You shouldn’t have to dig into your Google Drive to find important business documents.

A 2022 survey from The Harris Poll found that 26% of workers spend 5 hours a day searching for the information they need.

And this digital friction has consequences: In a 2024 Foundry survey sponsored by OpenText, 58% of the respondents reported losing business opportunities due to the inability to access data promptly.

When your team is drowning in disorganized files on your personal drives or (worse) you’re using a paper filing system—investing in a small business document management system (DMS) is the best way to get your files in order.

If you need a DMS but don’t know which to choose or which features to look for, this article will break it down.

Summary: Best document management system for small businesses

To help you find the best document management system for your small business, we've put together a quick comparison of the top tools available in 2024. Here is a snapshot of each tool's standout features, best use cases, and pricing, so you can quickly identify the one that fits your needs.

Features to look for in document management software

When investing in your DMS, look for these features:

1. Security. Two-factor authentication, advanced permission controls, and server-side authentication are features that help your data remain secure. Security should be your #1 priority when looking for document management software.
2. Permission control. A DMS should allow you to manage permissions on the documents you share. This way, you control who gets access to what and protect your documents. An excellent DMS lets you add page-level and section-level visibility and editing rules.
3. Collaboration. Your internal tools should let you collaborate in real time with multiple users without fear of security breaches or complicated email cycles.
4. Optical Character Recognition (OCR). A robust OCR is a must for any good DMS. A good OCR helps you scan your documents and move them to the central hub. A faulty or substandard OCR means that 100% of the information is not scanned, and you end up with patchy, incomplete documents.
5. PDF Summarizer. Managing large documents can be time-consuming, especially when dealing with reports, contracts, or research papers. A PDF Summarizer helps by quickly extracting key insights, making it easier to find relevant information without reading through every page. This feature enhances efficiency and ensures that businesses can process documents faster.
6. In-built editor. A DMS should let you edit documents on-page without having to download them and edit them on a third-party text editor. However, it’s not a feature that sets apart a good DMS from a bad one, so don’t fret if your DMS doesn’t offer this feature.
7. Version control helps you track who on the team edited the document last and how. This way, you’ll be aware of the document's progression and can always restore the previous version if need be.

10 best document management systems for small businesses

While many document management systems are on the market, I've sifted through the options and found the 10 best in terms of efficiency (and popularity). They each offer great features, different pricing options to suit your budget, and a few drawbacks here and there that you'll want to keep in mind.

1. Softr

Softr is a fuss-free, no-code platform that lets you custom-create internal tools like client portals to support your business operations.

With Softr, you can build a self-service, document management portal that authorized users can access from anywhere, at any time.

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Softr’s free document management system template for secure collaboration, efficient document management, and insightful analytics.

What we like: What stands out with Softr is how easy it is to use. With just a few clicks, you can create custom applications and manage documents—without coding skills.

Using Softr, you can connect data sources such as Airtable, Google Sheets, HubSpot, SQL, or other databases and quickly build a user-friendly interface, creating a custom document management system that centralizes your information.

Advanced permissions make setting up document access for different user groups or companies easy. You can also manage forms, collaborate easily with stakeholders, upload spreadsheets, and integrate with your favorite communication tools (like Gmail or Slack).

Build a fully branded, secure document management system with features like workflow management, metadata management, and version control–and power your entire small business.

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Use Softr’s no-code, easy-to-use platform to build your document management system, powerful web apps, and more.

Features:

1. Custom API integration
2. Library of free templates to get you started, including a free Document Management System Template
3. Document updates are synced in real time
4. Advanced permissions and user access settings
5. Custom user profiles and built-in profile management
6. Member-only content
7. Dynamic search, filtering, sorting
8. Gated content—block level and page level visibility rules
9. Add search bars and filtering capabilities
10. AWS-powered server-side authentication
11. Fully compliant with SOC2 and GDPR

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Yes
2. Free plan: Yes
3. Basic: $49/mo
4. Professional: $139/mo
5. Business $269/mo

G2 rating: 4.8/5

G2 review from Rudi E.:

1. Pros: “The process is completely intuitive and even with limited technical skills, I was able to build exactly the basic app that I wanted. It looks really great and has useful AI integration for creating logos, images and copywriting. The block-building format will be familiar to anybody who has built a website using no-code tools like WordPress, but no prior experience is actually necessary because of the useful online tutorial videos. Tech support is fantastic when needed.”
2. Cons: “The single issue that I experienced was when using a dropdown in Softr where multiple options could be selected, this did not carry through to my database in Google Sheets.”

