The best document management software platforms meet every professional need, from cloud storage to version control.
If you’re running a business in 2023, you know how vital document management software can be — it saves on storage space, contributes to workplace efficiency, and ensures files are accessible remotely. The challenge is deciding which solution is right for your organization when so many platforms are available with different prices and feature sets.
Whether your priority is compliance, user-friendliness, or something else entirely, the best document management software should meet all your current professional needs and maybe even get out ahead of some issues you haven’t yet considered. To that end, let’s highlight some of the top platforms in today’s market, their benefits, and any potential drawbacks.
Find the best document management solutions for your business with our guide, The complete guide to document management systems.
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What do the best document management software platforms have in common?
Each platform has its own specialty, but the best document management systems tend to prioritize the following features:
- Security: An organization’s files may include any number of personal and financial records, so security is a must. The best platforms offer file encryption, customizable user-sharing permissions, and other features that ensure only authorized parties can access files.
- Ease-of-use: Onboarding is a consistent challenge, whether your organization is actively growing or simply recovering from pandemic-induced employment challenges. For that reason, document management tools should be designed so users can quickly understand their features. In addition, each platform should come complete with training materials and customer support options that maximize its value for organizations.
- Cloud storage and file collaboration: Important documents are rarely the purview of a single employee — many individuals need to make revisions or leave comments, oftentimes including those from outside the organization. The ideal platform should support the ability for several individuals to work on a single file simultaneously, complete with cloud support to access documents remotely.
- Version control: Mistakes can always happen, especially when many employees work on a single file. Version control techniques guarantee that customers can find an older version of any document and restore it when required.
Did You Know?:Good document management starts with proper digitization. Find out more in our dedicated guide, 6 Must Have Features for Document Digitization Software and Systems.
What are some of the best document management software solutions in 2023?
Microsoft SharePoint
Price: Subscription-based, $5 to $23 USD per month per user
Specialties: Complete and comprehensive document management platform
Learning curve: High
Described by Microsoft as a “mobile, intelligent intranet,” SharePoint is one of the most widely-used document management systems on the market. It offers a complete suite of enterprise-grade tools to help large organizations collaborate on projects, such as simultaneous file editing, configurable workflows, third-party integrations with other platforms, and more.
SharePoint’s drawbacks come down to cost and complexity. First, the platform operates on a subscription model that costs up to $23 per month per user, which can quickly add up for large companies. Meanwhile, each employee will likely need at least some degree of training to familiarize themselves with SharePoint’s many features. On the other hand, SharePoint can also come bundled with various Microsoft Office apps, so if you’re already bought into that ecosystem, it may be an easier choice.
M-Files
Price: Available with consultation
Specialties: Automated file organization
Learning curve: Low
M-Files is a document management solution that aims to simplify file organization. Instead of sorting files within a traditional folder system, M-Files scans each document using its OCR system and recommends a sequence of metadata. Users can then retrieve documents based on their characteristics and quickly review how each file relates to others — such as by client, document type, and more.
M-Files is highly compatible with other software platforms, making it easier for businesses to integrate the platform with their tech stack. Unfortunately, the product is not without quirks — for example, M-Files internal archiving and compression systems are not fully compatible with the standard zip file. All the same, M-Files is an excellent solution for businesses needing a platform to organize their files.
Kofax ControlSuite
Price: Available with consultation
Specialities: Intelligent automation and workflows
Learning curve: Low to moderate
Kofax has quite a few platforms on the market — document management focused and otherwise — but its core specialty is automation. The company’s products can analyze documents then extract useful data and assemble it into intelligent workflows. In short, businesses can quickly process and manage most unstructured data sets and increase productivity at scale.
When it comes to traditional document management, Kofax has a robust set of tools for print and digital formats. For example, Kofax’s security features can automatically add watermarks to printed documents or implement encryption before sharing a file. The TotalAgility product expands these capabilities further with cloud support so customers can access its features anywhere.
Hyland OnBase
Price: Available with consultation
Specialities: Modular design
Learning curve: Low
Every business will have specific needs regarding document management, even those within the same industry. Hyland OnBase is an enterprise product that keeps these details in mind with modular capabilities that users can customize and fine-tune as required. This approach ensures that Hyland users have the document management tools they need, precisely tailored to their use case.
As a complete solution, OnBase boasts an impressive list of features. Automated indexing, mobile content management, and document security are just the starting point — customers can analyze their document system’s performance and create new applications from Hyland’s interface. And if there are any tools OnBase doesn’t include, Hyland’s API support lets users connect to other platforms to gain additional features.
DocuWare
Price: Up to $1500 monthly for Enterprise tier, consultation required for higher packages
Specialities: Digital workplace transformation, remote workforce
Learning curve: Low
Most offices combine local and remote workforces. DocuWare promotes itself as an enterprise solution to help any business go fully paperless. It accomplishes this using a cloud-based SaaS business platform that fits any workplace without sacrificing the user experience.
On the document front, DocuWare includes tools that support cloud-based and on-premise storage and management. These features start with document import from multiple sources — from email accounts to print stream documents — and automatically indexes them to streamline workflows. In addition, DocuWare offers full-text scanning to produce a complete, searchable record of anything within a company’s database.
Did You Know?:PaperStream seamlessly integrates your on-premises digitization solutions with both local and cloud storage.
Make the fi Series scanners part of your document management solution
Once you’ve found the best document management software for your organization, the next step is digitizing and indexing years of physical paperwork. Of course, that means you’ll need the right equipment. We take great pride in having spent the last 50+ years researching, designing, and developing some of the most advanced and powerful electronics in the world, including our professional-grade fi and SP Series scanners.
Built to purpose for the most demanding document handling jobs, fi and SP Series scanners are capable of processing tens of thousands of pages per day at the highest levels of accuracy. Their intuitive integration capabilities with all existing work suites minimize time-to-value for businesses looking to invest in tools that will pay dividends for years to come. Click here to learn more or shop the rest of our production scanner line.