The Buyer’s Guide to
Document Generation Software
for Salesforce
Salesforce is by far the largest CRM provider in the world, with a vast variety of Apps in its ecosystem that extends functionality to just about anything you can think of.
In fact, there are over 300 Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) in the Document Generation category alone on the Salesforce AppExchange, each flaunting their own tricks of the trade around document creation. So, picking the right one can be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Document Generation software is essential for automating the creation, customization, and distribution of data-driven documents. To assist Salesforce Admins in navigating this terrain, we've created a trusted Buyer’s Guide to serve as your compass through the constantly evolving document generation landscape. In this guide you will learn how these tools can offer AI-powered document automation through cloud-based solutions. Thus, enhancing simplicity, accessibility and scalability - leading to what we all want most... happy customers!
We have categorized 4 Primary Application Types.
Each category is aligned with a distinct set of Document Generation use cases, and we’ve conducted a focused analysis of the market leaders, equipping you with the knowledge required to confidently shortlist the 2–3 vendors that best align with your organization’s needs.
All four of these categories include ‘Document Generation’ tools, which can definitely be confusing—especially since the first category, ‘Document Generation Automation’, has a name that’s very similar to the overall group. That’s intentional: vendors in this first category are the most directly focused on automating the actual creation of documents.
The other three categories—eSignature, Forms & Workflow Automation, and Enterprise Content Management—also overlap with Doc Gen, but their core strengths and use cases are different. So instead of grouping everyone under one umbrella, we split them up based on where their primary strengths and capabilities lie. This way, it’s easier to understand how each vendor fits into the broader ecosystem.
The Document Generation Software Comparison Matrix breaks down the whole space into Categories, and shows who uses what App, and what they use it for:
A Buyer’s Guide is useful because the ecosystem of Document Generation Applications is a very confusing space. Some of the reasons this is a hard type of software to get a firm grasp on are as follow:
Categories - There are 4 different Categories of Document Generation software and about 20 companies. And it's hard to tell which companies do what exactly in terms of their capabilities. They all use very similar marketing messaging (“Doc Gen Apps will help you be more efficient”), and while it is true that they all help you be more efficient, they all help you do so by doing different things for different users.
Marketing Creep - Sometimes a company that has always focused on one Category starts to do a little tiny bit of another Category, and their marketing materials start saying that they do both categories. As my favorite example, even if a company as big as Ford starts to make boats, they aren’t going to compete with MasterCraft on the open ocean anytime soon (this actually happened, true story). This is pretty common in software in general because the people that do the marketing are told to bring more eyeballs to the site, and they do this by making the product seem relevant to a broader audience.
They All Look the Same - Document Generation software all has something in common. They all have the automation of document creation. The functionality is all built in an interface where data is displayed on a document along with other features that allow you to perform different business tasks. Our goal was to provide a clear breakdown of the true differentiators. For instance, while every app claims to be "native" and every platform boasts having "conditional logic," uncovering the real differences and pinpointing each tool’s limitations can be both difficult and time-consuming. There is a lot of feature overlap, but when you dig into the actual workflows, it becomes apparent that these different companies are doing different things for different users on top of documents.
Mergers - Some companies that are in one Category of Document Generation Apps have bought companies that are in another Category, but then they have put them under the same name, when really, they are two separate apps with the same name that you buy together or separately.
We decided to compile a Buyer’s Guide to clear this confusion up and to help Salesforce Admins get where they wanted to go. There is not one App that fills every Document Generation need, so IT teams need to figure out which apps from which categories will help them the most. At MatrixPlace, we’ve been working with Sales and Marketing Teams since 2015, and we’ve seen a ton of them benefit from different types of Document Generation Apps. However, we realized that the Document Generation space was very confusing for an IT leader who is just starting to look at the different types of tools available to them.
After we built a focused version of this analysis for one use case, we decided to make this broader guide to pass on some of what we’ve learned over the years and make it available to everyone. Of course, if you like our analysis here, we’d love for you to take a few minutes to look at what we do at MatrixPlace to support Sales Teams with our Marketing Consulting Services:
Why Do You Need a Buyer's Guide?
Our Methodology for Evaluating Document Generation Apps
We initially did this evaluation as a part of a consulting engagement where a large customer of ours wanted us to do a full analysis of the Document Generation space. We learned a ton about the different tools in the process of doing this research. Our research team reviewed demos of products to actually evaluate the experience from a customer's perspective. We talked directly to our customers about what kinds of Document Generation apps they were using and what their results were. We sifted through publicly available information. We spoke directly with the companies to hear what they had to say about their products and the space. We evaluated review sites to see what other actual users had to say about their experiences and what they had found.
In general, we found that it was impressive how far this space has come since we first started looking at it 10 years ago, and how truly advanced some of the tools are. An IT Team can really get their Document Generation problems solved today. The results through automation that a company can get from these solutions can save them time and money, which in the end means that their Sales, Operations, Finance, Legal, Support and HR teams can achieve more. If you don’t give them a Document Generation solution, your team is truly flying blind!
Tips and Tricks to Buying a Document Generation App:
Don’t just get a demo, get a free trial of the product and see it working in the real world, not just in the sandbox. Preferably with your data and documents in the trial to verify compatibility of formats and Objects within CRM. Some products are a lot easier for teams to use from a user experience perspective. And sometimes these tools are made for specific types of teams who use it in specific types of ways or for specific industries. You want to make sure you get this in your hands so that you can really “kick the tires” and make sure it's the right fit for YOUR team. While you can get a lot of your high level questions addressed from watching demo videos, we definitely recommend trying each tool yourself, and encourage you to download the software so that you can experience the UX and identify its limitations firsthand.
If you are looking at Document Generation for the first time, then work with different vendors that you are considering to actually set up a template for a document. Then evaluate which tool provides an easier and faster setup process and a better final product from that template.
