DocuWare alternatives for small businesses
Arhivix is a document management system that a small business sets up on its own, priced per company, not per user, with plans for 5, 10 or 20 user accounts and a free plan, Arhivix Lite, that needs no card. Documents arrive from Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP inboxes, the scanner and the phone camera; OCR reads them, Arhivix proposes the document type, supplier, amount, dates and numbers for a person to confirm, and the files are hosted on AWS in the EU (Frankfurt and Dublin). DocuWare is deployed through its partners and sold as a subscription by user licences and storage.
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| What we compared | Arhivix | DocuWare | M-Files | Folderit | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Arhivix Yes Arhivix Lite: 1 GB, 2 users, 1 workspace and 1 email inbox, with no card needed [1] | DocuWare No No free plan is listed; a free 30-day cloud trial is set up after a personal demo [6] | M-Files No No free plan; the pricing page lists only Essentials and Enterprise [14] | Folderit No No free plan [20] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) No No free plan is listed; a one-month free trial converts to a paid subscription and requires a credit card [26] |
| Pricing model (per user or per company) | Arhivix Per company, not per user: plans include 5, 10 or 20 user accounts and unlimited devices, and Enterprise is a contract priced per organization [1] | DocuWare Subscription by user licences and storage, in four cloud plans: DocuWare Cloud 4 (4 users, 20 GB), Cloud 15 (15 users, 50 GB), Cloud 40 (40 users, 500 GB) and Cloud 100 (100 users, 1,000 GB) [7] | M-Files Per seat; Enterprise pricing also reflects scale, governance needs, automation, AI usage and document volume [14] | Folderit Per plan, not per user: each plan includes a set number of users and storage, and Tailor is configured by users and storage [20] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) Per user per month, with an annual or monthly commitment [26] |
| Setup (self-service or through a partner) | Arhivix Self-service: you sign up, upload your folders or connect an email inbox, and Arhivix indexes everything in the background. With an Enterprise contract your existing archive is moved in for you [2] | DocuWare Through DocuWare partners, who handle deployment and implementation [8] | M-Files Through M-Files or its partners, which include systems integrators and value-added resellers [15] | Folderit Self-service: online registration starts a free 14 day trial [21] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) Self-service: a business buys Business Basic, Standard or Premium online [27] |
| Reads and classifies documents | Arhivix Yes OCR reads each document, Arhivix recognises its type and proposes supplier, amount, dates and numbers, and a person confirms every proposal [3] | DocuWare Yes Intelligent Indexing is included in every cloud plan; AI classification and data extraction (Intelligent Document Processing) is a separately priced add-on [9] | M-Files Yes M-Files Aino classifies documents automatically in both editions; Aino agents that extract metadata and classify documents are in Enterprise only [14] | Folderit Partial AI classification is described for on-premises installations with extra GPU resources; the cloud plans do not list it [22] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) Partial Document processing is billed pay-as-you-go through an Azure subscription [28] |
| Document intake (email inboxes, phone scan, scanner) | Arhivix Yes Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP inboxes with rules that file the attachments, upload, desktop scanner and phone camera [3] | DocuWare Yes Scanning, file import, printing into the archive, email, the mobile app and web forms [10] | M-Files Yes Paper documents from local or network scanners [16] | Folderit Partial Upload, an Outlook add-in and a per-folder email import address that a scanner can also use [23] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) Files sync between SharePoint libraries and a folder on the computer, in File Explorer or Finder, through the OneDrive sync app [29] |
| Where the data is hosted | Arhivix AWS in the EU, two regions (Frankfurt and Dublin), encrypted at rest with AES-256 [4] | DocuWare On Microsoft Azure; data of European customers is stored in Europe, data of customers from America in the U.S. [11] | M-Files Microsoft Azure, in a primary and a secondary region; the cloud page does not name the regions [17] | Folderit Amazon hosting in Ireland, or another location where that option is offered [24] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) For tenants with a sign-up location in the EU or EFTA, the EU Data Boundary applies: customer data is stored and processed in EU or EFTA datacenters, with documented exceptions [30] |
| Audit log | Arhivix Yes Every view, edit, download, share and permission change is recorded with the user and the time, in a log the customer cannot alter [4] | DocuWare Yes Audit reports at document, file cabinet, organization and system level, downloadable as CSV [12] | M-Files Yes The vault event log records events such as object creation and user logins; some event types need the separately purchased Electronic Signatures and Advanced Logging module [18] | Folderit Yes Global audit trail [23] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) Yes Microsoft Purview Audit (Standard) is included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium [31] |
