Best Marketing Automation Software

Marketing automation software helps businesses streamline marketing processes.

By automating marketing tasks, it’s much easier to generate leads, build customer relationships, and drive conversions at scale. As your business grows, it’s impossible to manage every single lead and customer manually. But marketing automation software moves customers through your sales funnel with ease.

Marketing automation software provides leads with a consistent experience across multiple digital marketing channels.

By leveraging marketing automation software, you can personalize the customer experience by providing the most accurate information and promotions to customers with different needs.

While the terms are often used interchangeably, it’s important to understand that marketing automation software is not the same as email marketing software or CRM software.

Marketing automation is a component of customer relationship management, and email can be a component of marketing automation—but the three are not one in the same.

The Top 6 Best Marketing Automation Software

• HubSpot
• ActiveCampaign
• GetResponse
• OptinMonster
• Salesforce Pardot
• ConvertKit

After conducting extensive research, I’ve narrowed down the top marketing automation solutions on the market today. Here’s an in-depth review of each one on our list:

#1 – HubSpot — Best Overall Marketing Automation Software

Visit HubSpot

• Visual automations editor
• Starts at $50 per month
• $800 for full automation features
• Up to 90% off for startups
• Request a free demo

HubSpot is one of the most well-known names in the marketing world. This inbound marketing software has everything you need to automate dozens of tasks at scale.

With HubSpot, you’re able to customize sophisticated and highly targeted workflows using a visual editor. You can use this tool for simple follow-up messages or even complex campaigns with multiple touch-points throughout the customer journey.

HubSpot makes it easy for you to automate your emails with drip campaigns. Just choose from dozens of pre-set triggers, conditions, or customer actions.

The HubSpot Marketing Hub starts at $50 per month. However, that package doesn’t give you the full automation benefits.

Pricing for marketing automation features from HubSpot starts at $800 per month, billed annually.

It’s a bit pricey, especially for smaller businesses with lower budgets. But when you buy a product from HubSpot, you’re getting more than just software. You’ll also benefit from HubSpot’s exceptional customer support team.

If you’re a startup, you might be eligible for up to 90% off through the HubSpot for Startups Program. Contact the HubSpot sales team to request a free demo.

#2 – ActiveCampaign — Best For Small Business

Visit ActiveCampaign

• Starts at $49 per month
• Trusted by 90,000+ businesses
• Easy to use
• 14 day free trial
• Start for free

More than 90,000 businesses trust ActiveCampaign for marketing automation. It’s arguably the best visual automation builder with drag-and-drop functionality on the market today.

ActiveCampaign makes it easy for anyone, regardless of technical skill level, to set up both simple and complex marketing automations.

From site tracking to event tracking, attribution, split actions, and automation goals, ActiveCampaign has it all.

ActiveCampaign takes a complex subject and simplifies it with an easy to use dashboard and management tools, which is why it’s our top pick for small businesses.

Pricing for ActiveCampaign Plus with CRM and sales automation starts at $49 per month. The price is based on the number of contacts in your list.

This subscription comes with email marketing, lead scoring, ecommerce integrations, and more.

If you want advanced features such as customer attribution, path to purchase, split automations, and machine learning capabilities like predictive sending, predictive content, and win probably, you’ll need to upgrade to ActiveCampaign Professional. This package starts at $129 per month.

At both of these price points, ActiveCampaign is an affordable option for small businesses. Try it free for 14 days.

#3 – GetResponse — Best Features For Marketing Automation

Visit GetResponse

• Starts at $15 per month
• $49 for advanced automations
• Lots of features
• 30 day free trial
• Get started for free

GetResponse is a powerful and affordable marketing automation solution that’s used by small businesses and large organizations alike. Over 350,000 businesses across the globe use this software to automate marketing processes.

From capturing new leads to generating sales, recovering abandoned carts, and driving engagement from your site traffic, GetResponse has tools to meet your needs.

It’s easy to set up an automated customer journey by applying conditions, actions, and filters that will automatically trigger users through a pre-defined journey based on their behavior.

You’ll benefit from advanced segmentation and lead scoring, which will ultimately improve the effectiveness of your campaigns.

GetResponse is a top choice for ecommerce sites. It helps you understand your customers’ buying habits, browsing behavior, targets abandoned shopping carts and automatically recommends relevant products.

Pricing for GetResponse starts at $15 per month. This comes with basic automation features like welcome emails, drip campaigns, click and open followups, and contact tagging.

To get the most out of GetResponse marketing automation, you’ll need to sign up for the Plus package, starting at $49 per month. The upgrade gives you custom workflows, the automation builder tool, lead scoring, abandoned cart recovery, site tracking, event tracking, and automated segmentation. However, you’ll be limited to just five custom workflows at this rate.

For those of you who need more than five workflows, you’ll have to upgrade to GetResponse Professional, which starts at $99 per month.

It’s worth noting that the feature-rich automation software from GetResponse can be a bit difficult to navigate through. For anyone who is just looking for simple automation tools, you might find GetResponse to be a little overwhelming.

But if you’re looking for as many automation features as possible at an affordable price point, look no further than GetResponse. Try it free for 30 days.

#4 – OptinMonster — Best For Landing Page Lead Generation

Visit OptinMonster

• Starts at $9 per month
• Best for lead generation
• Automated landing page campaigns
• 14 day money back guarantee
• Try it risk-free

OptinMonster is a bit different compared to some of the other options on our list. This software is not really a full-service or all-inclusive marketing automation solution.

It’s a lead generation and customer acquisition tool for your website that leverages marketing automation to grow your email list, reduce cart abandonment, and increase sales. More than one million websites use OptinMonster, making it one of the most popular solutions on the market today.

OptinMonster has tools to help you design high-converting landing pages, popups, and website campaigns designed to generate leads.

Then you can create automated and campaigns for website visitors based on their behavior and actions.

For example, you can create campaigns for new vs. returning visitors. Trigger a popup or offer based on the amount of time that visitor has spent on the site or the number of pages they’ve viewed.

You’ll also be able to automatically trigger landing page campaigns based on user behavior, such as exit intent.