If you already have a Document Generation solution that you aren’t happy with and you’re looking to upgrade, then install another vendor’s software and use the free trial to compare usability and efficiency with your current tool. Because transitioning tools is often a daunting task, we highly recommend that you work with the team to see what tools and resources they have available to help you expedite and simplify transitioning your current documents to the new tool.
Also, ask to see the Document Generation actually working with a sample file... Meaning you change a field within CRM, and then have it show up in the document. For example, change a customer’s address in the Account record, and then see the new address shows up in the document. There were a lot of complaints and feedback that we found online about the fields and formats not working as well as they should. The way to minimize deployment risk here is to see the software running. To do that, when the software company tells you they have a document creation tool, they will almost always have it running on a sample account. For example, let's just say you have Salesforce CRM and they say they have an automatic way to generate documents. You can reduce your risk by just saying, “Great, can you show me a live demo of your App using an example document that I would need to generate within my system?” This isn’t as good as doing a trial on your data, but if they can’t demo it, that means they would have to build a feature custom for you, which can work (or can not work). This is a quick first step to reducing risk.
There is a ton of great information available on the review sites, but there is so much information that you have to go through it carefully and systematically. It’s also worth looking deeper at the ratings on different review sites. Some of our favorite review sites are G2 Crowd, Gartner Peer Insights, Software Advice, Capterra, GetApp, Crozdesk and Google Reviews. Salesforce AppExchange Reviews are very important, and be sure to highlight user satisfaction as a key consideration. Finally, we recommend that you take a close look at when people report negative or average experiences on the sites, you can see what they say and how the company responds, as it's a datapoint on how they take care of their customers.
Navigating Your Organization’s Document Generation Needs
Assessing your organization’s Document Generation requirements can be a complex and overwhelming process. The sheer volume of available solutions—combined with overlapping feature sets and ambiguous product positioning—often leads to decision fatigue before meaningful evaluation even begins.
That’s where our Document Generation Application Matrix comes in. The Document Generation landscape is saturated with products that have evolved from or expanded into adjacent categories. To effectively navigate this space, it’s critical to begin with a clear understanding of the specific business needs you're trying to meet.
Our framework identifies four primary application types, each aligned with a distinct set of Document Generation use cases. For each category, we’ve conducted a focused analysis of the market leaders, equipping you with the knowledge required to confidently shortlist the 2–3 vendors that best align with your organization’s goals.
While in some cases, these tools are bundled with sibling solutions by the same company for marginally discounted pricing, they are really separate product spaces, and we recommend purchasing tools that are the best in their area of focus rather than bundling and sacrificing quality.
The 4 Document Generation Application Types
1. Document Generation Automation
These tools focus on automating the creation of clean, consistent, and professional documents using dynamic data—often directly from Salesforce or similar systems.
Use Case: Automate the production of proposals, contracts, invoices, or tax letters without manual effort.
2. E-Signature and Digital Agreements
These platforms specialize in managing signature workflows across legally binding documents.
Use Case: Send, track, and manage contracts, NDAs, employment agreements, leases, or terms and conditions for digital acceptance and signature.
3. Forms and Workflow Automation
These applications enable the design and deployment of fillable forms used for data intake, which can then be structured and integrated into your systems.
Use Case: Capture structured data via intake forms such as applications, customer satisfaction surveys, or project kickoff questionnaires, and push the results into Salesforce.
4. Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
ECM systems provide robust capabilities for organizing, storing, and distributing digital documents and assets within a secure and accessible framework.
Use Case: Maintain centralized, searchable repositories of signed agreements, customer assets, and onboarding documents, with tools for access control and sharing.
Understanding these fundamentals will help you align your company’s specific needs and use cases with what each solution actually delivers—so you can confidently shortlist the best-fit options for a more targeted, hands-on evaluation.
A Strategic Approach to Evaluation
Each application type serves a distinct purpose. Understanding the unique value proposition of each is the first step to mapping your use cases to the right tools. Once you’ve identified the category (or categories) relevant to your needs, you can proceed to the ‘Deep-Dive Analysis’ provided for each one.
These deep-dives are designed to remove the heavy lifting and simplify your evaluation process. We distill key differentiators and highlight the critical features that matter most in each segment. This helps you filter through the noise and conduct a focused, “apples-to-apples” comparison of top vendors—ultimately accelerating your path to a confident, informed decision.
Below, each product review includes a ‘SOLUTION AT A GLANCE’ section outlining how the Salesforce integration truly works, what advanced product-specific capabilities are supported (and where the limitations lie), and which features are genuinely out-of-the-box versus add-ons that come at an additional cost. We also provide a summary of why each tool could be a fit and share insights from other users.
Integration with Document Management Software:
It’s worth mentioning that Document Generation and Document Management are distinct types of software, but they are closely related.
Moreover, integration plays a vital role in overall Document Management, which often works hand-in-hand with Document Generation, particularly when it comes to efficiently routing files after they are created.
Deep-Dive Category Analysis
of Document Generation Apps
Now we begin our in-depth analysis of the different software options available within each of the categories:
1) Document Generation Automation Apps
SOLUTION AT A GLANCE
☁️ Salesforce Integration Method:
Everyone claims to be a ‘Native Salesforce Solution’. But what do they really mean? The following are the three categories of Salesforce integration into which most Document Generation solutions fall:
1. 100% in Salesforce
100% in Salesforce solutions are solutions that never leave the Salesforce ecosystem during the Document Generation transaction. This is the most secure version. This solution has the most limitations usually related to file size, ability to access data through SOQL queries, ability to do complicated stuff within templates, and document formatting.
2. Salesforce Native
These solutions are built specifically for Salesforce. The setup process is done within Salesforce using Salesforce records and metadata in order to define templates and metadata related to templates. The Document Generation transaction is executed on an external server. These are the most balanced solutions that offer flexibility, security for metadata and a Salesforce user experience.
