SeedDMS
SeedDMS: A free, capable document system for teams willing to manage their own deployment. Ranked #33 of 65 in Document Management Software by our editors (6.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for small self-hosted teams on a zero-license budget.
At a glance
- Editor score6.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forSmall self-hosted teams on a zero-license budget
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Access control levelGranular
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Versioning, approvals, revisions, and granular access controls
- Full-text search, WebDAV, REST API, and document conversion
- OCR support through Tesseract and integrations with office editors
Where it doesn't
- Requires a self-hosted deployment and supported PHP database setup
- No native SeedDMS mobile app is provided
- Teams needing an audit-log feature should consider alternatives
Our verdict on SeedDMS
SeedDMS is a free, open-source document management system for small and medium-sized enterprises and other organizations. It provides a web-based interface for storing and sharing documents, with version history, review and approval workflows, fine-grained access-control lists, user and group management, full-text search, WebDAV access, and a REST API. It fits teams that want control over deployment and a document system without license costs, provided they are comfortable operating a self-hosted application.
Its strongest area is document lifecycle management. Teams can retain document versions, route documents through review, approval, and revision workflows, and restrict access with granular permissions. Full-text indexing supports document discovery, while conversion to PDF, PNG, and text formats broadens how stored content can be handled. OCR is available through a Tesseract extension, and scheduled automatic tasks support recurring administrative work. These features give SeedDMS a wider scope than a basic shared folder, while keeping documents, permissions, and workflows in one system.
The ecosystem is a practical advantage for organizations with compatible tools. Integrations include Collabora Office, OnlyOffice, Tesseract, Tika, Etherpad, HedgeDoc, and Paperless-ngx, and extensions can add notifications, office editing, conversion, and Paperless-ngx app compatibility. SeedDMS runs with PHP and supported databases including MySQL, SQLite3, and PostgreSQL, so deployment choices are flexible but require technical ownership. Mobile access depends on the Paperless-ngx compatibility extension or third-party apps rather than a native SeedDMS mobile app. Choose SeedDMS for self-hosted document control and workflow depth; choose an alternative if native mobile access or an audit-log feature is central to the purchase.
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SeedDMS pricing
SeedDMS fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Version history | Yes |
| Access control level | Granular |
| OCR | Yes |
| Audit logs | Not verified |
| Storage limit | Not verified |
| Mobile apps | None |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Email, Community |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 7 integrations: Collabora Office, ONLYOFFICE, Tesseract OCR, Apache Tika, Etherpad, HedgeDoc … |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | seeddms.org |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
SeedDMS integrations
SeedDMS lists 7 integrations on its own site.
- Collabora Office
- ONLYOFFICE
- Tesseract OCR
- Apache Tika
- Etherpad
- HedgeDoc
- Paperless-ngx
Alternatives to SeedDMS
- Microsoft SharePointA Microsoft-integrated document management platform with granular control and workflow automation.9.3
- BoxA wide cloud content workspace for teams that need storage, workflows, and administration.9.1
- OpenText Documentum Content ManagementA governed repository for large enterprises managing complex, regulated content.9.0
See all SeedDMS alternatives →
Also Ranked In
SeedDMS is ranked in 4 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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