OptinMonster is undoubtedly one of the best lead generation tools on the web. But it lacks in other areas of marketing automation. You’ll need to integrate OptinMonster with your email or CRM software—it does not offer these features.

But with prices starting as low as $9 per month, it’s a cheap add-on to your existing solution.

Try OptinMonster risk-free 14 days. If you’re unhappy for any reason, you’ll get a 100% refund; no questions asked.

#5 – Salesforce Pardot — Best For B2B Marketing

Visit Salesforce Pardot

• Starts at $1,250 per month
• Best for B2Bs
• ROI reporting
• Advanced automations
• Request a free demo

Salesforce is one of the most reputable and well known CRM solutions on the market today. So it’s no surprise to see Salesforce Pardot rank so high on our list of the best marketing automation software.

With that said, Salesforce Pardot is not for everyone. This software is made specifically for B2B organizations.

Top features include streamlined lead management, smart lead generation, email marketing, and sales integration. Salesforce Pardot leverages the power of AI to improve your marketing efforts and sales strategy. You’ll also benefit from insightful ROI reporting to determine what campaigns are working and which ones need improvement.

Here’s a quick look at the Salesforce Pardot pricing options:

With plans starting at $1,250 per month, this software obviously isn’t the cheapest option on our list. But with that said, this type of pricing is expected for a B2B solution of this caliber.

Pardot makes it easy for you to create data-driven campaigns with a powerful and flexible visual builder. Simply map out each touchpoint in your funnel to improve the customer experience and identify gaps in the process.

Salesforce Pardot gives you detailed reports and analytics so you can improve automation campaigns based on real results as opposed to guesswork.

For B2B organizations seeking marketing automation software, Salesforce Pardot is second to none. The biggest drawback is the price, especially considering that you need to commit to a one-year contract. But you won’t have to worry about performance. Salesforce Pardot has everything you could possibly need and more in terms of software in this category.

Contact the Salesforce Pardot sales team to request a free demo.

#6 – ConvertKit — Best Marketing Automation Software For Beginners

Visit ConvertKit

• Starts at $29 per month
• Simple visual editor
• Pre-built automation templates
• 14 day free trial
• Start for free

ConvertKit is one of the simplest marketing automation solutions that you’ll find. For those of you who are new to using marketing automation tools, this choice should be toward the top of your list.

ConvertKit is branded as an email marketing software, but its marketing automation features are much more advanced than just basic email functionality.

This tool makes it easy for you to create powerful automation funnels based on a subscriber’s action. It ensures that you send targeted content to the right audience at the perfect time.

Unlike other marketing automation tools on our list, ConvertKit is simple. You can set up basic automation rules that trigger a specific campaign, without having to go through complex workflows and settings. The visual editor is easy for anyone to use, even if you have zero experience with marketing automation.

Whether you’re running a content site, ecommerce business, or selling SaaS, ConvertKit has the marketing automation tools that you need to succeed.

One of the best parts about ConvertKit is the pre-built automations, so you don’t have to start from scratch. For example, they have automations for hosting a webinar, launching a new product, and surveying your subscribers.

For new businesses, ConvertKit does a free forever plan for up to 500 subscribers. But that doesn’t come with any of the visual automation funnels.

To access all of the features and benefits of ConvertKit, paid plans start at just $29 per month. You can get two months for free if you sign up for an annual contract. Try it free for 14 days.

How to Find the Best Marketing Automation Software For Your Business

For the most part, there is no “best for everyone” solution. The best marketing automation software for you will depend on your specific needs.

Finding the right marketing automation software for your business can be challenging if you don’t know where to look. Here’s an overview of the methodology I used to pick the options on our list. Take these factors into consideration when evaluating the needs of your business.

Business Size and Type

Most marketing automation software is geared toward specific businesses. SMBs and enterprises will have very different needs.

Smaller businesses and beginners should lean toward ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit, whereas a solution like HubSpot is better for mid to large-sized organizations.

If you’re in the B2B space, Salesforce Pardot is the best option for your situation.

For those of you who are running an ecommerce business, make sure that the solution you’re considering has ecommerce features and automations for sales built-in. The tool should also integrate with whatever ecommerce platform you’re using to power your website.

Automation Setup

Your marketing campaigns will only be as good as the initial setup.

Regardless of the platform you’re using, you’ll have to create rules that will trigger a specific campaign or sequence. These are based on user actions, such as opening an email, subscribing on a certain landing page, returning to your website, or abandoning their shopping cart.

The best marketing automation tools allow you to set up advanced automations for multiple actions throughout the customer journey. Visual automation editors make this easy for you to set up.

But with that said, some of those editors are definitely easier to use than others. The best way to figure out how easy it is to set up an automation sequence is by starting a free trial or requesting a free demo.

CRM and Email

Not every marketing automation software is an all-inclusive marketing solution. You need to determine if the tool you’re considering is a one-stop-shop for your needs.

Lots of the options on our list as double CRM software and email marketing software. So you can handle everything from a single dashboard. However, other solutions won’t be as advanced.

For example, OptinMonster is perfect for generating leads on landing pages using marketing automation. But you can’t use that platform to send emails or manage subscribers. You’ll need to integrate it with your existing email marketing software or CRM software.

Features

Choose email automation software based on features that align with your goals.

Exactly what are you trying to accomplish? Is it lead generation? Sales? Conversions? Is the software advanced enough to scale with you as your needs change?

The best marketing automation solutions have advanced features for things like lead scoring, event tracking, sales integration, and more.

It’s worth noting that lots of solutions will advertise lots of features, but don’t actually offer all of those features with every plan. So look carefully at the plan you’re interested in. Don’t assume that it comes with every feature advertised on the software’s homepage.

If you’re looking for something simple, sometimes too many features can be overwhelming. It’s not worth paying extra for advanced features that you’ll never use.

Price

In most cases, the price for marketing automation software is based on the number of customers, subscribers, or leads in your contact list.

But with that said, there is a wide range of price points in this space.

Basic entry-level plans typically start around $30-$100+ per month. Prices on the lower end of that range might not come with all of the advanced marketing automation features that you’re looking for.

Top of the line marketing automation software for mid to large-sized businesses and B2B organizations starts around $800-$1,200+ per month.

