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Finding the right document automation software for you and your team isn't easy
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Finding the right document automation service can take a lot of time and money.
Unfortunately, your time will be stretched in 2021. You’ll likely be bouncing from online meeting to meeting, reading and responding to dozens of emails, and juggling children who would otherwise be in school.
To date, we’ve compared 6 popular document automation companies. We've assessed them based on the following criteria:
Criteria to Assess Document Automation Software
Can I Include Whatever I Want in My Documents?
Will My Documents Look How I Want?
How Long Will it Take to Learn the Software?
Will my IT Team Consider the Software Secure?
Is the Software Well-Maintained?
Which Sectors Use the Software?
If I Need Training and Support, Will the Company Help?
Will the company's Sales Process Focus on Me?
If I Switch Software, Can I Take My Data With Me?
All of our reviews are based on these nine criteria. With these criteria in mind, read below about the 6 document automation software providers that you should consider in 2021.
1. Epsillion Document Automation - Best Document Automation Visuals 2021, Best Document Automation for Business Valuation 2021
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Executive Summary
Epsillion Pros
Epsillion's report and presentation output quality is significantly higher than most other document automation software
Epsillion is good at Excel to Word automation. Linking to charts, tables, and individual numbers from an Excel model is easy and robust, which makes the software a strong fit for Business Valuation firms
All of your data lives within Microsoft Word and Excel documents you own and control, so you can leave and go to another provider without any hitches
Because Epsillion's API is point-and-click and requires no code, it's probably the easiest to use among all document automation APIs
The only document automation software provider that offers a 90 day money back guarantee
Epsillion Cons
Epsillion is for Windows only. It is Mac incompatible
If you want to use an SQL database, you should pull your SQL data into Excel first using Excel's native database connection features, then insert Excel content into your Epsillion documents
If you want to use JSON, XML or other less common data formats in your reports, you need to ask the Epsillion programmers to implement that functionality because it isn't accessible in the graphical user interface
Can I Include Whatever I Want in My Documents?
Pros:
You can change text, charts, and tables based on content you put into your Excel file
You can include or exclude sections of text based on criteria you specify (conditional text)
Template text can flow freely. Thankfully, Epsillion does not require everything to always be in the same position.
You can generate multiple documents at once from the desktop software's front end (batch mode processing)
Cons:
Epsillion does not offer looping variables in its batch mode
Will My Documents Look How I Want?
Epsillion generates PDFs and HTML content that look professionally designed. The PDF format in particular gives the programmers total control over fonts, margins, colors, and graphics. The quality of Epsillion's outputs is therefore higher than that of most other document automation providers.
If brand compliance is important to you, Epsillion is one of your stronger choices.
How Long Will it Take to Learn the Software?
Epsillion is relatively easy to use because it is Microsoft Word- and Microsoft Excel-based. However, the variety of features mean that it can take several hours of practice and training to become an expert user.
Will my IT Team Consider the Software Secure?
Yes. Epsillion's installers are professionally signed and all traffic between your computer and Epsillion's servers is encrypted.
Is Espillion's Software Well-Maintained?
Yes. Epsillion's user interface melds with the latest versions of Microsoft Office and feels up-to-date.
Epsillion's Word addin is modern and fit in with Microsoft Word's user interface.
Epsillion's Excel addin is similarly up-to-date and makes use of both the ribbon and the sidebar to the right.
Thankfully, Epsillion supports high definition screens.
Which Sectors Use Epsillion?
Epsillion is flexible and can be used in many sectors. We believe the two sectors that comprise the greatest number of their users are:
Business Valuation
Real Estate Research
If I Need Training and Support, Will Epsillion Help?
Epsillion's support is fast. The support team typically does three things:
send you the solution
describe the solution
follow up with a simple thumbs up/down email questionnaire to ensure you're satisfied
Will Epsillion's Sales Process Focus on Me?
Pros:
Epsillion advertises a free proof of concept
Epsillion advertises unlimited, free, live, screenshare training sessions
Epsillion will give you a free, live demo
Epsillion offers a 90 day money back guarantee, the most generous among document automation providers
Cons:
Epsillion will only let you install a trial version of the software after showing you a proof of concept, but not before
If I Switch Software, Can I Take My Data With Me?
