7 Best eDiscovery Software of 2023 (Ultimate Guide)

eDiscovery is a process whereby electronic data is searched for and collected using cloud storage services in the context of legal discovery.

This can include emails, social media posts, website content, financial records, and more.

With many online legal services now offering eDiscovery as a service, it’s beneficial to know what specific software and features to look out for – even if you’re not doing the work yourself.

In addition, with legal discovery becoming increasingly complex and data-heavy, eDiscovery software has become essential for law firms and organizations.

Sifting through hundreds (if not thousands) of documents manually is not feasible.

The best eDiscovery software platforms make it easy to search for specific content, identify key documents, and collaborate with others on the team.

In this article, I will explore the best eDiscovery software platforms on the market today, so if you’re looking to make legal discovery easier, this is the guide for you.

Let’s get right into it.

What Are The Best eDiscovery Software?

The following are the best eDiscovery software platforms to consider.

1. Exterro.

Best Overall eDiscovery Software.

Exterro is a legal Legal GRC platform that offers eDiscovery software tools.

Ensure that your litigation risks are minimized and your investigations are thorough with Exterro.

The software’s advanced analytics and culling capabilities will save you time and money in the long run.

With various compliance checks also available, you can ensure that your data is defensible and admissible in court.

Key Features:

• Automate your legal hold process by automatically issuing and tracking legal holds.
• Fully automated ESI preservation so you can be confident your data is collected and preserved correctly.
• Comprehensive e-discovery, collection, and analysis capabilities in a single platform.
• Combine processing and collection into a single workflow to save time and money.

User Experience:

With an interface that easily lets you have a 360-degree view of your data, you can quickly understand and take action without much risk.

You can also check details, milestones, tasks, and other related items in one central location for a complete picture of the eDiscovery process.

Pricing:

Get an Exterro software demo to learn more about their pricing options.

What I Like/Dislike About Exterro:

Like:

• The search capabilities are very detailed.
• You can get clear evidence with specific results.

Dislike:

• Sometimes, there are some issues with data collection connectors.

Product Updates:

• The Exterro Connector Framework integrates with data connectors that can now help forensic workflows.
• Background color indicator changes now allow you to see the status of your matters more accurately.

2. Relativity.

Best For Legal Compliance.

Relativity combines a robust set of discovery technology with an intuitive user interface.

As such, it’s used by some of the world’s largest law firms and corporations to manage massive volumes of data.

With proactive security inbuilt into the software, you can ensure that your data is protected and compliant with regulations.

The team at Relativity also offers excellent support, promising 24/7/365 tech help.

This ensures that someone will be there to help whenever you have an issue.

They also offer a webinar library that’s an excellent resource for learning more about how to best use the software and its features.

Key Features:

• Maximize productivity with integrated capabilities that allow you to work on all aspects of your case from a single platform.
• Keep your most sensitive data safe with proactive security that meets or exceeds industry standards.
• Amplify your efforts with AI-powered capabilities that help you find the proper evidence faster and make better decisions.
• Work faster and more intelligently, every step of the way, with a platform designed to save you time and money.
• Expand your business and collaborate on cases with others in the Relativity community.

User Experience:

Quickly gather data into separate folders to keep your projects organized and find what you need, when you need it.

The software is also user-friendly so that you can get up and running quickly with little to no training.

Pricing:

You’ll only have to pay for the features you use, which is excellent for those that won’t use the whole spectrum of features.

However, to get such pricing, you must talk to sales to get a quote for your specific needs.

What I Like/Dislike About Relativity:

Like:

• The team constantly builds market-leading tools to fix real issues for their clients.
• The feature list is excellent considering the software use.

Dislike:

• The user experience can be made more accessible when compared to similar software.

Product Updates:

• Relativity patents allow the user to get better search results quickly.
• You can now collect data from various sources, including Google Chat, Slack, Teams, and more, to have all your information in one place.

3. Logikcull.

Best For Culling Documents Easily.

As the name suggests, Logikcull is designed to make it easy for you to cull documents quickly and efficiently.

It’s a great choice if you have lots of data to sift through and need to find the needles in a haystack.