| Version history and restore | Arhivix Yes Every change becomes a new version, and any earlier version can be brought back [5] | DocuWare Yes Automatic version management, switched on per file cabinet, keeps earlier versions in a history from which they can be restored; check-out and check-in are not yet supported in the new DocuWare client [13] | M-Files Yes Each check in after a check out saves a new version on the server, and an earlier version can be restored with Roll back [19] | Folderit Yes Unlimited version history with revert to earlier versions [25] | Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) Yes Versioning is on by default in new libraries and keeps the last 500 versions of a document; earlier versions can be viewed or restored [32] |
Arhivix arhivix.com
Companies that set up the system on their own, pay one price for the company and want documents from email inboxes, the scanner and the phone camera in one place, read by AI and confirmed by a person
Arhivix is made by NOTIX DOO Beograd, the company that publishes this page. What you get:
- one price for the company, not per user: plans include 5, 10 or 20 user accounts and unlimited devices, the free plan Arhivix Lite (1 GB, 2 users, 1 workspace) needs no card, and the plans are on the pricing page; Enterprise is a contract priced per organization;
- a start on your own: you sign up, upload folders or connect an email inbox, Arhivix indexes everything in the background, and there are no setup fees; with an Enterprise contract your existing archive is moved in for you;
- email as an intake channel: Gmail, Microsoft 365 and IMAP inboxes, with rules that file attachments to a folder, set the document type or notify someone, based on sender, subject or content, next to upload, a desktop scanner and the phone camera;
- help with filing: OCR runs on scans, Arhivix recognises 22 document types and proposes supplier, amount, dates and numbers for a person to confirm, and it warns about possible duplicates;
- finding and sharing: search from a plain description, workspaces and folders with their own permissions, every earlier version restorable, links with an expiry date and a password, and an audit log of every view, download and share;
- signing and connections: PDFs signed in the desktop app with your own certificate and a timestamp, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, a REST API with signed webhooks in every paid plan, and an MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT (integrations);
- apps for web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with files hosted on AWS in the EU (Frankfurt and Dublin) and encrypted at rest with AES-256.
For companies in Serbia, Arhivix also sends and receives e-invoices through SEF and keeps the archive book.
Folderit folderit.com
A document management service sold per plan, each plan with a set number of users and storage
Folderit is made by Folderit OÜ in Tallinn, Estonia. Its pricing page lists the Mini plan at €45 a month or €486 a year, plus VAT, with 5 users, and no free plan. Files are hosted on Amazon in Ireland, or in another location where that option is offered.
M-Files m-files.com
A document management system sold per seat, in two editions: Essentials and Enterprise
M-Files is made by M-Files Oy in Tampere, Finland. Essentials is €65 per seat per month, with subscriptions typically billed annually, on the German pricing page, and Enterprise is priced by a quote from sales. Setup runs through M-Files or its partners, and training, consulting and implementation are available for a separate fee. M-Files Cloud runs on Microsoft Azure, in a primary and a secondary region.
Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365) microsoft.com
Part of the Microsoft 365 business plans, sold per user per month with an annual or monthly commitment
SharePoint keeps files in libraries on sites and comes with the Microsoft 365 business plans: Microsoft 365 suites remain the primary way to get SharePoint. Business Basic is €6.07 per user per month, paid yearly, excluding VAT, on the Ireland price page. The EU Data Boundary keeps customer data in EU or EFTA datacenters, with documented exceptions, for tenants that sign up in the EU or EFTA, and Serbia is not among the listed countries.
What a team of 5, 10 or 20 people pays
These are published list prices, checked on 11 November 2026. Where we multiply a per-user price by a number of users, that is our arithmetic on list prices, not a quote. Currencies are as each vendor publishes them; we did not convert them.
- Arhivix, per company: plans include 5, 10 or 20 user accounts and unlimited devices, billed monthly or yearly, with no setup fees, and the free plan Arhivix Lite covers 2 users and needs no card. The plans are on the pricing page.
- Folderit, per plan (pricing): 5 users on Mini, €45 a month or €486 a year, plus VAT; 10 users on Medium, €85 a month plus VAT. Tailor is configured by users and storage.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic, per user (Ireland price page): €6.07 per user per month, paid yearly, excluding VAT. 5 users at €6.07 is €30.35 a month, 10 users is €60.70 and 20 users is €121.40.
- M-Files Essentials, per seat (German pricing page): €65 per seat per month, with subscriptions typically billed annually. 5 seats at €65 is €325 a month, 10 seats is €650 and 20 seats is €1,300. Enterprise has no published price.
- DocuWare, by user licences and storage (pricing FAQ): no list price and no euro price. The FAQ gives a typical $30 to $125+ per user per month; for 10 users that range is $300 to $1,250 or more a month. The UK page gives £10 to £60 per user per month. DocuWare Cloud is an annual subscription.
