By Brian Turner, Will Dalton
last updated
Find the office software to best manage your files
PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID

The best document editing and management software can provide a simple way to administrate and organize your team's files.
Document editing and management software has become increasingly common as businesses continue to promote working from home (opens in new tab). This means employees being able to work remotely while still being able to collaborate and save the same documents they are working on.
While there are a number of office suites and document storage options available, not all work well when it comes to collaboration (opens in new tab). It's not simply the case that employees need to be able to share files as much as work on the same files in real time, such as spreadsheets and documents.
This means the best document editing and management software needs to be able to account for this while still maintaining a proper system of filing and archiving, while keeping such files available for team editing as required. Often this will involve cloud document storage (opens in new tab) services being built into the software, or at least available as an option.
The overall result is a software platform which not only make it easy for teams to work with, but also ensures safe and secure storage of documents.
We'll therefore feature the best document editing and management software currently available.
We've also featured the best cloud storage.
Best document editing and management software of 2022 in full:
1. Microsoft 365
The original and best office productivity suite
Reasons to buy
+ Market leader Essential office tools Cloud based
Microsoft Office is probably the platform most people think of first when it comes to office productivity suites, with the cloud-based Microsoft 365 (previously named Office 365) being the latest incarnation.
What ensured that Office became a market leader is the comprehensive way data can be covered by different applications and moved between them, making working more efficient and hassle-free. With Word (opens in new tab), Excel (opens in new tab), PowerPoint (opens in new tab), and Outlook (opens in new tab) forming the core programs, these cover everything from documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and emails - in effect covering most essential office needs. In addition to that, OneDrive offers online saving and backups to keep your files safe.
While there are alternatives to Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab), most rivals attempt to play catch-up with Microsoft rather than provide innovative new features, and Microsoft 365 still remains the office suite with the most comprehensive range of features. And even if you do use one of these alternatives, the chances are you are going to be working with document formats created specifically for MS Office, and handle data from customers and suppliers who are using the MS Office platform.
While Microsoft 365 does have its critics, the bottom line is that nobody does office productivity better than Microsoft, and the core applications in Office have yet to be bettered.
Read our full Microsoft 365 review.
2. Evernote
King of the note taking
Reasons to buy
+ Processes hand written notes Easy collaboration Good range of app integrations
Scaling down the canvass a little, Evernote, as its name suggests, specializes in note taking, filing and sharing, and has been widely adopted in the work place (and by individuals) for a number of years.
Despite its digital makeup, it can process hand written notes as well as receipts and audio files and makes everything accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. It also has the collaboration factor, with users able to work on shared notebooks that update instantly on editing.
Evernote is available for businesses with basic, plus and premium models. This expands storage on the free offering, and makes it easy to share content, digitize important documents, capture image-centric brainstorms, and keep track of finances.
You may well be thinking that Evernote would work well in addition, rather than instead of, your current word processing and productivity tools. Such a demand has been noted – pun intended – and the service can be fully integrated with Google Drive, Outlook, Slack, Salesforce and others.
Read our full Evernote review.
3. WPS Office
A powerful free mobile office suite
Reasons to buy
+ Powerful range of features Supports wide range of file types PDF manager Free to use
WPS Office is an all-in-one office productivity suite with a full range of document editing and management features.
Although it's available for download to Windows PCs, it has found particular success as a mobile office suite for iOS and Android.
While the PC version has a basic free version and a more advanced paid version, the mobile version of WPS Office is free and supported by non-intrusive ads though you can pay a subscription to remove them.
Where WPS Office comes into its own is the vast number of types of different files that can be edited or managed, from the wide range of document types to additional file formats such as PDF and XML, as well as a number of programming file types.
It's easy to convert office files between types, whether relating to documents, spreadsheets, or presentations, and there's a fully functional PDF editor and manager included for free.
Files can be automatically saved to the cloud via various services, not least Google Drive, DropBox, and OneDrive.
Read our full WPS Office review.