Drawbacks:

If you use Airtable as your database, it doesn’t offer features like eSignature, on-page document editing, and file conversion. Some users also find the Airtable UI complicated. But Softr solves that problem for you. When you use Softr with Airtable, it becomes easy to create internal tools like a client portal that every stakeholder will find intuitive to navigate, particularly if you use the client portal template.

Best for:

Independent creators, entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

2. DocuWare

DocuWare is a digital document management and workflow automation tool founded in 1988. It's the leading document and content management system, with more than 15,000+ users. DocuWare offers an easy-to-use web interface and powerful scanning tools.

DocuWare is a digital document management and workflow automation tool that allows you to edit or annotate documents directly within the platform.

What we like: DocuWare’s automation features help you digitize and automate document processes.

Features:

1. Intelligent indexing
2. Edit or annotate directly on the platform
3. Integrations with 500+ applications
4. Electronic signature and forms
5. Compliance tracking
6. File recovery
7. Robust optical character recognition (OCR)
8. Available in 16+ languages

Pricing

1. Offers free trial? Yes
2. Basic plan: $300/mo (4 users + 20GB document storage)
3. No pricing details on the website, because pricing depends on the user's needs and configurations. Contact for a quote.

G2 rating: 4.4/5

G2 review from Tom B.:

1. Pros: "I love how user-friendly the interface is. The capture and indexing with their intelligent indexing are very accurate."
2. Cons: "If I could think of one downside, it would be the limited offline functionality."

Drawbacks

1. While DocuWare’s interface is intuitive and user-friendly, it offers limited resources to help users familiarize themselves with the environment. The training provided is lackluster, and the support is often slow.
2. DocuWare’s OCR fails to capture the entirety of the information on the document on occasion and doesn’t offer file-type conversion.

Best for

Large enterprises.

3. Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint, designed to empower teamwork and seamless collaboration, happens to be the top pick for teams who value-efficient collaboration. Available as a standalone product or as part of the Office 365 suite, Microsoft SharePoint offers users substantial security and customer support.

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What we like: For businesses already in the Microsoft ecosystem, its integration with Microsoft Office makes it a top choice.

Features:

1. Integrations with other Microsoft products
2. Highly customizable
3. Project Syntex
4. Large file support
5. Document library accessibility
6. Custom metadata fields
7. Drag and drop functionality

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Yes (if you have an Office 365 account)
2. Plan 1: $5 user/mo
3. Plan 2: $10 user/mo
4. Office 365 E3: $23 user/mo

G2 rating: 4.0/5

G2 review from Alex N.:

1. Pros: "SharePoint is a very good tool for document collaboration and storage. It's easy to learn to use."
2. Cons: "It can take a while to upload very large documents into SharePoint, but this can also depend on your server infrastructure and speed of connection."

Drawbacks

To max out SharePoint’s potential, businesses need to customize the solution accordingly. Some level of expertise is also required, which can drive up costs for small businesses. For most users, SharePoint has a steep learning curve that can be time-consuming.

Best for:

Medium-to-large enterprises.

4. M-Files

M-Files offers industry-specific solutions for your business, leveraging AI technology to automate document organization. Its cutting-edge technology and security set it apart from others on the list.

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What we like: M-Files' AI-powered, metadata-driven approach to document organization.

Features:

1. Industry-specific solutions
2. Highly customizable
3. Search based on multiple attributes and tags
4. Metadata suggestions
5. Integration with Parashift
6. Access control

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Yes
2. Offers only custom solutions, so you’ll need to request a quote.

G2 rating: 4.3/5

G2 review from Ross F.:

1. Pros: "Ability to sort documentation by document properties."
2. Cons: "It is complicated and time-consuming to set up since it is totally customisable."

Drawbacks:

M-Files only offers customizable solutions, so it’s hard to gauge the cost for a small business. The user interface can prove to be complicated for non-tech users, and the check-in/check-out features require additional tasks. You'll also need a really strong internet connection to avoid synchronization issues.

Best for:

Medium-to-large tech enterprises.

5. Templafy

Launched in 2014, Templafy is a relatively recent addition to the market. Considerably easier to use with a dynamic interface, Templafy hopes to solve "document anarchy" by establishing a streamlined approach to file management.

Features:

1. Batch processing
2. Intelligent information management
3. Compliance tracking
4. File conversion
5. Metadata management
6. Customizable branding
7. Single sign-on

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Not one that’s advertised on their website.
2. No pricing details are available on the website.

G2 rating: 4.3/5

G2 review from Gabriela V.:

1. Pros: "We use Templafy templates and AI assistant, which I find very useful."
2. Cons: "Sometimes the response time from the support team is too long."

Drawbacks:

Templafy’s advanced branding and compliance features can feel a bit overwhelming for smaller teams who might not need extensive customization. Templafy is also relatively new so it’s in the process of adding features.