Yes. You store data in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel on your own computers, so if you want to switch to another document automation provider you aren't locked in.
What quality of output do you need? For some purposes, Microsoft Word outputs will suit your needs. For people who need strict brand compliance, PDF outputs allow for greater control and more professional results.
2. Woodpecker Document Automation - Best for Legal sector 2021, Best Learning Resources 2021
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Executive Summary
Woodpecker Pros
Outstanding selection and organization of learning resources and training options
Highly specialized for legal sector document automation needs
Woodpecker's large library of legal templates is great for getting started quickly
Specifically targeted to solo and small firms, which is a nice change from software that tries to be everything to everybody
Woodpecker Cons
No substantial corporate brand compliance features
Could be used in other sectors than legal, but the feature set won't be geared towards you
Can I Include Whatever I Want in my Woodpecker Documents?
Pros:
You can change text based on content you put into the Woodpecker database and online forms and questionnaires (dynamic text)
You can include or exclude sections of text based on criteria you specify (conditional text)
Template text can flow freely. Thankfully, Woodpecker does not require everything to always be in the same position. The only real limits to template flexibility are a result of what is possible in Microsoft Word.
You can generate multiple documents at the same time using Woodpecker's "multi-populate" feature (i.e., batch processing)
Cons:
No substantial corporate brand compliance features
You can't update tables and charts based based on your Excel data
Will my Woodpecker Documents Look How I Want?
Woodpecker generates standard Microsoft Word documents. The quality of the outputs are therefore largely up to the user’s capabilities with Microsoft Word. In addition, Microsoft Word has its own limitations. Even in the most skilled hands, Microsoft Word outputs won't be able to match the quality of more sophisticated publishing software that some automation providers can offer.
How Long Will it Take to Learn Woodpecker Software?
Woodpecker is easy to use because it is Microsoft Word-based. If you are already familiar with Microsoft Word, you should be able to pick up and use Woodpecker with ease and speed.
We liked how the software showed us how many instances of a particular variable existed in the report
However, we found that the counter wasn't always accurate, particularly after deleting one or more instances of the variable. The counter seems to be able to count up, but not down.
In the future, to improve documet-creation speed, we would like to see the cursor automatically positioned after a newly inserted variable, which would facilitate further typing or the insertion of additional variables in rapid succession. As it is, for some reason the cursor is placed to the left of newly inserted variables, so you need to manually click to the right to continue creating your document.
Woodpecker's large library of document templates, which you can adapt to suit your purposes, will help cut the time it takes to learn the software. Ready made templates that you can download, adapt, and use include:
Attorney Retainer template
Legal Pleading template
Expert Witness Retainer template
Independent Contractor Agreement template
Non Disclosure Agreement template
Employee Offer Letter template
Advisory Board Letter template
Confidentiality Agreement template
Website Privacy Policy template
Software Referral Agreement template
Accounts Receivable Past Due Letter template
Legal Client Non-Engagement Letter template
Durable Power of Attorney template
Living Will template
Health Care Proxy template
Legal Client Engagement Letter template
Certificate of Incorporation template
10-Day Demand Letter template
Discovery Requests template
Answer to Complaint template
Will my IT Team Consider the Software Secure?
Woodpecker doesn't advertise its security credentials.
Is Woodpecker's Software Well-Maintained?
Woodpecker has an up-to-date looking sidebar Word addin.
Woodpecker doesn't have a Microsoft Excel addin.
Which Sectors Use Woodpecker?
Woodpecker was programmed specifically to serve the legal sector.
If I Need Training and Support, Will Woodpecker Help?
The data you enter into the Woodpecker database can be downloaded to a CSV file that you can then use with other software. That means your data is not locked into the Woodpecker system.
If you decide to change document automation companies, will you be able to take your data with you when you go? Or is your data locked in a database? Ask the company for a CSV for Excel file of data extracted from their database; that will show you clearly whether you will be able to take away any useful data or not. This is a weak point for many vendors because they don't want you to think about leaving them!
3. HotDocs Document Automation - Best for Document Automation Based on Client Questionnaires 2021, Best Document Automation for Government 2021
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Executive Summary
HotDocs Pros
The ability to create questionnaires/interviews/forms for clients, send them to clients, have clients fill them in, and that information becoming available to you for your documents is very smart and helpful
The HotDocs website shows testimonials from customers in a wide range of sectors, which should give you an understanding of its potential uses
HotDocs Cons
It can be hard to find the information you need in HotDocs' Help pages
HotDocs's Word addin is starting to look out-of-date
Can I Include Whatever I Want in my HotDocs Documents?