In some instances, you can save money by committing to an annual contract. In other cases, an annual contract will be your only option. Month-to-month pricing isn’t available for every solution.

Conclusion

Marketing automation software can dramatically improve your marketing processes as your business scales.

What’s the best marketing automation software for your company? It depends on what you’re looking for.

We ranked HubSpot as the best overall because of its powerful features and benefits. But its high price point is definitely aimed at mid to large-sized organizations and businesses with substantial marketing budgets. However, startups can get up to 90% a HubSpot plan.

Smaller businesses and beginners should lean towards options like ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, or ConvertKit. Salesforce Pardot is the best choice for B2B companies. Any business can consider using OptinMonster as an add-on for landing page lead generation.

Regardless of your business size, type, or needs, you can use this guide to find the best marketing automation software.

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The Best Project Management Software For Your Business

Project management software helps teams stay organized and productive when collaborating on different projects. These tools are especially useful when multiple projects are in progress simultaneously.

A project management solution ensures that projects are completed on time while holding individual team members responsible for specific tasks.

These real-time workspace tools are much more effective than long email chains, writing things down manually, or having to rely on human memory.

While it may sound redundant, it’s important to understand that project management software is made for projects—not ongoing work. Projects have start dates, end dates, and deliverables along the way. For example, creating a website is a project. But maintaining a website post-launch doesn’t have a clear start date or end date.

Not every project management tool is the same. Some solutions are intended for large teams with complex projects, others are ideal for small teams and simple projects, and the rest fall somewhere in between.

No matter what type of projects you’re managing, this guide will help you find the best project management software for your needs.

The Top 7 Best Project Management Software

• Zoho Projects
• Trello
• Wrike
• LiquidPlanner
• Teamwork
• Celoxis
• TeamGantt

After some first-hand experience using these tools and hours of extensive research, I’ve narrowed down the top seven options in this category. Here’s an in-depth review of each one:

#1 – Zoho Projects — Best Overall Project Management Software

Try Zoho Projects

• Starts at $3 per month
• Free forever plan available
• Great for simple and complex projects
• 10-day free trial
• Start for free!

Zoho has a full suite of various productivity tools and SaaS for businesses. So not surprising to see its project management software, Zoho Projects, ranked first overall on our list.

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management solution that accommodates the needs for a wide range of businesses, projects, and use cases.

From simple to complex projects, this tool has everything you need to manage various workflows. You can even automate some routine tasks to save time. Use the drag-and-drop interface as a visual way to set up new automations and deploy projects. Collaborate on the go using the Zoho Projects mobile app.

Zoho Projects is affordable, with pricing based on the number of people on your team.

As you can see, your plan will also affect things like storage and project templates. You’ll be limited to just ten projects per month with the entry-level Standard plan; the rest are unlimited.

Zoho Projects does offer a free forever plan for up three users and two projects, which is fine for individual use or a one-off task.

Another reason to like Zoho Projects is its timesheet module. You can easily track both billable and non-billable hours for tasks. Zoho Projects also integrates with popular apps you’re already using like Slack, Zapier, G Suite, Dropbox, and other apps in the Zoho suite.

Sign up for Zoho Projects and get a 10-day free trial; no credit card required.

#2 – Trello — Best Free Project Management Software

Visit Trello

• Free for unlimited users
• Paid plans start at $9.99
• Trusted by millions
• Best for simple projects
• Start for free!

Millions of users trust Trello to manage various projects. For small teams and simple projects, the free project management software from Trello will be perfect for accommodating your needs.

People use Trello for work, side projects, and even for managing individual projects, like organizing a family vacation.

Trello shines in terms of simplicity, which is one of the reasons why I use it to manage team tasks on my websites. Everything is organized with boards, cards, and lists.

Each card represents a task or small project. Those tasks can be assigned to specific team members for collaboration. Cards have subtasks that can be managed and completed in real-time to show progress towards completion. Assigning due dates, uploading files, and adding comments on a Trello card is about as simple as it gets.

You can move cards to different lists such as “in progress” or “complete” so everyone can see the status of a task at a glance. Trello has an exceptional mobile app for project management as well.

In most instances, Trello is better for simple projects. If you’re managing complex projects with large teams, you’ll run into some restrictions with this platform.

The best part of Trello? It’s free. Every user gets unlimited boards, cards, and lists at no cost.

Paid plans start at $9.99 per month per user. This gives you access to advanced features like app integrations, calendar view, map view, advanced users, automations, and more.

#3 – Wrike — Best For Marketing and Creative Teams

Visit Wrike

• Starting at $9.80 per month
• Free for up to 5 users
• Perfect for marketing teams
• 6 month free trial
• Get started for free!

More than 20,000 businesses use Wrike for project management. It’s trusted by large organizations like Verizon and Airbnb.

Wrike makes it easy for you to view real-time reports and statuses for all of your team projects. You can enable and centralize your communication hub for everyone collaborating on a project.

This software is perfect for marketers and creative teams. Wrike has specific project management tools for campaign management where teams can collaborate on tasks, track progress, and review the results of each campaign.

Wrike also has project management templates designed for content creation. This pre-set workflow process includes everything from a creative brief to final delivery and reporting.

Wrike has a free forever plan for simple projects. But most of you will benefit from the Professional or Business plans, starting at $9.90 and $24.80 per user per month, respectively.

Once you select your base plan, you can add-on premium features depending on what types of projects you’ll be using Wrike to manage. It’s kind of a bummer that not every feature is all-inclusive. But it’s nice that you can pick and choose whatever you need.

Wrike offers product bundles for marketing and creative teams. For example, Wrike for Marketers comes with Wrike Proof and Wrike Publish add-ons. It also comes with a Wrike extension for Adobe Creative Cloud.

Contact the Wrike sales team for a quote on a project management plan for your marketing team.

For a limited time, you can get a 6-month trial of Write Professional. You can try the other plans free for 14 days.

#4 – LiquidPlanner — Best For Complex Projects

Visit LiquidPlanner

• Best for complex projects
• Used by 20,000+ businesses
• iOS and Android mobile app
• 14-day free trial
• Start for free!

