Still, searching for a great solution to manage the growing mountain of documents in your organisation? Looking for Free Document Management Software that don’t burn a hole in your pocket? If the answer to both these questions is a resounding ‘yes’, then you have come to the right place.
Why do companies need a dedicated tool for Document Management?
Using a Document Management System (DMS) is a simple, yet crucial component of the overall success of any organisation. A document management software solution allows businesses to electronically organise and manage company documentation to ensure smooth day to day operations.
Think of a DMS as an electronic filing cabinet that can sort documents and can retrieve them as any standard filing cabinet would – except it’s a lot more advanced. It can help businesses create, capture, manage, distribute and archive documents and other forms of content efficiently and effortlessly.
Procuring and maintaining Document Management Systems can be expensive – enter open-source DMS. By definition, “open-source” means that the software is freely available and can be used by anyone. Open-source DMS is mostly available for free or for a small fee. Once downloaded, you can use the program as-is or modify it to fit your business needs. Here is the four best free document management software that you should consider, regardless of the size of your business.
1. OpenDocMan
OpenDocMan is widely regarded as one of the best free document management software around. It’s easy to use, open-source and web-based – which means it can be accessed from anywhere instead of just being accessible on your work computer. The software complies with ISO 17025 and OIE standards and therefore can be used by individuals, small & large businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, NGOs, and more.
Key features:
- Ability to create custom document properties
- Powerful document management workflow
- Automated document assessment
- Automated file expiration process
- Facility to approve or reject a new document
- Email notifications
- Search by category option
- Secure URL parameters
- Separate user access control for each file
- Three types of user types: User,
- Admin and Super-Admin
- Facility to report full audit trail
- Customised workflow approval
- In-browser document preview
- Supports batch uploads
- Unlimited users
- Supports English, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, German, Croatian, Spanish and Turkish languages
- Email and telephonic support from OpenDocMan
2. OpenKM
OpenKM is a powerful and robust document management solution that facilitates the safe and efficient management of your company’s documents. The program is equipped with advanced search functionality that streamlines the archiving and content management process.
OpenKM significantly improves the productivity of your organisation by allowing you to collaborate seamlessly with colleagues, collect and control access to sensitive information, locate and manage documents easily and much more. The program is available for installation on Windows and Linux workstations.
- Supports batch uploads
- Download folders as ZIP files easily
- Lock or unlock documents with passwords
- Favourites management
- Availability of document templates
- Personal documents and recycle bin for each user
- Email notifications
- Messaging and Chat facility
- Metadata management
- Unique document identifier
- User Tags
- Categorise and Catalogue multiple files
- Text-to-speech converter
3. Kimios
- Fully accessible from any browser
- Create and edit documents
- Upload and arrange documents
- Content and metadata are indexed for each document
- Powerful document search engine
- Supports text, images, video, 3D objects and more
- Plenty of collaborative features
4. SeedDMS
SeedDMS calls itself a simple to use, yet highly intuitive document management software. The program comes with a wide range of sophisticated features that are suitable for both small and large businesses alike. SeedDMS is open-source and free to use and includes all of the previous LetoDMS features.
- Web-based UI
- Ability to preserve all former document versions
- Multiple users
- Group management
- External authentication
- Notification upon changes
- Dedicated workflow for document review and approval
- Access control lists
- Powerful text-based search
- Supports multiple languages
Conclusion
While there is a wide variety of open-source and free document management software out there, here we have included some of the best available. Regardless of the size and complexity of your business, you don’t have to spend a fortune on acquiring a document management system. But in case you are willing to invest a small part of your budget into document management software, then Microsoft Sharepoint will be a great choice. Not only does it come with 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user, but it also brings a matchless list of customisable features across devices and Operating Systems. Do check out this blog [ Microsoft Office 365] to understand how Sharepoint Intranet can help transform your business for as little as USD5 per month.