Pros:
You can change text based on content you put into the HotDocs database (dynamic text)
You can include or exclude sections of text based on criteria you specify (conditional text)
Template text can flow freely. Thankfully, HotDocs does not require everything to always be in the same position. The only real limits to template flexibility are a result of what is possible in Microsoft Word.
Cons:
HotDocs has no substantial corporate brand compliance features
You can't update tables and charts in your document based based on your Excel data
Generating multiple documents at the same time (i.e., batch processing) is only available in HotDocs' advanced API
Will my HotDocs Documents Look How I Want?
HotDocs generates standard Microsoft Word documents. The quality of the outputs are therefore largely up to the user’s capabilities with Microsoft Word. In addition, Microsoft Word has its own limitations. Even in the most skilled hands, Microsoft Word outputs won't be able to match the quality of more sophisticated publishing software that some automation providers can offer.
How Long Will it Take to Learn HotDocs Software?
HotDocs is easy to use because it is Microsoft Word-based. An interview process walks you through the steps of creating your first document (software asks you a question about your document; you answer). If you are already familiar with Microsoft Word, you should be able to pick up and use HotDocs with ease and speed.
Will my IT Team Consider the Software Secure?
HotDocs says that, "All communication between the various components of HotDocs Document Services is encrypted using SSL/TLS. This includes communication from the browser to the web server, fromHotDocs Developer 10.2to the web application, and among all the various parts and pieces of theDocument Services stack."
Is HotDocs' Software Well-Maintained?
HotDocs' Microsoft Word addin looks a bit dated and could use a refresh.
HotDocs doesn't have a Microsoft Excel addin.
HotDocs doesn’t support high definition screens, which may be a dealbreaker for a growing fraction of computer users.
Which Sectors Use HotDocs?
HotDocs is flexible and can be used in many sectors. We believe the two sectors that comprise the greatest number of their users are:
Legal sector
Government sector
We will reach out to HotDocs for confirmation, and will update this section when they provide it.
If I Need Training and Support, Will HotDocs Help?
Confusingly, if you click on the Knowledge Base link on HotDocs' website, you'll be taken to AbacusNext's support website (AbacusNext is HotDocs' parent company):
There is a link to the HotDocs specific information, but following some of those links simply takes you back to HotDocs website:
We think HotDocs' support documentation needs to be more organized to be helpful.
Will HotDocs' Sales Process Focus on Me?
Pros:
HotDocs will give you a free, live demo
Cons:
HotDocs does not advertise a free trial
HotDocs does not advertise a free proof of concept
HotDocs charges for live, screenshare, training sessions
If I Switch Software, Can I Take My Data With Me?
The data you enter into the HotDocs database cannot be downloaded to a CSV file that you can then use with other software. That means your data is locked into the HotDocs system.
Does the company offer training videos and screensharing training sessions on demand? Those can be important for gaining the trust and confidence of your colleagues as the whole team learns the new system.
4. Dox42 Document Automation - Best Sharepoint Document Automation 2021, Best Manufacturing Document Automation 2021
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Executive Summary
Dox42 Pros
Dox42 integrates with Sharepoint, which is rare among document automation providers
Dox42's Database functionality is exceptionally strong and fully featured
Dox42 Cons
Dox42 does not seem to be 100% translated into English. It's common to see German language in Windows and buttons.
Dox42 inserts Excel charts into documents as images (lower quality, less zoom-able) rather than vector format (higher quality, zoom-friendly).
Can I Include Whatever I Want in my Dox42 Documents?
Pros:
You can change text based on Sharepoint and Excel data (dynamic text)
You can include or exclude sections of text based on criteria you specify (conditional text)
Template text can flow freely. Thankfully, Dox42 does not require everything to always be in the same position. The only real limits to template flexibility are a result of what is possible in Microsoft Word.
You can generate multiple documents at the same time using Dox42 (i.e., batch processing)
Cons:
No substantial corporate brand compliance features
Will My Dox42 Documents Look How I Want?
