Best Document Management Systems [A Complete Guide]

Since the last decade, companies across the planet are trying to move away from paper documents and opting for digitized documentation systems, which the pandemic has accelerated even further. Documents, be it in electronic form or in the paper, are essential for a business to run, because managing business information from different sources can be a daunting task.

So, depending on the need of an organization, the best document management systems must be able to capture, store, and retrieve electronic and paper type of documents, which can offer multiple benefits. Now! You might ask, what are the advantages of the best document management system. And the answer is, there are many advantages of a document management system and we will discuss that in detail below. Before that, I would suggest you go through our previous article on Document management systems to have better clarity.

Top 5 Advantages of the Best Document Management Systems

i) Reduced use of Storage

Since the emergence of Covid19, employees can no longer work from the office, and the need for storing documents on the cloud increase by few folds. Additionally, the rising cost to store paper documents has forced organizations to use document management systems that are software-based. The best document management system help companies to free up their office spaces and save some costs by reducing the use of paper documents.

ii) Better Collaboration

Thanks to Document management systems, sharing and collaborating is now easier than ever. The best part of DMS is, documents captured from different sources can be retrieved or accessed from multiple locations at the same time. Many of the popular document management systems can provide much better visibility in various business processes, which can allow much better workflow management and monitoring.

iii) Better Security

In order to keep sensitive data protected, the security of documents is of utmost importance for any organization. The best document management system provides much better control over various sensitive documents. Additionally, a document management system leaves a trail of people who have viewed the document, if changed, how much has been changed, and the time of accessing the document.    

iv) Better Regulatory Compliance

Most of the organization’s fear nowadays is not meeting regulatory compliance. However, the best document management system can help to store classified data much more securely, while being compliant with the regulatory compliances.

Now we know the top 4 advantages of the best DMS systems, we can move to the next part of the article, which is the top 13 document management software for you. However, please keep in mind, this list is not in any particular order, here we will list out the main features of this system so that you can choose the best document management system for you.

Top 13 Best Document Management Systems for you

1) Bit.ai

We are starting our list with one of the best cloud document management systems. This tool helps to create, manage and track various documents quite easily. The best part is, Bit.ai lets its users store images, videos, and cloud files across different platforms. Additionally, you can connect the system to services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.

2) PDFelement Pro

When it comes to the best document management software for home, PDFelement Pro should be the first choice. Thanks to its easy yet feature-rich interface, people can do much more with their PDF files. The best part is, this software offers a free trial to its first-time clients.

3) Seeddms

Seeddms is one of the best open source document management systems, it supports sqlite3 and MySQL databases. This DMS system is completely enterprise-ready document scanning software, which is used to share and store documents.

4) OpenKM

OpenKM is one of the most well-known free document management software. This works well with browsers like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox. This DMS lets you set various rules and logic in order to automate the documentation process.

5) PandaDoc

PandaDoc is one of the leading document management platforms, which lets you create, share and, deliver documents online. This DMS works great with operations, finance, HR, marketing, and legal departments. The best part is, any business, be it large scan or small scale can easily get the benefits of document management software like this when it comes to creation, sharing, and delivery of documents. Also, keep in mind, this is one of the best document management systems available in the market currently. 

6) PaperSave

If you are looking for a cloud based document management for small business, PaperSave deserves to get your attention. This platform helps its users to create an electronic workflow mostly by using data validation, smart forms, and configurable approval rules. The best part is, PaperSave keeps all the files in a centralized database for easy access.

7) Pinpoint

Being one of the best document management systems Pinpoint is designed to help businesses irrespective of their size. This DMS platform lets its users store various documents securely, set up different workflows, and communicate from a single centralized hub. The best part is, Pinpoint allows you to create electronic cabinets, folders, subdividers, and various document types in order to suit the organizational needs. Thus, reducing the cost of replacing lost documents.

8) Zoho Forms

Zoho Forms help you to create and manage online forms by using different customizable themes and field types. The best part is, you can connect your payment solutions like 2Checkout, Paypal, etc. with the Zoho Forms.

9) OpenDocMan

When it comes to the best open source document management system, one cannot forget OpenDocMan. This document management system can run on any PHP5 enabled web server. Being a web based DMS, OpenDocMan is compatible with MySQL5 database.

10) Kimios

Another open source document management system is Kimios. This lightweight DMS system can be used to manage and track your documents easily. You can directly integrate this DMS to your Windows OS under the commercial license.

11) Google Docs

By far the most popular free document management system available in the market is Google Docs. This is a cloud-based DMS, that enables you to keep all your important data on the cloud. Additionally, your data accessed from any corner of the world with your Gmail account.

12) Alfresco

When it comes to cloud document management systems, Alfresco is a well-known name. It wants to provide employees a single window for all their documents. As one of the top document management software Alfresco streamlines the workflow and allows you to access the information at the proper time.

13) PaperPort Standard

PaperPort is a home document management software, which can help you with your PDF documents. It makes sure that your chance of losing those PDF documents is minimal. Its ability to scan, organize, share and find this affordable document management software makes your life easier than ever.

So, these are our picks for the best document management systems of 2021. A good document management system will always provide you with a competitive edge over all of your competitors who are still using paper-based documents. With these DMS you can streamline all the crucial information, which eventually helps your employees and stakeholders to focus on things that matters the most.