6 best document management software 2024

Document management software is a universal tool that every team and company must have at hand to improve their productivity. The main reason is that it covers almost everything ranging from team collaboration and communication to file storage and sharing. In this article, you will find the best picks in this category in 2024.

What is document management?

Generally speaking, document management is how a company processes electronic documents and images of paper-based content. It includes a wide range of files, such as text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, digital forms, scanned images and PDFs. Document management controls the entire lifecycle of an electronic document, including its creation, modification, distribution, accessibility and storage.

Document management often implies a flexible access permission system making it possible to allow or prohibit certain operations depending on the role a user has within the company. This way, document management guarantees the confidentiality of important files and prevents unauthorized access.

Document management is not possible without specialized software, also known as DMS, which allows users to create, edit, manage and even collaborate on electronic documents in a centralized location.

What’s more, DMS also feature communication tools making it easier for team members to interact and exchange opinions while working on electronic documents, which boosts their productivity and reduces the time it takes to obtain approval for the final version of an electronic file.

Purposes of the document management software

Using specialized platforms, teams and companies make things easier when it comes to document management. These are some common purposes of using such software:

• Reduction of expenses on physical document storage;
• Boost of productivity and team collaboration;
• Enhanced security of confidential information;
• Elimination of the risk of data breaches;
• Improvement of electronic document workflows.

To find the best document management software that you could implement in your company, take a look at the options below and estimate if they can make a difference in your working process taking into consideration your business type and budget.

Top 6 best document management software to consider in 2024

1. ONLYOFFICE DocSpace

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is a web-based document management system with a wide range of collaborative features. It allows teams and companies to create a secure collaborative environment in the cloud or on a private local server where they can store, manage, share and co-edit electronic documents.

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is compatible with all popular office files making it possible to edit and collaborate on text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, electronic forms and PDF files. The built-in office package guarantees complete compatibility with Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and decent support for other common file formats, including DOC, ODT, RTF, TXT, HTML, EPUB, XPS, DjVu, XLS, ODS, CSV, PPT and ODP.

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace offers a room-based approach to document management, and there are three types of rooms that you can create depending on your needs:

• Collaboration rooms are designed for real-time document co-authoring;
• Custom rooms are useful when you have a specific task, such as form filling or reviewing;
• Public rooms are ideal for external sharing as you can invite users via external links to allow them to view files without registration.

In DocSpace rooms, you can establish various levels of access permissions for other users, including room admins, power users, editors, viewers, commenters, reviewers and form fillers.

When it comes to document editing, ONLYOFFICE DocSpace provides professional tools and features, including chat communication, audio and video calls and a ChatGPT-based AI assistant which makes it easier to work with texts. For example, you can generate images, create summaries, extract keywords, translate paragraphs, etc.

Best for: real-time document collaboration with teammates, departments, partners and customers.

Want to try ONLYOFFICE DocSpace and see how it can change the way you work on documents and collaborate with other users? Get started now in the cloud:

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2. OpenKM

OpenKM is an open-source document and record management platform that integrates essential document management and collaboration tools combined with an advanced search functionality. The system also comes with administration features which make it possible to define the roles of various users, set up access control, establish user quota, control document security and access detailed logs of user activity.

OpenKM allows users to control the production, storage, management and distribution of electronic documents. It also provides a workflow engine to help employees boost their productivity and a records management system allowing your company to capture and maintain information about business activities and transactions.

What else makes OpenKM a good choice for document management is that some common tasks can be performed automatically without human intervention. For example, it’s possible to create and apply validation rules for document classification, electronic signatures and metadata capture.

Best for: enterprise-level document and records management.

3. DocuWare

DocuWare is a cloud-based document management and workflow automation software that allows businesses and remote teams to digitize, secure and process electronic documents.

With DocuWare, you can automate various tasks and processes, such as invoice generating, contract management or onboarding of new employees. The platform automatically captures important information and stores it in a single digital environment. For example, this works for employee records, HR files and business documents, allowing your team to forget about routine tasks and focus on what drives productivity and profit.

As a cloud-based solution, DocuWare is accessible via any browser so it’s a perfect fit for remote teams working from different locations. However, there are some additional tools that can boost your productivity as a DocuWare user when you need to create a diagram or process a scanned document.

Best for: document workflow automation among remote teams.

4. Adobe Document Cloud

Adobe Document Cloud is a document management system developed by Adobe and equipped with powerful PDF editing tools and services, including Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, Acrobat Sign and other apps. The combined solution lets users transform their manual document processes into digital workflows.

Adobe Document Cloud is best suited for the management of PDF files. You can create, edit and sign PDFs with ease on any device. Also, the platform provides collaboration and synchronization tools, allowing you to work with your teammates in real time.

The built-in audit trail feature provides quick access to all document activities so you can track and monitor the current status of your PDF documents at any time. Additionally, there is a useful feature that sets automatic reminders for document deadlines.

Adobe Document Cloud also provides access to customized templates of different kinds, such as contracts or fillable forms, which significantly speeds up the document creation process as you don’t have to create anything from scratch.

Best for: creation and management of PDF files.

5. M-Files

M-Files is an innovative document management platform that covers a wide range of business processes, such as document creation and management, workflow automation, collaboration, security compliance and audit trail.

Powered by an AI technology, the platform helps teams and businesses to organize all information in one place by classifying electronic documents and extracting their meaning. This makes it possible to leverage routine tasks and make sure that relevant information can be easily found and used in the right manner.

M-Files can be adapted to any industry which requires intelligent document management and content search. Another strength of this platform is the ability to integrate third-party services for better productivity. The list of available options includes Adobe Acrobat Sign, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce and SharePoint.

Best for: intelligent knowledge work automation.

6. LogicalDOC

LogicalDOC is a document management solution that offers an intuitive interface and advanced technology compatible with widely accepted international standards. It is a modular platform that can easily deal with the most complex document management requirements.

LogicalDOC comes with a multi-purpose DMS system and includes document and knowledge management as well as tools for forms and records processing. The software is capable of organizing, indexing, retrieving, controlling and distributing business documents in a secure way.

With LogicalDOC, you can automate your business processes to increase your productivity and reduce costs. The platform can be installed on Windows, Linux and macOS. The main advantage of LogicalDOC is simplicity in terms of data entry and document retrieval.

Best for: secure document management within private networks.

Summary

If your company deals with a lot of paperwork, you definitely need a reliable document management system. Choosing the right software depends on your business type, workload and budget. The good thing about DMS platforms is that they are cross-industry so any of the options described above is highly likely to find its application in the field your company operates in. You just should take a careful look at their functionality and opt for the one that could meet all of your document management needs.