Dox42 generates standard Microsoft Word documents. The quality of the outputs are therefore largely up to the user’s capabilities with Microsoft Word. In addition, Microsoft Word has its own limitations. Even in the most skilled hands, Microsoft Word outputs won't be able to match the quality of more sophisticated publishing software that some automation providers can offer.
How Long Will it Take to Learn Dox42 Software?
Dox42 is easy to use because it is Microsoft Office-based, including Microsoft Word, SharePoint, and Excel. If you are already familiar with Microsoft Word, you should be able to pick up and use Dox42 with ease and speed.
Will my IT Team Consider the Software Secure?
Dox42's website doesn't discuss security features, so it's not clear what security steps they have taken and whether all information communicated between your PC and their servers is encrypted.
Is Dox42 Software Well-Maintained?
Dox42 has a Microsoft Word addin that looks modern and up-to-date in the German language verison...
...but the English language version looks out-of-date and you'll often find German language in dialog windows:
Dox42 has a Microsoft Excel addin, although its functionality is limited in scope, having just a few buttons.
Dox42's installation procedure may appear cumbersome at first. After unzipping the contents of the Office Addins installer, for example, you'll be presented with four installation folders:
Inside each folder are files and more folders, although the setup.exe file was all we needed to use to get the Word addin installed:
The installer itself is from an older era of computing:
The graphics in the Word Addin suggest that Dox42 doesn’t fully support high definition screens, which may be a dealbreaker for a growing fraction of computer users.
Which Sectors Use Dox42?
Dox42 is flexible and can work for many sectors, but it's user base is most concentrated in Manufacturing and Finance.
If I Need Training and Support, Will Dox42 Help?
Dox42 has a Learning Resources page containing a mix of video tutorials, demos, and discussions. The page can feel slightly disorganized, and it's not always easy to find what you need.
Yes. Dox42 makes use of data you already own and control in SharePoint and Excel, so if you want to switch to another document automation provider you can.
What one or two sectors does the document automation company specialize in? No company can focus on every sector, and when new features are considered or bugs fixed, it is the company will inevitably prioritize the areas of the software that its most important customers rely on. It's easier to swim with the current than fight it!
5. Windward Studios Document Automation - Best Programming Language Choices 2021, Best Output Format Variety 2021
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Executive Summary
Windward Studios Pros
Windward studios supports a fantastic range of programming languages, including C#, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, and VB.Net
There is a well thought out API for power users
Windward Studios accepts a wide range of data sources, including SQL, JSON, Salesforce, XML, and SharePoint
You can choose from a wide variety of output formats, like PDF, Excel, HTML, PowerPoint, Word, PostScript, and Bitmap
Windward Studios Cons
Microsoft Excel is not one of the data sources Windword Studios draws on
No substantial brand compliance features, and uninspiring Microsoft Word output
Can I Include Whatever I Want in my Windward Studios Documents?
Pros:
You can change text based on database content (dynamic text)
You can include or exclude sections of text based on criteria you specify (conditional text)
Some Windward Studios templates allow text to flow freely, others are inflexible and fixed
You can generate multiple documents at the same time using Windword Studios' API (i.e., batch processing)
Cons:
No substantial corporate brand compliance features
You can't update tables and charts in your Word document based based on your Excel data source
Will my Windward Studios Documents Look How I Want?
Windward Studios generates standard Microsoft Word documents. The quality of the outputs are therefore largely up to the user’s capabilities with Microsoft Word. In addition, Microsoft Word has its own limitations. Even in the most skilled hands, Microsoft Word outputs won't be able to match the quality of more sophisticated publishing software that some automation providers can offer.
Here is an example of Windward Studios creating a letter:
Below is an example of Windward Studios updating an investment performance newsletter. A downside to a template like this is that all the elements are fixed into place, and don't flow across pages depending on how much content there is. That means you need to ensure your content always fits the same, pre-set dimensions for each update.
Here is an example of Windward Studios creating an insurance form:
You can see more examples of Windward Studios output in their helpful template library
How Long Will it Take to Learn Windward Studios' Software?
Windward Studios is easy to use because it is Microsoft Word-based. If you are already familiar with Microsoft Word, you should be able to pick up and use Windward Studios with ease and speed.
The Windword Studios Word addin looks modern and fits in well with the latest versions of Microsoft Office.
