Document Management: SaaS Closes Its Functionality Gap

Operational or collaborative, you have to choose.

Gartner thus regards the market for document management platforms. Traditionally, he explains, the vendors are strong in one segment or the other; not in both at once.

By “operational,” here we mean use cases specific to particular industries. In this realm, MSP deployments remain numerous. But the trend is toward SaaS, which already dominates in collaboration. This model is all the more adopted as the Microsoft-Box-Google trio manages to provide the functional depth that it historically lacked.

SaaS surpassed 50% of market share in 2025, even though providers such as Doxis, Hyland, M-Files and OpenText took some time to offer a viable solution.

16 Vendors, 6 “Leaders”

The latest Magic Quadrant dedicated to document management dates back to fall 2024. From one to the next, four vendors remained “leaders”: Box, Doxis (ex-SER Group), Laserfiche and Microsoft. This year, Hyland and M-Files (former “challengers”) join them. OpenText, by contrast, slides down to the “visionaries.”

Four vendors make their entrance: DocuWare, d.velop, Intalio and Zoho. Two exit. On one hand, ShareFile, whose platform is no longer deemed sufficiently transversal. On the other, Adobe. One could have anticipated this given Gartner’s earlier conclusions: its product is less about document management and more about viewing and editing PDFs… with the possibility of integrating with GED tools.

The “execution” axis of the Magic Quadrant translates the ability to meet demand (customer experience, history, product/service quality…). Vendors position themselves as follows:

On the “vision” axis, reflecting strategies (innovation, marketing, partnerships…):

Box, Expected to Lead Regional Metadata Storage

Gartner commends Box for the transparency of its pricing and its packaging. It also values the self-service model (ease of trying, buying, and scaling with limited vendor intervention). A strong point on the marketing front as well, with a robust online presence complemented by product/support/dev communities.

Governance capabilities and process automation may not satisfy all requirements, cautions Gartner. Another caveat: the metadata are hosted in North America by default—a limitation Box has pledged to address this year. Also watch for a lack of sector-specific packages.

Doxis, little visibility outside its domestic market

Gartner appreciates the comprehensiveness of Doxis’s offering. In particular the AI-enhanced back-end and the integration with enterprise software. Sector-specific packages are another strength for the German company (adopted by nearly half of its customers). It also boasts one of the market’s higher growth rates, helped by acquisitions such as Klippa (IDP) and AFI Solutions (SAP services).

Outside Europe and North America, Doxis has limited presence (to consider for services and support). It remains overall less visible outside Germany despite its recent rebranding. And it has not fully aligned with the SaaS trend.

Complex pricing at Hyland

Hyland stands out for its industry-specific expertise (healthcare, insurance, public sector…). Gartner also highlights the governance, federation, AI services and automation capabilities of its Alfresco and OnBase products. Hyland is the only vendor in this Magic Quadrant to offer an open-source platform, notes Gartner, which also appreciates the focus on the semantic layer and agent-based capabilities.

Hyland onboards customers at a slower pace than many peers. It also rolls out solutions more slowly, and its focus on large enterprises contributes to this. Smaller customers who prefer SaaS might be better served elsewhere, Gartner suggests. Also be mindful of the complexity of the packaging and pricing, as well as its North America–centric presence.

Laserfiche, limited in industry solutions

Based on its Peer Insights, Gartner notes that Laserfiche distinguishes itself by the quality of its products and implementations. It applauds governance, metadata, search, federation and automation capabilities. It also flags a strong AI roadmap.

As a private company, Laserfiche’s visibility into its financial health is limited. It also offers limited evidence of business activity outside North America. Its vertical solutions are likewise constrained (primarily government and education).

M-Files, not the best aligned with the SaaS model

M-Files performs well in governance, metadata, search, federation and integration with the digital workplace. It recently announced a partnership with Microsoft, which recommends it for operational use cases that SharePoint does not cover. In this context, M-Files leverages Purview and SharePoint Embedded to integrate with the Microsoft ecosystem. Gartner considers this combination—focusing on operational use while partnering on collaboration—unique in the market.

The transition to a cloud-first approach and the shift toward mid-market to large enterprises concentrates churn on smaller, self-hosted customers. Nevertheless, the move to SaaS/self-service has not yet been fully realized. Sector-specific offerings remain under development.

Microsoft highlighted for enterprise software integration

Via SharePoint and OneDrive, Microsoft drives AI adoption in document management (assistants, agents, advanced search…). Its platform proves effective in metadata management, search and collaboration. It is also well aligned with the self-service model. Microsoft’s global presence and rapid AI deployment facilitate adoption.

Microsoft marketing for SharePoint and OneDrive is often diluted within the Microsoft 365 umbrella, complicating the understanding of their role in anchoring Copilot. Gartner also cautions about supporting certain complex operational requirements (citing integration with enterprise software). As for the sectoral approach, it remains largely reliant on partners.