Best for:

Businesses that prioritize visual identity and messaging.

6. Revver

Revver (formerly eFileCabinet) is known for its excellent customer service and being a flexible product that gives users control over all their documentation. It’s best known as a tool with workflow automation and intelligent document organization capabilities with a focus on security and compliance.

What we like: The user-friendly interface and powerful automation tools.

Features:

1. Role-based permissions
2. Two-factor authentication
3. IP or location-based authentication
4. Encrypted file sharing and requests
5. Excellent team collaboration features
6. Audit log

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Not one that’s advertised on the website.
2. Quote on request.

G2 rating: 4.3/5

G2 review from Dana P.

1. Pros: "The best part of Revver for our office is that we can store endless files!"
2. Cons: "The least helpful thing about Revver is that it sometimes stalls out, could just be my connection, but usually I just log out and back in & that seems to take care of the issue."

Drawbacks:

Although Revver is an excellent DMS, it costs more than its competitors, which may make it unsuitable for small businesses. Two-factor authentication can prove to be time-consuming. The user interface isn’t intuitive, and the starter plan is only suitable for individuals, not enterprises.

Best for:

Individual creators and medium-to-large enterprises.

7. Zoho WorkDrive

Zoho WorkDrive is a complete document management solution designed to meet the needs of SMBs. It's notable for its strong team collaboration features, and its integration with the Zoho suite of products makes it a good choice if you're already using Zoho tools.

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What we like: With its advanced file versioning and activity tracking, you can keep tabs on document changes.

Features:

1. Team-based collaboration with shared folders
2. Extensive integration with Zoho apps
3. Advanced file versioning and activity tracking
4. Role-based access control
5. Enhanced data security with encryption
6. Real-time notifications and document updates

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Yes
2. Starter: $2/user/mo
3. Team: $4/user/mo
4. Business: $9/user/mo

G2 rating: 4.4/5

G2 review from Prats M.

1. Pros: "The platform has good security, providing encryption and audit trails."
2. Cons: "Offline features are somewhat limited."

Drawbacks:

Zoho WorkDrive’s extensive features can be overwhelming for new users, especially if you're not familiar with the Zoho ecosystem. Also, while the lower-tier plans are affordable, they have document storage and upload limits that may not work for a growing business.

Best for:

SMBs who are already using Zoho products.

8. Square 9

Square 9's intelligent information management platform, powered by AI, securely stores all your documents in a single, searchable repository with permission-based access. Known for its efficiency in handling high volumes of documents, Square 9 is a great fit if you're in an industry with heavy documentation requirements.

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What we like: If you handle large volumes of documents, Square 9’s flexibility and scalability set it apart.

Features:

1. Advanced document capture and automation
2. Search information using any combination of phrases
3. Integration with third-party applications like Microsoft 365 and Salesforce
4. Security protocols
5. Intelligent data extraction and indexing

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? No
2. Pricing plans: Contact for pricing.

G2 rating: 4.5/5

G2 review from Shawn B.

1. Pros: "It does a good job of connecting multiple scanned documents to a single output file following defined naming rules."
2. Cons: "I have found the connection to the server to be very slow and unresponsive at times."

Drawbacks:

The customization options can be a double-edged sword. While powerful, they require a steep learning curve and might require significant time investment. The lack of transparent pricing can also be a hurdle for smaller businesses.

Best for:

Businesses who need highly customizable solutions.

9. Box

Box is a well-known document management and collaboration platform that provides secure and scalable cloud storage. It’s particularly strong in enabling collaboration across different teams and organizations, making it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.

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What we like: Great for businesses that require data security while collaborating with multiple teams.

Features:

1. Secure cloud storage solution with advanced encryption
2. Easy collaboration with internal and external teams
3. Integration with popular apps like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
4. Granular access control and permissions
5. Automated workflows and e-signature support
6. Detailed file activity tracking and reporting

Pricing:

1. Offers free trial? Yes
2. Business: $15/user/mo.
3. Business Plus: $25/user/mo.

G2 rating: 4.2/5

G2 review from David C.

1. Pros: "It works well for our office for effective communication when sending and receiving documents from our clients."
2. Cons: "Box released its e-Signature capture feature I was super excited about. They have been improving it over time, but for now, I feel that Acrobat Sign has more features I am used to at this time."

Drawbacks:

Box's pricing can become expensive as you scale up or require additional features, such as enhanced security or compliance tools. It also offers a wide range of features that might be more than your small business needs.

Best for:

Businesses of all sizes looking for a secure cloud storage solution.

VIENNA Advantage

Founded in 2005, VIENNA Advantage is a unique, community-driven, open-source alternative to traditional DMS. One of its most striking features is that it’s freely available to businesses but offers no technical support.