LiquidPlanner is a top solution for engineering teams, software teams, IT teams, and professional services. It’s made for managing complex projects at scale with lots of contributors.

This project management tool helps you manage uncertainty with best-case and worst-case scenarios for the outcome. LiquidPlanner automatically adapts to change during a project, which is inevitable for projects with a high level of complexity.

LiquidPlanner gives you quick insight into the tasks, progress, risks, and budgets for every project that’s in progress. You’ll even be able to share the most relevant information with whoever needs to stay informed.

LiquidPlanner offers an iOS and Android mobile app, time tracking, advanced analytics, API access, unlimited internal dashboards, and integrations with cloud storage services.

You need at least five team members to be eligible for a LiquidPlanner subscription.

Unfortunately, pricing is unavailable online. You’ll need to contact their sales team to request a quote, regardless of your company size. LiquidPlanner has plans that can accommodate the needs of smaller businesses and enterprises with multiple departments managing hundreds of projects.

If you’re looking for a project management solution for something simple, like managing website content, LiquidPlanner is not for you.

But for those of you with complex needs, you can try LiquidPlanner at no cost with a 14-day free trial; no credit card required.

#5 – Teamwork — Best For Remote Teams and Agencies

Visit Teamwork

• Starts at $9 per month
• Free forever plan available
• Great for remote teams
• 30-day free trial
• Try it for free!

More than 20,000 businesses use Teamwork for project management. It’s trusted by big brands like Spotify, Disney, Panasonic, PayPal, and Netflix.

Teamwork makes it easy for businesses with remote workers to collaborate on projects. It’s easy for everyone to communicate, stay connected, and have clear visibility over the progress of a project, no matter where people are located.

This software management tool has built-in chat, simple project boards, and custom templates. Teamwork allows you to balance your team’s workloads by viewing everyone’s real-time capacity at a glance.

Here’s a quick overview of the plans and pricing for Teamwork project management software:

With a free forever plan for small teams and paid plans starting at just $9 per month, Teamwork is an affordable solution.

Teamwork also has specific team management software for marketing agencies. This tool makes it easy for your team to manage their own projects in addition to client work. You can even add clients and third-party collaborators to your boards for improved visibility and communication. Take advantage of built-in time tracking tools to manage invoices and billable hours as well.

Pricing for agency software is not available online. You’ll need to contact the Teamwork sales team for a quote.

In addition to the free forever plan, you can try any Teamwork paid solution free for 30 days.

#6 – Celoxis — Best For Enterprises and Large Businesses

Visit Celoxis

• Starts at $25 per month
• Enterprise-grade software
• Fully customizable
• 30-day free trial
• Get started for free!

Celoxis is another top option for managing complex projects. But this software is not for everyone. Celoxis is an all-in-one project management software geared towards enterprises and large organizations.

It’s used by companies like Adobe, LG, Tesla, Lufthansa, and Rolex.

Celoxis helps you manage your teams based on skills, availability, and demand. You’ll benefit from automated cost and revenue estimates for every project in real-time.

This software also makes it easy for you to share files and collaborate with both team members and clients. It even has a fully customizable client portal that you can take advantage of.

Celoxis is a bit more expensive than some of the other options on our list, but it’s actually more affordable than other enterprise-grade software solutions on the market today.

The cloud-based solution starts at $25 per month per user (with a five-user minimum). You can save some money if you commit to an annual or two-year contract.

Alternatively, you can install Celoxis directly on your servers for $450 per user. This option is also a five-user minimum, but it’s just a one-time charge as opposed to an ongoing subscription.

Celoxis really stands out in terms of the reports and data that it provides. You can easily send visual reports to your CEO or other decision-makers for specific projects.

Try Celoxis free for 30 days by taking advantage of a free trial.

#7 – TeamGantt — Best For Beginners

Visit TeamGantt

• Free forever plan available
• Starts at $24.95
• Discounts based on team size
• 14-day free trial
• Start for free!

Gantt charts are more than one hundred years old. At the time, these revolutionary charts changed the way that tasks were performed. They are the foundation for many project management solutions.

As the name implies, TeamGantt is a project management software that leverages Gantt charts.

So for those of you who are just getting started and learning about project management, TeamGantt is a top option to consider.

More than one million users across the world trust TeamGantt for project management.

TeamGantt has a free forever plan for up to three users managing a single project. Paid plans start at $24.95 per month for one user.

That’s a bit pricey, especially for simple software. However, you’ll get a better rate per user with a larger team. For example, a team of ten starts at $114.50 per month, which is less than half of the per-user rate of a single person. That number drops all the way to $91 per month with an annual contract.

So while the initial price might look steep at first, it’s really not that bad upon further inspection.

For those of you looking for basic Gantt charts, I’d definitely recommend TeamGantt. If you have a complex project, TeamGantt will have restrictions. They do have an advanced plan with time tracking and hourly estimates, but it doesn’t go much deeper than that.

Try a paid TeamGantt plan for free with a 14-day trial.

How to Find the Best Project Management Software For Your Business

With so many project management solutions on the market today, it can be tough to choose the best option for your business.

This is the methodology that I used to pick the winners in this guide. Generally speaking, there is no “best for everyone” project management software. It all depends on your specific situation. I’ll break down the evaluation factors that you should be looking for in greater detail below.

Project Complexity

The first thing you need to figure out is what you’ll be using your project management software for. Basic project management tools won’t always have the features required to manage complex projects at scale.

On the flip side, if you’re just doing something simple like managing website content or need a tool for a one-off project, you won’t need software with tons of advanced features.

Trello and TeamGantt are both excellent choices for simple projects and smaller teams. If you need advanced features for complex projects, LiquidPlanner and Celoxis would be better for you. Zoho Projects (as our top overall pick) meets that middle ground between simple and complicated projects.

Team Size

The next thing you’ll need to look at is the size of your team. Is everyone on your team going to be working on the same project? Or will everyone be working on multiple projects simultaneously?

If you’re working on a simple project with just a few people, you might even be able to use a free project management solution. Lots of options on our list offer a free forever plan for two or three users.

