6 Best Document Storage Tools for Solo Advisors 2027

Start with the category decision

A solo advisor should buy a business-tier file platform with administrative controls, a written retention rule, and an exit plan. A personal consumer drive is the wrong category for client files. Only after that decision does the choice between vendors matter, and the seat rules, retention features and billing terms differ more between vendors than their marketing does.

Document storage for a solo advisor is the business system that holds client files, makes them findable and recoverable, and lets the adviser apply a written retention rule to them.

TL;DR: Match the plan to your seat count, confirm retention and access features in writing, and add a separate archive only if client communications must be kept as records.

Key Takeaways

• Start with your seat count. Several plans in this comparison publish a minimum number of users, which can make them a poor fit for a one-person practice.

• Treat retention as a rule you write down, not a feature you assume. The adviser recordkeeping text sets a multi-year schedule and specific conditions for electronic storage.

• Read the billing label before comparing prices. Some vendors show per-user prices billed annually, and at least one shows two figures per plan without saying which is which.

• Some top tiers are quote-based. Microsoft 365 pricing did not load for this guide, so treat it as an open budget item until you confirm it.

• A workflow layer can route files and keep logs, but it does not replace the retention and access controls the file platform has to provide.

How we evaluated these tools

We weighted six criteria for a solo or one-principal practice. The weights are our judgment for this buyer, not a published vendor score or an industry ranking. Our sources were the vendor pricing and plan pages, the SEC adviser recordkeeping rule text, and two independent sources: a trade review from InvestmentNews and an advisor-network guide from XY Planning Network.

The weights total 100%. Retention carries the largest share because a missed retention obligation is the costliest failure in this category.

Who this is for

This guide is for a solo or one-principal advisory practice, or a small firm where the owner or operations lead is choosing where client files live. It is not written for a large firm with a dedicated records department, which needs a different class of platform.

Red flags: you need a text and email archive but are shopping only for file storage; no one will own exception reviews; or the plan is to keep client files in a personal account.

What each vendor publishes

The table below lists only what each vendor page showed in the text we retrieved. "Not listed in text read" means the page did not show that item in the text we retrieved, which is different from saying the vendor lacks it.

Our analysis is in the last column and in the profiles below. The facts in the other columns come from the vendor pages.

Pricing and seat math

Only prices read on a vendor's own pricing page are printed here. Where a page showed no dollar amount, we say so and do not estimate one. Google's page labels all of its plans as billed monthly. Starter plan on Google Workspace: $7 per user per month according to Google Workspace (2026). The same page also shows promotional rates for new customers, which this guide does not print.

Box's pricing page leads with a "From $5 per user per month" banner and lists unlimited storage on the Business plan, according to Box (2026). This guide does not print Box's per-plan dollar amounts, because the page text we retrieved did not show them.

The Business plan on Box also carries a seat floor: Minimum seats on the Business plan at Box: 3 users according to Box (2026). On that plan, a practice with one seat would pay for seats it does not use, and the plan behind the "From $5 per user per month" banner is not identified in the text we retrieved.

On ShareFile, the Advanced plan shows $16.50 and $18.15 per user per month and the Premium plan shows $26.00 and $28.59. The page does not label which figure is annual, and those tiers require a minimum of 3 users, according to ShareFile (2026).

Pricing checked October 26, 2026.

The three-seat math multiplies the published per-user figure by three. It is a list-price calculation, not a quote. Egnyte's figures are paid annually, so its monthly math is a per-month equivalent. ShareFile's two figures per plan are not labeled, so treat that range as unresolved until a quote confirms it.

Illustrative case: a solo advisor adds one assistant and one part-time reviewer, which makes 3 seats. On the Standard plan from Dropbox at $15 per user per month, that is $45 a month, or $540 a year. On the Standard plan from Google Workspace at $14, it is $42 a month, or $504 a year. On the Business plan from Egnyte at $22, it is $66 a month, or $792 a year, which is $288 more per year than the Google figure. None of these list prices includes the retention and logging work you still have to design. On the Box side, a V2 webhook can subscribe to FILE.DOWNLOADED, so a download can be logged from a real event instead of a manual export, but the webhook needs a Box app and an endpoint you host.