Costs outside these prices: DocuWare charges onboarding, training and go-live as a fixed price or as time and material, prices SAP integration, digital signatures and Intelligent Document Processing as monthly add-ons, and its Aura AI assistant uses purchased credits. M-Files charges separately for training, consulting and implementation, and its M-Files for Outlook and M-Files for Outlook Pro add-ins need separate licences. The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on costs from €18.20 per user per month, paid yearly, excluding VAT (from €15.60 for the first year under an offer valid until 31 December 2026), and document processing is billed per use.
Leaving DocuWare: getting your documents out
Plan the export before the contract ends. In DocuWare Cloud, the included Export app exports index data as CSV; exporting the documents themselves needs docXporter, which requires an additional licence. After a cloud contract is cancelled, DocuWare points smaller organizations to docXporter and large ones to DocuWare Professional Services.
To move into Arhivix, you upload your folders or connect an email inbox, and Arhivix indexes everything in the background; standard plans need no migration project. With an Enterprise contract, your existing archive is moved in for you, with custom integrations, a named account manager, an SLA and a DPA in the contract.
How we compared
Facts about DocuWare, M-Files, Folderit and Microsoft SharePoint come from each vendor's public pages, opened on 11 November 2026 and listed under Sources or linked in the text. Facts about Arhivix come from our own public pages, read on the same day.
Questions people ask
Is there a DocuWare alternative with published pricing?
Yes. Arhivix publishes its standard plans on its pricing page: it is priced per company, not per user, and the free plan Arhivix Lite needs no card. Folderit and Microsoft 365 publish prices for their plans, and M-Files publishes the Essentials price (€65 per seat per month, with subscriptions typically billed annually) while Enterprise is quoted by sales. DocuWare publishes only a typical range of $30 to $125+ per user per month, and a DocuWare representative prepares the offer.
Which DocuWare alternatives don't charge per user?
Arhivix charges per company, with 5, 10 or 20 user accounts in a plan, and Folderit charges per plan, with a set number of users and storage. M-Files and Microsoft 365 charge per user, and DocuWare sells subscriptions by user licences and storage.
Can a small business set up a document management system without a partner?
Arhivix, Folderit and Microsoft 365 let a company sign up online and set up the system itself. DocuWare is deployed through its partners, and M-Files through M-Files or its partners.
How does Arhivix handle invoices that arrive by email?
You connect the company's Gmail, Microsoft 365 or IMAP inbox, and rules file the attachments to a folder, set the document type or notify someone, by sender, subject or content. OCR reads each invoice, Arhivix proposes the supplier, amount, dates and invoice number for a person to confirm, and it warns about possible duplicates, such as the same invoice number arriving twice.
How do I export my documents from DocuWare?
The included Export app exports index data as CSV. Exporting the documents themselves needs docXporter, which requires an additional licence for DocuWare Cloud.
Sources
- 1. Arhivix: Arhivix pricing
- 2. Arhivix: Arhivix home page, questions and answers
- 3. Arhivix: About Arhivix
- 4. Arhivix: Arhivix security
- 5. Arhivix: Document management for consulting firms
- 6. DocuWare: Request a demo of DocuWare
- 7. DocuWare: Cloud Document Management Software | DocuWare Cloud
- 8. DocuWare: DocuWare Partner References
- 9. DocuWare: FAQ | How Much Does DocuWare Cost?
- 10. DocuWare: Deploy DocuWare as Multitenant Cloud SaaS, On-Premises or Hybrid
- 11. DocuWare: Subcontractors of DocuWare
- 12. DocuWare: DocuWare Knowledge Center: Audit reports
- 13. DocuWare: DocuWare Knowledge Center: Version management
- 14. M-Files: M-Files Pricing | Document Management System Plans & Editions
- 15. M-Files: Partners
- 16. M-Files: M-Files user guide: Scanning and text recognition (OCR)
- 17. M-Files: Secure, Scalable Document Management in the Cloud (M-Files Cloud)
- 18. M-Files: M-Files user guide: Vault event log overview
- 19. M-Files: M-Files user guide: Version history
- 20. Folderit: Folderit pricing
- 21. Folderit: Folderit Help Center: Registration of the Main Account
- 22. Folderit: Folderit On-Premises Document Management System Software
- 23. Folderit: Folderit Digital Records Management Software
- 24. Folderit: Folderit Trust Center
- 25. Folderit: Folderit Document Management Software (DMS), features and FAQ
- 26. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): Microsoft 365 Pricing for Business: Plans & Features (Ireland)
- 27. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): Try or buy a Microsoft 365 for business subscription
- 28. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): Pay-as-you-go pricing for document processing for Microsoft 365
- 29. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): Sync SharePoint and Teams files with your computer
- 30. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): What is the EU Data Boundary?
- 31. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): Microsoft Purview service description
- 32. Microsoft SharePoint (Microsoft 365): How versioning works in lists and libraries
Information about other products comes from their public pages, checked on the date shown. If something has changed, write to info@arhivix.com and we will correct it.