13 Best Document Management Systems for 2025 (Free & Paid)

Managing documents in the modern workplace is no easy feat. From contracts and employee details to invoices and more, there’s an endless pile of paperwork that demands attention. Keeping everything organized, easily accessible, and securely shared is crucial for smooth operations. Traditional methods just don’t cut it anymore, and that’s where Document Management Systems (DMS) come to the rescue. These clever software tools are here to save the day, transforming how businesses handle their documents.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the world of DMS, uncover why your business needs one, and explore the must-have features and top systems to check out in 2025. Trust us, once you get the hang of it, managing documents will never feel like a burden again.

In the simplest terms, a Document Management System (DMS) is software designed to help you store, organize, and track your documents digitally. No more piles of paper cluttering up your desk. Instead, you can keep everything in one secure, easily accessible place. Think of it as the ultimate digital filing cabinet that eliminates the need for physical storage and simplifies the way you find and share your documents.

And the cherry on top? Many DMS options are cloud-based, which means data protection, disaster recovery, and quick sharing are baked right in. So, whether you’re a startup or an established enterprise, a DMS can boost your efficiency and reduce risks.

Now that we’ve covered what a DMS is, you might be wondering—why should you care? Well, let’s talk about the real perks.

Implementing a DMS can offer several game-changing advantages that will make your work life much easier.

Storing paper documents is a money-draining headache. Think about it—physical storage takes up space, and more importantly, it costs you to maintain. A DMS switches you to digital storage, slashing costs and freeing up office space. Plus, with cloud storage solutions, it’s way more affordable than you think.

We all know how fragile paper documents can be. A coffee spill, an unexpected flood, or even a fire can wipe out years’ worth of important paperwork in an instant. The good news? With a DMS, especially cloud-based ones, your documents are backed up and easily recoverable. That means no more stress over losing critical files.

Searching through stacks of paper for one little document? Yeah, we don’t have time for that. A DMS uses smart search functions that help you locate documents quickly—saving your team hours (if not days) of time. And honestly, who doesn’t love the magic of instant document retrieval?

What makes a Document Management System (DMS) stand out? It’s not just about storing files—it’s about streamlining your workflow, keeping information secure, and making collaboration effortless. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect DMS, here are the must-have features you don’t want to overlook:

A DMS isn’t just a digital filing cabinet; it’s also your security guard. The best systems let you customize permissions, ensuring the right people can view, edit, or share documents while keeping sensitive files locked down. Control over access is non-negotiable whether you’re handling confidential contracts or internal reports.

Have you ever tried uploading a file only to realize your system doesn’t support it? Annoying, right? A top-tier DMS eliminates this headache by handling a variety of file formats—PDFs, Word docs, Excel sheets, images, and more—so you’re never stuck juggling multiple platforms to get work done.

Nobody has time to scroll through endless folders looking for that one crucial file. A DMS with robust search functionality allows you to locate documents instantly using keywords and rich text search. Think of it like Google, but for your company’s files—because efficiency is everything.

Ever made changes to a file and wished you could go back? With version history, you can. Whether you need to track edits, restore an older version, or see who made what changes, this feature ensures that nothing important is lost and every update is accounted for.

If a DMS feels like rocket science to navigate, your team won’t use it—simple as that. The best systems prioritize a clean, intuitive design so that onboarding is smooth and adoption is effortless. After all, technology should make life easier, not more complicated.

Now that we’ve cracked the code on key features in a DMS, let’s dive into how to pick the perfect one—minus the headache!

Choosing the right DMS is like finding the perfect coffee blend—there’s no one-size-fits-all, but knowing your preferences makes the decision a whole lot smoother.

Think about security and accessibility. You need a system that keeps confidential files locked down while still allowing seamless collaboration. If a DMS forces you to choose between security and teamwork, keep looking.

Make sure it plays nicely with all file types. The last thing you want is a system that requires constant format conversions. A good DMS should support all the file types you work with daily, from contracts to creative assets.

Prioritize a smart search function. No one has time to waste digging through folders. A DMS should let you find what you need in seconds, not minutes.

Don’t underestimate version history. Mistakes happen. Documents evolve. Having the ability to go back to a previous version can be a lifesaver, especially in a fast-paced work environment.

And most importantly—keep it simple. If a system feels clunky and frustrating, your team won’t use it, no matter how many features it has. A well-designed DMS should fit into your workflow effortlessly, not disrupt it.

