5 Best Document Management Software for Windows Users in 2024
Bad document management hurts productivity on Windows.
With the poor organization of files, you waste a lot of time searching for information. To avoid that, you need to use the best document management software for Windows to simplify data retrieval.
Otherwise, bad documentation will continue to cause your Windows based document workflow astronomical productivity losses.
These productivity losses, in turn, stifle your creativity and work quality.
In fact, an IDC study revealed that 21.3% of productivity losses are due to document management challenges. This is a huge chunk of productivity going down the drain.
However, a good document management tool can help you plug this productivity gap.
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Through automated and more efficient document management structures, it can improve productivity for you as a Windows user.
In this article, I will take you through the best document management software for Windows users in 2024 that will help you ease data organization to make you more productive.
Quick summary:
1. FileCenter – Best for full digitization of Windows documents
2. FileHold – Best for personalization of Windows workflows
3. NetDocuments – Best for Windows users in the legal field
4. Revver – Best for collaborative document management
5. OpenKM – Best for managing CAD documents on your PC
Let’s get started.
How to Choose a Document Management Software for Windows
a) Consider compatibility with Microsoft Office
When choosing a document management software for Windows, you should check for interoperability with Microsoft Office to maximize your productivity.
With a paperless scanning solution that offers Microsoft Office plugins, you can work seamlessly between your Office applications and the platform. As a result, your workflow also becomes more time-efficient.
b) Keep in mind your Windows version
Additionally, you should determine whether the software accommodates the Windows versions in your workflow to avoid strenuous data migration.
So when selecting the best document management software for Windows, be sure to find out what editions of Windows it supports. This will save you time by avoiding the need to switch operating systems.
c) Assess compatibility with Microsoft OneDrive
As a Windows 10 user who backs up files on Microsoft’s file hosting service, OneDrive, you’ll need a great platform that supports the service.
You’ll mitigate data loss risk with cloud support for OneDrive and Dropbox services. Consequently, this ranks among the top tips for choosing a document management software that assures data security.
d) Spare a thought for user-friendliness
The system’s ease of use is a big factor when it comes to choosing a document management software as this will lower your downtime.
In particular, you want a file management software that overlays your Windows folders, thereby allowing you to operate on a familiar interface so that you don’t have to pick up new skills.
e) Consider the supported file formats
When working with Windows, you want a tool that supports file extensions that you regularly come across to avoid having to pay for extra apps.
Therefore, determining supported document file types and extensions is key when figuring out what to consider when choosing a document management software for Windows that offers a one-stop solution.
1. FileCenter
FileCenter integrates with your Windows indexing features.
By overlying your Windows folder layouts, FileCenter boosts the capabilities of basic Windows search with a digital cabinet system. The result is a very efficient document management interface that you can easily master.
Crucially, FileCenter enables you to search unsearchable documents like PDFs so that you can locate files that are hidden from basic Windows search.
This is also made possible by the full text search capabilities in our tool.
With this feature, you can probe data by the content of files, rather than just the document name, allowing you to increase your success rates of information retrieval.
With FileCenter being compatible with older versions of Windows right from Windows 7 to Windows 11, this makes it the best document management software for Windows users if you use legacy versions of the operating system.
Best features:
- Full text search that allows you to comprehensively search your documents to improve your accuracy and turnaround time for file retrieval.
- OCR scanning technology that lets you efficiently scan and upload documents into your Windows PC, thereby reducing paperwork expenses.
- Compatibility with Microsoft OneDrive, thereby allowing you to sync and store files in the cloud to free up your device’s storage and boost its performance.
Pricing:
- Pricing starts at $5/user per month.
FileCenter comes with a lengthy user guide, which can be time-consuming to get through. However, this simple guide puts vital information at your fingertips so you can quickly learn to use the software’s full range of features more effectively.
2. FileHold
FileHold offers complete Microsoft Office integration.
This means that the software has interoperability with popular Windows apps such as Word and Excel. Consequently, you don’t have to waste time switching between third-party applications, thereby improving your productivity.
With Google-like search features based on metadata, FileHold also makes it effortless for you to sort, classify, and identify your documents.
By improving document organization when working with Windows, it lessens the time that you spend performing manual data retrieval.
Moreover, Filehold offers you remote access options, as is the case with FileCenter.
For instance, you can access your Windows PC’s files remotely via web browser portals, therefore allowing you to be productive on the fly.
Additionally, with custom features to choose from, I find that FileHold is the best document management software for Windows in 2024 if you desire a highly bespoke solution for your workflow.
Best features:
- Document viewers that work with your desktop and web client apps to enable you to view various file formats without needing a dedicated app.
- Microsoft Teams integration which enables you to synchronize document management for collaboration purposes to boost teamwork.
- E-forms that you can create using Microsoft Word, which ease the burden of manual data entry while also reducing errors during data collection.
Pricing:
- Contact FileHold for pricing
While the ability to customize FileHold ensures a personalized solution that perfectly fits your unique needs, it can also be a double-edged sword in that it can inflate your initial upfront costs due to this customization.
3. NetDocuments
NetDocuments offers Microsoft Office interoperability.
As a Windows PC user, you can leverage the ndOffice add-in to edit and save documents directly into NetDocuments so that you don’t have to manually migrate the files one at a time.
Overall, it allows you to manage your documents within Office apps, thereby smoothing the learning curve as you don’t have to learn a new interface.
Additionally, NetDocuments offers integrations with Microsoft Outlook.
You can use NetDocument’s folder mapping to easily profile email documents in Outlook into a thread, and therefore improve the organization of information depending on your preferred criteria.
