StackBuyer Software shortlist Software Shortlist · USD 49
Four tools, and you already pay for two of them
One requirement, matched against the market and against what is already on your card.
You asked for a document collaboration tool. Before comparing the market it is worth saying that two products you already pay for do most of what you described, and one of them is used by four people out of 34. The shortlist is still here, and the cheapest option on it is USD 0.
Your existing suite covers six of your eight must-haves at no additional cost. The two it does not cover are external client access with an audit trail, and matter-based folder permissions, which is a narrower requirement than the one you started with.
Requirement
What you actually need it to do
| # | Requirement | Must or nice | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple people editing one document | Must | The original reason for asking |
| 2 | Version history with named restore points | Must | Client disputes about which draft was agreed |
| 3 | Comments resolved and tracked | Must | |
| 4 | Works offline on a train | Must | Two partners commute 90 minutes |
| 5 | Client can view without an account | Must | Not met today |
| 6 | Audit trail of who saw what, when | Must | Not met today |
| 7 | Permissions by matter, not by folder tree | Must | Partly met |
| 8 | Data stored in this jurisdiction | Must | Client contractual requirement |
| 9 | Integrates with the practice system | Nice | Would save re-keying |
| 10 | Mobile app | Nice | Two people asked |
Requirements 5, 6 and 7 are the real gap. Requirements 1 to 4 and 8 are already met by software you are paying for, which changes this from a purchase into a narrower purchase or a configuration project.
What you own
The tools already on your card
| Co-edit | Versions | Comments | Offline | Client view | Audit | Matter perms | Residency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office suite, 34 seats | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Basic | No | Yes |
| Collaboration tool, 4 seats | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Unclear |
| Practice management system | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Your practice management system already does matter-based permissions and an audit trail. Nobody mentioned it because it is thought of as the billing system. Whether its document module is usable is the single question that decides whether you need to buy anything.
Market
Four options, including doing nothing
| Client view | Audit trail | Matter permissions | Annual cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configure what you own | Partly | Yes | Yes | USD 0 |
| Vendor A, legal specific | Yes | Yes | Yes | USD 11,400 |
| Vendor B, generalist | Yes | Yes | No | USD 6,800 |
| Vendor C, document portal only | Yes | Yes | Partly | USD 3,900 |
Vendor C is a client portal rather than a collaboration suite. Bolted onto the office suite you already have, it addresses the two hardest requirements for a third of Vendor A's price and adds nothing you already own.
Configure the practice system, USD 0
Two hours with your provider's support to find out whether the document module does what section 02 suggests. If it does, this ends here. Nobody has asked them.
Vendor C plus your office suite, USD 3,900
Portal for clients, audit trail, and the collaboration you already have. The combination is less tidy than one product and costs USD 7,500 a year less than the tidy option.
Vendor A, USD 11,400
Purpose built for legal, meets all eight, and replaces two things you pay for. Defensible at 34 people and worth it only if the integration with your practice system is genuinely good, which is the question to put to them.
Next
In order, and the questions to ask
- This week
Two hour call with your practice system provider
Ask specifically about the document module, client portal access and the audit log. Free, and it may end the project.
- This week
Cancel the four seat subscription
USD 1,440 a year, four users, duplicates what 34 people already have.
- If needed
Trial Vendor C with one live matter
Not a demo. One real matter, one real client, for two weeks. A portal either fits how clients behave or it does not, and no demo shows that.
- Before signing
Ask every vendor the same six questions
Below. Identical questions are the only way to compare answers.
- Where is data stored, in which jurisdiction, and can you evidence it?
- What exactly does the audit trail record, and can it be exported?
- What happens to documents if we leave, and in what format?
- Is the client portal seat-based or unlimited?
- What does implementation cost, and who does it?
- What is the notice period and the renewal uplift cap?