At the end of the day, a DMS isn’t just a digital filing cabinet—it’s a productivity tool. Choose the right one, and you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it. Choose the wrong one, and you’ll spend more time wrestling with software than actually getting things done

The list of different document management tools can seem quite daunting, but that’s why we have created a list of the best of the 10 best document management systems on the market today!

Let’s go through each one of them in detail and decide which document system is best for you:

Bit.ai is an AI-powered document and wiki collaboration platform that transforms the way you manage information. Designed to simplify the document management process, it’s the ultimate hub for creating, collaborating, and organizing documents and projects efficiently.

Its core offering is a centralized workspace that simplifies document creation, collaboration, and organization. Key features include:

Bit.ai is ideal for teams seeking an all-in-one, intuitive solution for document management and collaboration without the complexity of more traditional enterprise tools.

Free Plan: $0 per member per month

Pro Plan: Starting at $8 per member per month, billed annually

Business Plan: Starting at $15 per member per month, billed annually

AI Genius Add-on: $10 per 100k words per month with any paid plan.

Read more: Top Employee Management Systems You Should Be Using!

Alfresco is an Enterprise Document and Content Management System aimed to make your workflow smooth and streamlined.

Its core offering, a Digital Business Platform lets IT develop modern solutions for an efficient workflow.

The Digital Business Platform offers an Application Development Framework, and open-source APIs that allows:

If you work in a large enterprise, Alfresco might just be the way to go. However, it can be a bit intimidating with its many core competencies.

Next on our list is OnlyOffice, and as the name suggests, it aims to be your ”only office” outside your real office environment.

OnlyOffice allows you to upload a document, spreadsheet, or presentation from your computer directly to their web app and manage it from the cloud.

You can track changes made to the docs, leave comments, and access version history too. OnlyOffice supports various document formats including DOC, PDF, HTML, CSV, TXT, and more.

OnlyOffice aims to offer a complete suite of office apps like documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. OnlyOffice offers a plethora of features to organize every step of your business. Some of these features include:

Project management with task tracking, Gantt charts, time tracking, and reports collaboration

OnlyOffice’s “community” allows employees to create news boards for sharing the latest company news and announcements, polls and surveys to gather data, the ability to share ideas and knowledge through corporate blogs and forums, and communicate with other teammates using instant messaging.

A noteworthy feature of OnlyOffice is the ability to connect any of the cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or Microsoft’s Onedrive and keep all your data in one place.

DocuWare is a digital document management tool that allows you to store your documents in electronic folders for easy storage, search, and retrieval.

By storing all your documents in a centralized document pool, you can reduce costs associated with traditional document filing systems which resulting in a faster, more efficient workflow.

DocuWare aims to reduce this time spent significantly by allowing you to retrieve your documents anytime, and anywhere with advanced document indexing and storage capabilities.

DocuWare also protects your files from unauthorized access and loss by providing regulatory compliance security features, and disaster recovery.

Google Docs has been around for quite some time now, 15 years to be exact. Since its inception, Google Docs has amassed quite a following in the cloud-based collaboration tool market.

It has a familiar interface like Microsoft Word, which helped it gain traction and make it easy for people to understand its nuances.

It’s intuitive and easy to use design, security, privacy features, and mobile apps to keep you connected to your documents 24×7.

Google Docs also provides a list of ready-made templates for documents like resumes, letters, brochures, etc. to create documents quickly and easily.

If you are looking to save time and resources by converting your hard copy paper documents into their electronic counterparts, LogicalDoc is another great solution.

LogicalDOC is an intuitive document management system that requires little to no training to get up to speed with.

Its easy drag-and-drop capability allows users to upload files in a jiffy. A capable solution for small as well as large businesses unlike, LogicalDoc facilitates fast content retrieval and process automation.

LogicalDoc allows users to create, collaborate and edit documents together, keeping records of document history and modifications.

Since LogicalDoc operates fully in the cloud, there’s no hardware or software setup to get started with it. LogicalDoc comes in three versions: Enterprise and Cloud, Business Edition, and Community Edition.

Confluence, by Atlassian, is a document management and collaboration system for teams to communicate internally.

Teams can easily create, share and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and images. Features like automatic versioning, instant previews, full-text search, and pinned comments make it easy to manage your documents across all departments.

Share documents, PDFs, images, track every version and changes made to a page and connect to Jira to provide insight into their development work with automatic linking, quick issue creation, and reports.

Users have the ability to organize and share company information amongst employees and with their customers.

Confluence can be helpful if your team already uses Jira and HipChat by Atlassian, as it’s designed to work with those platforms.