Legal · head to head
iManage vs NetDocuments
iManage
Legal
Document and email management for law firms and professional services
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: iManage it manages documents and email but not matters, billing or accounting, so it is an addition to a practice management system rather than a replacement for one.; NetDocuments quote-only pricing per user with no published rates
- They diverge on capability: iManage covers iManage Work, NetDocuments covers Matter-centric filing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which iManage and NetDocuments actually diverge.
| Attribute | iManage | NetDocuments |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Cloud |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Legal).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in iManage
- iManage Work
- Outlook email filing
- Security Policy Manager
- Records Manager
- Full text and metadata search
Only in NetDocuments
- Matter-centric filing
- Ethical walls
- Email management
- Version control
- Search
- Retention
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
iManage
- Corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchablenot NetDocuments
- Firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matternot NetDocuments
- Practices with records retention obligations spanning electronic and physical filesnot NetDocuments
- Financial services, accounting and government teams with the same matter-centric document problemnot NetDocuments
NetDocuments
- Firms needing enforceable ethical walls rather than folder permissionsnot iManage
- Capturing email into the matter record instead of individual inboxesnot iManage
- Moving document management off on-premise serversnot iManage
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
iManage
- It manages documents and email but not matters, billing or accounting, so it is an addition to a practice management system rather than a replacement for one.
- Administration requires specialist skills, and organisations without a dedicated document management administrator tend to run it badly configured.
- Its value depends on fee earners filing email consistently, which is a behaviour change firms routinely fail to enforce.
- Nothing about pricing is published and the surrounding modules are licensed separately, so the gap between the core product and a working configuration is discovered late.
- The market-share figures it cites, such as 81 per cent of the Am Law 200, are vendor published and not independently audited.
NetDocuments
- Quote-only pricing per user with no published rates
- Migrating an existing document store is a substantial project, and legacy metadata rarely survives cleanly
- Aimed at mid-size and large firms; solo practices find it heavier than needed
- Adoption depends on fee earners filing correctly, and habits are the hard part
Pricing, plan by plan
iManage
On request- iManage Work$undefined/year
- Per user licensing quoted per organisation
- Cloud or on-premises deployment
- Security, records and analytics modules licensed separately
NetDocuments
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the NetDocuments review.
Which should you pick?
Choose iManage if
- You need imanage work.
- You work on Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want outlook email filing.
Choose NetDocuments if
- You need matter-centric filing.
- You work on Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want ethical walls.
Questions people ask
- Is iManage or NetDocuments better?
- Neither clearly leads. iManage starts at On request and NetDocuments at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, iManage or NetDocuments?
- iManage starts at On request and NetDocuments at On request.
- Does iManage or NetDocuments run on more platforms?
- iManage runs on Windows, Web, macOS, iOS, Android. NetDocuments runs on Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- What is iManage best used for?
- iManage is most often used for corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchable, firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matter, practices with records retention obligations spanning electronic and physical files, financial services, accounting and government teams with the same matter-centric document problem. Of those, corporate firms whose matter record lives largely in email and must be filed and searchable and firms with client confidentiality obligations requiring need-to-know access per matter are not what NetDocuments is typically brought in for.
- What can iManage do that NetDocuments cannot?
- iManage covers iManage Work, Outlook email filing, Security Policy Manager, Records Manager. NetDocuments covers Matter-centric filing, Ethical walls, Email management, Version control.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
iManage: Does iManage replace practice management software?
No. It handles documents and email. Firms run it alongside a practice management and billing system such as Aderant or Elite 3E.
NetDocuments: What does NetDocuments cost?
It quotes per user and does not publish rates.
iManage: Who owns iManage?
It has been independent since a management buyout from Hewlett-Packard completed in July 2015. Bain Capital Tech Opportunities made a minority growth investment in April 2023, with management retaining control.
NetDocuments: Why not just use SharePoint or Dropbox?
Neither expresses matter-centric security or ethical walls in an auditable way, which is a professional obligation rather than a preference in legal practice.
iManage: Is iManage worth it for a small firm?
It is sold to small firms as well as large ones, but the licensing and administrative overhead usually outweighs the benefit over a well organised document store below roughly twenty fee earners.
NetDocuments: Does it handle email?
Yes, capturing correspondence into the matter record, which is where most legal email otherwise fails to land.
Related pages
More on NetDocuments
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