The 10 Best Secure File-Sharing Tools for Accountants

In 2023, the United States reported 3,205 data breaches, compromising the financial information of 353 million Americans. The prevalence of data breaches can be attributed to several factors, including:

• Insecure email sharing: Accountants often find it easier to share sensitive files by email, unintentionally exposing sensitive financial data.
• Email-based collaboration: The use of email for team collaboration increases the risks of phishing attacks.

Secure file-sharing solutions can mitigate these risks by storing and processing your data in accordance with data privacy regulations like GDPR, FTC, and the IRS Safeguard Rules. These tools help to close the loopholes exploited by  cybercriminals, safeguarding your client’ financial data.

The following file-sharing software solutions can protect data exchange, enhance file organization, and streamline document workflows.

Key Features Accountants Should Look for in Secure File-Sharing Tool

• Data Encryption

Data encryption converts plain text into a cryptic code requiring passwords to access, edit, or share. This prevents unauthorized persons from using your firm’s information if it gets compromised.

• Access Controls and Permissions

Access control regulates which client data your staff can see or use by verifying that users are who they claim to be.

User permission defines the action your staff can take on client information based on their roles.

• Compliance with Regulations

Every country has rules that govern how accounting client data is stored and processed. Keeping track of these rules requires more time, energy, and technical knowledge than the average accountant can afford.

Your file-sharing software should outline its measures for ensuring your compliance with relevant regulations while you focus on satisfying your customers.

• Storage

The volume of data you store and process will increase as your firm grows and adds new clients.

The right file-sharing software should provide unlimited storage capacity, allowing you to store as much data as you need to run your firm.

• Collaboration

The collaboration feature in your file-sharing software centralizes client documents, enabling:

• Relevant team members to access up-to-date documents.
• Teamwork by sharing thoughts and feedback on these documents (using features like comments, annotation, etc.)
• Notifications about changes made to documents.
• Discuss document needs with clients.

• Ease of Use

Clients will resort to sending sensitive financial information by email if your file-sharing system is not simple to navigate.

Ease of use means:

• Easy access (preferably without needing clients to create login information).
• Little to no training required.
• Ease of sending and reviewing documents.

• Integration Capabilities

Software integration enables your file-sharing software to interact and share data with other project-critical tools in your tech stack.

This eliminates manual data entry, which can waste time and lead to errors. Tools that do not integrate can cause bottlenecks in accounting project management.

The Top 10 Secure File-Sharing Software for Accountants

1. Financial Cents

Financial Cents organizes and automates the entire document process from request to storage and retrieval.

As a practice management software, Financial Cents stores project files inside the project and client profile so your staff does not have to jump between software to fetch necessary documents.

Financial Cents’ key file-sharing features include:

Document Management

Financial Cents provides a document organizer that simplifies document storage and handling by:

• Creating Folders: add related documents as categories in Financial Cents.
• Searching the DMS: saves you the stress of scrolling through documents by allowing you to search for specific documents by name.
• Renaming Documents: edit document names and increase their findability.
• Moving Documents: take documents to their rightful places (folders) for easy access.

File Sharing and Client Management

Financial Cents also helps to manage client information and relationships to  improve response time. The client management feature helps with:

• File Sharing: send proposals, tax returns, and other documents to clients for approval & signature from within the client’s profile. The client gets notified when a document or folder is shared with them.
• Client Requests: automate client data collection ahead of time and save your team the embarrassment of last-minute rush.
• Automate Client Reminders: automate client follow-up and save your team the time-consuming client chase. Financial Cents auto-reminds clients via Email and/or SMS.
• Collect E-Signatures: send documents for clients to add knowledge-based authentication signatures without needing to print and scan documents. All signed documents are arranged in one place, providing visibility into your signature workflows.