Managing larger teams is obviously a greater challenge. The best project management software shows the real-time capacity of each team member at a glance. This feature allows you to properly allocate tasks, responsibilities, and resources, without overwhelming people who have a full workload.

Some project management software requires a minimum for the number of team members associated with a subscription. This usually starts around five users but varies from one platform to another.

Ease of Use

Simplicity is key when it comes to project management software.

From the initial setup to onboarding team members and managing tasks on an ongoing basis, you want to make sure that your solution actually makes your life easier. The only real way to determine how easy it is to use project management software is by trying it out.

Every option on our list offers some type of free forever plan or free trial. I strongly advise trying those out so you can get a feel for what works best for your purposes.

Features

Some project management software will offer more advanced features and tools than others. But depending on your situation, you may not need anything too fancy.

Common features that you’ll see for various project management software include storage limits, mobile apps, third-party integrations, built-in communication tools, advanced reporting, and user permissions. You’ll find some solutions with agency features, time-tracking tools, automation, and tools for managing your budget.

It’s important to figure out what tools you’ll actually need as you’re evaluating potential project management solutions.

Price

Pricing for project managing software is usually based on how many users you have on your team. Some solutions require you to pay for a minimum number of users to get started.

Plans are typically billed per month or on an annual basis.

The actual cost varies drastically, depending on your needs. Most tools have a free plan for basic needs and a handful of users. Paid plans start somewhere in the $3 to $25 per month per user range.

Some solutions, like Wrike, charge you extra for add-ons as you essentially start with a basic plan and customize it based on your needs. Advanced solutions, like Celoxis, charge a one-time fee of $450 per user to install the software on your servers.

With such a wide range of prices to consider, it’s important for you to choose something that fits within your budget. Project management software doesn’t need to cost a fortune.

Conclusion

Zoho Projects is the best overall project management software on the market today. It’s affordable and checks off all of the boxes that we look for when evaluating prospective options.

But with that said, this software isn’t for everyone.

If you have complex projects or large teams, you’ll be much better off with LiquidPlanner or Celoxis. Smaller teams, beginners, and simple projects would benefit from Trello or TeamGantt.

There are even use case-specific solutions, like Wrike for creative teams or Teamwork for remote teams and agencies.

Regardless of your team size, project complexity, and business type, you can find the perfect project management software to meet your needs using this guide.

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Best Cloud Web Hosting Plans

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best cloud hosting company for most people is definitely SiteGround.

Traditionally, there have always been three main types of web hosting.

• Shared hosting
• VPS (virtual private server) hosting
• Dedicated server hosting

But cloud hosting is a newer type of web hosting that’s very appealing and rapidly growing in popularity.

Your hosting plan and provider is the lifeblood of your website. So when you’re evaluating the best web hosting providers, you need to consider every possible option.

Just because something is new or unfamiliar, it doesn’t mean that you should take it out of the running for your decision. That was my inspiration for writing this guide.

In many cases, cloud hosting is an ideal option for the majority of websites out there. So if you’re interested in learning more about this alternative type of hosting, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ll explain exactly what cloud hosting is, how it works, and show you some of the best cloud web hosting providers on the market today.

You can use this information to help you pick a cloud hosting plan that fits the needs of your website.

Lets jump into the best cloud web hosting companies first and then I will cover more details around cloud hosting itself below.

There are lots of hosting providers out there right now that offer cloud web hosting services. But not every plan is the same.

I’ve taken the time to research all of the factors that determine a great cloud web hosting plan. As a result, I was able to identify the top cloud hosting providers:

Top 5 Best Cloud Hosting Plans for 2020

• SiteGround
• HostGator
• DreamHost
• A2 Hosting
• InMotion

Check out the detailed reviews of each one below so you can determine which hosting provider has the best plan for your website.

Cloud Web Hosting Reviews

SiteGround

Visit Siteground

Starts at $80.00/month
Guaranteed Resources
Fully Managed Service
30 day money back guarantee
Learn More

SiteGround cloud hosting is perfect for websites that have outgrown their shared plans.

These plans are fully managed, meaning that their DevOps configure your entire cloud account for you. With SiteGround handling the IT aspect of your hosting, you can focus on other areas of your business and website.

You can add resources like RAM and CPU at any time with just one click in your admin settings. One of my favorite features is the ability to turn on auto-scaling, which will automatically render appropriate resources during times of unexpected traffic spikes.

With SiteGround, you can completely configure your own cloud and plan based on the resources you need. But here’s a look at their basic plans:

Entry Cloud

• Starting at $80 per month
• 2 CPUs
• 4 GB of memory
• 40 GB of SSD space
• 5 TB of data transfer

Business Cloud

• Starting at $120 per month
• 3 CPUs
• 6 GB of memory
• 60 GB of SSD space
• 5 TB of data transfer

Business Plus Cloud

• Starting at $160 per month
• 4 CPUs
• 8 GB of memory
• 80 GB of SSD space
• 5 TB of data transfer

Super Power

• Starting at $240 per month
• 8 CPUs
• 10 GB of memory
• 120 GB of SSD space
• 5 TB of data transfer

The Business or Business Plus plans should be more than enough resources for the majority of you, so that’s what I would recommend starting with. As I said before, you can always scale your resources to meet traffic demands.

SiteGround provides advanced priority support to its cloud hosting clients.

You’ll also benefit from webmaster tools like a dedicated IP, free CDN, free SSL, daily backups, and a private DNS. Check out my in depth SiteGround web hosting review for more information about their overall services.

HostGator

Visit HostGator

Starts at $12.95/month
$4.95/month if you pay annually
Free domain and SSL certificate
45-day money back guarantee
Get up to 45% off

HostGator is one of the most well-known names in the web hosting industry. Their cloud hosting plans are some of the most cost-effective options on the market today.

Let’s take a look at some the three basic cloud hosting plans offered by HostGator:

Hatchling Plan

• Starting at $4.95
• 2 CPUs
• 2 GB of memory
• Single domain

Baby Plan

• Starting at $6.57
• 4 CPUs
• 4 GB of memory
• Unlimited domains

Business Plan

• Starting at $9.95
• 6 CPUs
• 6 GB of memory
• Unlimited domains

It’s worth noting that these prices are introductory rates for 36-month contracts. They are 45% cheaper than the actual price, which you’ll end up paying when you renew your contract.