Retention rules that shape the shortlist

Advisers' books-and-records duties sit in the SEC adviser rule at 17 CFR 275.204-2. Most required adviser records kept at least 5 years according to Cornell LII (2026). The first two years must be kept in an appropriate adviser office, and the clock runs from the end of the fiscal year of the last entry.

The electronic-storage paragraph of the same rule sets the conditions a file tool must meet. Records must be indexed so they can be located, accessed and retrieved. Copies must be furnished to the SEC in the medium and format in which they are stored. A duplicate copy must be stored separately for the original's retention period. Records must be safeguarded from loss, alteration or destruction, and access must be limited to authorized personnel and the Commission. You can read the full text at the rule itself.

Trade and advisor-network sources say the same thing about how little prescription there is. The SEC and state regulators offer principles but limited prescriptive guidance on exactly how firms should store documents, according to XY Planning Network (2026). That article, updated July 16, 2026, names Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox Business, Egnyte and ShareFile among platforms many advisors rely on. A trade review published August 20, 2025 covered 11 filing and compliance platforms, and pricing was custom for most of them, according to InvestmentNews (2025).

Our reading: a file platform can meet these storage conditions, but it does not set the retention clock or prove that a record set is complete. This is a buyer's reading of public text, not legal advice, so confirm it with your compliance consultant or counsel.

Vendor profiles

Box

Best fit: a firm that wants API access to files and expects to build file-driven workflows. Box's Business plan carries the 3-user minimum shown above, and per-plan prices were not in the text we retrieved, so get the quote page before you budget. Implementation starts with folders, admin roles and a named retention owner; add webhooks only after the access model is settled. Primary evidence: Box pricing and Box's webhook guide. Who should choose it: a firm that already meets the seat minimum and values API access over the lowest price.

Dropbox

Standard plan on Dropbox: $15 per user per month according to Dropbox (2026). The Advanced plan is $24 per user per month on the same page, and the restore window is 180 days on Standard and 1 year on Advanced, according to Dropbox (2026).

Best fit: a small team that wants simple sharing and a longer restore window than a consumer account. Seat rule: the page lists Standard for 1 person or more and Advanced for 3 people or more, so the 1-year restore window comes with a 3-user minimum. Limitations: the single sign-on, end-to-end encryption and advanced key management the page lists sit on Advanced, not Standard. The page also lists a single-user Plus plan as a personal plan, which is not the business tier this guide covers. Implementation: set up team folders and admin roles, then confirm that restore and version settings match your retention rule. Who should choose it: a practice that wants a simple per-user plan and can live with the features on its tier.

Google Workspace

Best fit: a firm already running email and calendar on Google. The page lists Vault, which retains, archives and searches data, only on the Plus tier. Limitations: if you need that retention feature, the lower tiers do not show it, and Starter's storage is pooled per person. Implementation: set Vault retention rules before the first client file arrives. Primary evidence: Google Workspace pricing. Who should choose it: a firm on Google that needs a built-in retention feature and can pay for the Plus tier.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft's plan pages did not load for this guide, so this profile carries no price, storage figure or feature list. XY Planning Network lists Microsoft OneDrive among platforms many advisors rely on, in its guide to compliant document storage. Best fit: a firm already licensed for Microsoft 365 for email and Office apps. Implementation: confirm the retention and audit features on the current US plan page before you buy. Who should choose it: a firm already paying for Microsoft 365 that verifies the retention features it needs first.

ShareFile

Best fit: a practice that exchanges files with outside parties and may want an on-premises or hybrid storage option, which the page offers on request. Limitations: the per-plan figures are not labeled monthly or annual, and the higher tiers carry the 3-user minimum shown above. Implementation: write down the external-sharing rules and decide who may create share links before rollout. Primary evidence: ShareFile pricing. Who should choose it: a firm with a clear external-sharing need that accepts a minimum seat count.

Egnyte

Business plan on Egnyte: $22 per user per month, billed annually according to Egnyte (2026). The higher tiers appear in the table above, and Ultimate is quote-based.

Best fit: a firm that wants a platform XY Planning Network describes as "designed for regulated industries." Limitations: the Business tier's upload figure is a per-file limit, not total storage, so confirm total capacity in writing. Implementation: confirm the annual billing term and the total storage in the quote. Primary evidence: Egnyte pricing. Who should choose it: a firm that accepts annual billing, wants a regulated-industry positioning, and can verify total storage before signing.