For this reason, I find that NetDocuments is the best document management software for Windows for local file and email organization.
Additionally, the software also offers cloud document management features.
This allows you to back up your documents in the cloud to ease disaster recovery and improve remote access to your files.
Best features:
- Microsoft Power Automate connector that allows you to create custom workflows in Microsoft Office to accelerate document task management and productivity.
- OCR technology with indexing features that offer automated document searching functionalities to save you time and negate cases of lost files.
- ndSync add-in which enables two-way file synching for Windows PC users. This allows you to seamlessly collaborate on a document with others.
Pricing:
- Contact NetDocuments for Pricing.
Overall, NetDocuments is a niche-specific solution for legal professionals and therefore has features that you may not need. However, it offers top-notch document management features that will prove valuable in any workflow.
4. Revver
Revver stands out for its limitless file-sharing capacity.
While some document management tools restrict the size of files you can share, Revver does not. It allows you to easily share huge files more time-efficiently without needing to compress them first.
Moreover, Revver’s Microsoft 365 integration allows multiple users to concurrently edit a document, thereby improving collaboration for large projects.
With real-time file synching and change updates, it prevents teams from infringing on each other’s scope of work, thereby enhancing productivity for your Windows 11 workflow.
This makes it the best document management software for Windows users in 2024 for improving collaboration.
Moreover, Revver also offers bulk PDF conversion for Windows users.
Via the software’s print window, you can easily convert documents into PDF files and store them in Revver. This will allow you to create smaller files and reduce your device’s storage needs when handling batch documents.
Best features:
- Comprehensive cloud-based digital storage of files, making it a cost-efficient solution if you’re a Windows 10 user with huge digital storage needs.
- Document request feature that allows you to beckon other Windows users for documents, thereby easing approvals and collaboration as well.
- eSignatures that especially help to improve contract management by alleviating the in-person signing of documents, which also enhances productivity.
Pricing:
- Contact Revver for pricing.
Revver generally offers higher pricing options than other tools. However, it affords great value for money as you can use the software to manage other aspects of your workflow beyond documents such as personnel.
5. OpenKM
OpenKM offers automatic cataloging for Windows PC users.
This means that you can set up document creation and classification formulas, which lowers the need for manual document management intervention. Consequently, you’ll be able to expedite document generation and information retrieval.
Additionally, OpenKM offers automatic metadata capture which saves you time by not prompting you to describe the nature of each document you create.
As a result, there’s an improvement in the management of metadata and its accuracy, which helps to lower cases of confusion due to mismatched files. What’s more, this also further reduces the risk of siloed data.
Notably, OpenKM also offers CAD preview and editing features to drive efficiency.
This makes it the best document management software for Windows if you regularly work with CAD documents and want to save time and money by avoiding costly design reworks.
Best features:
- Document version control with time stamps. This allows you to track document changes and even roll them back in case of mistakes to minimize disruption.
- Optical mark recognition technology that helps you to process large batches of documents quickly and accurately as a Windows user to boost efficiency.
- Microsoft Office integrations that allow you to make the most of your Microsoft 365 subscription by accelerating its features to improve efficiency and productivity.
Pricing:
- Contact OpenKM for pricing.
Since OpenKM is not just a document management tool but also a general workflow management tool, it can be quite resource-intensive to set up. However, the software is affordable to maintain thereafter so this offsets the initial downtime.
Conclusion
Manual document management comes at a steep price.
For example, with traditional paper-based filing systems, Windows users spend a lot of money unnecessarily. You’ll keep channeling extensive financial resources toward buying paper, storing it, and managing it.
Overall, traditional filing systems inflate your operational costs, resulting in you losing your hard-earned revenue.
With the average office worker using 10,000 paper sheets annually, according to a study by Kyocera and Loudhouse, this means that you’ll be spending a huge portion of your budget on paper filing.
However, by using the best document management software for Windows in 2024, you can unlock cost-efficiency.
In particular, I recommend FileCenter for full document digitization. Meanwhile, I find that FileHold is great for Windows customization while NetDocuments takes the cake for Windows users working in the legal field.
To get started, sign up for your free FileCenter trial and learn how you can transform your Windows document management into a productivity powerhouse.
FAQ Section
What is a Windows document management software?
A document management software for Windows helps you to electronically store and manage your documents to boost efficiency and productivity from your PC.
Such tools can help you create a paperless office by digitizing your documents into editable text files. And with convenient metadata tagging, they improve document searchability to ease data retrieval and access.
What is the purpose of a Windows document management software?
The software helps you to centralize all your documents to ease access and to also break down data silos and free up valuable insights.
Additionally, with password encryption & other security controls such as document versioning, the best document management software for Windows helps you to implement audit trails & security features for regulatory compliance.
What are the benefits of a document management system for Windows?
By turbocharging your basic Windows search features and folder structures, it can make previously unsearchable files searchable to enhance data visibility.
Additionally, you’ll overcome document management challenges like the high labor and storage costs of strenuous information retrieval from traditional filing systems. Moreover, it can also prevent burnout by making document management easier.
How much does document management software for Windows cost?
With vendors like FileCenter, you have several budget-friendly subscription plans to choose from, starting from $5 per user per month.
On top of that, FileCenter’s pricing plans also provide the option to purchase lifetime access to the software, starting at just $97 per user, making it one of the most cost-efficient solutions in the market.
What else can I do with a document management software for Windows?
FileCenter gives you bonus functionalities like e-signatures which allow the remote signing of documents to further lower your stationery costs.
Moreover, you also get PDF editing features that enable you to merge and edit PDF files. As a result, you can make major changes to a PDF document without converting it to another file format first.