# What's the best document management platform for software developers managing team access securely?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">What does real, auditable control over who can see or edit a file actually look like in <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/document-management">document management</a> for a software development team that doesn't want to rely on one shared folder everyone can touch? A few names keep coming up for that specific angle: iManage Work, M-Files, and Laserfiche.</p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">iManage Work gets mentioned most often for security controls that go beyond basic permissions, things like ethical walls that block certain groups from seeing specific matters entirely, paired with auditing that shows exactly who opened or edited a file. M-Files takes a different approach, tying access to metadata rather than folder location, so permissions follow the document based on what it is and who it's connected to instead of where it happens to be filed. Laserfiche rounds out the group with workflow-level controls and an API developers can build against directly when default permission structures aren't granular enough.</p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Beyond those three, a couple more are worth a look:</p><ul>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/imanage-work/reviews"><strong>iManage Work</strong></a>: security controls and document auditing that show who accessed or changed a file, on top of the ethical-wall permissions mentioned above.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/m-files/reviews"><strong>M-Files</strong></a>: metadata-driven access and version history that keep permissions tied to the document itself, with a workflow layer for tracking approvals and changes over time.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/laserfiche/reviews"><strong>Laserfiche</strong></a>: developer-accessible customization through its API and low-code workflow tools, alongside on-prem deployment for teams that want more direct control over where access rules live.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/docuware/reviews"><strong>DocuWare</strong></a>: a secure repository with access and version restrictions built in, useful for teams that need to lock down who can act on specific documents without building that logic themselves.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/hyland-onbase/reviews"><strong>Hyland OnBase</strong></a>: security and automation features aimed at keeping documents locked down by default, with enough configuration depth that IT and development teams can shape access rules around their own structure.</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">For developers who've actually set this up, how much of the access control ends up living in the platform itself versus something you have to layer on top with your own tooling?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 11 days ago
- Author title: Marketing Executive
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

&lt;p&gt;There&#39;s a quiet architectural split in this list worth naming: whether permissions attach to the document or to the place it sits. Folder-based control works until content moves, gets copied, or gets linked into another project, at which point the permission stays with the location and the sensitive file walks away from it. Metadata-driven permissions follow the document around. For developer teams where content gets forked and reused constantly, that difference matters more than the length of either feature list.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 10 days ago
- Author title: Tech Consultant





## Related discussions
- [How well does Trello scale into a larger team?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/1-how-well-does-trello-scale-into-a-larger-team)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 6
- [Can we please add a new section](https://www.g2.com/discussions/2-can-we-please-add-a-new-section)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 0
- [Quantifiable benefits from implementing your CRM](https://www.g2.com/discussions/quantifiable-benefits-from-implementing-your-crm)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 4