Top 10 Free eDiscovery Software for 2023

Work Tips
2022-07-26

In the times gone by, manually going through all the materials necessary for legal proceedings would require an entire team of legal and IT professionals and long hours of work to get to the bottom of things. There were simply no better alternatives at the time! The great news is, with the help of modern technology and automation, the entire eDiscovery forensics process can be reduced to a fraction of the time it would take to get the job done, thus helping you save time and money.

By utilizing the free eDiscovery software we’ve reviewed below, you’ll be able to waltz through piles of documents and data like nothing, effectively tagging the areas of interest without having to lift a finger. Most of them let you export the findings in a manner the court will find admissible all while packing useful features such as giving you the option to convert the files to various formats and letting you share them through a secure online interface.

If you haven’t already, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the concept of eDiscovery by reading our intro guide. After you feel you have the basics down, go right ahead and read our short reviews and summaries on the best eDiscovery tools the market has to offer in 2023, all of which also come with a free version.

1. ZyLAB ONE

Thanks to its demo version, ZyLAB ONE qualifies as free eDiscovery software you can use without spending too much time learning the ropes. Praised for its intuitive search functionality, it allows you to quickly find whatever you’re looking for without being slowed down by technicalities. Plus, it’s easy to configure it down to your exact specifications, allowing you to take your eDiscovery forensics to the next level by adjusting to the case you’re currently investigating.

On top of that, you’ll find so much useful training on the official website that the user-friendly aspect of it comes to the forefront much more. According to user reviews, the computer forensics eDiscovery solution has the capacity to comb through big data at unprecedented speeds, which is bound to save you tons of time and money. You will be pleased to know it’s also fully GDPR compliant.

Among the features you’ll find:

  • Secure file upload
  • Connecting to various repositories
  • Bulk-tagging
  • Auto-redaction

ZYoneLab

2. Epiq Discovery

Epic Discovery is a cloud-based eDiscovery digital forensics software, meaning there’s nothing to install. The primary aim behind its development was to maximize the user-experience, and it shows. At the same time, you won’t need to worry about sacrificing legal compliance – Epiq Discovery has all that and more, making it suitable for situations like:

  • Internal investigations
  • Subpoena responses
  • International Trade Commission responses
  • Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR)

In fact, this eDiscovery and forensics software is used by some of the largest and most successful law firms around the world. As an example of what it can do, think how useful it would be to have an option to combing through several hundreds or thousands of emails to find exactly what you’re looking for. Thanks to the free trial anyone can get access to, you can get up and running in no time with zero risk whatsoever.

Its functionality covers:

  • Large-scale analysis
  • Review
  • Early case assessment
  • Processing
  • Production

APAC

3. Onna

Onna utilizes the power of machine learning to help you crawl through a massive stack of data that would otherwise take forever to inspect manually. Its compatibility with third-party software allows you to connect it to various local or cloud-based applications, including:

  • Dropbox
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Google Workspace
  • Slack
  • and more

Digital forensics and eDiscovery investigators will absolutely love the fact that it preserves metadata, which is crucial when you want to make sure that the evidence collected remains admissible in a court of law. From the user experience perspective, it’s intuitive and simple to understand. It allows you to view the documents collected in various different ways, thus increasing the likelihood of picking up on vital clues along the way.

With Onna, you’ll easily traverse through:

  • Gmail accounts
  • Slack messages
  • Documents
  • Spreadsheets
  • Contracts
  • etc.

It comes with a free 14-day trial, which is plenty of time to see if it’s right for you. Should you run into a problem, their friendly and knowledgeable customer support department will jump right in to help at the snap of a finger.

Onna

4. Lexbe eDiscovery Platform

Need an eDiscovery solution that’s purposely built for law firms involved in complex litigation? Due to running in the cloud, Lexbe eDiscovery Platform was built with convenience in mind. With the help of its advanced algorithms that can effortlessly crawl through large chunks of data, you will quickly, securely, and effortlessly be able to:

  • Produce,
  • Cull,
  • Analyze,
  • Review,
  • Process large batches of data.