3. Fake Native
These solutions are built to store metadata and templates outside of Salesforce. They will still provide an ability to edit "within" Salesforce but the UI rarely looks "Salesforcey". These solutions still work within Salesforce but very little is actually done with Salesforce automations. Technically the most flexible for the company to do whatever they want, but removes flexibility from the developer since metadata and templates are stored in an external system.
📄 Template Capabilities:
Specifically for those looking to get into the Document Generation Automation space for the first time, attempting to assess which capabilities you need can be an enormous headache. And even if you already have a tool in use and are looking to switch to a better solution, knowing what wording to listen for and what questions to ask can be a challenge in and of itself. Even with the right questions you might walk away seeming like everyone has everything. We are here to let you know how each of the reviewed solutions handles the following 4 essential template capabilities:
1. Brand and Style Matching
Templates should support advanced formatting to match corporate branding — including logos, fonts, color schemes, and layout standards — across all document types. Look for tools that allow native editing in Word, HTML, or drag-and-drop builders to make template styling flexible and non-technical.
Customers should understand whether the solution supports reusable brand components and how closely the output matches marketing-approved assets, fonts, colors etc.
2. Conditional Logic/Visibility
Conditional logic enables sections of a document to be shown or hidden based on record values, user role, or language, which is crucial for tailoring content at scale and minimizing the number of templates needed by a company - greatly increasing manageability. A robust tool will support nested logic, related record filters, and fallback content options.
Customers should understand how this logic is configured (e.g., UI-based vs. coded) and whether it works consistently across different output formats. Some customers demand high flexibility and customization with large-scale dynamic documents while others need only the basics. This is an important consideration for companies to consider prior to making a purchasing decision - especially for those looking to scale as what seems like a small feature miss now could cause compounding problems down the road.
3. Supported Template File Types
Document generation tools vary in their support for template formats such as Microsoft Word (DOCX), PDF, Excel, Powerpoint, or HTML. Compatibility with familiar editing tools like Word is key for non-technical users and covers the vast majority of use cases, while HTML or JSON formats may be needed for developers or complex styling.
It’s important to understand which formats are supported natively, and whether layout control or dynamic content behavior differs across those types. Customers should ensure they understand their company’s various use cases well in order to know which file outputs are needed.
4. Template Data Query Limits
Each tool has its own limits on how much data can be pulled into a document, whether via merge fields, SOQL queries, or report integrations. For complex documents (e.g., proposals with many line items or multi-object relationships), understanding these limits is critical to avoid runtime errors or truncated outputs.
Customers should understand a solution’s row limits, cross-object support, and whether the tool uses native Salesforce queries or proprietary APIs. Customers should also consider the time constraints and technical expertise of their administrators as writing hard SOQL queries can be a challenging learning curve and incur time consuming maintenance versus an easy to use click-through user interface out-of-the-box.
⚙️ Out-of-the-Box Features:
There are a number of potentially business-critical features that are offered by Document Generation solutions to varying degrees of effectiveness and at various price adjusted levels. Batch Merging, Flow Components, Experience Cloud Availability and the ever-emerging AI features are some of the most common tools promoted by Document Generation solutions and requested by potential buyers. If these are necessary for your organization’s ‘Doc Gen’ solution, then clarifying how each of these works and what additional cost they incur is an essential part of the product buying process. Most ideal would be a solution that has the feature(s) that are must-haves and provides them with no extra cost, least ideal would be a solution that doesn’t offer them at all. Many solutions fall in between these two extremes. We will outline which of these features each of the reviewed products provides and how if they come out of the box or how they handle pricing and support surrounding them. As we set our foundation and allow you to build your business’s use case, we will define each of these four primary features below for reference as you peruse each of the solution overviews that follow.
1. Batch/Report Merging
This feature allows customers to generate documents in bulk using Salesforce reports or list views, merging data from multiple records into individual or combined outputs. This is ideal for high-volume use cases like monthly statements, policy updates, or mass communications. Merged outputs can be generated on-demand or scheduled, with support for custom naming and storage options.
Customers should understand how the tool handles large data volumes, how it structures merged outputs (one file vs. many), and what options exist out-of-box for automating the batch process.
2. Workflow Automation
This allows Document Generation to be triggered automatically through Salesforce Flows, Process Builder, or Apex, based on business events or criteria. This ensures documents like contracts, quotes, or invoices are generated consistently without manual intervention. Automation improves speed, reduces errors, and integrates seamlessly into the broader business process. This is very often essential to a company’s document generation needs.
Customers should understand whether automation setup requires coding, how well it integrates with existing flows, and what visibility or error logging is provided when documents fail to generate. They should also go into this knowing what documentation and support is provided for these features.
3. Experience Cloud Availability
The inclusion of this feature means that Document Generation functionality is extendable to Salesforce Experience Cloud sites, enabling partners, customers, or external users to generate or access documents directly through secure portals. This enhances self-service and supports use cases like customer-generated service agreements or partner-submitted proposals. Access and visibility are governed by Salesforce sharing rules and permissions.
Customers should verify whether the tool supports user-level permissions, multilingual content rendering, and what licensing or performance limits apply to portal usage to avoid costly unexpected overage fees.
4. ’Smart’ Features
Some advanced solutions offer intelligent features such as conditional content rendering, dynamic tables, and auto-generated charts based on real-time Salesforce data. Some tools also incorporate AI-assisted features or adaptive templates that adjust based on the user, region, or record context. These features streamline personalization and improve the overall quality of generated documents.
Customers should explore which smart features are included out-of-the-box versus requiring custom configuration, and whether AI capabilities are explainable and trainable. While not always a ‘must-have’ these features can greatly improve the quality of final results and/or the learning curve and overall experience your users have when interacting with a tool. With all Smart Features and AI it is as important to make sure you understand what the use case is for the feature to determine if it is just a flashy add-on that you will never use or a useful improvement that will save you precious hours or add significant value to your process.