4. PandaDoc
Document management to boost your bottom line
Reasons to buy
+ Special features for business and sales Easy to manage, organize and reuse assets
Reasons to avoid
- No live collaboration option on documents
Sales-focused document manager PandaDoc describes itself as ‘the future of documents’, and it reports statistics that apparently show the difference it makes to your business’s bottom line. According to the service, clients report 50% less paperwork, 30% higher close rates, and 15% higher value per closed rate thanks to PandaDoc.
Your sales team is salivating, but what exactly does the program do? Well, features include a document editor that comes with themed templates for consistent branding, content and image libraries to store reusable assets, cost and margin calculators, document analytics to show how long people spend on each item, a configure, price and quote (CPQ) tool and many more.
While workspaces are available for collaboration, multiple users are not able to access and work on a document at the same time, which feel likes a drawback. Nevertheless, the business-focus of PandaDoc will appeal to those who want to specifically manage sales and finance via their document manager, something the other services we’ve covered don’t offer.
5. Adobe Document Cloud
For comprehensive PDF management
Reasons to buy
+ Edit and manage PDFs esigning option Merge files
Reasons to avoid
- Limited to PDF files
The Adobe Document Cloud works with the proprietary PDF file, rather than a range of common file types as some of the above listed software does. However, in business PDF files are ubiquitous, so it makes sense to have a dedicated software package that can not just work with these but also allow the widest range of editing features.
While many people will be familiar with the read-only PDF file, the Adobe Document Cloud allows the full range of creation and editing, even with existing PDF files. There are also additional features such as the ability to merge PDFs, password protect, as well as esign PDF documents for returning agreements.
This makes the Adobe Document Cloud both incredibly versatile and useful as a document editing and management platform, allowing full control of your files in ways that common document formats either do not support.
Additionally, because so many businesses scan documents into PDF format for their digital archives, this makes Adobe Document Cloud an even more essential part of your office software range, even if you also use other programs for different tasks.
And as documents can be commonly exported into PDF format by other office software, this can make the Adobe Document Cloud something of a master controller for all your document editing and storage.
Read our full Adobe Document Cloud review.
Also consider these document editors
Document overload in your business? eFileCabinet (opens in new tab) is here to help, by capturing, storing, managing and sharing files. It comes as a mobile app too, allowing users to click and upload pictures of documents then can then be processed and filed.
Microsoft wants to take care of your scribbles and shorter texts as well as your longer documents, with OneNote (opens in new tab) taking on Evernote in the world of note editing and management. Those already well embedded in the Office ecosystem may well opt for Microsoft’s version.
You may think we’ve covered everything you can do with a document by now, but no. Enter e-signature specialist DocuSign (opens in new tab), which lets businesses’ and their clients quickly and easily sign a full range of documents and forms online without the hassle of training or extra software to install.
We've also featured the best document editing and management software. (opens in new tab)
Which document editing and management software is best for you?
When deciding which document editing and management software to download and use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.
How we tested the best document editing and management software
To test for the best document editing and management software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each document editing and management software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.
Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar (opens in new tab).
Brian Turner
Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing, technology, and marketing titles. He has been interviewed multiple times for the BBC and been a speaker at international conferences. His specialty on techradar is Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, covering everything from office suites to IT service tools. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, published as Brian G Turner.
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FAQs
What is the best app to use to edit documents? ›
<br><br>Google Docs also lets you edit and save offline, which works well in areas with no connectivity. For spreadsheets get Google Sheets and for presentations get Google Slides. This document-editing app for Android has been downloaded over 200 million times.
Does Microsoft have a document management system? ›Does Microsoft have a Document Management System? Yes, it does. Microsoft Office 365 provides various software solutions including SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics and OneDrive for document management.
What makes a good document management system? ›An ideal document management system has an inbuilt enterprise level Business Process Management and Workflow Automation that automatically routes the documents to their destination. Also it allows you to create your own processes and manage them however you like.
What is an example of a document management system? ›PDF Readers are the best example of a Document Management System through which you can access the PDF file offline and store it to view and even print and publish it anytime at any place.
What is document management system? ›Document management is a system or process used to capture, track and store electronic documents such as PDFs, word processing files and digital images of paper-based content. Document management can save you time and money.
Which PDF editor is best? ›- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC – Best overall. Pros. ...
