePointPaid—NoWeb, iOS, Android +13 of 354.5
4Box logoBoxFree plan + paid—NoWeb, Windows, macOS +23 of 354.4
5Egnyte logoEgnytePaid$22 per user/month, billed annually (Business)NoWeb, Windows, macOS +26 of 652.6
  1. Ma

    1. Mayan EDMSTop pick

    Best for: Organisations that need document versioning, workflows and strict access control on their own servers

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from M-Files

    Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost.

    Pros

    • Document versioning with per-version access control
    • Workflows and fine-grained permissions for formal processes
    • Mature project with paid support available

    Cons

    • Heavier to install and learn than home-focused tools
    • No hosted version; you run and maintain the server
    Visit Mayan EDMS Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Mayan EDMS a good M-Files alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mayan-edms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    First released
    2010
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mayan-edms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Versioning
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mayan-edms.com(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    REST API
    Checked Nov 8, 2026mayan-edms.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Docspell logo

    2. Docspell

    Best for: Self-hosters and families who want automatic metadata and many ways to feed documents in

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, Android

    57.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from M-Files

    Free self-hosted DMS with OCR and auto-tagging, suited to small teams that don't need enterprise governance.

    Pros

    • Suggests tags and metadata from document text
    • Many import paths: IMAP, upload links, CLI, Android app
    • Uploaded originals are never modified

    Cons

    • No document versioning or editing
    • No fine-grained permission management
    • Smaller community than Paperless-ngx
    Visit Docspell Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Docspell a good M-Files alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    OCR
    Tesseract
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docspell.org(opens source in a new tab)
    API
    REST API
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docspell.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Email import
    IMAP
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docspell.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Versioning
    No
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docspell.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Microsoft SharePoint logo

    3. Microsoft SharePoint

    Best for: Organisations on Microsoft 365 that need an intranet and permissioned document sites

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    54.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from M-Files

    Often already licensed with Microsoft 365, with document libraries, versioning and permissions without a separate DMS.

    Pros

    • Usually included in existing Microsoft 365 plans
    • Strong permissions, retention and compliance tools
    • Files from Teams already live there

    Cons

    • Page editor is slow for everyday documentation
    • Sites sprawl without active governance
    • Admin and configuration are complex
    Visit Microsoft SharePoint Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.360
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft SharePoint a good M-Files alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Teams integration
    Teams files are stored in SharePoint
    Checked Nov 8, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    On-premises edition
    SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
    Checked Nov 8, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Site types
    Team, communication and hub sites
    Checked Nov 8, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Box logo

    4. Box

    Best for: Companies that need governed file sharing, compliance and workflows

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    54.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from M-Files

    Cloud content platform with workflows and governance add-ons; simpler to roll out than a metadata-first DMS.

    Pros

    • Strong admin, retention and compliance controls
    • Deep integrations with business apps
    • Built-in e-signature and workflow automation

    Cons

    • Tiny per-file upload limit on the free plan
    • Business plans need several seats
    • Overkill for personal use
    Visit Box Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.352
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Box a good M-Files alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan upload limit
    250 MB per file
    Checked Nov 8, 2026support.box.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Personal Pro upload limit
    5 GB per file
    Checked Nov 8, 2026support.box.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business Plus upload limit
    15 GB per file
    Checked Nov 8, 2026support.box.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Egnyte logo

    5. Egnyte

    Best for: Regulated mid-sized firms that need file sharing plus data governance

    PaidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    52.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from M-Files

    Hybrid cloud file platform with governance and compliance tools, popular with the same professional-services firms.

    Pros

    • Strong sensitive-data and permission governance
    • Hybrid local caching for large files
    • Industry-specific compliance features

    Cons

    • No free plan
    • Complex for small teams
    • Higher tiers get expensive
    Visit Egnyte Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Egnyte a good M-Files alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Starting price
    $22 per user/month, billed annually (Business)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026egnyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Top listed plan
    $48 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026egnyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI
    Included in every plan
    Checked Nov 8, 2026egnyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026egnyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise Lite plan
    $39 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026egnyte.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Elite plan
    $48 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026egnyte.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best M-Files alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Ma

Best M-Files alternative for most people

Mayan EDMS

Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost.

Docspell logo

Best M-Files alternative for a free option

Docspell

Free self-hosted DMS with OCR and auto-tagging, suited to small teams that don't need enterprise governance.

Box logo

Best M-Files alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Box

Cloud content platform with workflows and governance add-ons; simpler to roll out than a metadata-first DMS.

Ma

Best M-Files alternative for open source

Mayan EDMS

Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost.

Ma

Best M-Files alternative for self-hosting

Mayan EDMS

Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost.

Egnyte logo

Best M-Files alternative for Mac

Egnyte

Hybrid cloud file platform with governance and compliance tools, popular with the same professional-services firms.

Box logo

Best M-Files alternative for Windows

Box

Cloud content platform with workflows and governance add-ons; simpler to roll out than a metadata-first DMS.

Microsoft SharePoint logo

Best M-Files alternative for iPhone and Android

Microsoft SharePoint

Often already licensed with Microsoft 365, with document libraries, versioning and permissions without a separate DMS.

Ma

Best M-Files alternative for working in the browser

Mayan EDMS

Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost.

M-Files alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to M-Files?

Mayan EDMS ranks first right now. Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost. Docspell and Microsoft SharePoint follow it in our ranking.

M-Files vs Mayan EDMS: what's the difference?

M-Files is a paid product; Mayan EDMS is free and open source. Mayan EDMS is open source and M-Files is not. Only M-Files runs on Windows, iOS and Android.

Is M-Files free?

M-Files is a paid product. Starting price: $65 per seat/month (Essentials); Enterprise plan: Custom pricing. Checked on M-Files's own site, November 2026.

Is there a free alternative to M-Files?

Yes. Mayan EDMS (open source), Docspell (open source) and Box (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to M-Files?

Yes: Mayan EDMS and Docspell. Mayan EDMS and Docspell can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from M-Files?

The complaints we hear most: no free plan; entry tier is billed per seat; enterprise plan pricing requires a sales quote; metadata setup takes planning before it pays off.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces M-Files, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.