Orchidea
Orchidea: A broad idea-management system with a useful free plan and enterprise-oriented paid tiers. Ranked #11 of 32 in Idea Management Software by our editors (6.3/10); pricing: Free plan · paid from $695/mo; best for established teams running structured challenges.
At a glance
- Editor score6.3 / 10
- PricingFree plan · paid from $695/mo
- Best forEstablished teams running structured challenges
- Free planYes
- Idea scoringYes
- Founded2002
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free plan includes challenges, workshops, forms, and a mobile app
- Combines evaluation, voting, workflows, analytics, and duplicate search
- Challenge plan adds unlimited members and SAML 2.0 single sign-on
Where it doesn't
- Free plan is limited to 15 members
- The platform is available on the web only
- Paid plans start at $695 per month
Our verdict on Orchidea
Orchidea is an idea management and innovation platform for organizations that collect, develop, evaluate, and prioritize ideas. It supports continuous idea collection through channels, time-limited innovation challenges, AI-powered brainstorming workshops, customizable forms and processes, numerical evaluation, participant voting, task assignment, analytics, and AI-assisted ideation. Its audience includes teams involving employees, customers, partners, and other external stakeholders in structured innovation activities.
The free plan provides unlimited open and public channels, challenges, and workshops, up to 15 members, 5,000 AI credits for each member, unlimited visitors, customizable forms and processes, and a mobile app. The Challenge plan costs $695 per month and adds innovation challenges, unlimited members, private challenges, advanced AI features with unlimited AI credits, automatic similar idea search, and SAML 2.0 single sign-on. The Professional plan costs $1,065 per month with annual billing and adds channels and workshops, full AI features, idea management automation, invention disclosure management, channel activity reporting, and a customer success program. Enterprise adds real-time AI translations, multiple workspaces and languages, a test environment, priority support, designated account and customer success support, and on-premise or private cloud hosting.
Orchidea’s strongest fit is teams that need more than an open suggestion box: its challenges, forms, statuses, evaluation, voting, task assignment, and reporting support a defined path from submission to prioritization. Automatic similar idea search can help with duplicate discovery, while SAML 2.0 single sign-on supports organizations with centralized access requirements. The trade-off is scope and cost: the free plan suits smaller groups, but the platform becomes a substantial monthly commitment once teams need unlimited members or advanced controls. Because it is web-only, organizations that require broader platform access should consider alternatives. Choose Orchidea for structured, stakeholder-driven innovation programs; choose another tool for lightweight idea capture or mobile-first requirements.
Orchidea pricing
All 4 Orchidea plans and prices →
Orchidea fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Submission sources | Mixed |
| Evaluation workflow | Yes |
| Idea scoring | Yes |
| Idea voting | Yes |
| Custom idea fields | Yes |
| Duplicate detection | Yes |
| Idea limit | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web |
| Compliance & security | SSO/SAML |
| Support | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan · paid from $695/mo (source) |
| Website | orchidea.dev |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Orchidea
- IdeanoteBroad idea collection, evaluation, automation, and AI features across flexible plans.9.8
- Sideways 6A low-cost idea platform for Microsoft-centric teams with structured evaluation tools.9.2
- ViimaA flexible idea management platform with mobile access, scoring, workflows, and integrations.8.7
See all Orchidea alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
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