Two Paths To Depth: Customisation Versus Composition
Hyland's footprint is real. OnBase has served as the system of record for a large share of healthcare providers, public-sector agencies, financial institutions, and universities. The vertical depth is genuine; most OnBase deployments carry a decade of customisation built around each organisation's specific workflows.
That flexibility is one of OnBase's greatest strengths. However, as business needs change, organizations sometimes look for ways to simplify upgrades, reduce maintenance, adopt AI, or modernize their content platform.
Here’s a comparison to explain where OnBase remains the right choice, where TeamSync offers a different approach, and how organizations can modernize over time.
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When Hyland OnBase Is The Right Choice
There are many situations where continuing with OnBase makes sense.
If your situation is | Hyland OnBase may be the right choice |
Your OnBase environment includes years of business-critical customization. | Replacing it may involve significant cost and effort. |
Your industry-specific OnBase solution is well established and continues to meet business needs. | Continuing with your existing deployment may be the best option. |
Your records management processes are working effectively today. | Modernization may not be an immediate priority. |
AI needs are covered by Hyland Aviator within M365 | Existing capabilities may be sufficient. |
If these scenarios describe your organization, staying with OnBase may be the most practical approach.
When TeamSync Adds Value
Organizations often evaluate TeamSync when they're looking to modernize their content platform.
If your situation is | TeamSync may be a good fit |
Maintaining customizations has become increasingly complex. | TeamSync uses configuration and platform capabilities to reduce ongoing maintenance. |
AI needs to work across multiple enterprise systems. | TeamSync provides built-in AI across connected content repositories. |
Independent, verifiable audit capabilities are required. | TeamSync includes cryptographically verifiable audit features. |
A simpler licensing model is a priority. | TeamSync uses transparent per-cluster pricing. |
You need to go live in months, not the multi-quarter timelines typical of OnBase | TeamSync implementations are typically completed more quickly than large-scale legacy ECM projects. |
Multiple business units or industries need to be supported on one platform. | TeamSync provides configurable capabilities that can be adapted across different use cases. |
Side-By-Side Comparison
Dimension | Hyland OnBase | TeamSync |
Platform approach | Highly customizable enterprise platform | Configurable unified platform |
Records management | Mature, customisation-driven | Federation-first; same coverage with less customisation |
AI | Hyland Aviator (M365-resident scope) | Platform-native, works across sources |
Audit | Enterprise audit logging | Cryptographically verifiable audit trail |
Workflow automation | OnBase Workflow and WorkView | Built-in workflow automation |
Capture and document processing | Brainware and ABBYY (licensed) | Built into the platform |
eDiscovery | Records management capabilities | Integrated cross-platform eDiscovery |
Data governance | Standard enterprise controls | Cryptographic data management capabilities |
Compliance | Product-specific configuration | Platform-wide compliance framework |
Pricing | Product and feature-based licensing | Transparent per-cluster pricing |
Deployment | 12–24 months | 3–6 months |
Upgrades | High, due to customisation | Low; platform-native |
A Common Deployment Approach
Phase | What happens |
Phase 1 | Continue using OnBase while introducing TeamSync alongside your existing environment. |
Phase 2 | Connect TeamSync to OnBase and begin managing active content and workflows across both platforms. |
Phase 3 | Move frequently accessed content and business processes to TeamSync as priorities evolve. |
Phase 4 | Retain archived content in OnBase if needed, or migrate it over time based on business and compliance requirements. |
Many organizations continue accessing archived content in OnBase while moving active content and business processes to TeamSync over time.