M-Files
Metadata-driven document management system for businesses, with Microsoft 365 integration and built-in AI.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Self-hosted
Is M-Files free?
No, it's a paid product
- Starting price:
- $65 per seat/month (Essentials)
Checked on M-Files's site Nov 8, 2026
3 alternatives with a free option Full M-Files pricing and plansSwitch from M-Files to
All 5- MaMayan EDMS
Open source
DocspellOpen source
- Verified facts
- 6 of 6
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About M-Files
M-Files is a document management platform from a Finnish company based in Tampere. Instead of making people file documents into a folder tree, it organises content by metadata such as client, project or document type, so the same file can show up wherever it's relevant and is found by what it is rather than where it was saved. It adds version control, permissions, audit trails and graphical workflows for approvals and reviews, which is why it's common in accounting, consulting, engineering and other regulated fields. It works closely with Microsoft 365, including co-authoring in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and includes an AI assistant called Aino for summarising, finding and classifying documents. M-Files can run in its own cloud or on your own servers. Pricing has two tiers: a smaller plan with a published per-seat monthly price, and an enterprise plan that is quoted by sales. There's no free plan, so it suits organisations rather than individuals.
Best for: Mid-sized and regulated firms that want governed document management tied into Microsoft 365.
M-Files pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from M-Files's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $65 per seat/month (Essentials) | Nov 8, 2026 | m-files.com |
| Enterprise plan | Custom pricing | Nov 8, 2026 | m-files.com |
Pros and cons
What works
- Metadata-based filing avoids duplicate copies across folders
- Workflows, versioning and audit trails built in
- Runs in the vendor cloud or self-hosted
- Deep Microsoft 365 integration with co-authoring
Why people leave
- No free plan; entry tier is billed per seat
- Enterprise plan pricing requires a sales quote
- Metadata setup takes planning before it pays off
M-Files vs Mayan EDMS, Docspell and Microsoft SharePoint
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | M-Files | Mayan EDMS | Docspell | Microsoft SharePoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Open source | Open source | Paid |
| Verified price | $65 per seat/month (Essentials) | — | — | — |
| Free plan | No | Free app | Free app | No |
| Open source | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Self-hosted | Web, Self-hosted | Web, Self-hosted, Android | Web, iOS, Android, Self-hosted |
Top M-Files alternatives
See all 5- 1MaMayan EDMS59.4
Open-source, self-hosted document management with metadata, OCR and workflows at no licence cost.
- 2Docspell57.5
Free self-hosted DMS with OCR and auto-tagging, suited to small teams that don't need enterprise governance.
- 3Microsoft SharePoint54.5
Often already licensed with Microsoft 365, with document libraries, versioning and permissions without a separate DMS.
- 4
Box54.4Cloud content platform with workflows and governance add-ons; simpler to roll out than a metadata-first DMS.
- 5
Egnyte52.6Hybrid cloud file platform with governance and compliance tools, popular with the same professional-services firms.
Why people left M-Files
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from M-Files, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
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M-Files: common questions
What is M-Files?
M-Files: Metadata-driven document management system for businesses, with Microsoft 365 integration and built-in AI. Best for mid-sized and regulated firms that want governed document management tied into Microsoft 365. Available for Web, Windows, iOS and Android, and you can host it yourself.
Is M-Files free?
No, M-Files is a paid product. Starting price: $65 per seat/month (Essentials) (checked on M-Files's own site).
How much does M-Files cost?
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 M-Files open source?
No, M-Files is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Mayan EDMS and Docspell.
What platforms does M-Files run on?
M-Files is available for Web, Windows, iOS, Android and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to M-Files?
The highest-ranked M-Files alternatives right now are Mayan EDMS, Docspell and Microsoft SharePoint. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
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.