- Nitro PDF Pro – Best overall runner-up. ...
- Swifdoo – Best budget option. ...
- PDF Candy – Best free option. ...
- PDF Expert – Best full-featured editor for Apple devices. ...
- Apple Preview PDF editor – Best free option for Mac users. ...
- pdfFiller – Best web-based editor.
- DocuSign. ...
- Evernote. ...
- FaxBurner. ...
- Notability. ...
- Dropbox. ...
- Microsoft Office. ...
- Google Drive. ...
- And now, it's over to you. After analyzing dozens of mobile apps for working with documents, I came to the conclusion that these are the very best ones for Android and iOS devices.
- Adobe Acrobat.
- Foxit PDF Editor.
- pdfFiller by airSlate.
- PDFelement.
- Smallpdf.
- Nitro PDF Productivity.
- FineReader PDF for Windows and Mac.
- Adobe PDF Pack.
- Filing by Subject/Category.
- Filing in Alphabetical order.
- Filing by Numbers/Numerical order.
- Filing by Places/Geographical order.
- Filing by Dates/Chronological order.
Document management and collaboration
The central benefits of SharePoint include a streamlined flow of information and cloud storage that can be accessed by mobile devices. Informed employees make better decisions, meet deadlines, understand the shared business strategy, and contribute better to it.
How good is SharePoint as document management system? ›
SharePoint is a great document management tool, but it requires a lot of work to maintain, especially for large and growing companies. You can use it effectively for a while by setting up an intuitive site structure and maintaining clear, logical content governance guidelines, but that will only take you so far.
What are the types of document management system? ›- Content Management. Often referred to as web content management, this type of document management system focuses on creating, modifying, organising, and delivering content to users. ...
- Workflow Management. ...
- Record Management. ...
- Document Imaging. ...
- Enterprise Content Management.
Both paper documents and digital documents are created using a simple text editor like Notepad or any word processor like MS Word or OpenOffice Writer.
Does Google have a document management system? ›Google Drive allows you to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more within the application.
What is the difference between document management and document control? ›So while document management generally refers to the storing and handling of documentation, document control specifically refers to the control and management of documents normally for the purpose of submitting them to a customer at the completion of a project.
What are document management skills? ›- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Basic understanding of laws and regulations regarding document management.
- Excellent analytical and technical skills.
- How long will it take me to get organized? ...
- Make a plan. ...
- Use “resources,” “in progress,” “final,” and “scrap” folders for projects. ...
- For photos, use a date structure and keywords for your folders. ...
- Pin frequently used folders to the sidebar. ...
- Include keywords in your file names.
Who is responsible for document management systems? Larger companies may have a person responsible for overseeing activities in the document management system. This person may be a records manager or document control administrator. In smaller businesses, the office manager or business owner may be responsible.
Is there a 100% free PDF editor? ›PDF Candy is your best option if you need a free PDF editor as it has many features you'd normally pay for, including excellent text scanning and a number of file-conversion options.
How do you edit a PDF professionally? ›- Open a file in Acrobat.
- Click on the “Edit PDF” tool in the right pane.
- Use Acrobat editing tools: Add new text, edit text, or update fonts using selections from the Format list. ...
- Save your edited PDF: Name your file and click the “Save” button.
Can you edit PDFs in Word? ›
To edit a PDF, open it in Word. This works best with PDFs that are mostly text. PDFs of book chapters or something that looks like a manuscript from a copier won't be formatted well in Word. Go to File > Open.
Which software is used to edit documents? ›Microsoft Office
Whether it is power presentation, excel sheets, Outlook, OneDrive, OneNote, Access, Publisher, or word document, you can edit everything with Microsoft Office.
- Documents to Go. Documents to Go is one of the most popular document viewing app. ...
- Google Docs. Google Docs is now a part of Google Drive. ...
- Quick Office Pro. ...
- DropBox. ...
- Kingston Office.
Adobe Acrobat DC: best PDF editor overall
Adobe Acrobat DC lets users edit and create professional-looking PDF on desktop or mobile.
The most famous PDF editors are, of course, Adobe's Acrobat products, and Acrobat Pro remains number one on our list. Available for Windows and Mac, its reliability, ease of use and range of features make it the best PDF editor available overall.
