Council Platform vs Jadu Central

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.

Jadu Central is a low-code platform for managing websites and online forms, built for Local Government and Higher Education. Users can create forms with branching and automation rules without technical skills, then publish and manage separate microsites called Galaxies. A secure MyAccount page lets end users view progress updates and access personalised content. Jadu Central Gateway provides an intranet for large organisations to give teams, employees, and partners access to information, documents, and forms. Listed integrations include Google Maps, Google reCAPTCHA, LDAP/Active Directory, Mailchimp, Office 365 calendars, Esri mapping, and SAML identity providers. Payment adapters include GOV.UK Pay, WorldPay, TouchNet, SecurePay, and Barclaycard SmartPay. Jadu says its templates meet WCAG 2.2 AA and work on any device. The platform documents access and login controls, and says sensitive data is encrypted and passwords are hashed with BCrypt and a salt. Jadu describes Central as a cloud solution hosted on Amazon Web Services, while installation documentation covers Linux and Windows Server. Pricing is available by request.