Document programs are used for the creation and editing of files like word documents and spreadsheets. The best word document programs ensure consistency in your business communication, collaboration and workflow, thereby reducing the risk of errors and improving work efficiency. Word processors have replaced old-school typewriters for a good reason. Word processing has become an important part of our lives with its capability to convert any thought into words, images and other rich media formats.
Best Document Program is a smart tool to help you create the best document possible. It is equipped with the latest technology to assist you in creating high-impact documents that look and feel great.
Over the past few years, document programs have become extremely popular among different types of users. People often use these programs to prepare documents with their data or text. In some cases, they are used to create important presentations and spreadsheets in order to present the information in a clear and accurate way.
There are numerous document programs out there. What you need to know is that they’re not all created equal. Sure, they all can do basic things like create documents and edit them, but they all offer different features and capabilities.
What is Document Creation Software?
Cloud-based document creation tools can be shared, viewed, and adjusted with anyone a user chooses to collaborate with. Additionally, the tools include access privilege settings so only users with permissions can view certain documents. Cloud-based tools also provide users with access to documents anytime, anywhere, provided you have internet access. In some cases, document creation tools allow offline adjustments—although those edits won’t save until internet access is regained—which is particularly helpful for workers who are traveling and cannot easily access the internet.
On top of its accessibility benefits, document creation software enables better organization. In many cases, the software provides a repository to store and manage all created documents. Such a repository generally exists on a drive that can easily be shared with a team. If an entire team has access to the documents created, they can more easily locate specific projects and better collaborate with team members.
Key Benefits of Document Creation Software
- Provides an easy collaboration solution
- Easily configures settings to formalize consistent formatting standards and ensure privacy
- Eases the sharing and managing of stored documents
M-Files
- Free for 30-days
- Customized pricing
- Industry-specific solutions
- AI technology
M-Files offers the future of document management. The software leverages AI technology to automate your organizing process.
When you upload content to M-Files, the platform automatically organizes the data based on what it is, as opposed to just where you want to store it.
Protect your information by connecting your existing network to M-Files’ AI, automatically and securely.
Another top benefit of M-Files is that they offer industry-specific solutions. Some popular industries that they service include:
- Financial services
- Construction and engineering
- Oil and gas
- Real estate
- Manufacturing
- Professional services
M-Files is great for larger teams that need to access documents at different times. If someone on your staff needs a file that was uploaded and saved by another colleague, they won’t need to search through different folders to see what the document was saved as.
With AI technology, all you need to know is what type of document you’re looking for. Then you can organize the content based on criteria like project title, author, customer, or expiration date.
It automatically detects duplicate content and updates the latest document to one singular file. This way you always know that you’re viewing or working with the latest version.
With M-Files, you can store a wide range of document types, including emails. The software also allows you to collaborate with external users who don’t have M-Files. That content can be shared as a secure link.
M-Files offers cloud storage, on-site storage, and hybrid storage solutions as well.
You can try M-Files free for 30 days but pricing for M-Files is not listed on their website. You need to contact their sales team to inquire about a custom solution.
Templafy
- Try for free
- Customized pricing
- Enterprise solutions
- All-in-One document management
Templafy is a relatively new DMS. After launching in 2014, they have been providing all-in-one document management solutions for enterprises all over the world.
It’s designed for large businesses and helps streamline tasks to save time when it comes to storing and accessing files.
More than 300 enterprises across 80+ countries use Templafy for document management. This translates to more than one million users.
Using intelligence software, Templafy will automatically show the most relevant content to each employee based on their usage and position.
That means your marketing team doesn’t need to see documents only relevant to accounting, and so on.
Templafy eliminates of having to create new document on a new platform by giving users the ability to create and edit new content directly within the system.
Both new and uploaded content can all be managed in a simple and singular feed on your dashboard.
Templafy’s cloud storage software means you can access documents from anywhere, including on your smartphones and tablets.
You can integrate Templafy with Microsoft Office 365, G-Suite, and other platforms that you’re using to run your business on a daily basis. You can even integrate Templafy with CRM solutions like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics.
Big brands like Pandora and IKEA trust Templafy to manage their documents with enterprise-grade software.
In addition to managing documents and files, Templafy has solutions for maximizing employee productivity and creating an evergreen IT infrastructure.
