Netdocuments Vs SharePoint 7 Key Differences You Need To Know

NetDocuments vs SharePoint: 7 Key Differences

NetDocuments is a cloud-native document management system built for law firms and legal departments. SharePoint is a broadly capable collaboration platform that serves every industry. This guide covers 7 key differences to help legal organizations, corporate legal departments, and compliance-heavy enterprises choose the right platform for their document management needs.

Quick comparison

Dimension	NetDocuments	Microsoft SharePoint
Primary audience	Law firms, corporate legal, compliance	All industries; general enterprise
Document management depth	Native — matter-centric, profiling, check-in/out	Strong but requires configuration
Legal workflow support	Built-in: matter management, email filing, version control	Configurable; requires Power Automate or third-party
Microsoft 365 integration	Via ndOffice connector	Native — Teams, Outlook, Power BI
Security model	Matter-level access control	Site, library, folder, and item-level permissions
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR; legal-specific features	400+ certs: HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, CMMC
Best fit	Legal industry DMS requirement	Org-wide collaboration with document management needs

The 7 key differences

1. Industry focus

NetDocuments is built specifically for the legal industry. SharePoint serves every industry. If your primary requirement is legal document management — matter-centric organization, email filing, and legal hold — NetDocuments is purpose-built for it. SharePoint requires configuration to reach similar depth.

2. Matter-centric organization

NetDocuments organizes documents around legal matters by default. Each matter is a container with its own access list. SharePoint uses sites, libraries, and folders — which can model matter-centric organization but require deliberate information architecture design by a consultant.

3. Check-in / check-out and version control

NetDocuments enforces check-in/check-out natively — a legal requirement for draft documents. SharePoint also supports version history and check-in/check-out, but the workflow must be configured and enforced through library settings or Power Automate.

4. Email filing

NetDocuments includes ndMail — an Outlook add-in that files emails directly to matters. SharePoint uses Outlook integration or Power Automate flows for email filing. ndMail is purpose-built for the legal email filing workflow; SharePoint's approach is more general and flexible.

5. Microsoft 365 integration

SharePoint is native to Microsoft 365 — Teams, Outlook, Power BI, and Copilot all integrate directly. NetDocuments integrates with Microsoft 365 via its ndOffice connector. For organizations already using Microsoft 365 broadly, SharePoint reduces the number of platforms to manage.

6. Security model

NetDocuments uses matter-level access control — users see only the matters they are authorized for. SharePoint uses a layered permission model: site, library, folder, and item-level. Both support role-based access. NetDocuments is simpler for legal access control; SharePoint is more flexible for cross-functional orgs.

7. Total cost of ownership

NetDocuments pricing is typically $40–$80/user/month depending on the plan. SharePoint is included with Microsoft 365 E1/E3/E5 — for organizations already paying for M365, the incremental cost is $0. For non-M365 organizations, NetDocuments may have lower TCO due to lower implementation complexity for legal workflows.

Which should you choose?

EPC Group evaluates your specific workflows, compliance requirements, and integration needs before recommending.

• Choose NetDocuments if you are a law firm or corporate legal department that needs a purpose-built DMS with matter management and ndMail.
• Choose SharePoint if your organization already runs Microsoft 365 and needs document management integrated with Teams, Copilot, and Power BI across all departments — not just legal.
• Hybrid approach: some organizations run NetDocuments for legal matters and SharePoint for firm-wide collaboration. EPC Group integrates both.

Frequently asked questions

Is NetDocuments better than SharePoint for law firms?

For pure legal document management, NetDocuments is purpose-built — matter-centric organization, email filing via ndMail, and legal-specific version control. SharePoint can replicate most features but requires configuration. EPC Group recommends NetDocuments for legal-only DMS and SharePoint for firm-wide collaboration.

Can SharePoint replace NetDocuments?

Yes, with proper configuration. EPC Group has built SharePoint environments that handle matter management, email filing, and version control for law firms. The trade-off: SharePoint requires more upfront configuration but gives you deeper Microsoft 365 integration including Teams, Copilot, and Power BI.

How much does NetDocuments cost vs SharePoint?

NetDocuments runs $40–$80/user/month. SharePoint is included with Microsoft 365 E1 ($8/user/mo), E3 ($36), or E5 ($57). For organizations already on M365, SharePoint is effectively free. EPC Group models total cost of ownership for your specific user count and workflow requirements.

Schedule a consultation

EPC Group evaluates NetDocuments vs SharePoint and implements the right document management solution. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute discovery call.