💡 Selling Point:
This section highlights key features, benefits, or the advantages of a solution which makes it especially appealing to specific types of customers for the various use cases. It's the reason someone would choose it over competitors.
🌟 Reviews:
This section reflects the author’s perspective and overall evaluation, based on research and informed by user feedback which has been gathered from the major online review platforms.
OVERVIEW
Category Summary:
The apps in this category are built for Sales, Operations, Finance, Legal, Support and HR teams that are selling to businesses or consumers. They have capabilities that are crucial to data-driven Document Generation that are automated, dynamic, customizable, and they allow for advanced content handling, multi-format exporting and third-party integrations. Native CRM (Salesforce) integration allows teams to save time and be more efficient by automatically enabling data/field import into text-based and graphically rich documents, incorporating tables, images, charts and custom fields and fonts. And supporting dynamic, conditional, and brand-consistent templates. These documents can then be exported and stored in various file formats for ease of access and sharing.
These apps help teams be more efficient to focus on their best customers and save time. The people that usually use it are Sales, Marketing and Operational roles, across a broad range of industries: Legal & Compliance, Healthcare, Finance & Banking, Insurance, Real Estate, Human Resources, Education, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Government & Public Sector and Nonprofit. To name a few, they are using it for sales proposals, contracts, reports, and other compliance and regulatory document generation.
Companies in this space offer similar solutions but differ in optimization, pricing, and quality. Some focus on Document Generation, while others specialize in other categories like Electronic Signatures or Document Management, which we classify separately. Note that some companies assume it's more convenient to use the same provider for both Document Generation and E-signature. But we've found in our research that the pricing for these two different solutions is almost always separate. So, instead, you should really focus on finding the best Document Generation solution and the most capable E-signature tool for each of their specific use cases, ensuring that each meets your needs independently.
When evaluating solutions, consider whether your team needs an automated document creation solution with a comprehensive template library supporting MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF, and HTML for seamless document creation, separate from Electronic Signature or Document Management features.
Because some of these companies have segmented the market and pursued different category focus, it’s really important that you do a trial to try out these Document Generation apps before you purchase. They don’t all work in the same way and they all won’t be a good fit for everyone’s needs. There are complaints about the CRM integrations in some cases as it relates to Document Generation, so a trial is an important thing to do, so that the company can prove to you that they have a functional integration for the way you use your CRM. The trial ensures that the App will work in a way that actually works for you and your specific Salesforce data model.. Our best advice is to do a quick initial analysis by getting a free trial, creating a handful of templates, and actually generating documents (even if it’s just one Sales Rep on your team generating a contract). Also consider if your team will be working on their mobile device, like a Sales Rep who is out in the field that needs to generate a contract while out meeting with a client. Especially for Sales, finding a solution that works on mobile is important. Make sure that as you evaluate the Apps in this category, you keep in mind how your team will use it. Essentially use it the way your team will use it. Then when you’ve boiled it down to your top choices, do a more comprehensive trial with extended members on your team and integrate more of your main document templates.
Choosing the right document automation solution requires a thorough assessment of both your team’s current workflows and long-term business objectives. An advanced solution should leverage AI to streamline the whole process. First, AI can analyze existing documents, intelligently identifying relevant data within Salesforce, to automatically map fields, generate merge tags and configure app settings. This eliminates the need for manual setup, thus reducing errors and saving time. Additionally, AI can generate a preview of the new template, allowing users to make real-time adjustments and finalize it in a fraction of the time it would take without AI automation.
Core capabilities include:
CRM (Salesforce Lightning) integration for Desktop and Mobile
AI Automation for efficiency, including AI-powered template creation
Branding Control for consistency and design
Templates with Customization Options for ready-made templates that can be easily customized to fit specific campaigns, including brand logos, colors, and messaging.
Easy implementation for deployment with amazing support
Multi-Channel Output that enables the export of documents in various formats beyond just PDF, including Word, HTML, and PowerPoint, allowing for distribution via email, print, social media, websites, etc. with ease.
Selecting the right Document Generation Automation software requires testing automated template creation, ensuring compatibility with customizations, and verifying seamless CRM integration before committing. We’ve broken down each vendor in this space in our Vendor Comparison to help you make the right decision.
II) E-Signature and Digital Agreements
SOLUTION AT A GLANCE
☁️ Salesforce Integration Method:
Let’s break down how the vendors in the eSignature category integrate with Salesforce. While in general these solutions focus on Electronic Signature, Document Generation and Workflow Automation, their Salesforce capabilities and integrations with Salesforce vary.
1. Fully Native Salesforce Integration
These apps enable streamlined e-signature workflows entirely within Salesforce, with Lightning components and Visualforce pages embedded for seamless user interaction. Custom metadata and fields are used to manage signature templates and recipients. Operating fully within Salesforce, they require no external servers, ensuring a secure, self-contained environment. Backend integration relies on Salesforce’s native APIs and processes for document routing and signing.
2. Salesforce AppExchange Package + API Integration
These packages install custom objects in Salesforce to manage document workflows and provide Visualforce pages and Lightning Web Components for sending agreements from records. Automation is handled via Apex triggers, Flows, and Process Builder. On the backend, the vendor’s APIs (as compared to Salesforce APIs) handle the heavy lifting—managing document delivery, digital signatures, and tracking status updates. Vendor APIs handle document delivery, digital signatures, and status updates, with real-time updates pushed to Salesforce through webhooks or APIs. Secure communication is maintained through OAuth authentication, providing a streamlined e-signature workflow embedded within Salesforce.