All cloud hosting plans come with a free SSL certificate. The Business plan comes with a dedicated IP, free SEO tools, and free domain as well.

I like HostGator because the dashboard makes it easy for you to monitor the performance of your website. You can quickly view data related to page speed, uptime, reach, and more.

Scaling your server resources is simple as well. This can be done with just one click, without any downtime, reboots, or data migrations.

DreamHost

Visit Dreamhost

Starts at max $4.50/month
100 GB of block storage
Free SSD & bandwidth
Full root access & control
Get up to 47% off

DreamHost has the easiest cloud setup in the industry. You can get your cloud servers live in less than 30 seconds. With that said, DreamHost cloud is best for developers.

They have server options that are made for databases, web apps, and running tests in addition to websites.

You can continue working the with DevOps tools that you’re already using. DreamHost also gives you full root access for complete control over your cloud servers.

The best part about DreamHost is that you only pay for what you actually use. You’ll get charged for resources on an hourly basis based on the size of your server.

• 512 MB of RAM Server — $0.0075 per hour (maximum $4.50 per month)
• 2 GB of RAM Server — $0.02 per hour (maximum $12 per month)
• 8 GB of RAM Server — $0.08 per hour (max $48 per month)

The 2 GB server is the recommended option for websites.

You will not be billed anything when you sign up. Instead, you’re billed based on your monthly usage.

The only area where DreamHost falls short that I found in my complete review of DreamHost web hosting services is their customer support. You can only contact customer service via email or live chat, which is only available for 16 hours daily. So if you prefer phone support or need help in the middle of the night, you’re out of luck until the morning.

A2 Hosting

Visit A2 Hosting

Starts at $5.00/month
Up To 20X Faster Servers
Managed & unmanaged options
30-day money back guarantee
Learn More

A2 Hosting has a reputation for being one of the fastest web hosting providers on the market. Their cloud plans are just as fast and reliable.

I like the A2 cloud options because the plans are fully customizable based on your needs.

Plans start at $5, $10, and $15 per month, respectively. But you only pay for the resources that you use based on how you configure your cloud servers.

If you want to have cPanel, it’s an extra $19.95 per month and not available with the lowest-tier pricing plan.

As I mention in my full review of A2 web hosting services they offer a 99.9% uptime promise as well as an anytime money-back guarantee. Although there are some contingencies to both, so make sure you read the fine print of your contract.

If customer support is important to you, then you’ll definitely be satisfied with A2’s 24/7/365 guru support team.

This cloud hosting provider is ideal for those of you who want unmanaged cloud hosting with lightning fast page loading speed.

InMotion

Visit InMotion

Normally $64.99/month
Free domain and SSL certificate
Free launch assist service
90-day money back guarantee
Get up to 64% off

InMotion may not be the most well-known hosting provider in the industry, but its cloud hosting plans are certainly some of the best.

They have cloud hosting solutions for everyone.

• Small business cloud hosting
• Agency cloud hosting
• Application cloud hosting
• Enterprise cloud hosting plans

Altogether, InMotion has 10 different plans and pricing tiers for cloud hosting, which is the most I’ve seen offered by any provider.

For website owners, you’ll want to focus on the small business plans. InMotion makes it easy for you to scale your resources as your site grows I found in my complete review of InMotion hosting services.

You’ll also get a resource monitoring dashboard, free auto backups, rapid provisioning, and full snapshots of your servers. InMotion offers a free SSL and free cPanel license with all of its cloud business plans.

What Is Cloud Hosting?

Broadly speaking, “the cloud” typically refers to remote storage solutions. For example, you can store pictures from your smartphone or documents on your computer to a cloud storage space like Google Drive.

This is different than storing files locally on something like an external hard drive. I’m sure you’re familiar with both of these scenarios, and you probably even use cloud storage for something in your digital life.

When it comes to web hosting, the cloud is a little bit more in-depth, but the same principles still apply.

With cloud hosting, your web host isn’t connected to one physical location. Your website resources are maintained across multiple virtual servers in the cloud.

Each cloud server is responsible for specific sets of tasks. If one of the servers in the cloud fails or goes down, the others will automatically pick up the slack to render those required resources.

As you can see from this visual representation, your website will continue to run smoothly with cloud hosting, even if there is a problem with one of the servers.

Your website will benefit from increased uptime rates and won’t be as susceptible to unplanned downtime.

With a singular server, you’re essentially putting all of your eggs in one basket. This is a huge risk when you’re dealing with something as important as your website.

In addition to fixing potential problems with one server, cloud hosting will keep your site stable, even as your traffic increases.

Cloud hosting is also extremely easy to set up. For those of you who want to start hosting on the cloud right away, it can be a faster deployment option than something like a dedicated server or shared server.

Who Is Cloud Hosting For?

Cloud web hosting is ideal for medium to larger-sized businesses and websites that are growing rapidly. One of the major benefits of cloud hosting is the ability to scale resources on-demand, which is crucial for growing websites.

Most cloud hosting plans have flexible pricing options, meaning you’ll only pay for the resources that you’re actually using.

If you’re anticipating random traffic surges or a steady increase in website traffic in the coming years, then cloud hosting is the perfect option for you.

Cloud hosting isn’t for everyone.

For those of you who have a small personal website, small blog, or a micro-business, you probably don’t need to use cloud hosting if there is no growth coming in the future. A shared hosting plan is fine for those types of websites.

When you’re ready to grow your website, you should consider upgrading to a cloud hosting plan as opposed to a VPS. While a virtual private server will be able to deliver enough server resources, a cloud plan is usually more cost-effective.

Enterprise-level websites with the need to customize their server settings would benefit from a dedicated hosting plan rather than a cloud solution.

Any website with more than 50,000 monthly visitors is a viable candidate for cloud hosting. It’s the perfect option for larger websites that can’t afford to have any downtime.

How to Find the Best Cloud Hosting Plan For You

Not every cloud hosting plan is the same. Some hosting providers offer different features and benefits compared to others.

When you’re evaluating a cloud web host, these are the factors that you should take into consideration.

