SoftSelect
SoftSelect GmbH is a Hamburg-based business software consulting and market research firm that helps DACH-region companies compare and select ERP, HR, CRM, BI, and DMS software from 594 providers through a matching platform, fee-based advisory engagements, and recurring SoftTrend market studies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SoftSelect does
SoftSelect GmbH is a Hamburg-based business software consulting and market research firm founded in 1994, operating a B2B platform and advisory service focused on the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The company's core product is the Matching-Plattform, a web-based comparison portal enabling companies to evaluate business software offers from 594 providers across ERP, HR, CRM, Business Intelligence, DMS/ECM, and financial accounting categories, filtered by industry. Complementing the platform are the SoftTrend Studies — recurring market research reports (e.g., ERP Study 2025/26 analyzing 200+ solutions from 170+ providers; HR Study 2025/26 covering 100+ solutions from 86 vendors) — and a content library (Wissenspool) covering IT trends, regulatory topics such as the EU AI Act, and software selection guidance.
The firm monetizes through three revenue streams: (1) fee-based professional consulting engagements covering process analysis, requirements catalog creation, bid evaluation, and contract negotiation for enterprise software projects; (2) tiered advertising and profile packages sold to software vendors (Basic 500 EUR/year, Premium 2,400 EUR/year, Classic on request, plus Combo Packages bundling study participation with advertising for 1,300-1,800 EUR); and (3) market research study sales and newsletter advertising (400-800 EUR per edition to a 5,500-subscriber base). Distribution combines direct sales for consulting, self-service online access for comparison and advertising, a newsletter reaching over 7,000 IT decision-makers, and industry event participation (GITEX AI EUROPE, Zukunft Personal Europe, DMEXCO, it-sa in 2026). The team is small (1-10 employees) and the firm is privately held with no disclosed external investment or parent company.
SoftSelect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SoftSelect
- Legal name
- SoftSelect GmbH
- Website
- https://softselect.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SoftSelect GmbH is a Hamburg-based business software consulting and market research firm that helps DACH-region companies compare and select ERP, HR, CRM, BI, and DMS software from 594 providers through a matching platform, fee-based advisory engagements, and recurring SoftTrend market studies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SoftSelect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Enterprise Software Selection Consulting
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Directory and Mailing List Publishers (51314)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Office Supplies, IT & Workplace Procurement Marketplaces (CRAFAHAF)
Keywords
Where SoftSelect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SoftSelect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for business software selection and implementation projects, including process analysis, requirements catalog creation, bid evaluation, and contract negotiation
- Advertising Packages: Promotional advertising packages for software vendors including Basic (500 EUR/year), Premium (2,400 EUR/year), Classic (on request), and Individual packages featuring profile pages, logos, user reports, press releases, and newsletter placements
- SoftTrend Studies and Market Research: Sale of market research studies covering software market developments, including ERP Study 2025/26 with over 200 ERP solutions analyzed, HR Study 2025/26 with over 100 HR solutions, plus custom commissioned studies
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Basic Package - Entry-level advertising for software providers |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Package - Enhanced visibility with prominent placement |
| Subscription | Annual | Classic Package - Custom advertising solutions |
| Subscription | Annual | ERP or HR Combo Package - Combined study and advertising package |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Newsletter Advertising |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
SoftSelect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SoftSelect runs a web-based Matching-Plattform that lets companies compare business software from 594 providers across ERP, HR, CRM, BI, and DMS/ECM categories in the DACH region. It complements this with professional, fee-based software selection consulting covering process analysis, requirements catalog creation, bid evaluation, and contract negotiation, and publishes SoftTrend market research studies such as the ERP-Studie 2025/26 and HR-Studie 2025/26. The company also sells advertising packages (Basic, Premium, Classic, Individual) to software vendors for visibility on the platform and in its newsletter.
Product overview
SoftSelect operates a comprehensive business software comparison and consulting platform. The core product is the Matching-Plattform, a web-based platform that enables companies to compare business software solutions across multiple categories. Complementing the platform are the SoftTrend Studien — extensive market research reports covering ERP, HR, CRM, Business Intelligence, and DMS/ECM software in the DACH region. Additional offerings include Business Guides created with is report magazine, professional software consulting services, and a knowledge base (Wissenspool). The company functions as a market analyst providing independent software evaluation and selection support, not as a software vendor itself.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Matching-Plattform (Business Software Comparison Platform) A web-based matching platform that enables companies to compare business software solutions across categories including ERP, HR, CRM, BI, and DMS/ECM, filtering by industry and software type across 594 providers.
- Software-Beratung (Software Selection Consulting) Professional consulting services supporting companies throughout the entire business software project lifecycle, from process analysis and requirements catalog creation (Lastenheft/Pflichtenheft) through bid evaluation to contract negotiation.