With an easy drag & drop interface that anyone can use, even those with no technical expertise, Logikcull is an excellent choice for those who need to get up and running quickly.

You can also integrate directly to the sources of information that you’ll be using most often, so you can save time by not having to export and import data each time.

Key Features:

• Index text and metadata to make all files searchable, allowing you to find what you’re looking for quickly and easily.
• Dedupe, OCR, thread emails, and tag for quality control ensure you only deal with the most relevant information.
• Flag important and potentially privileged documents so you can quickly track them.
• Share docs in any format and with the correct metadata so you can collaborate with others.
• Apply for Bates numbers automatically, allowing you to save time when responding to requests.

User Experience:

With a mobile and desktop app, Logikcull is designed for busy users who need to be able to access their data from anywhere, at any time.

The software is also easy to use, with a drag-and-drop interface that makes it simple to get started on a project quickly.

Pricing:

A free trial helps you decide if Logikcull is the right software for your needs.

If you decide to subscribe, the plans are as follows:

• Pay as you go: $395 month to month
• Subscription: contact their sales team for more information.

What I Like/Dislike About Logikcull:

Like:

• Easy to cull documents and find what you need.
• The user interface is easy to learn and requires little to no training.

Dislike:

• When performing extensive searches, the program takes quite some time to load.

Product Updates:

• The quick PDF download feature allows you to download multiple PDFs simultaneously.
• Split anything with ease so you can work on big projects more efficiently.

4. Nextpoint.

Best For Cloud eDiscovery Software.

Nextpoint is a cloud-based eDiscovery software that offers a variety of features to meet the needs of any size law firm.

With a focus on making the discovery process more accessible, Nextpoint offers features that make it simple to get started and keep your projects organized.

With no processing or hosting fees, Nextpoint is an excellent choice for those who want to save money on their discovery projects.

You can get dynamic 360º views of your data to see all the connections and make better decisions.

Customizing how you visualize your data can also help you get insights you may have otherwise missed.

Key Features:

• Drag-&-drop all files for quick and easy uploads
• Quickly filter and cull documents to find what you need
• Accelerate doc review with technology-assisted processes
• Instant productions with a one-click feature
• Efficiently manage depositions and transcripts so you can keep track of them all in one place
• Create custom doc treatments and call-outs, allowing you to make your data work for you

User Experience:

Advanced filters make sorting and culling data easy, so you can quickly find what you need.

There are also progress bars that indicate how close you are to being done with a project, which helps keep track of your progress.

Pricing:

These are the pricing plans on offer:

• Single Project: Offering unlimited data hosting & productions
• All-access: Offering unlimited data import, processing, hosting & productions

You can get a demo/quote for both of these plans.

What I Like/Dislike About Nextpoint:

Like:

• The support team is great at getting back to you quickly and is very helpful
• A clean and straightforward appearance to the user experience helps with efficiency

Dislike:

• Importing items for ranged productions can be a tricky process

Product Updates:

• More metadata control allows you to lock specific metadata fields from being overwritten by users. This ensures you maintain control over your data.
• Expanded data hosting means more servers are handling more data, so you can keep your projects moving forward without worry.

5. ZyLAB ONE.

Best For Smart eDiscovery.

ZyLAB ONE makes collecting data and reviewing documents easier using their intelligent eDiscovery software.

This program offers several features that make it simple to get started on your projects and keep them organized.

This software uses PRR processes based on AI to help you get your projects off the ground quickly and efficiently.

Sampling for legal defensibility also allows you to take a small sample of your data and get an idea of what the rest looks like.

Furthermore, you can use this software to upload files from various sources, making it simple to get started on your projects.

Key Features:

• De-duplicate & organize data to ensure you’re only looking at the most relevant information.
• Visual browsing allows you to see all of your data in one place to better understand what’s going on.
• The tag ‘for further review’ lets you mark certain documents so you can come back to them later.
• Automate legal hold communication to make sure that your data is preserved correctly.
• Preserve data in place to keep it from being lost or corrupted.
• Fast, direct cloud collections make it simple to get started on your projects.

