OpenFilz

OpenFilz is a self-hosted document platform for teams that need document control alongside editing, AI assistance and approval workflows. It is a strong fit for organizations with the capacity to run their own software and a poor fit for teams seeking a turnkey hosted service. Its free Community edition covers a remarkable range of document work; Enterprise charges €12 per user per month for added controls and support.

Overview

OpenFilz combines document organization, collaboration and process management in one system. Virtual folders, metadata, versioning, full-text search and filters give teams more ways to find and manage files than a basic shared drive. Browser-based Office editing, PDF tools, workflows and signatures extend that repository into day-to-day document handling.

Deployment choice is a notable strength: OpenFilz can run on-premises, in private or public clouds, or in air-gapped environments, with Docker Compose and Kubernetes options. Community is self-hosted, so the no-cost route puts deployment and operations in the user's hands. That trade-off will suit infrastructure-capable teams, but not organizations looking for a hosted service with minimal administration.

Key features

Document work and AI

Teams can collaboratively edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in the browser through OnlyOffice, and merge, split, rotate or reorganize PDFs. This keeps common editing and document cleanup close to the repository rather than requiring a separate tool for each task.

The assistant can answer questions from users' files and find, summarize, file or rename documents. Support for local models as well as commercial model APIs gives organizations flexibility over how they provide AI, though they remain responsible for choosing and operating the relevant setup.

Workflows, signatures and connections

Workflows include approval statuses, tasks, due dates and reminders, making OpenFilz suitable for routing documents through routine reviews. Enterprise adds notifications and comments. E-signatures support multi-signer envelopes, templates, one-time codes and PAdES seals, with no per-signature fee—a practical advantage for teams that expect regular signing volume.

Integration options include REST and GraphQL, MCP, TUS uploads, webhooks and migration connectors for SMB, SharePoint, OneDrive, Drive, Box, Dropbox and CMIS. Five official SDKs include Java, Python, TypeScript and C#. That breadth helps teams connect existing systems, although it is most useful to organizations with technical resources to build and maintain integrations.

Security and storage

Security capabilities include OIDC/JWT authentication, audit trails, WORM mode, customer keys, encrypted backups and antivirus scanning. Storage can use a local filesystem, Amazon S3 or MinIO, while identity can come from OIDC-compatible providers or native Keycloak support. These are substantial controls for a document platform, but customers still need to design and operate their deployment appropriately.

Pricing

Community

Community costs nothing and is open source under AGPL-3.0. The self-hosted edition includes the full document management system, APIs, search, Office editing, e-signatures, PDF tools, AI and workflows. It is unusually capable for a free plan; the price is that hosting and operation fall to the team, and it does not include Enterprise's secure sharing, advanced RBAC, support and SLA, backup and disaster recovery, or OCR.

Enterprise

Enterprise costs €12 a month, billed €12 /user/month. It adds secure sharing, migration connectors, trusted e-signing, OCR, support and SLA. Records archive is an add-on, not part of the included plan. Per-user pricing makes the cost scale with the team, while the added support and administrative capabilities make this the more appropriate option for organizations that need a supported enterprise deployment.

The pricing model is freemium, with a free plan and a 15-day trial. No seat quota or other numeric usage cap is given for Community or Enterprise.

Platforms

OpenFilz lists Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, web, API and self-hosted availability. The deployment options include on-premises, private or public cloud and air-gapped environments, backed by Docker Compose or Kubernetes. The range is useful for organizations with varied infrastructure, but the self-hosting emphasis makes platform breadth less relevant to teams that require a vendor-operated service.

Who it's for

OpenFilz is best suited to organizations that want document management, collaboration, approval workflows and signatures under their own deployment choices. Its local-model support, storage options and air-gapped deployment make it a particularly plausible choice for teams with infrastructure or data-control requirements. It is less suitable for small teams without technical capacity to operate self-hosted software, or for buyers who need a purely managed document service.

Pros and cons

Broad free edition: Community includes AI, Office editing, workflows, signatures and PDF tools, so teams can adopt a substantial document workflow without a subscription charge.

Deployment and model choice: On-premises and air-gapped operation, plus local-model support, give infrastructure-conscious organizations meaningful control.

Useful document controls: Versioning, full-text search, audit trails and WORM mode support both everyday retrieval and controlled record handling.

Self-hosting responsibility: Community is not a turnkey hosted option; the team must handle deployment and ongoing operations.

Enterprise costs scale by user: The €12 per-user monthly charge buys support and added controls, but grows with the number of seats; records archive costs extra.

Alternatives

Cloud Document Management Software is a useful starting point for comparing cloud document platforms.

Choose LogicalDOC if you want another freemium, open-source option with a free Community plan, advanced search and SOAP and REST APIs. Its listed Community plan includes basic access control and a web UI.

DocuWare is a paid alternative with a free trial and cloud plans sized for four users with 20 GB or 15 users with 50 GB. It may suit buyers who want a cloud plan organized around a defined user and storage allotment.

Foxit DMS is a freemium alternative with a free plan and trial, and its DMS is included with Foxit PDF Editor and eSign subscriptions. It is worth considering for teams already using those subscriptions.

M-Files is a paid alternative without a free plan, with a trial and an Essentials plan at $65 a month, billed monthly per seat. Consider it if native Microsoft 365 experiences are a priority.

Doxis offers custom-fit licensing, with unlimited licenses or subscription-based terms and cloud, on-premises or hybrid deployment. It may suit organizations seeking a licensing arrangement shaped around their deployment.

FileHold is a paid alternative with a free trial and a monthly per-user subscription that requires a quote. It is an option for buyers willing to request custom pricing.

eQuorum ImageSite is a paid alternative with a trial whose price depends on implementation type, user count and licensing type. It may fit buyers whose implementation needs drive the purchasing decision.

Box is a freemium alternative with a free Individual plan that has 10 GB storage, 250 MB file uploads, one file version and five signature requests per month. Those caps make it more relevant to light personal use than to teams needing OpenFilz's broader document workflow.

Verdict

Choose OpenFilz if your organization wants a capable document system with AI, editing, workflows and e-signatures, and can take responsibility for self-hosting. Community offers a compelling way to get that breadth without subscription cost; choose Enterprise when secure sharing, advanced administration, OCR or support and SLA matter. Look elsewhere if you need a fully managed service or do not want to operate the platform yourself.