--- description: Learn more about M-Files price, benefits, and disadvantages for businesses in Australia. Read reviews from verified users and discover similar tools that fit your business needs. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/capterra/og_logo-e5a8c001ed0bd1bb922639230fcea71a.png?auto=format%2Cenhance%2Ccompress title: M-Files Cost & Reviews - Capterra Australia 2026 --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Content Management Systems](/directory/10007/content-management/software) > [M-Files](/software/122215/m-files) # M-Files Canonical: https://www.capterra.com.au/software/122215/m-files Page: 1 / 12\ Next: [Next page](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/122215/m-files?page=2) > M-Files is a cloud-based document management system that helps businesses handle knowledge work automation on a unified interface. > > Verdict: Rated **4.4/5** by 275 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Overview ### Who Uses M-Files? M-Files serves a variety of industries and business document management needs for mid-market to Enterprise global B2B companies. ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.4/5** | 275 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.2/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 4.2/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.3/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.4/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 80% | (8/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: M-Files - **Location**: Plano, US - **Founded**: 1989 ## Commercial Context - **Pricing model**: Other (Free Trial) - **Pricing Details**: Contact M-Files for details of pricing, licensing, and service options. - **Target Audience**: 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001–10,000, 10,000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, Windows (Desktop), Windows (On-Premise), Android (Mobile), iPhone (Mobile), iPad (Mobile) - **Supported Languages**: Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese - **Available Countries**: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, France and 37 more ## Features - API - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Tracking - Alerts/Notifications - Approval Process Control - Archiving & Retention - Audit Management - Audit Trail - Authentication - Business Process Automation - Collaboration Tools - Compliance Management - Compliance Tracking - Content Management - Content Publishing Options - Contract/License Management - Customizable Templates - Data Import/Export - Data Security - Document Capture - Document Classification - Document Management - Document Storage - Document Templates - Drag & Drop - Electronic Signature - Encryption - File Conversion - File Sharing - For Legal Professionals - Full Text Search - Metadata Management - Mobile Access - Pre-built Templates - Real Time Synchronization - Reminders - Reporting & Statistics - Reporting/Analytics - Risk Management - Search/Filter - Task Management - Team Collaboration - Templates - Third-Party Integrations - Version Control - Workflow Automation - Workflow Configuration - Workflow Management ## Integrations (14 total) - ArcGIS - AutoCAD - AutoCAD LT - ChronoScan - Docusign - Dynamics 365 - Google Workspace - Microsoft 365 - Microsoft Azure - Microsoft Outlook - Microsoft SharePoint - Microsoft Teams - OpenText Experience Cloud - Salesforce Sales Cloud ## Support Options - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - Chat ## Category - [Content Management Systems](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/10007/content-management/software) ## Related Categories - [Content Management Systems](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/10007/content-management/software) - [Document Management Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/30063/document-management/software) - [File Sharing Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/30909/file-sharing/software) - [Enterprise Content Management Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/31079/enterprise-content-management/software) - [Digital Rights Management Software](https://www.capterra.com.au/directory/31240/digital-rights-management/software) ## Alternatives 1. [Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/161425/drive) — 4.8/5 (28542 reviews) 2. [Google Workspace](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/168389/google-workspace) — 4.7/5 (17618 reviews) 3. [OneDrive](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/161304/onedrive) — 4.5/5 (12768 reviews) 4. [Microsoft SharePoint](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/1167/sharepoint) — 4.4/5 (5446 reviews) 5. [Microsoft 365](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/58688/microsoft-365) — 4.6/5 (14116 reviews) ## Reviews ### ""License expires: Never" — until you stop paying" — 1.0/5 > **Nicolas** | *10 March 2026* | Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing | Recommendation rating: 0.0/10 > > **Pros**: The software itself worked well as a document management system for 12 years. The search functionality and metadata organisation were genuinely useful for managing business records. > > **Cons**: Our 2014 license explicitly stated "License expires: Never." After letting our subscription lapse (which we understood to cover support and updates only), we lost ALL access to our vault — our own data, on our own on-premises server. M-Files' solution was to use 2014-era software with our perpetual license. The problem: every update over 12 years prompted us to upgrade the vault structure, warning that "some features may not work" if we declined. Now 2014 software can't read our upgraded vault. This appears