Security and Compliance

In compliance with FTC Safeguard rules, Financial Cents help  protect your information with:

• Data Encryption: protect your client’s financial information, including internal service communications.
• Cyber Security Protocols: Financial Cents’ cloud service providers (Digital Ocean and AWS) ensure your client data in Financial Cents are stored and processed to SOC II, SOC III, GDPR, and HIPAA standards.
• Transport Layer Security: access to client data in Financial Cents is only granted if a TLS secure connection is guaranteed.
• Two-Factor Authentication: Financial Cents’ SMS-based identity authentication prevents unauthorized access to your account if your login information is compromised.

• Access Control: define the client files your employees can view to protect client information.
• User Permissions: restrict what certain team members can access and do in Financial Cents based on their roles, which are Owner, Admin, Member, and Contractor.

Multinational Data Privacy and Residency

With the Financial Cents data residency feature, you never have to worry about storing clients’ financial information outside their national borders again.

The feature enables you to determine where you want to store your client’s data. Options available in Australia, Canada, UK and the US.

Data Encryption

Financial Cents uses encryption technology (AES-256 and AES-128) to convert your client’s data into a cipher code, which cannot be accessed without a passcode.

Financial Cents will send your client a code to decrypt the information and make it accessible.

A new combination of passwords is generated for your client every thirty days.

Unlimited Storage

Financial Cents offers unlimited document storage to users at any pricing plan.

Client Portal

Financial Cents facilitates client document collaboration in a simple and secure client portal.

Here, your clients can use:

• File Upload Tab: share documents with you.
• Client Chat: ask your questions where necessary.
• Document Preview: view documents they uploaded into the portal.

Accounting firm owners or managers can:

• Access documents uploaded by clients.
• Clarify your document requests using the Client Chat feature.
• Share Folders with clients.
• Ask questions about transactions to rectify uncategorized transactions using the ReCats feature.

Financial Cents Client Portal Customization allows you to use your brand assets (color, logo, and URL) to customize your portal and inspire brand recognition and client confidence.

Document-Related Integrations

Apart from integrations with QuickBooks Online, Gmail, and Adobe Sign, Financial Cents integrates with:

• SmartVault
• DropBox
• GoogleDrive
• ShareFile
• OneDrive

These integrations allow Financial Cents users to use these other file-sharing solutions as their permanent file storage system using the Customized Upload Destination feature.

Pricing

You can use Financial Cents Document Management features together with its practice management features for:

• $9/month per user (Solo Plan)
• $39/month per user (Team Plan)
• $59/month per user (Scale Plan)

Beyond file-sharing, Financial Cents helps you build client relationships and deliver client work you’ll be proud of.

Book a Demo or Start a Free Trial to see how Financial Cents CRM and workflow features fit your day-to-day accounting processes.

2. SmartVault

SmartVault combines document management and client portal solutions to help you store and exchange documents and signatures with your clients.

Its key features include:

Branded Client Portal

• Secure File-Sharing: a convenient way to exchange files with clients online.
• E-Signature: upload documents for clients to approve with their signatures online.
• Unlimited Online Document Storage: online storage for all your firm’s documents.
• Connected Desktop: work with your documents in SmartVault by uploading, downloading, scanning, or sending documents to your clients.

File-sharing and Client Management

• Email Alerts: notify your team when clients upload or download documents.
• Docdown: create PDFs for your clients to fill inside SmartVault.
• Automatic File Lock: locks documents for editing so that your team members will not overwrite data without your approval.
• PDF Printer: automatically saves the documents you print from other software in SmartVault.
• Bulk Send Files: an intuitive dashboard to send multiple files and monitor the status of tax organizers.
• Activity Reports: see every action on a document.
• Linked Clients: connect related clients to visualize client relationships.

Security and Compliance

• Secure Sockets Layer: SmartVault uses SSL to protect document-related communication.
• Data Encryption: all documents in SmartVault are protected with AES-256 encryption.
• Compliance: data in SmartVault are FINRA, GLBA, HIPAA, and SEC compliant.
• User Permission: defines the actions your employees or clients can perform on a document.