How much is a PDF editor? ›Name | Price |
---|---|
Foxit PDF Editor Windows | Starting at $14.991 License Per Month |
Foxit PDF Editor Windows | $79.001 License Per Year |
Foxit PDF Editor Pro+ Windows | $149.001 License Per Year |
Foxit PDF Editor Mac | $159.001 License With One-Time Purchase |
Realistically collaboration on PDFs requires from time to time to edit PDF file. Thankfully Microsoft Word which is included in Office 365 offers the possibility to edit PDF files. Word application is a great solution that gives you the possibility to edit PDF files and save them in the preferable format.
What are the 3 types of files? ›The types of files recognized by the system are either regular, directory, or special. However, the operating system uses many variations of these basic types. All file types recognized by the system fall into one of these categories. However, the operating system uses many variations of these basic types.
What are the 4 types of file formats? ›- JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) ...
- PNG (Portable Network Graphics) ...
- GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) ...
- PDF (Portable Document Format) ...
- SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) ...
- MP4 (Moving Picture Experts Group)
A good filing system should possess different qualities such as simplicity, economy, flexibility, safety, compactness, accessibility etc. Simplicity is the first quality of a proper filing system. A good filing system should be simple to operate. It should be easy to understand by employees.
How many companies use SharePoint? ›
Who uses SharePoint? Since SharePoint offers a number of different functionalities, it's used by a wide range of businesses and organizations of all sizes. According to Microsoft, more than 250,000 organizations use SharePoint, including over 85% of Fortune 500 companies who use SharePoint Online as part of Office 365.
Why SharePoint is not a document management system? ›One of the shortcomings of trying to use SharePoint as a DMS is that it uses metadata to tag files. Metadata is basically a description of a file's properties. Similar to keywords and tags, each file can have several different properties, by which it can be found later.
What are the limitations of SharePoint? ›No more than 100 GB total file size. No more than 30,000 files. Each file must be less than 15 GB.
What should you not use SharePoint for? ›- 1 Cost. There are so many things that SharePoint can do beyond file storage. ...
- 2 Poor Usability. ...
- 3 Document Visibility. ...
- 4 Document Duplication Woes. ...
- 5 Data Integrity. ...
- 6 URL Issues. ...
- 7 Navigation. ...
- 8 Can't Sort or Filter.
For example, you can use a document library on a site in SharePoint to store all files related to a specific project or a specific client. Adding files or moving files between folders is as easy as dragging and dropping them from one location to another.
How do I organize documents in SharePoint? ›- If the library is not already open, click its name on the Quick Launch. ...
- Click the Files tab, , click New Folder. ...
- Type a Name for the folder, and then click Save or OK.
Document management system is a software used to capture, store, manage, and easily retrieve digital documents within an organization. It provides the needed functionalities for businesses to digitize documents and automate their business processes.
Can you create a PDF file only in document management applications? ›Create PDF from a DMS in Create Assistant
Files imported from DMS are read-only copies, the originals are not touched. To create PDF documents using documents from a Document Management System proceed with the following steps. Start Create Assistant. Click Add, then click Open from DMS in the drop-down list.
Paper documents are difficult to search, carry, copy, and modify. Paper documents are easily damaged, misfiled or misplaced. Electronic documents are delivered by networks, disks, flash memory and CD/DVD and are stored on a file system. Multiple users can read and review electronic document simultaneously.
How many types of digital documentation are there? ›Four types of digital documents are: Structuring applications around a document interface Structuring interlinked textual & multimedia Documents. Structuring and encoding information using document-encoding standards Scanning documents for storage and faxing. Document imaging emulates microfiche and microfilm.
How do I create a digital document? ›
- Step 1: Get Organized. Gather all the documents you want to digitize. ...
- Step 2: Use a Scanner (if You Have One) ...
- Step 3: Scan With a Mobile App. ...
- Step 4: Scan Old Photos With Your Phone. ...
- Step 5: Protect and Safely Store Your Files.
Document management, often referred to as Document Management Systems (DMS), is the use of a computer system and software to store, manage and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper-based information captured through the use of a document scanner.