to be by design. When we raised this with their Australian partner Storata, we were threatened with "equal and aggressive force" for considering negative reviews. > > We were loyal customers for 12 years. We purchased what we believed was a perpetual license — the certificate explicitly stated "License expires: Never." After deciding not to renew our annual subscription, we discovered our data was completely inaccessible. M-Files' position is that we can use our old perpetual license key with software from 2014 — but after 12 years of automatic updates that upgraded our vault structure, that software cannot read our current data. This is a catch-22 built into the system: automatic updates prompt vault upgrades, which makes old software incompatible, which forces ongoing subscriptions to access your own data. Our business records are effectively held hostage. ----- ### "Smarter, Faster Document Management" — 5.0/5 > **Daniel** | *23 October 2025* | Information Technology & Services | Recommendation rating: 7.0/10 > > **Pros**: M-Files makes it incredibly easy to find and manage documents without worrying about folder chaos. I love that everything is organized by metadata rather than location, which saves time and prevents version mix-ups. The approval workflows and audit trails also make compliance and accountability effortless. > > **Cons**: The initial setup can feel a bit technical since you need to define metadata and permissions correctly from the start. Once it’s configured, though, it runs smoothly with very little maintenance required. > > M-Files has brought structure, transparency, and efficiency to how we handle documents and projects. It’s reduced the time spent searching for files, improved collaboration across departments, and made version control virtually foolproof. It’s one of those tools that pays off more the longer you use it. ----- ### "System engineer" — 5.0/5 > **Martin** | *4 December 2024* | Industrial Automation | Recommendation rating: 10.0/10 > > **Pros**: Easy to use, search for document and can connect other databases and relate documents to eatch others, and never more duplicates, team working on same document, power of Metadata is next level > > **Cons**: There are some minor limitations with this system. When checking out documents to work on, they are checked out to your local computer rather than online, without an option to choose 'offline' mode. However, there is an option to: ‘Check out for co-authoring,’ which is similar to Google Docs or MS SharePoint, allowing multiple people to edit simultaneously. The latest approved version is always available to others, and an admin can ‘force check-in’ if the system is configured for it > > After six months of using M-Files, it’s been fantastic to have everyone working on the same document without the hassle of multiple copies or confusing versions. Having a single system to find documents tailored to our company’s needs has been a game-changer. Quick responce from our M-Files contact person ----- ### "Mixed bag\!" — 3.0/5 > **Gill** | *12 December 2024* | Nonprofit Organization Management | Recommendation rating: 6.0/10 > > **Pros**: easily save / store and group related documents > > **Cons**: no longer able to share links for multiple documents, teams integration is limited, have to download docs to change or save, > > very mixed, didn't work well with our citrix farm and due to lack of guidance have set up a complex document class structure, setting up views can be hard ----- ### "Powerful document management system but needs some learning" — 4.0/5 > **Verified Reviewer** | *1 May 2026* | Biotechnology | Recommendation rating: 9.0/10 > > **Pros**: What I liked most about M-files is how it organizes documents using metadata instead of just folders, which makes searching for files much easier once everything is set up properly. It helps reduce the mess of shared drives and makes documents easier to find by project, client, date, or other filters. I also like the workflow automtion and version control features which are useful for approvals and keeping track of changes. It seems especially strong for companies that handle a lot of documents and compliance needs > > **Cons**: One thing I didn’t like is that there can be a learning curve, especially for users who are used to normal folder systems. The interface and setup can feel a bit complex in the beginning. Ive also heard some users mention occasional slowness depending on configuration or how the system is implemented. It’s powerful but not always the most beginner friendly option > > Overall my experiance has been mostly positive. It’s a solid platform for document management, especially for businesses that need better organization, security, and workflow control. Once users get familiar with the metadata based approach, it can save a lot of time when searching and managing files. At the same time, it may need some training and proper setup to get the best results. Overall it feels like a strong business solution rather than a simple plug and play tool ----- Page: 1 / 12\ Next: [Next page](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/122215/m-files?page=2) ## Links - [View on Capterra](https://www.capterra.com.au/software/122215/m-files) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | de | | | de-AT | | | de-CH | | | en | | | en-AE | | | en-AU | | | en-CA | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-IL | | | en-IN | | | en-NZ | | | en-SG | | | en-ZA | | | es | | | es-AR | | | es-CL | | | es-CO | | | es-CR | | | es-DO | | | es-EC | | | es-MX | | | es-PA | | | es-PE | | | fr | | | fr-BE | | | fr-CA | | | fr-LU | | | it | | | ja | | | nl | | | nl-BE | | | pt | | | pt-PT | | | sv | | ----- ## Structured Data