Council Platform vs Digital Place

Council Platform is a web service for running local government CMS websites. Its drag-and-drop editor lets teams create complex pages without developer time, with a customisable front end based on the GOV.UK Design System. Features include service directories, news, event calendars, global search, CRM functions, forms, and editorial workflows. The platform supports manual and machine translation for bilingual sites, plus multi-site publishing and document management. The maker describes sites as accessible from the outset and says subscribers receive free accessibility audit scans. Listed integrations include Bartec, ModernGov, Elgin Roadworks, Council Advertising Network, Microsoft Azure Chatbots, Google Analytics, SiteImprove, and ReciteMe. Security provisions include two-factor authentication, password complexity requirements, and automatic logout. Subscriptions include production and test hosting, support, documentation, uptime monitoring, security updates, and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Pricing is based on monthly page views: the plan up to 5,000 page views costs £200 monthly licence fee (ex VAT), while the 5,001–15,000 tier costs £400 monthly licence fee (ex VAT). Plans above 100,000 monthly page views add features including microsites, cookie-less analytics, accessibility auditing, and PDF conversion.

Digital Place is a SaaS digital experience platform for web content management, low-code applications, case workflows and customer contact tools. It runs through the web and API, and subscriptions use feature packs under all-inclusive SaaS pricing; pricing is on request. More than 150 reusable components, called cubes, are grouped into Core DXP, Low-Code Application Platform, CRM, E-Commerce, Collaboration and Local Gov DXP packs. No-code and low-code tools support multi-stage forms, configurable templates and approval workflows. OpenAPI-compliant REST APIs are available, while low-code data objects generate REST endpoints. Named connectors include Microsoft Active Directory, SharePoint, Microsoft PowerBI, Microsoft Dynamics, ArcGIS, OpenAI, Academy, IDOX Uniform, NEC M3/Assure, Bartec, Whitespace and Echo. Hosting uses AWS, with UK clients in the London region and international environments in local regions. Placecube states a 99.9% availability SLA, four-hour recovery objective and 15-minute recovery point objective. Security coverage includes ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, MFA and role-based access control. The platform supports multilingual, multi-site and document-managed publishing, with WCAG 2.2 AA described by default for Local Gov DXP accelerators.