Security is another top benefit of using Templafy. You and your team can securely store and access content from anywhere, using any device, whether you’re online or not.
Like most enterprise software, Templafy provides custom solutions for each unique company. So they don’t list any prices online. You can try Templafy for free before you commit to a contract by reaching out to their sales team.
eFileCabinet
- Starting at $15 per month
- Integrates with many third-party services
- File share & collaboration tools
- Access files from anywhere
eFileCabinet is one of the best document management solutions on the market. They help individuals, small business owners, and enterprise-level companies organize data and files online.
Their solution helps you remain organized no matter how many documents and files you have.
You can search for documents or locate them based on folder templates or pre-defined file names. eFileCabinet also keeps a portfolio of your most used documents for quick access.
The eFileCabinet solution does the hard work for you. Simply upload a document, and the software will file it. The automated workflow streamlines your time-consuming tasks to improve efficiency in the office.
All of your documents can be accessed from anywhere with a web browser or mobile app. Use your phone or mobile device to upload directly too. eFileCabinet also allows you to sign contracts.
One of the biggest standouts for this solution is the collaboration features. The system allows you to create different levels of security, so only certain people can access data.
eFileCabinet has encrypted file sharing and requests, two-factor authentication, and role-based permissions. You can even set IP or location-based authentication.
The software integrates with popular third-party services like DocuSign, Salesforce, and Microsoft Office.
Here’s an overview of the plans and price points for eFileCabinet:
- Starter — Starting at $15 per month (25 GB of storage)
- Advantage — Starting at $55 per month (1 TB of storage)
- Business — Starting at $99 per month (5 TB of storage)
- Unlimited — Starting at $199 per month (Unlimited storage)
All prices are listed per user and billed on an annual basis. Once you upgrade from the Starter plan to Advantage, you’ll need to pay for a minimum of three users.
I’d only recommend the Starter plan to individuals. Sole proprietors or very small businesses can probably get away with the Advantage plan, but the Business package will likely be the best for the majority of you.
With eFileCabinet, you get to choose if you want your storage either on-site or on the cloud. Personally, I prefer the cloud storage. But there are advantages to on-premises as well. Click here to learn more and sign up at eFileCabinet today.
signNow
- Free 7-day trial
- Starts at only $8/month
- Unlimited templates
- Industry-specific solutions
signNow is an intuitive document signing and management software loved by users for its ease of use and low price point.
signNow is a no-frills solution for affordable document signing services. In terms of features, it stacks up well with big names in the industry, offering unlimited templates, many integrations, cloud storage even on the lowest paid tier, multiple language support, audit trail, reminders, and more.
Unlike e-sign big names like DocuSign and HelloSign, one handy feature signNow offers is a unique direct signing link. When you upload a document for signing, you do not have to let the provider send a third-party email to your client requesting a signature.
Instead, signNow gives you a direct link you can email or text to your client so that the request comes right from you.
Another point for signNow goes to its mobile app. Document recipients can sign important papers without signing up for an account from desktop, phone, or tablet devices.
You can purchase a solution suited specifically for your industry, including but not limited to:
- Construction
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Real Estate
- Education
signNow users can also set up no-code workflow automation for all document processes. You can assign roles, add conditional routing, set notifications, and integrate with the business tools you already use. Plus, it is very secure, complying with ESIGN authentication and protection, operating according to SOC 2 Type II certification, guaranteeing compliance with industry standards.
signNow has four subscription plans:
- Business: $8 per user per month
- Business Premium: $15 per user per month, includes workflow automation
- Enterprise: $30 per user per month, includes payment requests, attachments, and more
- airSlate Business Cloud: $50 per user per month (5 user minimum), includes a suite of tools and more compliance and support
Even the Business Premium pricing is about what many other DMS software charges for their lowest plans. And you can save up to 60% by paying annually instead of monthly. To get started, try signNow’s 7-day free trial and start sending documents now.
Hightail
- Limited free forever plan
- Paid plans start at $12/month
- Track file delivery & downloads
- Send large files securely
Hightail is a document management solution with a specific purpose: sharing and collaboration.
Other DMS on the market have features for file sharing as well, but Hightail takes this to the next level.
If you need to send large files securely, this service is going to work well.
Secure sharing is simple. Just drag or upload a file from your device or cloud storage solution into your Hightail account. Enter the information for who you want to share it with, and automatically send an email notification to the recipient.