Pricing

SmartVault is available at:

• $25/month per user (Standard Plan)
• $45/month per user (Accounting Pro Plan)
• $65/month per user (Accounting Unlimited Plan)
• $50/month per user (Business Pro Plan)

3. Dropbox

Dropbox brings your team’s documents together so employees can find the information to complete client work on time.

Its key features include:

File-Sharing and Collaboration

• Shared Folders: invite your team members to a shared folder to exchange feedback and insights on a file.
• Time-based Comments: share comments on video files with exact timestamps.
• Download and Upload Notifications: confirm the delivery of your files in real-time.
• Dropbox Transfer: send large files (of up to 100GB) directly to anyone.

Document Management

• Free Storage: Dropbox offers up to 2GB of free storage. Additional storage needs require your subscription to a paid plan.
• Online-Only: Make files online-only to free up space in your hard drive.
• Screenshot Backups: automatic movement of screenshot images into your Dropbox account.
• Document Scanning: scan files into Dropbox using your phone’s camera.
• MacOS and Windows Sync: access and organize all your photos from your MacOS Finder and Windows File Explorer.

Security and Compliance

• Shared Links: your clients can view and download files without a Dropbox account.
• Password Protection: protect shared links by setting passwords or expiry dates.
• Data Encryption: keeps all documents in Dropbox safe with passcode protection.

Electronic Signatures

• Dropbox Sign: send proposals and other documents for client signature.
• Signature Requests: send documents to one or multiple persons for signature.
• Signed Documents Folder: automatically stores your signed files in one place.

Pricing

Dropbox is available for:

• $9.99/month (Plus Plan)
• $16.58/month (Essentials)
• $15/month (Business)
• $24/month (Business Plus)

4. Box

Box provides a secure platform that structures your documents to prevent content sprawl, which reduces productivity.

Its key features include:

File-Sharing and Collaboration

• Box Canvas: visual and interactive collaboration and whiteboard in Box’s Content Cloud.
• Box Notes: annotate documents to share ideas with your team.
• Box Hub: organizes content into secure portals, making them easier to find and use for work.
• Comments: share your thoughts on a project with your team.
• Version History: tells you what happens to a file in Box.
• Ready-sign Links: send links to clients for instant E-Signatures.

Document Management

• Box Relay: create and manage workflows across departments.
• Event-triggered Actions: use file, folder, or tasks to trigger the creation of a relay workflow in Box.

Security and Compliance

• Zero-trust Security: identity and access management of all activities in Box.
• Data Leak Prevention: uses machine learning to detect threats and prevent data leaks.
• Content Lifecycle Management: native tools to oversee the retention and disposition of your accounting data in line with relevant regulatory standards.
• Multi-Factor Authentication: requires users to provide multiple means of verification before granting access.
• Device Trust: verifies the security of devices before granting access.
• Device Pinning: associates Box accounts to mobile devices.
• AES 256-bit Encryption: makes the content in your Box account inaccessible until the passcode is provided.

Pricing

Box is available for:

• $17.30/month per user (Business)
• $28.70/month per user (Business Plus)
• $40.30/month per user (Enterprise)
• $57.50/month per user (Enterprise Plus)

5. Google Drive

Google Drive is a simple cloud storage software that enables teams to share and edit multiple file types (documents, slides, Sheets, PDFs, etc.) on desktop and mobile.

Its key features include:

File-Sharing and Collaboration

• Document Upload: add people to Google Documents view and edit.
• PDF Annotation: add comments to share feedback on PDFs.
• Search in Drive: type keywords into the search box to surface relevant files in seconds.
• Activity View: an audit trail of your files to manage your files more effectively.
• Electronic signatures: collect electronic signatures from clients without leaving Google Drive.
• Notification: alert your collaborators about activities in shared documents.

Document Management

• Cloud Storage: 15GB free storage capacity for your documents and videos.
• Shared with Me: all attachments in Gmail are saved to Google Drive automatically.
• Document Scanner: use your phone’s camera to scan images directly into Google Drive.

Security and Compliance

• Access Control: add your team members to documents to share ideas.
• User Permission: determine the actions your team members can take on a shared file based on their roles—the View, Commenter, and Editor.