User Experience:

The ability to tag documents while adding redactions and annotations (to ensure accuracy) is one of the best features of this software.

You can also see all the relevant documents in a central location, making it easy to track what needs to be done.

In addition, various insights, actions, and audit features help you avoid any mistakes that could be costly.

Pricing:

You’ll have to get a quote to learn more about pricing.

What I Like/Dislike About ZyLAB ONE:

Like:

• Easy to use for non-technical people that just need to get the job done
• Easy-to-follow training is also available to make sure you are using the software correctly

Dislike:

• With many features on offer, it can be overwhelming until you get used to the interface.

Product Updates:

• The ability to bulk tag documents is a great new feature that saves time.

6. CasePoint.

Best For Government Approved Software.

CasePoint is a powerful platform many agencies, corporations, and law firms use for their eDiscovery needs.

Being a FedRAMP Authorized platform, CasePoint is an excellent option for those looking for government-approved software.

If you want a competitive advantage, this software can give you the tools you need to get ahead.

With predictable and transparent pricing based on your specific needs and features that serve every stage of eDiscovery, this software is an excellent option for anyone who wants a complete solution that is also proven over time.

Key Features:

• This software can quickly process large quantities of data so you can get through tons of documents in a fraction of the time it would typically take.
• You can also quickly generate reports to share with your team or clients.
• A robust Data Processing Engine helps keep your data accurate, while Custodian Assignment ensures you know who is responsible for what data.
• Deduplication eliminates duplicate files so you can ensure that you’re only working with the most relevant information.
• OCR & Text Extraction ensure that you accurately extract text from images and PDFs to index them and make them searchable.
• Exception Handling allows you to identify and manage any exceptions quickly and easily.

Pricing:

Request a demo to see pricing information.

7. Lexbe eDiscovery Platform.

Best For eDiscovery Consultation.

Lexbe eDiscovery Platform is a platform that not only provides you with the features and tools you need to get the eDiscovery job done but also offers a wide variety of services to make sure that your projects are successful.

With expert eDiscovery consultation, you can be sure you’re using the right tools for your specific needs.

The team also offers project management and technical litigation support to ensure that your projects stay on track.

Whatever help you need, you can be sure that the team at Lexbe eDiscovery Platform will be there to assist you.

In addition, cross-platform support for various devices makes it easy to use this software no matter your device.

Key Features:

• Full-featured, fast, & sophisticated litigation document management ensures you have all the features and tools you could ever need.
• Simple sharing and collaboration make it easy to share files and work on projects with your team, no matter where they are located.
• Technical support and training ensure access to the resources you need to use the software correctly.
• Industry-leading data security means you can ensure that your data is protected and will only be accessible to the right people.

Pricing:

While plans start at just $5 per GB, you’ll have to request a quote to get specific pricing information for your project.

Other eDiscovery software not mentioned in this review include Digital Warroom, Everlaw, and Onna.

What Is eDiscovery Software?

The eDiscovery process involves identifying, collecting, and analyzing electronically stored data in response to a legal request.

Electronically stored information (ESI) is inevitable in today’s business world.

As such, the eDiscovery process has become an essential part of litigation.

Ediscovery solutions ensure that all data is collected defensibly while providing the necessary tools to streamline the review process.

Who Uses eDiscovery Software?

Legal professionals in all areas of practice can benefit from using eDiscovery software.

Some common examples include:

• Law Firms
• Corporations
• Government Agencies
• Legal Departments
• Small Businesses

All the groups mentioned above can use eDiscovery software to help identify, preserve, and produce ESI.

While their needs may differ, all these groups can benefit from using this software to streamline their workflows.

Top Features of eDiscovery software

While eDiscovery data can be collected manually, doing so is time-consuming and error-prone.

The right eDiscovery solution will offer a wide variety of features to meet the needs of all users.

Here are some of the top features you can expect.

Powerful Data Processing Capabilities.

Electronic documents are the lifeblood of the modern business world.

They are used to communicate, collaborate and store information.

Providers that offer document review facilities understand these documents’ importance in litigation.