Share a video presentation with the team, and their get their feedback immediately.
With Hightail, you’ll be able to track the delivery and downloads of content you shared. So you know exactly who opened it and when.
Hightail lets you send files of up to 500 GB. You can add password protection to files and set expiration dates as well.
Here’s an overview of the plans and pricing for Hightail:
Lite — Free
- 100 MB file send limit
- 7 day file expiration
- Comments for feedback enabled
- Sync from third-party integrations
Pro — $12 per month per user
- 25 GB file send limit
- Configurable file expiration
- File previews enabled
- Send tracking and delivery notifications
- Password protection
- Phone and live chat support
Teams — $24 per month per user
- 50 GB file send limit
- Custom branding
- Organization and archiving tools
- Version control with side by side comparisons
- Real-time discussions for collaboration
- Members management
Business — $36 per user
- 500 GB file send limit
- Enterprise-grade security
- Dedicated customer support team
- Organizational level permissions
- Admin reports
As you can see, the pricing is largely based on the file sending limits. But the features get significantly better with each plan as well.
The free option is actually pretty good if you don’t need to send huge files, and even the entry-level Pro plan is suitable for a number of individuals.
If you’re interested in a paid plan, you can try Hightail free for 14 days.
Document Creation Software Features
Despite their apparent simplicity, document creation software comes packed with features to streamline the process of typing documents. Most products in the space will come with the same basic features, but many cloud-based solutions are able to provide extra collaborative features because of their syncable nature.
Word processor — All document creation solutions serve as a word processor. The main, bare-bones use case of a document creation solution is to allow users to input, edit, and format text.
Grammar and spell check — The majority of document creation solutions provide a built-in grammar and spell checker. Words that are either spelled incorrectly or used incorrectly in terms of grammar are highlighted so users can review them and make changes. Grammar and spell checkers will also often provide a recommended fix that offers the potential correct spelling or usage for a word.
Font modifiers — Document creation software may provide dozens of preinstalled fonts for users to choose from. For on-premises solutions, users can also download fonts online and use them within the software after installation. Users also have the ability to bold, italicize, and underline text, and some options also allow users to change the color of text and highlight sections.
Save and store — Users can save and store their documents from inside the document creation software. On-premises solutions will allow users to name their documents and decide where in their hard drive they want to store the document. Cloud-based solutions will often integrate with a content management system to store saved documents. All saved documents can be opened again later so users can continue writing or edit them.
Document formatting — Document creation tools enable users to change all aspects of a document, including margins, headers and footers, line spacing, and indentation.
Templates — Document formats can be saved as a template for repeat use. Many document creation tools will also provide premade templates for documents like resumes, legal forms, letters, and brochures.
Insert images — Document creation tools can add images to documents from saved local storage or from the cloud, depending on the solution. Some solutions can even pull images like graphs or charts from other software like spreadsheets if integrations are provided.
File types — Most document creation tools will allow users to save or download their documents as different file types, including PDF, plain text files, and rich text files.
Additional Document Creation Features
Collaborative editing — Since cloud-based document creation solutions can sync across devices, most allow multiple users to edit a document at the same time. Users can view changes and additions in real time (and see who is making them). Cloud-based solutions also allow users to see everyone who is viewing the document at a given moment, even if they aren’t making any additions to the document itself.
Suggest edits — Cloud-based solutions will allow users to share documents with others so they can proofread their work. Proofreaders will have the option to suggest edits instead of editing the document directly. These suggested edits can then be approved by either the document’s owner or whoever the owner gives permission. Once changes are approved, the recommended edit is then applied to the original document.
Sharing — While documents created using on-premises document creation solutions will have to be attached to a message to share it, those made with cloud-based solutions can simply share a link that takes the user to the document. The owner of the document can set different permissions per document or user, such as view-only or allow others to make changes.
Conclusion
There are several reasons for choosing Word as your document program. Mainly because the word document programs developed by Microsoft are used the most, and are the easiest to use. And if you’re looking for a good word document program ( or word processing solution ), look no further than the Microsoft Office Suite.
Document programs are important tools for every computer, either you have a laptop or a computer in your office. There are so many programs that can help you to manage not just the documents that you created with your word processor, but also other media like photos and videos.