Choosing between a vertical filing cabinet vs lateral filing cabinet comes down to four practical factors: how much floor space you have, how many files you need to store, how many people need access, and your budget. Vertical cabinets are the right fit for narrow spaces where front-to-back drawer access works well. Lateral cabinets suit wider spaces where side-to-side access and higher overall capacity are the priority. This guide covers both types so you can make the right call before you buy. For broader buying advice across the full filing cabinet category, see our filing cabinet buying guide.
| Vertical filing cabinet | Lateral filing cabinet | |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 467 mm | 900 mm |
| Depth | 455 mm | 455 to 473 mm |
| Height, 4-drawer | 1325 mm | 1321 to 1325 mm |
| Filing rows per drawer | 1 foolscap, front-to-back | 2 foolscap, side-by-side |
| Rows in a 4-drawer unit | 4 | 8 |
| Load rating per drawer | ~45 kg | ~45 kg |
| Front clearance needed | 500 to 600 mm | 500 to 600 mm |
| Price, 4-drawer (AUD) | from $455 | from $1093 |
| Cost per row of filing | ~$114 | ~$125 |
The short answer: at the same height, a four-drawer lateral holds twice the files of a four-drawer vertical and takes twice the wall width, at 900 mm versus 467 mm. Depth is identical, so the decision is not about floor space. It is about how much wall you can give up.
And the headline price is misleading. A lateral costs 2.2 times more upfront, but only about 10% more per row of filing, in exactly the same floor area. You are not paying for capacity. You are paying for the shape.
A vertical filing cabinet stores files front-to-back in drawers that pull straight out toward the user. The cabinet is taller than it is wide, which makes it a practical fit for offices where wall space is limited but floor depth is available. Most vertical cabinets are available in two, three, or four-drawer configurations, with the four-drawer model being the most common in office environments.
Files are stored in hanging folders that run parallel to the front of the drawer. This means you read the file tabs by looking down into the drawer from above, which works well for individual users who manage their own filing system. Most models are constructed from steel with a powder-coated finish and include a lock on the top drawer that secures all drawers simultaneously.
The Statewide Traditional Vertical Filing Cabinet is a reliable starting point, available in two and four-drawer configurations and suited to individual workstation filing.
Browse the full range of filing cabinets to compare vertical models by drawer count, colour, and locking configuration.
A lateral filing cabinet stores files side-to-side in drawers that are wider than they are deep. The cabinet is lower and wider than a vertical model, which gives it a different visual profile and a different relationship to the space around it. Lateral cabinets are commonly used as credenzas or under-window storage units because their lower height keeps them below sill level.
Files in a lateral cabinet are stored in hanging folders that run perpendicular to the front of the drawer, meaning you read file tabs by looking across the drawer from the front. This makes it faster to scan a large number of files at once, which is why lateral cabinets are preferred in shared filing areas where multiple staff members need to locate documents quickly.
The Rapidline GO Lateral Filing Cabinet is a popular choice for shared offices, available in two and four-drawer configurations with a compact 900 mm width.
Lateral cabinets typically hold more files per drawer than vertical models of the same height, making them the higher-capacity option for offices with significant filing volumes. Like vertical models, most include a locking mechanism that secures all drawers from a single point.
Vertical cabinets have a small floor footprint but require clear space in front of the drawer for it to open fully, typically 500 to 600 mm of clearance. Lateral cabinets have a wider footprint but shallower depth, and their drawers require less forward clearance to open. In a narrow corridor or alcove, a vertical cabinet is the practical choice. In an open-plan area or along a wall with adequate width, a lateral cabinet uses the available space more efficiently.
Per square metre of floor, the two formats are almost identical. Both work out to roughly 0.05 m² per row of filing. The real difference is shape. A vertical stacks its capacity upward inside a 467 mm strip, while a lateral spreads the same capacity sideways across 900 mm and keeps the top surface at desk or sill height.
A two-drawer lateral holds the same four rows of filing as a four-drawer vertical, in a cabinet 610 mm shorter at 715 mm versus 1325 mm. If you need the capacity but want to keep the cabinet below window or partition height, that is exactly the trade the lateral format exists to make.