📄 Signature Workflow Capabilities:
When we talk about product-specific capabilities for this category, we are referring to the most important components that are tailored to the platforms that provide eSignature services. Together, these capabilities form the backbone of modern, efficient, and legally compliant e-signature workflows. Electronic Signature Workflow Capabilities are crucial in this category because they orchestrate the end-to-end process of preparing, sending, signing, tracking, and storing documents that require digital signatures. In short, electronic signature workflow capabilities turn standalone signature features into fully integrated, secure, and efficient business processes—which is why they’re foundational for any eSignature solution. Here’s why they’re essential:
1. Signature Workflow Automation
Enables organizations to define and automate document routing, integrate seamlessly with business systems like Salesforce, and use APIs or SDKs for custom workflow integrations, for scalability and consistency.
2. Digital Agreement Lifecycle Management
Focuses on streamlining the setup of documents for signature. Users can upload documents, create reusable templates, drag and drop fields like signatures and text boxes, and pre-fill data using integrations with CRM or ERP systems.
3. Templates for Improved User Experience
Streamline the signing experience by offering customizable, mobile-friendly layouts with pre-filled data, dynamic branding, and multi-language support. They allow organizations to tailor workflows, configure settings, and use template libraries for consistent and efficient document preparation. Consistent user accounts are crucial for seamless template access and active requests, ensuring smooth e-signature processes.
⚙️ Out-of-the-Box Features:
E-signature solutions offer a range of potentially business-critical features, each with varying levels of effectiveness and pricing. These platforms focus on managing signature workflows for legally binding documents, addressing key areas such as E-Signature and Digital Agreement Management, Approvals and Workflow Automation, and Security and Compliance. If your organization needs to send, track, and manage contracts, NDAs, employment agreements, leases, or terms and conditions for digital acceptance and signature, understanding how each of these features functions is essential to your purchasing decision. Many solutions offer a mix of capabilities, balancing out-of-the-box features with configurable options with varied pricing structures. Below, we’ll define these three primary features to help you build out your use case as you explore the individual solution overviews that follow.
1. E-Signature and Digital Agreement Management
These solutions enable users to sign documents digitally with secure and legally binding signatures. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) ensures that signer identity is verified through methods such as SMS codes, email verification, or biometric recognition, providing enhanced security and compliance. Electronic signature solutions integrate with platforms like Salesforce for CRM and systems such as SharePoint, Google Drive, and Dropbox, making it easy to generate, store, and manage documents seamlessly within business workflows. This connectivity streamlines document management and ensures that signed documents are readily accessible and organized.
2. Approvals and Workflow Automation
Collaboration and notifications are built into these platforms, enabling automatic alerts for stakeholders regarding form submissions, approvals, or updates via email. Multi-party signing processes are supported, making it easier to coordinate and complete signature workflows efficiently. AI-powered automation helps scale workflows by intelligently routing documents to the right recipients in the appropriate order for signing and approval. Robust compliance with legal standards like eIDAS, ESIGN, and UETA is ensured, while mobile accessibility and user-friendly interfaces allow signers to complete documents conveniently on smartphones or tablets.
3. Security and Compliance
Ensures the integrity and legality of signatures by incorporating multi-factor authentication methods such as email, SMS, or knowledge-based authentication, digital certificates for enhanced security, and compliance with standards like eIDAS, ESIGN, and UETA. It also provides tamper-proof document sealing, audit trails, and consent capture to ensure legal validity.
💡 Selling Point:
This section highlights key features, benefits, or the advantages of a solution which makes it especially appealing to specific types of customers for the various use cases. It's the reason someone would choose it over competitors.
🌟 Reviews:
This section reflects the author’s perspective and overall evaluation, based on research and informed by user feedback which has been gathered from the major online review platforms.
OVERVIEW
Category Summary:
The apps in this category cater to Sales and Operations teams that require secure, efficient, and legally binding Electronic Signatures for business transactions. They streamline contract execution, approvals, and agreements with automated workflows and multi-format exporting. Native CRM (Salesforce) integration enhances efficiency by enabling seamless workflow for sharing documents and getting approvals (i.e. Electronic Signatures) on the data that’s imported into contracts, proposals, and compliance documents. Electronic Signature software needs to provide a secure, efficient, and legally compliant way to sign and manage documents digitally.
These solutions are widely used across industries such as Legal, Real Estate, Financial Services & Banking, Healthcare, Insurance, Government, Sales & Marketing, HR & Recruiting, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Education, Technology & SaaS and Nonprofit for signing agreements, NDAs, regulatory documents, and more. While some companies focus solely on providing Electronic Signature solutions, others bundle them with Document Generation or broader Document Management solutions. Evaluating solutions via free trials alongside of the other aforementioned categories is crucial, as integration quality and usability vary by vendor (i.e. each Electronic Signature solution may integrate differently with each Document Generation solution). Therefore, we recommend that you view them as separate software categories, but evaluate them at the same time. Note that some of the vendors may provide both categories as two complimentary products. The best platforms in adjacent categories leverage AI for their automated template creation, field mapping, and intelligent document routing, reducing manual effort and errors of what is loaded into your Electronic Signature solution.
Key capabilities include:
CRM (Salesforce), Document Generation and Document Management Integration with platforms like SharePoint, Google Drive, or Dropbox for easy document management and storage
Document Signing which enables users to “sign” documents digitally with a secure, legally binding signature
Authentication and Identity Verification via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to verify the identity of signers using methods like SMS codes, email, or biometric recognition to ensure secure signings
Collaboration and Notifications with automatic alerts to notify stakeholders about form submissions, approvals, or updates via email, along with multi-party signing
AI Automation for Scalable Workflow for the document preparation and signature routing, automating sending to the right recipients in a specified order for signing approval
Robust Compliance & Security and Audit Trails and Compliance to create legally binding signatures and keep a detailed record of every step in the signing process, ensuring full traceability and compliance with regulations such as eIDAS, ESIGN, and UETA.
Mobile Accessibility and a User-Friendly Experience which allows signers to complete documents on-the-go using smartphones or tablets, ensuring flexibility and convenience for remote signings.
Choosing the right Electronic Signature solution requires testing real-world workflows, ensuring mobile accessibility, and verifying seamless CRM integration before committing. We’ve broken down each vendor in this space in our Vendor Comparison to help you make the right decision.
