Council Platform vs GovCMS
Council Platform
councilplatform.comGovCMS
govcms.gov.auSide by side
| Figure | Council Platform | GovCMS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £200/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 20 |
| Spec score · Government Website Builders | 8.4 (#3) | 8.5 (#2) |
| Accessibility | The maker describes sites as accessible from the outset and provides free accessibility scans to subscribers. | The official site states GovCMS meets WCAG 2.0 Level AA. |
| Integrations | The procurement document lists Bartec, ModernGov, Elgin Roadworks, Council Advertising Network, Microsoft Azure Chatbots, Google Analytics, SiteImprove and ReciteMe integrations. | GovCMS’s Digital Experience Platform program lists Rules as Code, content personalisation, analytics, digital asset management, and site optimisation services accessible through its Drupal Services Panel. |
| Praise: support | A Wrexham Council testimonial says Zodiac Media was responsive, provided strong support and delivered an intranet quickly. | Salsa Digital reports 24/7 platform support and automated Behat regression testing as benefits of the managed service. |
| What it does | Council Platform is an online service for running local-government CMS websites. | GovCMS is a whole-of-government content management and website hosting platform for Australian government agencies, built on Drupal. |
Plans
Council Platform
- Up to 5000 monthly page views£200 a month
- 5001 to 15000 monthly page views£400 a month
- 15001 to 50000 monthly page views£800 a month
- 50001 to 100000 monthly page views£1,200 a month
- 100001 to 150000 monthly page views£1,650 a month
- 150001 to 300000 monthly page views£1,950 a month
- 300001 to 500000 monthly page views£2,250 a month
- 500001 to 800000 monthly page views£2,700 a month
- 800001 and over monthly page views£3,600 a month
GovCMS
- NanoA$9,260 a year
- SaaS Nano$9,260 a year
- MicroA$18,520 a year
- SaaS Micro$18,520 a year
- MiniA$37,045 a year
- SaaS Mini$37,045 a year
- Extra-SmallA$46,305 a year
- SaaS Extra-Small$46,305 a year
- SaaS Small$54,410 a year
- SmallA$54,410 a year
In their own words
Council Platform
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.