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What we like: Open-source document management solution with strong ERP integration.

Features:

1. Secure encryption
2. Workflow automation
3. ERP and CRM integration
4. Cloud-based and on-premise
5. Version control
6. Customizable
7. Indexing available

Pricing:

1. Community edition: Free!
2. Enterprise edition and professional edition: Paid, but no pricing details are available on the website. Get in touch to get a quote.

G2 rating: 4.4/5

G2 review from Martin M.

1. Pros: "Structural design seems to be a good base for implementing our own add-ons."
2. Cons: "Update workflow could run much smoother."

Drawbacks:

Since VIENNA Advantage is an open-source, community-driven DMS, there is little to no technical support. The user community is active and passionate, but implementing the system will require a steep learning curve.

Best for:

Individual creators and solo entrepreneurs.

Why small businesses need a document management system

As a small business, the #1 advantage you have over your competition is how efficient you can be—and relying on the desktop for document storage is inefficient.

Here’s why you need a document management system:

1. File management

While saving documents is important, it's better to be able to find them when you need them. A DMS ensures that your documents are organized, indexed, and searchable.

2. Security

IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 found, “40% of data breaches involved data stored across multiple environments” and the global average cost of a data breach $4.88 millon–an increase of 10% from 2023 and the highest total to date.

If you’re one of the small businesses that stores documents on the Drive without encryption and user permissions, consider switching to a DMS.

3. Productivity

Companies face an overall loss of staff productivity due to issues with document organization. If your team is busy retrieving old documents in a small corner of an ex-employee's work folder, productivity is bound to go down.

4. Access

Without DMS, managing permissions inside your documents is next to impossible. A lack of control over who gets to see what can invite a lot of trouble.

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Softr’s gated content lets users set page-level and block-level visibility rules to control who has access to what.

5. Collaboration

Working on static documents and sharing them by email is outdated and makes version control impossible. A good DMS will make it easy to track changes and allow multiple colleagues to collaborate on your documents in real time.

6. Document recovery

An email can be lost, a file misplaced, and a document forgotten, but with DMS, your data is always easy to find and back up.

Our document management software top picks

Businesses of different sizes have very different needs, so we’ve picked out two of the industry's favorite platforms to help narrow your search. This time, we’ve focused on a tool for small businesses and one that’s better suited to enterprises:

1. Softr is designed to make no-code internal tool building accessible for small businesses without a team of engineers. It’s ideal for building a customized solution that’s efficient and easy to use.
2. Revver is a tool loaded with features and is best for companies with complex needs.

The final word on document management

Documenting your work on paper or on your personal desktop is inefficient and comes with its fair share of risk. But finding a document management system for small businesses that’s easy to use, secures your documents, and improves your workflow can be a difficult task. Now that you know the industry favorites, you should be better equipped to choose your own.

You may be inclined to go for a traditional, dedicated document management system from the list above. But with Softr, you can custom-build an internal web app to meet your business needs. You don’t need any coding experience, it’s easy to get started, and you’ll never have to worry about lost files or clunky collaboration again.

Frequently asked questions about document management systems

How do you manage business documents?

A small business deals with multiple types of documents like invoices, contracts, summaries, expense sheets, receipts, and client information.

Some small businesses store all these documents on paper, while others use Excel Sheets or Airtable to store, manage and retrieve them. Ideally, every small business should use a document management system to maximize document organization and efficiency.

How do small businesses save documents?

Small businesses save documents in physical files and cabinets. If they use digital forms to store documents, they usually use Excel or Google Sheets. Some companies also store documents on the drive.

Small businesses should use a document management system for file management and efficiency.

Is Google Drive a document management system?

Although you can create, store, edit, and share documents (and possibly even create a client portal with Google Drive), it cannot double as a document management system (DMS). Modern DMSs allow users to do much more than just save, edit and share files.

What does a DMS have that Google Drive doesn’t? 

- Reporting tools

- Collaboration tools

- Multiple workflow options

- Advanced permission control

- Metadata management

Also, Google Drive isn’t the most secure option to store your documents.

What is the best document management software?

The best document management software for your business depends on your needs and requirements, but the top 10 best document management systems are:

1. Softr (not a typical DMS, but the best platform for building internal tools)

2. DocuWare

3. Microsoft SharePoint

4. M-Files

5. Templafy

6. Revver

7. Zoho WorkDrive

8. Square 9

9. Box

10. VIENNA Advantage

How are documents saved in a cloud-based system?

Cloud storage is a virtual space available on servers that can be used through the Internet. When you upload a document to the cloud, your data is stored remotely and can be accessed at your command. This is possible because your data is stored remotely on large computer servers.