1II) Forms and Workflow Automation
SOLUTION AT A GLANCE
☁️ Salesforce Integration Method:
Let's break down how Forms and Workflow Automation solutions integrate with Salesforce. These tools focus on form building and workflow automation, and each vendor offers distinct ways to connect with Salesforce. At a high-level, these types of integrations can be categorized into two main methods, and some vendors offer a blended solution which uses a combination of the two methods:
1. Native Salesforce App Integration
Relies on native Salesforce components, Flows, and APIs for seamless document and form automation and offers a native, embedded architecture with real-time sync, bi-directional data flow, and advanced workflow automation tightly coupled to Salesforce Enterprise/Compliance Cloud plans.
2. Integration via OAuth and Rest APIs
Connects via OAuth and REST APIs, supporting prefill, real-time and bi-directional sync, and integration rules.
3. Combination of Native Salesforce Integration + OAuth APIs
Combines a managed Salesforce package with Apex, Flows, and secure OAuth-driven Salesforce APIs for dynamic form workflows.
📄 Smart Forms for Workflows:
When it comes to Forms and Workflow Automation, product-specific capabilities can vary widely depending on the platform. The most important capability of the Forms and Workflow Automation category is the ability to seamlessly create, manage, and automate dynamic, secure workflows that integrate with core business systems. This includes form creation with smart templates for consistency and reusability, automated document routing and approvals, real-time data synchronization for accuracy, and adherence to strict security and compliance standards, all delivered through user-friendly, mobile-accessible platforms. Let's explore this space in depth:
1. Form Creation & Management (with Smart Templates)
Focuses on creating dynamic, reusable, and customizable forms that serve as the backbone for workflow automation. Key features include drag-and-drop builders, diverse field types, conditional logic, and smart templates with pre-configured layouts, fields, and actions for streamlined document and form generation.
2. Workflow Automation & Routing
Focuses on streamlining approvals, document flow, and conditional routing to minimize manual effort and improve task efficiency. Core capabilities include routing rules, role-based assignments, triggered actions, and automated notifications to ensure timely and consistent workflow execution.
3. Data Integration & Pre-Fill
Ensures smooth data flow between platforms by enabling pre-filled forms with real-time data synchronization for greater efficiency and accuracy. It supports integration with external systems (like Salesforce, ERP, HR), bi-directional updates, and easy data export to CRM records, databases, or cloud storage.
4. Compliance, Security & Advanced Features
Ensures forms and workflows meet regulatory requirements while safeguarding data integrity and enhancing user experience. It covers compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2, secure field-level encryption and audit trails, advanced AI-driven automation, and mobile-friendly, user-friendly access for signers and admins.
⚙️ Out-of-the-Box Features:
Forms and Workflow Automation solutions offer a range of potentially business-critical features, each with varying levels of effectiveness and pricing. These platforms enable the design and deployment of fillable forms used for data intake, which can then be structured and integrated into your systems. This is important if your organization needs to capture structured data via intake forms such as applications, customer satisfaction surveys, or project kickoff questionnaires, and push the results into Salesforce. Many solutions offer a mix of capabilities, balancing out-of-the-box features with configurable options with varied pricing structures. Below, we’ll define these the primary features to help you build out your use case as you explore the individual solution overviews that follow.
1. Drag-and-Drop Functionality and Automation
Form Creation and Management with a Drag-and-Drop Interface with a user-friendly way to customize forms without the need for coding. This feature allows users to visually build workflows by dragging and dropping pre-built components, making it easy for non-technical users to create and modify automation processes. Also, workflow automation automates business processes like approvals, task assignments, and notifications based on form inputs.
2. Pre-Built Integrations
CRM (Salesforce) and ERP Integrations allow for a real-time sync for data management within workflows. This feature allows users to visually build workflows by dragging and dropping pre-built components, making it easy for non-technical users to create and modify automation processes. As a component of this, security and compliance with data encryption and access control is important because it ensures secure handling of sensitive data through encryption and role-based access control, maintaining compliance with industry regulations.
3. Real-time Monitoring
Reporting and Analytics provide insights into form submissions, workflow performance, and any bottlenecks in the process. This feature provides visibility into workflow performance, allowing users to identify bottlenecks, track progress, and make adjustments as needed. As a component of this, security and compliance with data encryption and access control is important because it ensures secure handling of sensitive data through encryption and role-based access control, maintaining compliance with industry regulations.
💡 Selling Point:
This section highlights key features, benefits, or the advantages of a solution which makes it especially appealing to specific types of customers for the various use cases. It's the reason someone would choose it over competitors.
🌟 Reviews:
This section reflects the author’s perspective and overall evaluation, based on research and informed by user feedback which has been gathered from the major online review platforms.
OVERVIEW
Category Summary:
The apps in this category empower Marketing, Operations and Support teams by streamlining data collection and optimizing workflows. These solutions enable dynamic, customizable Form creation, multi-step process automation, and seamless third-party integrations. We have included Forms within this category because Forms are frequently a key component of Workflows - used as a data collection point within the larger process of automated workflows. Native CRM (Salesforce) integration, as well as other enterprise systems, ensure real-time data syncing, reducing manual effort and improving operational efficiency.
Teams across industries such as Legal & Compliance, Healthcare, Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Human Resources, and Government use these tools for lead capture, contract approvals, employee onboarding, compliance tracking, and more. Acting as a starting point or a step within a workflow to gather necessary information from users to move the process forward, Forms are often the user interface for interacting with Automated Workflows. While some platforms focus specifically on Forms and Workflow Automation, others integrate with the broader Document Generation, Document Management or e-Signature solutions that we’ve categorized separately.
Given the variation in optimization, pricing, and customization, testing different solutions within your forms is crucial for the most efficient workflows. Some integrations work better than others, particularly with CRM systems (like Salesforce), so running a trial helps ensure compatibility with your team's specific workflows. Consider mobile accessibility, as many field-based roles require on-the-go form submissions and approvals.
