Cheap Document Management Software – Compare Options and Costs
The cheapest price for quality document management software is estimated to be around $91 per user on-site, or $412/year for hosted solutions.
Document management software is used in businesses that have massive numbers of documents that need to be tracked and stored. Fees are normally assessed on a per-license basis. Introductory software may be as affordable as $99 – $150 per year, but most businesses will need a more robust solution that costs between $310 and $523. For users in an enterprise scenario with thousands of employees and massive document management needs, a low-priced document management software option might be out of the picture, as enterprise options may cost several hundred dollars more per license.
Factors that affect the price you pay for even cheap document management software might include:
- The backup and security options incorporated into the software
- The amount of cloud storage provided
- Optical character recognition and scanning capabilities
- The ability to create, merge and edit PDF files
- Templates and options for creating new documents
- Integration with other popular software and a wide range of devices
When you’re trying to stick to an inexpensive document management software package, there are obviously some of these factors that are going to be important, and some which are less so. For instance, cloud storage might not be a factor if you prefer to store things locally. On the other hand, our society has become so highly mobilized that it would be impractical in many cases to have software that does not allow integration with iOS or Android devices.
Of course, even though you are seeking an economical option, the selection will always partly depend on your own personal needs. For instance, even though we just mentioned the utility of mobile integration, there are some companies that forgo mobile devices due to security concerns. In those instances, you could find a more inexpensive package by forgoing that option.
What is Document Management Software (DMS)?
Wonder what DMS software is and if you need it? Think of document management software as a type of digital filing cabinet. In many industries, such as law, banking, or medicine, there is a need to manage thousands upon thousands of documents, even in relatively small firms. Low-cost document management software gives you the electronic tools to make organizing, storing, and working with this vast amount of information, much more manageable. Popular types of DMS software include:
- Legal Document Management Software
- Free Open Source Document Management Software
- Enterprise Document Management Software
- DMS Software For Government, & Accountants
This type of software is particularly important when offices are making the transition from a paper-based to a paperless office. They may include scanning features such as optical character recognition, which can scan and translate handwritten characters into digital type, which allow you to take years of old records and transform them into much more manageable digital forms.
Document management software then gives you the ability to organize, store, and manipulate all of your digitized files. The programs also typically include extensive tools to help make backing up and securing that vital data much easier.
These programs also include tools to help make your documents consistent. This takes the form of templates that you can use when uploading or inputting files to make all of your records look and operate the same. Your data then becomes much more useful for any manipulations you may need to do with it in the future.
The searching features are another important part of document management software. When you start to deal with hundreds of thousands of pages of information, it can become nearly impossible to find what you’re looking for without the appropriate tools. This is what a good document management solution can provide.
What to Look for in Low-Cost Document Management Software
The following items should be reviewed when shopping for document management software:
- Ability to Add Files From External Sources
- Backup & Restore Options
- Document Creation Templates
- Regulatory Compliance – Compliance for Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, ISO 9000/9001, etc
- Multiple Security Levels – Individually manage user access
- OCR Capabilities – Let’s you scan documents into software and convert it to electronic text for editing.
The quality and breadth of the scanning templates included with document management software is important if you’re transitioning from a paper-based office to a paperless one. Templates make scanning and working with your files much easier in the long run.
Integration with applications that you currently use for document creation is also an important part of document management software. If you use Word or Acrobat, as examples, for creating large numbers of important documents, you want your document management suite to integrate well with those programs in order to make combining your digital source files into a single archive a relatively straightforward matter.
Look for a company that is willing to work with you on pricing if you need a higher-tier program or if you have a very large user base that is going to need access to the document management software. There are many companies in this field that don’t advertise their base rates, but if you speak to them directly, you may be able to negotiate a long-term or large-scale rate for your company. It is possible to find an excellent bargain by taking the initiative to discuss these options with sales representatives.
Finally, you need to look for a software option that fits with your operational model, meaning do you want to host the software locally, or upload your documents to online servers? The cloud-based options in the field are almost always more affordable, but there are security and privacy considerations that may make some more comfortable with in-house storage. The choice is up to you, but the option between the two provides a good initial criterion for narrowing down your search.
Bargain Document Management Software Companies with Discounted Prices
If you’re looking for the most discounted document management software options, you should be looking carefully at the cloud-based options. These often run on a subscription basis and can be much more affordable than their more expensive hosted counterparts. Here are two examples:
EFile Cabinet: EFile Cabinet is a cloud-based solution that is quite affordable thanks to offering different service levels based on user needs. A very stripped down services are available for as little as $9.95 per user per month. It has options all the way up to its Pro plan, which is $65 per user per month, but which includes advanced security features and integration with CRM program Salesforce.
FileCenter: FileCenter, from Lucion Technologies, includes all of the options that we’ve discussed, such as OCR, advanced search, and even access portals that you can customize to match your brand. The basic professional version starts at $249.99 per license.
Protect Your Company
Paper records are vulnerable. In the event of a flood or a fire, you could conceivably use years of vital business records. With the use of low-priced document management software, you can protect yourself against these potentially disastrous events by backing up all of your critical records to the cloud.