How it plays out on a deal
Ordinary download rules stop at the moment a file leaves the room. Rights control extends them: the downloaded file stays encrypted and checks back with the platform before it opens. If the reader's access is withdrawn, the copy on their laptop stops opening.
That power comes with friction. Readers may need a plugin, a specific PDF reader or an online connection to open protected files, and spreadsheets may lose functions. The trade-off is reasonable for a few critical folders, and a real nuisance if forced on everything.
What to check in a review or demo
- 1What a reader needs installed to open a protected download, if anything.
- 2Whether protected spreadsheets keep formulas and filtering.
- 3Whether revoking a user also disables copies they downloaded earlier.
Document rights control: where the reviewed providers stand
From the twelve-item feature checklist in our reviews: a provider counts only if the feature ships natively. Read the review for how it works and on which plan.
Yes (15)
ElltyDocument rights control9.2/10
iDealsDocument rights control9.1/10
DatasiteDocument rights control8.9/10
AnsaradaDocument rights control8.6/10
IntralinksDocument rights control8.6/10
FirmexDocument rights control8.5/10
DroomsDocument rights control8.3/10
SmartRoomDocument rights control8.2/10
Citrix ShareFileDocument rights control8.0/10
DealRoomDocument rights control8.0/10
CapLinkedDocument rights control7.7/10
SecureDocsDocument rights control7.7/10
ShareVaultDocument rights control7.7/10
Venue by DFINDocument rights control7.2/10
DigifyDocument rights control6.9/10
No (3)
15 of 18 reviewed providers qualify. Each chip shows the provider's overall review score.
Read alongside
- Remote revocationWithdrawing a user's access to documents after they have already viewed or downloaded them, sometimes called remote shred when it covers files saved on their device.
- Download and print controlsSettings that decide whether a user may save or print a document, often with options such as download as protected PDF, original format or not at all.
- Dynamic watermarkingAn overlay stamped on a document at the moment it is viewed, printed or downloaded, showing details such as the reader's name, email, IP address and the time.
- Access expiryA preset end date or time after which a user, group or document is no longer accessible, without the administrator having to remove it manually.