Pricing

Google Drive is available for free. Paid plans are available at:

• $6/month per user (Business Starter)
• $12/month per user (Business Standard)
• $18/month per user (Business Plus)

Enterprise users can contact Google Drive for a custom price

6. ShareFile

ShareFile keeps your team focused on what matters by streamlining document and client-facing workflows.

Its key features include

File-Sharing and Collaboration

• Dedicated Collaboration Spaces: bring all project-specific files and conversations to one central place.
• Comments: use comments to guide your clients through their tasks.
• Document Request List: request files from clients across different projects.
• Task Assignment: assign document-dependent tasks to meet your client’s deliverables.
• E-Signature: integrated KBA signature that allows clients to sign documents in minutes.
• Document Packager: combine multiple documents for clients to sign at once.
• Bulk Send: send the same document for multiple signatures.

Security and Compliance

• Email and File Encryption: make your client data accessible to people with a secret key or code.
• Automated Threat Remediation: an automated system of identifying and eliminating security threats.
• Threat Detection: ShareFile notifies you when there is a perceived threat to the security of your files.
• Granular Permissions: use passwords and sharing settings to regulate actions on your files.

Document Organization

• Full visibility: see the status of document-related workflows at a glance.
• Automated Reminders: notify clients about pending requests.
• Autofill Data: use client data in Sharefile to prefill forms.
• Templates: get your time back by saving your workflows for future use.

Pricing

ShareFile is available at

• $16/month per user (Advanced)
• $25/month per user (Premium)
• $41.67/month per user (Industry Advantage)
• $67.50/month per user (Virtual Data Room)

7. OneDrive for Business

OneDrive for Business transforms business processes by turning paper documents, receipts, and ID cards into PDFs accessible from anywhere.

Its key features include

File Sharing and Collaboration

• Files: add team members to a OneDrive file to exchange ideas.
• Notes: add text to scanned documents to provide context or feedback.
• Shared Links: send links from OneDrive files to your team members.
• Edit Permissions: files shared with links automatically have edit permissions.

Document Management

• Document Storage: Free 5GB of data to store your documents.
• Hand-held Document Scanner: turn paper documents into PDFs using OneDrive’s camera.
• Photo Storage: store photos and videos in OneDrive and access them from any device.
• Automatic Backup: turn on automatic data backup to prevent loss or damage.

Security and Compliance

• Personal Vault: add a layer of security to your files by locking sensitive client documents until facial, SMS, or fingerprint identification is provided.
• Virus Scanning: search documents to eliminate malicious files from your DMS.
• File Encryption: rendering files unreadable to people without the required passkey.
• Suspicious Activity Monitoring: identifying and reporting accounts with suspected unauthorized behavior.

Pricing

OneDrive is available for free in Microsoft 365. Paid plans are available at:

• $19.99/year (Microsoft 365 Basic)
• $69.99/year (Microsoft 365 Personal)
• $99.99/year (Microsoft 365 Family)

8. FileCloud

FileCloud is a file repository for businesses, providing accounting teams the platform to create folders, sync documents, and share files with their clients.

Key features include

File-sharing and Client Management

• Client File Sharing Portal: send files to your clients on demand.
• Shared Links and QR Codes: send password-protected files to clients and team members.
• Multi-Device File Access: access files across desktop and mobile.
• Smart Notification: receive alerts when someone accesses your shared file.

Document Management

• Drag-and-Drop Workflows: No-code workflows that automate the creation and completion of your document-dependent processes.
• Real-time Reports: track all document-related workflows to help your team complete your accounting processes faster.

Security and Compliance

• Zero Trust File Sharing: access to client information requires every user to provide login information.
• FileCloud Compliance Center: an interface that connects national compliance requirements (such as GDPR, HIPAA, ITAR, NIST 800-171) to show users where to fix any compliance issues immediately.
• Digital Rights Management: protects your digital rights by allowing document preview (but not shared) and screenshot protection of sensitive files.
• Access Control: decide who can access what file in your workspace.
• Data Loss Prevention: a security measure that blocks the extraction of sensitive data and prevents data loss.