Leading platforms can leverage AI to enhance workflow automation, intelligently routing approvals, validating data, and reducing manual input. These capabilities enable efficient, streamlined processes while ensuring security and integration with existing business systems.
Core capabilities include:
CRM (Salesforce) and ERP Integration with a real-time sync for data management within workflows
Form Creation and Management with a Drag-and-Drop Interface with a user-friendly way to customize forms without the need for coding.
Workflow Automation that automates business processes like approvals, task assignments, and notifications based on form inputs.
Reporting and Analytics to provide insights into form submissions, workflow performance, and any bottlenecks in the process.
Security and Compliance with Data Encryption & Access Control that ensures secure handling of sensitive data through encryption and role-based access control, maintaining compliance with industry regulations.
Choosing the right Forms and Workflow Automation software requires evaluating your real-world use cases, ensuring customization flexibility, and verifying CRM (Salesforce) integration before committing. We’ve broken down each vendor in this space in our Vendor Comparison to help you make the right decision.
1V) Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
SOLUTION AT A GLANCE
☁️ Salesforce Integration Method:
Let’s look at how Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions integrate with Salesforce. This architecture is complex, and each platform integrates through a combination of APIs, connectors, authentication protocols, embedded UI components, and workflow engines. While the general architecture involves real-time document sync, secure access control, and workflow automation, there are platforms (like SharePoint for example) that offer tighter, more scalable integrations with advanced features - like content-driven automation, granular permission mapping, and dynamic document previews embedded directly in Salesforce. Each platform takes a slightly different approach, so I’ll break it down for you. At a high level, ECM solutions integrate with Salesforce through a combination of APIs, connectors, and native AppExchange apps that enable bi-directional data and content exchange. These integrations typically involve the following architectural elements:
1. Secure Access & Permission Management
This relates to the methods used to establish secure and controlled connections between Salesforce and ECM platforms. Authentication protocols such as OAuth 2.0 and SSO ensure trusted, seamless access, while permission mapping aligns ECM document access controls with Salesforce user profiles. Compliance measures, including encryption (AES-256), audit logging, and adherence to standards like HIPAA or GDPR, provide a secure and compliant integration framework.
2. Data Synchronization & Workflow Automation
This encompasses the mechanisms for synchronizing document and metadata updates between Salesforce and ECM platforms, either in real-time or through scheduled processes. Native connectors, custom APIs, and tools (like Microsoft Power Automate for example) manage the transfer of records (e.g., Opportunities, Accounts) and trigger workflow actions such as approvals, version control, or notifications. This ensures consistent, up-to-date data across platforms and enables advanced workflow orchestration.
3. User Interface & Document Linking
This focuses on the user experience and the ways documents are linked and accessed within Salesforce. Documents stored in the ECM system are connected to Salesforce records through metadata tagging or reference IDs, with search, retrieval, and content previews embedded directly into the Salesforce interface (via Lightning Components, Visualforce pages, or custom LWCs). This integration allows users to upload, tag, or manage documents seamlessly within their familiar Salesforce environment.
📄 Structured Document and File Management:
When we talk about product-specific capabilities for this category, we are referring to the most important functionalities that are tailored to the platforms that provide Enterprise Content Management (ECM) services. These solutions are rich and complex, with product-specific capabilities tailored for large organizations managing vast volumes of content, documents, and records. Let’s break down the key ECM capabilities, which are directly related to the essential architectural elements, and then we’ll highlight what’s unique across the leading solutions when we explore each vendor.
1. Metadata and Template Management
Structured documents and templates are linked to Salesforce records using metadata tags or reference IDs, enabling precise indexing and retrieval. ECM platforms support customizable document templates embedded with metadata and complex business logic, streamlining document generation and lifecycle management. Pre-populated templates and dynamic content creation allow seamless capture, indexing, storage, and retrieval of documents within Salesforce.
2. Workflow Automation, Approvals, and Data Synchronization
Document actions such as uploads, reviews, and approvals can trigger automated workflows in Salesforce (via Flows or Process Builder) or external engines (e.g., Microsoft Power Automate for SharePoint). These orchestrations manage document lifecycles, enforce approval routing, and maintain version consistency across systems. Native and custom integrations also enable real-time or scheduled data synchronization between Salesforce and ECM platforms, ensuring records and documents remain aligned.
3. User Experience and Integration
Embedded document viewers, custom Lightning Web Components (LWCs), and seamless UI components allow users to interact with ECM-stored content directly within Salesforce, maintaining productivity without context switching. Metadata-driven search and indexing streamline document access and management. While SharePoint’s integration with Salesforce (via Files Connect) offers basic document linking, 3rd-party solutions are often recommended to unlock full document generation and template management capabilities within Salesforce.
4. Authentication and Compliance
This covers the security and governance foundations ensuring safe and compliant access to documents and templates. OAuth 2.0, SSO, and permission mapping integrate ECM platforms with Salesforce’s user management, while document-level permissions and encryption (e.g., AES-256) ensure secure content handling. Audit logs, version control, and compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and FedRAMP further protect document integrity and ensure legal adherence.
⚙️ Out-of-the-Box Features:
ECM systems provide robust feature sets for organizing, storing, and distributing digital documents and assets within a secure and accessible framework. These features are used to maintain centralized, searchable repositories of signed agreements, customer assets, and onboarding documents, with tools for access control and sharing. If these are necessary for your organization’s ECM solution, then clarifying how each of these works and what additional complexities are involved is an essential part of the product buying process. We will define each of the primary features below for reference as you peruse each of the solution overviews that follow. Here’s a summary of ECM software features grouped into four key areas,
1. Document Management & Organization
ECM solutions offer centralized cloud-based or on-premises repositories that support various file formats for structured document storage and organization. Features include metadata-driven classification, AI-powered content capture and automated tagging, and seamless document libraries. Some tools provide hybrid deployment flexibility, and some support complex records management. Content is organized not just by location, but also by metadata and context.
