Ex Libris

What Ex Libris does

Ex Libris, a Clarivate company headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel, is a provider of cloud-based library automation and discovery software serving academic institutions, national libraries, and library consortia in 90 countries. The company's portfolio is anchored by two core platforms: Alma, a unified library services platform combining cataloging, acquisitions, analytics, and collaborative network functionality; and Primo, a discovery service with a Central Discovery Index, relevance ranking, and link resolution. Supporting modules include Leganto (course reading lists), Rapido and RapidILL (resource sharing and interlibrary loan), campusM (student engagement and mobile campus), Alma Specto (digital collections), Rialto (collection development marketplace), Esploro (research information management), and Rosetta (digital preservation), alongside legacy systems Aleph and Voyager. The company claims 7,500+ customers, including 97 of the world's top 100 universities, and serves 550+ libraries via Rialto and a 2,000+ institution shared directory for resource sharing.

Ex Libris generates revenue primarily through subscription-based SaaS licensing for its cloud platforms, supplemented by professional services for implementation and training, cloud hosting services, and content services for discovery and knowledge base content. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with custom enterprise agreements structured around institution size, scope of deployment, and selected modules on annual or multi-year terms. Go-to-market is conducted through direct enterprise field sales augmented by Clarivate's global sales infrastructure, with self-service evaluation via Demo Center, whitepapers, and webinars, and a community-led layer through international user groups (ELUNA, IGeLU, IUG) and the Idea Exchange platform that contribute to product roadmap.

Technology is delivered entirely as cloud-based SaaS with no on-premise option, integrating open standards including Linked Open Data and BIBFRAME, and exposing APIs via the Developer Network. The company has embedded AI capabilities across the portfolio, including generative AI for the Primo Research Assistant, Alma AI Metadata Assistant (Lili) for cataloging, Leganto AI Syllabus Assistant for reading list automation, natural language search in the Primo NDE UI, and AI-driven digital collections in Alma Specto, with Library Open Workflows providing no-code automation. Ex Libris was the first in the library industry to achieve ISO/IEC 27032 cybersecurity certification and holds GDPR compliance documentation, supporting institutional data privacy requirements.

Name

Ex Libris

Legal name

Ex Libris Ltd.

Website

http://www.exlibrisgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ex Libris, a Clarivate company, provides cloud-based library automation and discovery software, anchored by the Alma library services platform and Primo discovery service, serving academic institutions, national libraries, and consortia across 90 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Library Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK)

Keywords

• Library management software
• Library discovery service
• Academic library automation
• Cloud library platform
• Resource sharing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballerup

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based SaaS Licensing: Cloud-based subscription model for library management platforms including Alma, Primo, Leganto, Rapido, and campusM. Institutions pay recurring subscription fees based on scope of deployment, user count, and modules selected.
2. Professional Services: Implementation, training, and consulting services provided by global teams to ensure on-time and on-budget project deployment
3. Cloud Services: Cloud infrastructure and hosting services providing security, data privacy, and reliability across all institutional data and systems
4. Content Services: Discovery and knowledge base content including electronic resources, knowledge bases, and discovery indexes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Ex Libris provides cloud-based SaaS library management and discovery software for academic, national, and public libraries. Its core platforms, Alma (unified library services) and Primo (discovery), are sold alongside Leganto, Rapido/RapidILL, campusM, Alma Specto, Rialto, Esploro, Rosetta, and Library Open Workflows, on multi-year subscription agreements with professional implementation, cloud hosting, and content services.

Product overview

Ex Libris, a Clarivate company, provides a unified suite of cloud-based library software solutions for academic, national, and public libraries. The portfolio centers on two core platforms: Alma (library services platform) for unified management, analytics, metadata, and network collaboration; and Primo (discovery service) for resource discovery, relevance ranking, and exploration. Supporting modules include Leganto (course reading lists with AI), Rapido and RapidILL (resource sharing/ILL), campusM (mobile campus engagement), Alma Specto (AI-powered digital collections), Rialto (collection development), Esploro (research management), Rosetta (digital preservation), and Syndetics Unbound (catalog enrichment). Additional offerings include Vega for Academic, legacy Aleph/Voyager systems, Library Open Workflows (no-code automation), Linked Open Data services, and professional/cloud/support services. The company is integrating generative AI capabilities including Academic AI, Alma AI Metadata Assistant (Lili), Primo Research Assistant, and Leganto AI Syllabus Assistant across the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ex Libris: Primary brand for library management software solutions including Alma, Primo, Summon, and other platforms.
• Alma
• Primo
• Summon
• Leganto
• Rapido
• RapidILL
• campusM
• Rosetta
• Rialto
• Esploro
• Alma Specto
• Library Open Workflows

