Creating an online Catalogue Raisonné has become essential to document, protect, and promote an artist’s body of work. Today, there are several digital tools available to structure and publish a professional catalogue.
In this article, we present a comparative ranking of the best solutions to create a Catalogue Raisonné in 2025 — including their benefits, limitations, and target users.
InventoZen is the most technically comprehensive solution for creating professional Catalogues Raisonnés, tailored to the needs of artists, experts, and institutions.
With its secure, dedicated technology and one of the largest Catalogue Raisonné databases in the world, InventoZen has become the leading player in the protection, classification, and transmission of artworks.
Strengths of InventoZen:
- Compliant with museum standards: manage works, archives, exhibitions, provenance, bibliography, etc.
- Intuitive and easy-to-use interface: accessible to all, no technical skills required
- Advanced features: online publication with free or paid access, authentication request management, artist website creation
- Easy collaboration and human support: training, personalized guidance
- Multicriteria search, PDF export, public or private online display
- Optional editorial assistance
- Adopted by over 100 foundations and estates in 2025; recognized by experts as the most complete solution
- Multilingual platform (EN, FR, ES, IT, NL), globally accessible without installation
- Secure hosting in Europe, GDPR-compliant, with automatic backups
Target audience: artists, heirs, foundations, experts, researchers
2. Arteïa – A premium solution for foundations and institutions
Arteïa offers a full collection management system with a secure, collaborative Catalogue Raisonné module.
Benefits:
- Robust, secure tool
- Certification, provenance, and history modules
- Expert collaboration
- Secure server hosting
Inconveniences:
- High cost
- Less suited for independent artists or small-scale projects
Target audience: foundations, major collectors, museums
3. Artlogic – A solution designed for galleries
Artlogic is an inventory management platform for galleries that allows effective online display with strong customization options.
Benefits:
- Good web integration and CRM
- Efficient online publication
- Professional interface
Inconveniences:
- Not suited for scholarly use
- Lacks in-depth Catalogue Raisonné modules
Target audience: galleries, art dealers, market professionals
4. Artenso – A documentary solution for institutions
Artenso is a French documentary software designed for museums and cultural institutions, adaptable to Catalogue Raisonné projects.
Benefits:
- Structured according to heritage standards
- Strong metadata management
- Interoperable with other cultural systems
Inconveniences:
- Technical interface
- Requires documentary expertise
Target audience: museums, libraries, archives departments
5. Catalofile – A collaborative tool for posthumous Catalogues Raisonnés
Catalofile is a French platform designed to enable multi-user collaboration on an artist’s body of work, especially posthumously.
Benefits:
- Multi-user contribution
- Editorial tracking of changes
- Reasoned structuring possibles
Inconveniences:
- Few diffusion features
- Sometimes complex interface
Target audience: artist estates, collaborative projects
6. Encyclia – An academic solution for scholarly publishing
Encyclia is an open-source platform designed for scholarly catalogue publication, often used by universities and research institutions.
Benefits:
- High editorial flexibility
- Compatible with academic standards (IIIF, TEI, Dublin Core)
- Hosting available via Huma-Num
Inconveniences:
- Requires technical skills
- Complex to deploy without support
Target audience: researchers, academic publishers, university-led projects
7. ArtBase, ArtBinder, Collector Systems – Collection management tools
These tools are designed for artwork collection management but can be partially used for Catalogue Raisonné structuring.
Benefits:
- Rigorous organization of artworks
- Strong document handling
- Data securityTarget audience: researchers, academic publishers, university-led projects
Inconveniences:
- No Catalogue Raisonné-specific module
- Outdated interfaces
Target audience: collectors, institutions
8. Generic tools (InDesign, Excel, FileMaker…)
Some professionals still use general-purpose tools like Excel or InDesign to draft Catalogues Raisonnés, especially in early stages.
- InDesign: Professional layout / No database, not scalable
- FileMaker / Airtable: Structured data / Technical, complex publishing
- Excel / Google Sheets: Simplicity / No image or publishing management
- Word / PDF: Accessible / Static, lacks rigor
Target audience: early-stage artists or researchers; amateur
Jean Miotte © Adagp, Paris
Accueil »