How we evaluate CCM software

Every comparison on this site uses the same nine criteria, so pages can be read side by side.

1. Deployment model: vendor-hosted SaaS, private cloud, customer cloud, on-premises or hybrid.
2. Authoring: who can build and change templates, and with what controls (approval workflows, locked content, audit trails).
3. Batch and production volume: high-volume print and digital output, production tooling.
4. Interactive and on-demand documents: agent-assisted letters and real-time generation.
5. Forms and data capture: digital forms, pre-fill, e-signature.
6. Orchestration and delivery: channels supported and multi-step journeys.
7. Archive: storage, retention and retrieval of sent communications.
8. AI features: named, released capabilities only, with their announcement dates.
9. Migration tooling: documented tools and services for moving from other platforms.

Sources and rules

We use vendor documentation and press releases for what a product does, analyst announcements for placements, regulator sites for compliance requirements, and review platforms (Gartner Peer Insights, G2, TrustRadius, Capterra) for user sentiment. Vendor performance claims are labeled as vendor claims. Review ratings are shown with their review counts, because small samples move quickly.

We do not publish invented prices, quotes or customer names. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, we say so and show the public reference points that exist.