Scalable Resources

You need to make sure that you get a web hosting plan with enough bandwidth, storage, and disc space. In order to make this decision, you need to have some idea of how much traffic you’re going to get. But new websites face a common dilemma when they’re looking for a hosting plan.

They have to decide if they want to get the highest possible bandwidth, even if they won’t come close to exceeding those limits. Or should they start with a lower bandwidth plan and upgrade as their traffic starts to increase?

Cloud hosting solves this dilemma.

Since your website is hosted on multiple servers, you won’t have to worry about exceeding bandwidth. If one server is maxed out, you can always pull resources from another.

Look for a cloud hosting plan that lets you easily manage and configure your server resources in-real time.

Here’s an example of what this looks like on HostGator Cloud, which is a provider that we reviewed earlier in this guide.

I’d recommend a cloud hosting plan that allows you to scale your server resources without needing any approval from the provider. This is something that can be managed from your admin dashboard.

Price

Most traditional hosting plans require you to pay a fixed monthly rate. You’ll be charged this amount even if you don’t use all of the resources on the server.

But cloud hosting is much more flexible in terms of pricing. So I’d look for a hosting provider that charges you based on the resources that you actually use.

Here’s an analogy. Let’s say you go to an all you can eat buffet, where the food options can also be purchased à la carte. The buffet price is $20 per person, which is the most you’ll have to pay, regardless of how much food you eat.

But if you only eat $10 worth of food, then wouldn’t it be nice to get $10 back?

That’s how some of the best cloud hosting plans are structured.

This relates back to our previous point about being able to scale your resources on demand. For example, let’s say you just built a bunch of new backlinks and you’re expecting a particular blog post on your website to go viral.

Rather than upgrading your entire plan (which you’d have to do with other types of web hosting) you can just increase the resources needed during that traffic spike and put everything back to normal when your traffic levels out.

In this case, you’d only pay for the actual server usage during the surge. Here’s an example of this pricing structure from another one of the providers on our list, DreamHost.

As you can see, pricing is based on usage. Each plan has a maximum monthly rate. Even the fine print at the bottom of the page states that you’ll only be billed for what you use.

So look for a hosting provider that offers a similar pricing structure.

Speed and Performance

Uptime rates, speed, and performance need to be a priority for every website owner. If your hosting plan doesn’t deliver the best performance, then it doesn’t matter how cool, new, or high-tech the solution is.

The majority of cloud hosting servers will increase the capacity of your website, which boosts your page loading speed.

Cloud hosting doesn’t put as much strain on a singular server, the same way it would if you had a shared, dedicated, or VPS plan. If your website has lots of resource-intensive data such as videos, images, and other media content, then cloud hosting is something that you need to take advantage of.

Look for a cloud hosting plan that delivers content from the nearest remote server. This will ensure that all of your loading times are as fast as possible.

At the end of the day, your website visitors don’t care what type of hosting plan you’re using. They just want your site to be responsive and load quickly.

By prioritizing things like uptime and loading speed with cloud hosting, your website will ultimately perform better from the user end.

Security

No matter what type of web hosting plan you have, security always needs to be a priority.

Fortunately, cloud hosting is known to be very safe. That’s because your website is isolated from any potential problems with a physical server. Everything is being handled remotely, which wouldn’t be the case if you were relying on a singular server that’s hosted locally.

If a local server was compromised, then your website would be at risk. Whereas if one server in your cloud network was hacked, failed, or had a system overload, your website would stay up and running without any downtime or delays.

Look for a web host that offers any additional security protection as an incentive with your cloud hosting plan.

Conclusion

Cloud web hosting is the perfect solution for growing websites. If your shared plan can no longer accommodate the needs of your site, then you should consider switching to a cloud solution.

So what’s the best cloud hosting provider? It depends on what you’re looking for.

Here’s a recap of the cloud hosting reviews above:

Summary: Best Cloud Web Hosting Plans for 2020

• SiteGround — Best cloud hosting for scaling resources.
• HostGator — Best cheap cloud web hosting.
• DreamHost — Best cloud hosting for developer projects.
• A2 Hosting — Fastest cloud web hosting.
• InMotion — Best cloud hosting for small businesses.

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Best Document Management Software

Want to jump straight to the answer? The best document management software for most businesses is eFileCabinet.

Document management software has become a crucial component of running a business in 2020. So many organizations are either going paperless, have remote employees, or both.

These new trends make it unrealistic to keep documents and paperwork in physical filing cabinets or boxes in an office.

Document management software allows you to declutter your office, improve security, and access files or data from anywhere. This software also enhances efficiency when sharing documents or collaborating with team members.

Are you ready to digitally upload, track, and securely archive your documents? You need document management software to achieve this.

Whether your company is going paperless, or you just want to digitize your records for improved organization, this guide has everything you need to know about DM software (DMS).

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There are hundreds, if not thousands, of document management solutions on the market today. Cloud storage tools like Google Drive or Dropbox could technically fall into this category as well.

But for the purpose of this guide, I focused on DMS for businesses. For this instance, there are really only seven solutions that I would recommend.

The 7 Best Document Management Software

• eFileCabinet
• M-Files
• Templafy
• Hightail
• MasterControl
• PaperTracer
• DocuWare

The reviews below include a brief summary, features, benefits, prices, and any potential drawbacks of each software. Use this as a resource to find the best document management software for your unique situation.

eFileCabinet

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Starting at $15 per month
Integrates with many third-party services
File share & collaboration tools
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eFileCabinet is one of the best document management solutions on the market today. Since 2001, this company has helped individuals, small business owners, and enterprise-level companies organize data and files online.

The software makes it easy for you to stay organized and find a document, regardless of how many you have on file.

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 all of the hard work for you. Simply upload a document, and the software will file it for you. 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. You can upload documents directly from your phone using the camera on your device. 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.

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M-Files

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Free for 30-days
Customized pricing
Industry-specific solutions
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M-Files represents 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.

You even have the ability to connect M-Files to your existing network and systems to protect your information and categorize everything with 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.

M-Files will automatically detect duplicate content. Rather than having multiple versions of the same or slightly different documents on your storage system, it will automatically update 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.