The right eDiscovery tool will offer powerful data processing capabilities to help you process your documents, saving you time and money.

Efficient Collaboration And Sharing Tools.

Having only one person who can use electronic discovery software is not very helpful.

The best software solutions offer collaboration and sharing features to make it easy for team members to work together on projects.

Robust Data Security Features.

Legal teams need to trust that their data is safe and secure.

When dealing with sensitive information, you must know it is protected.

Data encryption ensures that only authorized users can access files.

Comprehensive Reporting Capabilities.

eDiscovery solutions should offer extensive reporting capabilities.

This way, you can track the progress of your projects and see how they are progressing.

This is especially important for large projects that involve multiple team members.

Easy to Use Interface.

While having eDiscovery data is essential, it is also important to be able to access it easily.

The best software solutions offer an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, as having real-time data that’s easy to access is critical to success in case management.

Affordable Pricing.

The cost of eDiscovery software can vary depending on the provider.

Some providers offer subscription-based pricing, while others charge by the gigabyte (GB).

It’s a good idea to compare various eDiscovery software pricing plans to find the most affordable option for you.

Cloud-Based Discovery Software

Being web-based, cloud-based solutions are hosted by the vendor.

One can access them from any location with an internet connection.

While having on-premise software can be beneficial in some situations (such as when working on top-secret information), it’s essential to consider the advantage cloud-based solutions offer.

Automation

One of the most significant benefits of having cloud-based software is that it can automate many tasks.

This includes tasks such as data collection, processing, and review.

Automation can be a lifesaver when you collect and process large amounts of data.

It can also help you quickly speed up the review process by identifying relevant documents.

It’s also essential to have an audit trail of all the actions that have been taken on a document, especially when automation is involved.

A legal document is not just a piece of paper; it’s a record of an event.

This means that tracking who worked on a document, when they did it and what they changed is critical.

Artificial Intelligence

Features related to machine learning will always set some software apart from the rest.

When you have a lot of data to process, it can be helpful to have software that can help you identify relevant documents quickly.

This is where having predictive coding capabilities can be beneficial.

Predictive coding is a type of artificial intelligence that looks at a document (or batches of records) and tries to predict what’s in it.

This can help identify documents that are relevant to your case.

Role-Based

Setting the correct permissions to various software solutions will streamline the process and make it more efficient.

When you have different roles within your organization, you must give each person the access they need (and only that).

This way, you can avoid giving people access to information they don’t need to be aware of.

The functionality related to role-based access can be beneficial in keeping your data safe and secure.

Archiving Options

An archiving solution can be beneficial when you need to keep documents for an extended period.

This is especially true if you are working on a case that might take months to years to resolve.

Since case management is not always predictable, it’s essential to have an archiving solution that can adapt to your needs.

Professional services that might include email archiving and data migration can help.

Compliance Focused

Laws such as GDPR need to be taken into account when it comes to storing data.

This is why compliance should be one of the main factors when choosing software.

Having internal investigations happening is the last thing you want.

As such, a legal service must optimize its processes to minimize the risk of non-compliance.

This includes understanding what data needs to be collected and how it should be stored.

Regulatory compliance in data protection is a must.

Cross-Platform

Whether you’re working on an iOS, Android, or Windows device, you should be able to access your data from any device.

This is why it’s essential to choose cross-platform software.

From early case assessment to end discovery, you can work on your case from anywhere.

Wrap Up.

While many service providers will offer you extra features that might not be relevant at all points in your eDiscovery journey, the ones listed above are the ones you should keep an eye out for.

Since the software you choose will significantly impact your case’s success, using a discovery platform specific to your needs will up your odds of success while saving you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Have you ever used any of the software solutions mentioned above?

If so, what was your experience like?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Many eDiscovery platforms use OCR software to extract data from images or paper documents.

Understanding this technology’s capabilities can help you get the job done in a better fashion.

Also, signing documents electronically is becoming increasingly common.

If you need to sign documents electronically, consider using a digital signature software solution to ensure the documents are valid.

This list of the best Docusign alternatives can help you find the right signing software for your needs.