SmartVault vs ShareFile: Which Is Better?
Secure document portals for accounting and financial services compared.
Tom Bradley
2026-02-27
SmartVault and ShareFile both offer secure document management and client portals, but they serve meaningfully different audiences: SmartVault is built almost exclusively for accounting and tax firms, while ShareFile targets a broader range of professional services including legal, healthcare, and financial teams.
Quick Comparison
| SmartVault | ShareFile | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/user/month (annual) | $17.60/user/month (annual) |
| User minimum | 2–3 users | 3 users |
| Storage | Unlimited | 3TB account (1TB per license) |
| eSignatures | Add-on or unlimited (plan-dependent) | Included (up to 100k/month) |
| KBA / ID verification | Accounting Unlimited only | Included on Premium+ |
| Tax software integrations | Deep (Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax, Drake, CCH) | Import only (Advantage plan) |
| Best for | Accounting and tax firms | Multi-vertical professional services |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type 2, IRS 4557, FTC Safeguards, HIPAA | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FINRA, SEC, GDPR |
SmartVault
SmartVault has spent years narrowing its focus to a single niche: accounting and tax workflow. That specialization shows everywhere, from folder templates built around tax engagements to deep two-way integrations with the software your firm already runs.
Pricing
SmartVault offers three plans, all billed per user per month:
- Business Pro: $50/user/month (annual) or $70/month — for general SMB document management, 3-user minimum
- Accounting Pro: $55/user/month (annual) or $75/month — adds IRS 4557 and FTC Safeguards compliance, full tax software integrations, 2-user minimum
- Accounting Unlimited: $75/user/month (annual) or $100/month — adds unlimited eSignatures, KBA/ID verification, PDF form filler, and quotes/proposals
eSignatures are a meaningful differentiator here. On Business Pro and Accounting Pro, eSignatures are an add-on. You only get them bundled on Accounting Unlimited, which is the plan most accounting firms will actually need.
Key features
SmartVault's deepest strength is its tax software integrations. SmartRouting reads metadata from connected tax applications like Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax, and Drake to automatically identify the client, tax year, and document type—then files documents in the correct folder without manual intervention. This removes a chronic source of filing errors during busy season.
Storage is genuinely unlimited across all plans, with no per-user cap. Unlimited clients and external collaborators are also included regardless of tier, so you're not paying more as your client roster grows.
The custom branded client portal gives clients 24/7 self-serve access to their documents. Batch communications let you push documents to hundreds of clients in a single action. Activity logs, file versioning, and automatic notifications are standard.
Security and compliance credentials are strong: SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, IRS 4557 and FTC Safeguards compliance, HIPAA, FINRA, SEC, GLBA, and GDPR. For accounting firms navigating the FTC Safeguards Rule, SmartVault includes a Compliance Vault with WISP templates.
Limitations
SmartVault is expensive if you need eSignatures on anything below the top plan. The lack of a task management layer or project workspace also means it's purely a document hub—you'll need other tools for client communication or project tracking. Integration breadth beyond accounting software is relatively narrow compared to ShareFile.
ShareFile
ShareFile, owned by Progress Software, takes a horizontal approach: secure document workflows for any professional services firm. It's more of a general-purpose secure collaboration platform with a recent push toward accounting-specific features.
Pricing
ShareFile has four tiers:
- Advanced: $17.60/user/month (annual, 3-user min) — secure file sharing, granular access controls, basic collaboration
- Premium: $27.50/user/month (annual, 3-user min) — adds client portals, workflow automation, eSignatures, HIPAA/FINRA/SEC compliance, AI document automation
- Industry Advantage: $45.83/user/month (annual, 3-user min) — adds pre-built tax templates, bulk client onboarding, integrated engagement letters, accounting-specific UI
- Virtual Data Room: $75/user/month (annual, 5-user min) — for M&A, audits, litigation; adds watermarking, NDA enforcement, advanced permissions
eSignatures are included from the Premium tier up with a generous 100,000-document-per-month limit at the account level. KBA is also included on Premium and above—you don't have to upgrade to a top tier just for identity verification.
Key features
ShareFile's integration ecosystem is notably broader. Native connectors for Microsoft 365 (Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint), Google Drive, Gmail, and QuickBooks are available. Zapier integration extends that to 4,000+ apps—useful for teams whose workflows span multiple tools.
The Projects feature gives teams dedicated collaboration spaces with task management, file organization, comments, and data tables all in one place. This goes beyond what SmartVault offers and is useful for law firms or consultancies managing complex client engagements. Document request lists, information request forms, and approval workflows are included on Premium.
Storage starts at 3TB per account (1TB per license aggregated), which is substantial but not unlimited. For large firms with extensive document archives, this could become a planning concern.
The Industry Advantage plan adds accounting-specific tooling: pre-built tax engagement templates, bulk client onboarding, centralized engagement tracking, and direct file imports from CCH Axcess Tax, Drake, Lacerte, ProSeries, and UltraTax. This is a real attempt to compete with SmartVault on accounting-firm territory, though the integrations are shallower—import-focused rather than the bidirectional SmartRouting approach SmartVault uses.
Limitations
ShareFile's accounting-specific features only arrive at the $45.83/user/month tier, which is more expensive than SmartVault's Accounting Pro at $55 but cheaper than Accounting Unlimited. However, firms that need deep tax software automation—not just file imports—will find ShareFile's integrations less mature. The platform also lacks the accounting-native compliance templates (like WISP) that SmartVault provides.
When to Choose SmartVault
SmartVault is the right pick if you run an accounting or tax firm and your workflow revolves around tax prep software. The SmartRouting automation, deep integrations with Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax, and Drake, and the compliance tooling built specifically for IRS and FTC requirements make it a near-purpose-built solution for this audience. It's also a better fit if unlimited storage matters—no caps or overages to manage.
When to Choose ShareFile
ShareFile makes more sense if your firm serves multiple verticals, or if you're in legal, healthcare, financial services, or insurance alongside (or instead of) accounting. Its broader integration ecosystem, built-in task management and project spaces, and more accessible eSignature pricing give it flexibility that SmartVault doesn't have. It's also a better entry point for smaller teams on tighter budgets—the Advanced plan at $17.60/user/month covers real business needs before you scale into higher tiers.
Bottom Line
These tools aren't really competing for the same buyer. SmartVault is the specialist: if you're an accounting or tax firm and want the deepest possible integration with tax prep software and purpose-built compliance tooling, it earns its price. ShareFile is the generalist: broader integrations, more flexible project management features, and a lower entry point make it the better choice for multi-vertical firms or teams that need more than a document hub. If you're on the fence, the deciding question is simple—how central is tax software automation to your daily workflow? If the answer is "very," SmartVault. If not, ShareFile likely offers better value.