2. Security, Compliance & Access Control
Robust security measures ensure sensitive data is protected through role-based access, encryption protocols (e.g., AES-256), and authentication methods (Active Directory, OAuth, SSO). Compliance features align with regulatory standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and industry-specific frameworks (e.g., FDA 21 CFR Part 11 for OpenText). Document-level permissions, audit trails, and version control safeguard document integrity.
3. Workflow Automation & Collaboration
Customizable approval workflows, document routing, and business process management (BPM) increase operational efficiency. Automation tools like Microsoft Power Automate (for SharePoint) for example, reduce manual processes. Collaboration is enhanced through real-time co-authoring, version tracking, comments, and sharing (as in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint). Case management can be integrated for complex workflows, and some ECM solutions enable advanced document viewing and publishing.
4. Integration & Search Capabilities
ECM solutions integrate deeply with productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft 365) and CRM/business platforms like Salesforce. This ensures seamless linking of documents to records, eliminating manual transfers and ensuring contextually relevant access. AI-powered search, metadata tagging, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) enhance document retrieval speed and accuracy. Solutions like Microsoft Syntex offer automated tagging, while other solutions leverage intelligent capture and classification for rapid discovery.
💡 Selling Point:
This section highlights key features, benefits, or the advantages of a solution which makes it especially appealing to specific types of customers for the various use cases. It's the reason someone would choose it over competitors.
🌟 Reviews:
This section reflects the author’s perspective and overall evaluation, based on research and informed by user feedback which has been gathered from the major online review platforms.
OVERVIEW
Category Summary:
These solutions are designed for diverse roles across organizations, IT & Compliance, Finance & Accounting, Human Resources (HR), Legal & Contract Management, Sales & Marketing, Operations & Supply Chain, Customer Support & Service, Research & Development (R&D), Administration & Facilities. They improve efficiency by integrating CRM (Salesforce) with ECM (SharePoint for example) and Document Management Systems (DMS), eliminating system switching and ensuring documents are always accessible in the right place. Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is a system designed to capture, store, organize, manage, and secure business content throughout its lifecycle. It helps organizations streamline document-related workflows, ensure compliance, and improve collaboration by providing a structured approach to handling digital information. This integration also streamlines document storage, organization, and retrieval while maintaining version control, security, and compliance. By enhancing collaboration, ECM solutions enable seamless document sharing and workflow management, allowing teams to work productively while maintaining strict access controls. Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is widely adopted across various industries to organize, store, secure, and manage business documents and digital content. Industries that commonly use ECM include: Financial Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Government & Public Sector, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Legal Services, Retail & E-commerce, Energy & Utilities, Nonprofit Organizations, Real Estate & Construction and Technology & Telecommunications.
Vendors in this space offer similar solutions, optimized for different use cases, price points, security levels, and integration capabilities. When evaluating ECM solutions, organizations should consider both functionality and security. Since ECM solutions vary in their capabilities, a trial is recommended to test file management, workflow automation, and CRM integration. This ensures seamless deployment, optimal security, and cost-effective implementation.
Core capabilities include:
Document Storage & Organization for centralized cloud-based or on-premises repositories for structured document management, supporting various file formats.
Version Control & Audit Trails with automatic tracking of document changes, ensuring regulatory compliance and data integrity.
Security & Access Controls with role-based permissions, encryption, and authentication methods (e.g., Active Directory, OAuth) to safeguard sensitive data.
Workflow Automation & Business Process Management (BPM) with customizable approval workflows, document routing, and automation for increased efficiency.
Collaboration & Content Sharing including Multi-user document editing, real-time co-authoring, comments, and sharing capabilities for seamless teamwork.
Search & Retrieval via AI-powered search, metadata tagging, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to quickly locate documents.
Compliance & Governance with built-in regulatory compliance for industries such as healthcare, finance, and government, ensuring adherence to data policies.
Integration with Productivity Tools for compatibility with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and third-party applications for enhanced usability.
CRM & Business Application Integration for direct linking of content to Salesforce records, eliminating the need for manual file transfers and ensuring relevant documents are always accessible in the right context.
Choosing the right ECM solution requires testing the strengths and limitations of each solution, as it relates to organization, storage, security, and management of business documents and digital content, as well as Salesforce compatibility. Our Vendor Comparison provides a breakdown of the top providers to help organizations make informed decisions.
Document Management
Document Generation and Document Management are two distinct types of software, but they are closely related.
Keep in mind that Document Management works hand-in-hand with Document Generation, particularly when it comes to efficiently routing files after they are created.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many Document Generation Apps that could help your team today. Your company may benefit from more than one type.
For example, at the same company, you may want: A Document Generation App to automatically create documents within Salesforce integration where you want your users to be “living-in” every day, and an E-Signature App (like DocuSign) for your agreements.
We hope that this analysis has been helpful and that you can better evaluate and solve your Document Generation needs. There are huge benefits for sales organizations to use the Applications discussed and analyzed here…
And at MatrixPlace, we’re here to help with your market research needs!
Published by:
Preston Hurd has spent his career enabling sales teams to generate leads with technology. He is an expert in the MarTech field and his area of focus has been helping sales teams fill their pipelines with New Leads, in order to generate revenue.
MatrixPlace provides this guide as an informational resource for buyers evaluating technology vendors. This guide constitutes an independent assessment based on MatrixPlace’s research, analysis, and professional opinion at the time of publication. The evaluation incorporates publicly available information, including vendor websites, third-party analyst reviews, and other market research sources. The industry analysis presented herein reflects MatrixPlace’s market perspective and is supplemented by third-party user reviews to offer insights into the perspective on vendor's offerings. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, warranty, or guarantee of any vendor’s products or services. All logos and trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.