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Templafy

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Try for free
Customized pricing
Enterprise solutions
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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 specifically 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.

Your marketing team doesn’t need to see accounting documents, and vice versa.

One of the biggest pain points with DMS, in general, is having to create new documents using another platform. Templafy eliminates this pain point 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.

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Hightail

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Limited free forever plan
Paid plans start at $12/month
Track file delivery & downloads
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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.

I recommend Hightail to businesses that need the ability to send large files securely.

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.

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.

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MasterControl

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Custom enterprise pricing
Security is their top priority
Large free learning center
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MasterControl is a DMS made for businesses where security is a top priority and concern. Certain industries have strict regulations for companies to comply with.

MasterControl understands those compliance concerns and created a document management solution that meets any security requirements.

One of the top features of MasterControl is its ability to track changes and revisions. If a document needs to be reviewed by a particular person, you can schedule a time and send out reminders as well.

MasterControl can also limit revisions based on access. You have complete control over who can make changes to a document.

You can also create custom watermarks, sequential numbering, and location tracking to control copies of your files.

MasterControl is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant. This means that documents have a time-stamped audit trail, as well as e-sign functionality that complies with federal regulations.

Another unique standout of MasterControl is its learning center. You’ll have access to tons of free videos, documents, and other resources to educate you about the platform and security compliance in general.

If you need enterprise-grade security for document management in a strict industry, MasterControl will be a top option for you to consider. Contact their sales team for a custom quote.

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PaperTracer

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Customized pricing
HIPPA compliant solutions
E-signature capability
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PaperTracer has solutions for small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses. It’s a simple solution for document management.

With PaperTracer, you’ll have the ability to automate your contracts and digitize all of your documents in a centralized database. PaperTracer has tracking and reporting capabilities and HIPPA compliant solutions as well.

Your document management solution is completely customized. You can benefit from a cloud-based implementation with end-to-end workflow solutions.

E-signature capability is also available with PaperTracer.

PaperTracer is a top solution for businesses in healthcare and legal industries.

Here’s a brief overview of the available plans, although all pricing is customized.

Small

• Up to 10 users
• Electronic signing
• Searchable database
• Upload and scan to PDF
• Advanced reports and dashboards
• Input forms

Mid Size

• Up to 100 users
• Contract authorizing
• Custom fields
• Custom workflows
• Implementation

Enterprise

• • Unlimited users
  • Unlimited input forms
  • Single sign-on

Demos and free trials are available for all three plans. I’d recommend PaperTracer for small and medium-sized businesses. While they do have an enterprise-grade solution, there are better options for that on our list.

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DocuWare

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Try it for free
Customized pricing
Cloud-based solution
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For those of you who are looking for a high-quality cloud-based solution for document management, look no further than DocuWare.

This DMS is unique because it has specific solutions for tasks within your business processes:

• Document management
• Invoice processing
• Employee management
• Sales
• Marketing

DocuWare has everything you need for digital transformation and going paperless using cloud technology.

This is another software that’s used by large businesses and enterprises. Sony, Toshiba, Levi’s, and Kellog’s are just a handful of their most well-recognized customers.

But with that said, DocuWare stands out as a top option for small and medium-sized businesses as well.

Small business owners can use DocuWare to automate their digital workflow, securely organize and store documents, and automate certain tedious tasks.

DocuWare allows you and your staff to edit or annotate documents directly on the platform. Not every DMS on our list gives you this capability.

I like DocuWare because it has features designed to connect remote employees and your deskless workforce. Anyone can easily access content at home or on the go from any device.

More than 12,000 businesses in 90+ countries trust DocuWare for document management. So you know that the company is legitimate with a track record like that.

It has specific use cases for things like contract proposals, finance processes, and HR tasks as well.

The pricing for DocuWare follows a common theme in this guide. They offer a free trial, but you need to contact their customer support team directly for a custom quote.

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How to Find the Best Document Management Software

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Choosing a document storage solution can be challenging if you don’t know what to look for. There are certain features and benefits that you need to keep an eye on when you’re evaluating a prospective software.

I’ll show you the methodology that we used to come up with the choices in this guide. You can use the same system to help narrow your search.

Storage Location

In most cases, document management solutions are either cloud-based or on-site. Some companies offer just one, while others let you choose which one you prefer.

For example, eFileCabinet offers both on-premises and cloud-based storage. M-Files has both as well, and also has a hybrid solution. Other solutions, like DocuWare are completely cloud-based.

I personally prefer cloud solutions because you can access content from anywhere. But for security reasons, some companies want files stored locally on their network.

File Sharing and Collaboration

What can you do with your files once they are uploaded and stored? While organizing files is obviously important, it’s useless for some companies if the documents can’t be shared with teams or external users.

Look for a DMS that accommodates your internal needs for editing or collaborating on files. Features like automated version updates and in-platform editing capabilities are crucial here.

The size of your files will also depend on which solution is best for your business. If you need to share large files, Hightail is the best choice.

Security

Most business-related files and data are sensitive. So it’s important to have a document management solution that can securely store information.

Some solutions offer access permissions based on individual clearance levels or even location.

Other platforms specialize in compliance for unique industries, like healthcare, legal, or government businesses.

Price

Pricing for DMS is usually based on storage limits and users. At each price tier, you can expect the plan to have additional features and benefits.

The majority of the solutions on this list offer custom plans and pricing. So to get a better idea of how much your document management software will cost, you’ll need to consult with a sales representative.

For those of you who are looking for a cost-effective solution and instant sign-ups, eFileCabinet will be a top choice for you to consider.

Integrations

Ideally, you want to find document management software that works with the platforms you’re already using. Whether it’s CRM like Salesforce, or document editing and creation software like Microsoft Office 365, certain platforms have a wide range of integrations for you to choose from.

However, other solutions that are niche-specific are a bit more limited. So make sure you use software that will actually benefit your workflow process.

Conclusion

Document management software is extremely diverse. Each solution offers unique benefits for businesses based on size, industry, or specific needs.

Still not sure which of the above is the best document management software for you? Use the tool below to compare products based on your specific needs.

Compare The Best Document Management Software

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