Vertical cabinets work well for a single user who manages their own files and knows the system. Lateral cabinets are better suited to shared environments because the wider drawer allows multiple folders to be visible at once, making it faster to locate a specific file without pulling the drawer fully open. In a busy office where several staff members access the same cabinet throughout the day, lateral access reduces the time spent searching.
Vertical filing cabinets are generally the more affordable entry point, particularly in two and three-drawer configurations. The Statewide Lateral Filing Cabinet costs more due to wider construction and higher material requirements, but the additional capacity it provides often justifies the difference for offices with significant filing needs. If you are storing supplies, equipment or archive boxes rather than active hanging files, a filing cabinet may not be the right format. Compare it against our storage cabinets before you decide.
Australian office filing cabinets are built around foolscap, not A4. Foolscap suspension files are slightly wider and deeper, which means they hold A4 documents comfortably with room for tabs and dividers. The reverse is not true. An A4-sized cabinet will not accept foolscap files.
This matters most in lateral cabinets. A 900 mm lateral drawer is designed to take two foolscap rows side by side, and that second row is precisely where the capacity advantage over a vertical cabinet comes from. If you are replacing an older cabinet or consolidating an archive, check what your existing suspension files are before ordering. Mixing formats in one drawer wastes the space you paid for.
A four-drawer vertical cabinet is 1325 mm tall on a 467 mm base, and with several loaded drawers open it can tip. Look for anti-tilt interlocking, which limits you to one open drawer at a time. The Statewide Traditional includes it as standard. Lateral cabinets are wider and inherently more stable, but in high-traffic or public-facing areas both formats are worth anchoring.
If your office has limited floor width, a single user managing their own files, or a layout where wall space is at a premium, a vertical filing cabinet is the right choice. A four-drawer vertical cabinet provides substantial filing capacity in a footprint of roughly 470 mm wide, making it one of the most space-efficient storage solutions available. It is also the more accessible price point for businesses equipping individual workstations with dedicated filing storage.
If your office has a central filing area used by multiple staff members, or if your filing volume has outgrown a vertical cabinet, a lateral filing cabinet is the better investment. The wider drawer, faster visual scanning, and higher per-drawer capacity make it the practical choice for any environment where filing is a shared, frequent activity. Lateral cabinets also double as credenza-style furniture along walls or under windows, which adds functional value beyond pure filing storage. Browse the full office storage range if you are fitting out a larger area.
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If you have under 600 mm of wall to spare, or one person is managing their own files, go vertical. The Statewide Traditional starts at $320 for two drawers and $455 for four.
If you have 900 mm of wall, the cabinet will be shared by two or more people, or you want the top surface usable, go lateral. The Rapidline GO starts at $665 for two drawers and $999 for four.
Fitting out more than five workstations? Request a bulk quote and we'll price the whole floor, delivered from your nearest of our five state warehouses.
How many files can a lateral filing cabinet hold compared to a vertical one?|||Lateral filing cabinets hold more files per drawer than vertical models of comparable height. A standard lateral drawer is typically 900 mm to 1200 mm wide, compared to 470 mm for a vertical drawer, which means each lateral drawer can hold roughly twice the volume of hanging folders. For offices with significant filing volumes, a two-drawer lateral cabinet can match or exceed the capacity of a four-drawer vertical cabinet.@@@Is a vertical or lateral filing cabinet better for a small office?|||A vertical filing cabinet is generally better for a small office. Its narrow footprint (typically around 470 mm wide) makes it easier to fit into tight spaces, and it works well for individual users managing their own files. A lateral cabinet requires more wall width and is better suited to shared filing areas with higher document volumes.@@@Can multiple staff access a lateral filing cabinet at once?|||Yes, in practice. Because lateral drawers are wide and files are arranged side-to-side, two people can access different sections of the same open drawer simultaneously without interfering with each other. This makes lateral cabinets the preferred choice for central filing areas in shared offices where multiple staff members need to retrieve or file documents throughout the day.@@@Are lateral filing cabinets more expensive than vertical ones?|||Generally yes. Lateral filing cabinets cost more than vertical models of similar drawer count due to their wider construction and higher material requirements. However, the higher capacity per drawer means you may need fewer units overall, which can offset the price difference for offices with significant filing volumes. Vertical cabinets remain the more accessible entry point for individual workstation filing.@@@