How do I manage files and folders? ›Every Windows folder provides easy access to common file and folder management tasks. When you open any folder on your computer, a list of hyperlinked tasks is displayed next to the folder contents. You can select a file or folder, and then click a task to rename, copy, move, or delete it.
How do you organize files and folders? ›- Skip the Desktop. Never ever store files on your Desktop. ...
- Skip Downloads. Don't let files sit in your Downloads folder. ...
- File things immediately. ...
- Sort everything once a week. ...
- Use descriptive names. ...
- Search is powerful. ...
- Don't use too many folders. ...
- Stick with it.
Google Drive is a cloud-based program that allows you to create, edit, store, and share documents. Many businesses use it as a file management system; documents sit in the Cloud as well as synchronising with users' local versions of the system.
Is OneDrive a document management system? ›Is OneDrive for Business a Document Management System? The short answer is, no. OneDrive for Business is a cloud-based solution that is designed to help businesses collaborate, share and store files more easily and on the move.
Which computer programs work best for organizing a filing system? ›Some of the popular cloud-based file management solutions include Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, and Microsoft OneDrive. Be sure to check this Apple iCloud vs Microsoft OneDrive guide to learn how the two platforms compare.
Is SharePoint a document management system? ›SharePoint is a great document management tool, but it requires a lot of work to maintain, especially for large and growing companies. You can use it effectively for a while by setting up an intuitive site structure and maintaining clear, logical content governance guidelines, but that will only take you so far.
What are the 3 types of filing systems? ›Filing in Alphabetical order. Filing by Numbers/Numerical order. Filing by Places/Geographical order.
Is Dropbox a document management system? ›Dropbox is an online software solution that manages electronic documents for both individuals and teams. It can serve as your document repository, but it can also simplify how you organize, find, and work with digital files.
What are the disadvantages of Google Docs? ›
The biggest drawback to Google Docs is the presentation program. It is not the strongest presentation program and, in my opinion, is not close to being equal to PowerPoint. Google Docs' presentation program does not have a variation of styles/themes, templates, charts/graphs, and slide transitions.
What is the best way to organize digital files? ›- Make decluttering part of your routine. ...
- Name files clearly. ...
- Standardize your document types. ...
- Merge documents strategically. ...
- Use folder nesting systems. ...
- Zip it up with zip folders. ...
- Invest in file organizing software.
OneDrive provides a consistent, intuitive files experience across all your devices, including web, mobile, and the desktop of your Windows PC or Mac. Behind the scenes, SharePoint in Microsoft 365 provides the content services for all files in Microsoft 365, including files you work with in Teams, Yammer, and Outlook.
Can Microsoft teams be used for document management? ›With Microsoft Teams integration with Dynamics 365, you can use document management with Microsoft Teams. It allows a user to co-author documents and automatically sync documents to customer engagement apps using SharePoint.
What are the five examples of file management sites? ›- Google Drive. Google Drive is Google's file sync app that lets you store all of your files online alongside your Google Docs documents, and keep them synced with all of your devices.
- Dropbox. ...
- OneDrive. ...
- Amazon S3. ...
- Box. ...
- CloudConvert. ...
- ConvertAPI. ...
- Citrix ShareFile.
Various File System Types
Disk/tape file systems, network file systems, and special-purpose file systems are the three main categories of file systems.
Microsoft Windows uses File Explorer as the primary file management tool. Access it from the task bar. It shows folders on the left with files and folders for further selection on the right.
Why is SharePoint so good? ›Document management and collaboration
The central benefits of SharePoint include a streamlined flow of information and cloud storage that can be accessed by mobile devices. Informed employees make better decisions, meet deadlines, understand the shared business strategy, and contribute better to it.
- Content Management. Often referred to as web content management, this type of document management system focuses on creating, modifying, organising, and delivering content to users. ...
- Workflow Management. ...
- Record Management. ...
- Document Imaging. ...
- Enterprise Content Management.
SharePoint provides a robust solution for file sharing among groups of individuals, internally and externally, and is more than just your average intranet. Microsoft SharePoint is the ultimate tool for seamless workplace collaboration.