Windward Studios has a Microsoft Excel addin, although the company doesn't have enough information, videos, or screenshots of the addin on its website for us to assess it meaningfully.
Windward Studios addins don't support high definition screens, which may be a dealbreaker for a growing fraction of computer users.
Which Sectors Use Windward Studios?
Windward Studios does not specify on their website which sectors comprise the greatest number of their users. We will reach out to them to ask.
If I Need Training and Support, Will Windward Studios Help?
Windward Studios does not advertise a free proof of concept
If I Switch Software, Can I Take My Data With Me?
Yes. Windword Studios works with SQL databases and other data sources that you own and control. If you want to move to another provider, you are free to do so.
When asking potential document automation vendors about their products and services, ask them about their security practices. The best vendors implement security during data transit and storage, and they delete as much data as they can as often as they can.
6. Upslide Document Automation - Best PowerPoint Automation Addin 2021
Document Automation Reviews Team | Last updated: 17 January 2021
Executive Summary
Upslide Pros
Upslide is one of the few document automation companies to focus on PowerPoint, and it does this very well
Updating your PowerPoint with the latest numbers, charts, and tables from Excel is easy and robust
Upslide provides a lot of great brand compliance features for PowerPoint
Upslide Cons
Upslide's Microsoft Word functionality is limited compared to other document automation providers
Upslide is for Windows only. It is Mac incompatible.
Upslide Office Addins automatically take the 'second from File' position, which we think may be justified for the feature-packed PowerPoint addin but could reduce your productivity in the case of the Word and Excel addins in particular.
Can I Include Whatever I Want in my Upslide Documents?
You can include a wide range of dynamic content into your PowerPoint slides, including dynamic numbers, charts, and tables originating in Microsoft Excel and PowerBI.
Upslide doesn't allow you to generate multiple documents at once (batch mode).
Will my Upslide Documents Look How I Want?
Upslide generates Microsoft PowerPoint documents with brand compliance features. The quality of the outputs are largely up to the user’s capabilities with Microsoft PowerPoint. In addition, Microsoft PowerPoint has its own limitations. Even in the most skilled hands, Microsoft PowerPoint's outputs won't be able to match the quality of more sophisticated publishing software that some automation providers can offer.
How Long Will it Take to Learn Upslide's Software?
Upslide is easy to use because it is Microsoft PowerPoint- and Excel-based. If you are already familiar with Microsoft Office, you should be able to pick up and use Upslide with ease and speed.
Will my IT Team Consider the Software Secure?
There is no substantial cloud component to Upslide, and therefore security is not a concern with this software.
Is Upslide Software Well-Maintained?
Upslide has a fully featured Microsoft PowerPoint addin, including functionality in the Ribbon and right hand sidebar.
Upslide has a Microsoft Excel addin whose main feature is to indicate that you want a table or chart to link to PowerPoint or Word.
Finally, Upslide has a Microsoft Word addin, but Upslide's Word functionality is not a focus for the company.
We don't like how Upslide's Microsoft Office addins force themselves into the 'second from File' position in the Ribbon. You could argue that the feature-packed PowerPoint addin deserves to do so, but it is inappropriate and productivity-sapping for Upslide's Microsoft Word and Excel addins to take this location; you'll mostly use those addins for one or two straightforward tasks that are unlikely to take precedence over the more important, native Microsoft Office features.
Upslide doesn’t support high definition screens, which may be a dealbreaker for a growing fraction of computer users.
Which Sectors Use Upslide?
Upslide specialises in the financial services sector. Many features and the terms used for them (like 'Tombstone' credentials) will be familiar to people who work in the financial services sector.
If I Need Training and Support, Will Upslide Help?
Upslide's website has a very helpful User Guide section. The company has a small YouTube presence, but the short, to-the-point video clips on Upslide's website make up for it.
Upslide does not advertise a free proof of concept
If I Switch Software, Can I Take My Data With Me?
Yes. You own your Microsoft Office documents, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and PowerBI files. If you decide to stop using Upslide at some point in the future, you will still have access to all of your data.
When choosing a document automation provider, ask for examples of all the output formats their software can generate. Some vendors can only supply one or two document types, others may be able to provide PDFs, HTML, Word documents, presentations, Kindle format, and others.