- SoftTrend Studien (SoftTrend Market Research Studies) Comprehensive market research studies published by SoftSelect providing analysis of business software markets including ERP, HR, CRM, Business Intelligence, and DMS/ECM solutions in the DACH region.
- ERP-Studie 2025/26 Market overview of ERP systems in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland analyzing over 200 ERP solutions from more than 170 providers.
- HR-Studie 2025/26 Market overview of HR software systems analyzing over 100 HR solutions provided by 86 different vendors, covering payroll, talent management, and recruiting.
- Business Guides (with is report magazine) Business guides published jointly with is report magazine, providing software application guidance with expert articles, provider profiles, and comprehensive market overviews.
- Softwareanbieter-Übersicht (Software Provider Directory) Comprehensive directory of 594 software providers enabling businesses to search and evaluate business software vendors across categories.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,500 companies successfully assisted with implementation and migration projects
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SoftSelect
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SoftSelect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
SoftSelect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SoftSelect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- G2: G2 operates one of the largest software peer-review and comparison marketplaces, serving both buyers researching software and vendors generating leads. Its two-sided software marketplace model with vendor profiles, reviews, and lead generation directly parallels SoftSelect's matching platform and advertising-driven vendor relationships.
- TrustRadius: TrustRadius is a software review and buying intelligence platform that helps B2B buyers evaluate enterprise software through verified reviews and comparison tools. Its vendor profiling and lead-generation model is comparable to SoftSelect's directory and matching platform approach.
- IT-Matchmaker: IT-Matchmaker is a European IT vendor matching and lead-generation platform connecting business software buyers with providers. It directly parallels SoftSelect's matching platform business model and shares the European enterprise software marketplace focus.
- Software Advice: Software Advice, owned by Gartner, is a software selection advisory and matching platform that helps businesses identify suitable software solutions. Its matching-and-advisory model closely mirrors SoftSelect's combination of free matching with optional fee-based consulting engagements.
- Trovarit: Trovarit is a DACH-based IT consulting and market research firm specializing in ERP and business software selection. It is highly comparable to SoftSelect due to overlapping DACH geography, similar focus on ERP/HR/CRM software advisory, and combination of consulting services with market research publications.
- Capterra: Capterra is a global software comparison and review marketplace owned by Gartner, allowing buyers to compare and select business software across categories such as ERP, CRM, HR, and BI. It is the closest direct competitor to SoftSelect's matching platform model, differing primarily through global scale and English-language focus versus SoftSelect's DACH specialization.
- Lünendonk: Lünendonk is a German market research and consulting firm focused on IT, business services, and real estate markets. Its research-publishing and consulting model in the DACH enterprise IT market strongly parallels SoftSelect's SoftTrend studies and software advisory practice.
- SoftGuide: SoftGuide is a German-language software comparison and lead-generation portal that connects buyers with business software vendors in categories such as ERP, CRM, HR, and DMS. It is a particularly close peer to SoftSelect given shared German-language focus, similar software categories covered, and overlapping vendor advertising revenue model.
- GetApp: GetApp, also owned by Gartner, is a business software discovery and comparison platform serving SMB and mid-market buyers. It shares SoftSelect's marketplace-plus-lead-generation model and targets a similar buyer profile in ERP, HR, CRM, and collaboration categories.
Broad incumbents
- Gartner Peer Insights: Gartner Peer Insights is Gartner's enterprise software review and rating platform, serving as a large-scale incumbent in the software evaluation space. While not a direct SMB-focused competitor, it overlaps with SoftSelect's enterprise software evaluation offering as part of a broader IT advisory portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SoftSelect social profiles
Digital presenceSoftSelect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SoftSelect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SoftSelect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SoftSelect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SoftSelect
What does SoftSelect do?
SoftSelect runs a web-based Matching-Plattform that lets companies compare business software from 594 providers across ERP, HR, CRM, BI, and DMS/ECM categories in the DACH region. It complements this with professional, fee-based software selection consulting covering process analysis, requirements catalog creation, bid evaluation, and contract negotiation, and publishes SoftTrend market research studies such as the ERP-Studie 2025/26 and HR-Studie 2025/26. The company also sells advertising packages (Basic, Premium, Classic, Individual) to software vendors for visibility on the platform and in its newsletter.
Is SoftSelect a public or private company?
SoftSelect is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SoftSelect founded?
SoftSelect was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SoftSelect based?
SoftSelect is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does SoftSelect make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are advertising Packages and softTrend Studies and Market Research.
Who are SoftSelect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are G2, TrustRadius, IT-Matchmaker, Software Advice, Trovarit, Capterra, Lünendonk, SoftGuide and GetApp. Gartner Peer Insights is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SoftSelect have an API?
No public API is recorded for SoftSelect.
What industry is SoftSelect in?
SoftSelect's product category is Enterprise Software Selection Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAHAF, Office Supplies, IT & Workplace Procurement Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 541910 and its SIC code is 5734.