Pricing

FileCloud is available for:

• $12.50/month per user (Essentials)
• 18.75/month per user (Advanced)
• GovCloud: custom pricing

9. Revver

Revver helps accounting firms incorporate document management into their processes to complete document-dependent work and meet client deliverables.

Its key features include

File Sharing and Collaboration

• Document Sharing Portal: add documents to the portal and invite clients to view and edit with secure links.
• Comments: provide feedback on documents to keep the work moving.
• Task Reminders: Revver notifies you when you are assigned a document.
• E-Signature: help clients sign your documents from mobile devices.

Document Management

• Automate Repetitive Tasks: a no-code solution that automatically completes document-related administrative work (like routing document approval).
• Folder Templates: organize your documents into folders and sub-folders.
• Automated Data Extraction: use predefined templates to extract data from different document formats.

Security and Compliance

• Encryption: every file in Revver is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
• Access Control: the power to give access to files to others as you see fit.
• Proper Access: determine what people can do in shared files and folders.
• Multi-Factor Authentication: multiple ways to verify identity before granting access.
• Compliance: Revver can be customized to comply with GDPR, HIPAA, and WORM standards.

Pricing

Available on request but based on your firm size and the number of users.

10. IRIS Practice Engine

IRIS is a client portal and document management software that helps accounting and CPA firms scan and automate document management processes.

Key features include:

File Sharing and Client Management

• On-Demand Client Access: clients can access and edit files anytime and anywhere.
• Client Request List Templates: A standard procedure for asking clients for additional documents.
• Client Onboarding Email: automated email that welcomes your clients to their portal.
• Customization: use your firm’s name and logo in your portal to boost client confidence.

Document Organization

• Cloud Storage: Store project-related files in seconds.
• Shared Documents: exchange documents with your clients with a few clicks.
• Customizable Folder: customize Iris folders to organize your paperwork.
• Track Changes: see what other users have done to a document and stay on top of document processes.
• Document Scanning: once you scan a document, Iris can:

• • Rename the document according to your pre-programmed naming pattern.
  • Add the document to the project.
  • Publish the document into a client portal.
  • Archive the document correctly in your records.

Security and Compliance

• Multi-Factor Authentication: Iris requires additional verification to delete documents, ensuring you know what happens with your files.
• Access Control: give read-only and editorial access to different people based on roles.
• Document Versioning: track different versions of documents to prevent information from slipping through the cracks.

Pricing

• Custom pricing

How to Choose the Right File-Sharing Tool for Your Firm

• Identify Your Needs

File-sharing solutions could be generic or specialized. When just getting started, generic tools like Google Drive and Dropbox may work.

For example, Dropbox Transfer, which allows you to transfer file sizes of up to 100GB, is more suited to professionals who work with heavy files—like video editors and engineers.

But when you realize the weight of security and regulatory expectations on your firm, you’ll quickly see that specialized tools like Financial Cents are safer for the sensitivity of accounting data.

• Consider Your Firm’s Size

You may not  need robust file-sharing features when you are a team of one. You can remember where you stored a file, note critical client data, and control file versions.

As you add employees and clients, you will need a system that handles complex document needs.

• Client Experience

Getting a tool that is easy for your clients to use can make you leave the choice of a file-sharing solution to your clients.

However, clients do not understand the tool’s security and compliance needs like you do. Be sure to consider client convenience and safety when deciding, but ultimately, the decision lies with you.

Share File and Manage Your Firm Securely with Financial Cents

When choosing a file-sharing software, ease of use, sufficient data storage capacity, and the security of client information are non-negotiable.

Financial Cents is designed to ease accounting workflows, including file-sharing. Its practice management solution ensures you find everything you need to complete tasks in one software.

See why thousands of the most well-run accounting firms use Financial Cents. Click Here for a 14-day Free Trial Today.