Products and services

• Alma Library Services Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved Georgia Tech students $64,000 on course materials using Leganto
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability8 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Ingram Library ServicescoreTechnology or Integration · 20 May 2025Ingram Library Services joined the Rialto collection development marketplace, enabling libraries to access Ingram's extensive print and digital content distribution capabilities through the Rialto platform.
• Browns BookscoreTechnology or IntegrationBrowns Books joined Rialto providing print availability and academic book distribution. Browns VLE now available in Rialto for enhanced collection development workflows.
• KortextcoreTechnology or IntegrationKortext joined Rialto as a partner, integrating digital textbook and learning content distribution with collection development workflows.
• University of MelbournestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerClarivate partnered with the University of Melbourne to deliver next-generation library solutions, collaborating on innovation in academic library technology.
• University of Electro-CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationUniversity of Electro-Communications in Japan adopted Ex Libris Alma Library Services and Primo Discovery Service to enhance access to academic resources.
• National Institute of Informatics Library (Japan)coreTechnology or IntegrationJapan's National Institute of Informatics Library went live with Alma and Primo to improve efficiency in accessing academic resources.
• Oxford University (Bodleian Libraries)coreTechnology or IntegrationUniversity of Oxford adopted RapidILL interlibrary loan service to automate ILL transactions and participate in national/international resource sharing.
• Cambridge University LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationCambridge University Library adopted RapidILL to improve interlibrary loan efficiency and content delivery to end users.
• Bavarian State LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationBavarian State Library chose Alma platform for cloud migration to increase efficiencies and improve user experience.
• De Gruyter BrillcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership providing libraries with earlier visibility into future collections through Rialto, enabling better collection development decisions.
• Bond UniversitycoreTechnology or IntegrationBond University adopted Alma Specto to power digital collections and storytelling for institutional repositories.
• ORCIDcoreTechnology or IntegrationEsploro integrated with ORCID to enable researchers to synchronize profile data and expose scholarly work consistently.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ByWater Solutions: ByWater Solutions is a leading provider of Koha hosting, migration, and support services for academic and public libraries. It represents an emerging alternative to Ex Libris by enabling libraries to adopt open-source ILS with managed services rather than a commercial platform.
• Koha: Koha is the leading open-source integrated library system, widely used by academic and public libraries globally as a lower-cost alternative to commercial ILS platforms. It directly competes with Alma in the mid-market and emerging-market academic library segments.
• FOLIO: FOLIO is an open-source library services platform developed by a consortium including EBSCO, LYRASIS, Index Data, and academic libraries. It represents an emerging alternative to commercial ILS offerings including Alma, particularly for libraries seeking community-driven open infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Innovative Interfaces: Innovative Interfaces (now part of Ex Libris post-2019 acquisition) provided Sierra and Polaris ILS platforms that compete with and complement Ex Libris Alma. The Sierra and Polaris customer bases were migrated into the Ex Libris portfolio and remain meaningful references for ILS replacement decisions.
• Auto-Graphics: Auto-Graphics provides resource sharing and ILL software (AGent ILL, SHAREit) that directly competes with Ex Libris Rapido and RapidILL. Both vendors serve academic and public library consortia for interlibrary loan automation.
• OCLC: OCLC is the world's largest library cooperative, operating WorldShare Management Services, WorldCat discovery, and ILL services that directly compete with Ex Libris's Alma, Primo, and Rapido platforms in academic and public libraries. Both serve overlapping customer segments with cloud-based library infrastructure and global footprints.
• SirsiDynix: SirsiDynix provides Symphony and BLUEcloud Library Services, a direct competing integrated library system used by academic and public libraries. It targets a similar customer base to Ex Libris Alma with comparable cloud-managed ILS, discovery, and electronic resource management capabilities.
• Talis: Talis is a UK-based reading list management platform (Talis Aspire) that directly competes with Ex Libris Leganto in higher education. It serves a comparable customer segment of academic libraries with similar course resource list functionality.

Broad incumbents

• EBSCO Information Services: EBSCO is a broad incumbent in the library ecosystem offering discovery (EDS), full-text content, research databases, and FOLIO-based library services. It overlaps with Ex Libris in discovery, content, and increasingly in ILS via FOLIO, serving the same academic library buyers.
• ProQuest: ProQuest is a sister company to Ex Libris under Clarivate, providing research databases, ebooks, and dissertations to academic libraries. While primarily a content publisher, ProQuest overlaps with Ex Libris in serving the same institutional buyers and increasingly in workflow integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/exlibrisgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@exlibrisfromclarivate
• Facebookfacebook.com/exlibrisgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ex-libris

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ex Libris