# SoftGuide > SoftGuide (softguide.de) is a German-language B2B software marketplace and market overview, operating since 1996. It helps companies, public authorities, and organizations find suitable business software and industry-specific solutions through a categorized directory of over 63,000 software products, side-by-side comparison tools, and a free, vendor-neutral software research consulting service ("Softwarerecherche"). SoftGuide GmbH & Co. KG is based in Wolfsburg, Germany. Its catalog spans ~384 software categories across three groups: operational business areas (accounting, HR, procurement/production, project management, sales/CRM, administration/ERP), industry-specific software (construction/trades, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, public sector, transport/logistics), and standard/system software (analytics, internet/IoT, IT security, multimedia, networking, programming tools). All content is in German; software product data and category taxonomy are structured and machine-readable. ## Machine access (MCP) - [SoftGuide MCP server](https://www.softguide.de/ai-mcp.php): Model Context Protocol endpoint exposing SoftGuide's catalog to AI agents and LLMs. Available tools: `list_categories` (browse the ~384-category taxonomy), `get_category_details` (products within a category), `search_software` (single-keyword, German-language product search, optionally scoped to a category), `get_software_details` (full product profile: description, features, vendor, available request types), and `start_software_research` (submit a free-text requirements brief plus business contact details to trigger SoftGuide's human consulting team). AI assistants and agents can connect to this endpoint to search the live catalog and initiate research requests on a user's behalf, rather than relying on scraped or cached page content. Typical flow: call `list_categories` first to find the relevant category ID, then `get_category_details` for the full product list in that category — or call `search_software` directly with a single German keyword (e.g. "ERP", "CRM", "Handwerkersoftware") for a faster keyword match. ## Core pages - [Software overview / category index](https://www.softguide.de/software/): Full list of all ~384 software categories (Rubriken). - [Software comparison](https://www.softguide.de/software-vergleich): Side-by-side feature comparison of selected products. - [Software directory A-Z](https://www.softguide.de/verzeichnis/programme-mit-a): Alphabetical list of all listed software products. - [Vendor directory A-Z](https://www.softguide.de/verzeichnis/firmen-mit-a): Alphabetical list of all listed software vendors/companies. - [Functions/modules A-Z](https://www.softguide.de/verzeichnis/funktionen-mit-a): Alphabetical index of software functions and modules. - [Software tips](https://www.softguide.de/software-tipps/): Editorial guidance on choosing business software. - [IT trade fairs](https://www.softguide.de/it-messen/uebersicht): Overview of trade fairs where listed vendors exhibit. ## Softwarerecherche — free software research service - [Softwarerecherche](https://www.softguide.de/softwarerecherche): SoftGuide's core service — a free, vendor-neutral, project-based software research and consulting service. A company describes what kind of software it needs (plus company name, contact, and email); SoftGuide's research team then identifies matching vendors, anonymously forwards the requirement to them as a listing under "Ausschreibungen" (tenders), collects vendor responses, and delivers a structured project documentation comparing the proposed solutions. The service takes no sales commission from vendors — it is funded by vendors' catalog listing fees, keeping the research neutral. Over 3,483 companies have used this service and it has produced more than 2.4 million contacts between companies and software vendors since 1996. This same workflow is exposed programmatically via the MCP `start_software_research` tool above. - [Software tender board (Ausschreibungen)](https://www.softguide.de/ausschreibungen): Anonymized live software requirement postings generated by the research service, open to vendor responses. - [Free Lastenheft (requirements spec) template](https://www.softguide.de/media/softwarerecherche/lastenheft-mit-erlaeuterungen.docx): Downloadable .docx template to help companies structure their software requirements before starting a search. ## For software vendors - [List your software](https://www.softguide.de/anbieter): B2B marketing service for vendors to get listed and generate leads. - [Advertising](https://www.softguide.de/sponsoring): Advertising options on softguide.de. - [Vendor login / update listings](https://www.softguide.de/aktualisierung/): Portal for vendors to maintain their product listings. ## Optional - [About SoftGuide](https://www.softguide.de/ueber-uns): Company background, founded 1996. - [References](https://www.softguide.de/referenzen): Customer testimonials (e.g. Max-Planck-Institut, Volkswagen AG, Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe). - [Sales partner search](https://www.softguide.de/vertriebspartnersuche): Board for finding sales/distribution partners. - [SoftGuide news](https://www.softguide.de/softguide-nachrichten): Editorial articles on software selection topics. - [Vendor press releases](https://www.softguide.de/software-nachrichten): Product/release announcements from listed vendors. - [Imprint](https://www.softguide.de/impressum): Legal/company registration details.