Where a workflow layer fits

Zapier, Make and n8n can build the routing described below, and when they are configured they can keep run histories, retries, error branches and audit evidence. The buyer still has to design and own observability, idempotency (so a retried run does not create a duplicate record), escalation, access controls and maintenance. A proposed design from US Tech Automations would configure the same pieces, with run logs, retry rules and exception routing to a named reviewer, and would list prerequisites and review points before anything went live.

Proposed intake workflow, configurable and not a deployed system: a new client folder in Box or Google Drive triggers a check against the firm's required-document list. The workflow matches the folder name to a client record in the CRM through that CRM's API or an export, writes a completeness checklist to the record, and sends a missing-document exception to the advisor. Prerequisites are API or export access to both the file platform and the CRM, plus a named owner for the required-document list. The human review point is the advisor confirming the checklist before any client-facing request goes out. US Tech Automations would configure the routing and logging, and would not decide what the firm's retention rule requires.

Proposed access-evidence workflow, also configurable: a Box V2 webhook subscribed to FILE.DOWNLOADED sends each download event to an access log that records the file, the user and the time. A weekly exception report lists downloads outside a named list of staff. Prerequisites are a Box app, a hosted endpoint, and an access-controlled log store. The human review point is the compliance owner reviewing the weekly report and deciding whether to act. The workflow should never delete or move files on its own.

Decision checklist

• Count your seats today and in twelve months, then check each vendor's seat minimum against that count.

• Confirm in writing which tier holds the retention and access features you need.

• Confirm whether a storage figure is total capacity, per-user storage or a per-file upload limit.

• Confirm the billing term, monthly or annual, and the per-seat rate on the quote.

• Ask for the export format and exit terms in writing before you migrate any file.

• Name one owner for retention exceptions and for access reviews.

Glossary

• Books and records: the records an adviser must keep under the SEC adviser rule.

• Duplicate copy: a second copy of a stored record, kept separately for the original's retention period.

• Seat minimum: the smallest number of users a plan will bill.

• Pooled storage: one storage allowance shared across the team, rather than a fixed amount per person.

• Restore window: the period in which a deleted file or an earlier version can be recovered.

• Upload limit: the largest single file a plan accepts, which is not the same as total storage.

Vendor questions to put in writing

Questions solo advisors ask first

Can a solo advisor keep client files in a consumer Dropbox or Google Drive account?

No; a consumer account does not give you administrative controls or a written retention setup, so client records belong on a business-tier account.

Do the seat minimums rule out Box, ShareFile and Dropbox Advanced for one person?

On the plans whose text we read, yes: the Business plan on Box, the Advanced plan on ShareFile and the Advanced plan on Dropbox each list a minimum of 3 users, so a one-person practice would pay for seats it does not use. The Dropbox page lists its Standard plan for 1 person or more.

Which vendor has the lowest published price?

The Starter plan on Google Workspace has the lowest named per-user list price we read, but Box's pricing banner starts lower without naming a plan.

Do I need a separate archive for texts and email?

Plan for one if client communications must be kept as records, because general file storage holds files, not the communication trail. Confirm with counsel which communications count.

Can a workflow tool replace retention software?

No; a workflow tool moves, checks and logs files, but it does not hold the retention clock or prove a record set is complete.

When should a solo advisor skip US Tech Automations?

Skip it when a plain business-tier file plan already meets your needs, when your real gap is archiving communications, or when your file system and CRM offer no API or export you could act on. In those cases the simpler tool wins: a file plan with the right admin settings covers ordinary storage, a dedicated archive covers communications, and a workflow layer adds little without something to route. Choosing that route means accepting that the firm still does its own exception review by hand.

Where to go from the shortlist

Choose the plan that fits your seat count, write the retention rule before you move any file, and put the vendor questions above to each finalist in writing. If you want to see how a configured design routes exceptions and keeps logs, see how US Tech Automations configures this and check the prerequisites against your own file platform and CRM.

Sources: Box pricing, Box webhook guide, Dropbox plans, Google Workspace pricing, ShareFile pricing, Egnyte pricing, Cornell LII, 17 CFR 275.204-2, XY Planning Network, InvestmentNews.