For optimal performance and results, its developers have tweaked the platform to be lightning-fast and as efficient as possible. During the eDiscovery forensics process, in case you run into documents that happen to be written in a foreign language, the platform will automatically translate them for you. The interface is easy to understand and quite intuitive to work with, so you’re unlikely to run into any trouble there.

One of its most useful features is how seamlessly it groups emails together with their corresponding attachments. Another one is the cross-tagging system that allows you to mark documents you want to cross-reference later. Whenever you want to unredacted something, you can, which is something you won’t typically find in other digital forensics and eDiscovery solutions.

It comes with customer support and a free trial.

Lexbe eDiscovery Platform

5. CloudNine LAW

CloudNine LAW is an automated and free eDiscovery software you can try risk-free thanks to a free trial. Designed to make eDiscovery and forensics experts adopt a more efficient and productive workflow, this tool gives you the leverage you need to regain control over the investigation once more. Thanks to its lightning-fast processing times, you will examine a loaded pile of files in no time, and the software can effortlessly process most file extensions and formats out there.

Once you discover something in your e-discovery forensics investigation that is of interest to you, you can easily tag it for your teammates to see. In case you’d like to re-run one of your recent searches, you can do so straight from the drop-down menu, thus saving you the trouble of having to recreate the search manually. Don’t forget this is cloud-based eDiscovery software we’re talking about, meaning you can access it from any device as long as it has a modern browser installed.

To get you up and running, there are plenty of training resources available for you to study. For your ultimate peace of mind, you can always count on a customer support agent to be on standby and assist you in case you run into a technicality you can’t seem to overcome.

Its features can be summarized as:

  • Batch data processing
  • The option to import data
  • Quick filtering
  • Image scanning
  • Bulk delete options
  • Advanced email analysis
  • and more!

Cloudnine

6. Sightline

Sightline is a cloud-based eDiscovery forensics solution with a a high emphasis on privacy and security. Through a modern-looking and intuitive interface, you will be able to perform complex eDiscovery and forensics tasks without needing to have a background in IT.

Whenever there’s a need to upload a file, Sightline allows you to do so by simply dragging and dropping it, thus greatly speeding up the overall process.

If there’s something particular that you’re searching for, its advanced search functionality will help you find it with ease (you can also share your search results with other users and generate a report).

Other than that, it allows you to:

  • Upload your own data
  • Oversee your project portfolio
  • Assign different users
  • Make quick searches
  • Visualize data
  • Automate the workflow
  • Utilize powerful analytics
  • Print and produce documents
  • Generate search reports

Although this is not free eDiscovery software per se, you can request a demo to see if the eDiscovery tool fits your needs.

Sightline

7. eZReview

To aim of eZReview is to provide a centrally managed eDiscovery environment from which you can view open cases. Through several integrated modules, you will be able to unlock additional functionality to aid you in your search. Examples include:

  • Document review
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Early case assessment

According to its developers, this is an all-in-one eDiscovery solution that wants to keep things simple all while providing powerful functionality that runs in the background. Through integrated privacy and security features, you can always rest assured that any confidential data pertaining to the case is safe and sound. Not only will you be able to analyze and visualize large sets of data, but also be able to auto-generate a detailed expert report.

eZReview is suitable for use in:

  • Investigations
  • Discovery requests
  • Subpoenas

You can request a demo by visiting eZRreview’s official website.

Document Audit Log

8. Logikcull

In a world where most of the documents and data you’ll stumble into are not at all relevant to the scope of the investigation, Logikcull steps in with its advanced searching capabilities to help you discover exactly what you’re looking for.

By color-tagging and dragging and dropping items into appropriate categories, you’ll be able to mark where things are supposed to be placed, but if you can’t be bothered to do it all yourself, you can also let this free eDiscovery software do its magic on complete autopilot. It can auto-tag and search based on your exact set of criteria.

Whenever you want to share your eDiscovery forensics findings with another person, you’ll no longer need to do it the old-fashioned way by burning it onto a CD or DVD or copying it on a flash drive. Logikcull has the capacity to generate downloadable links for secure file sharing.

Logikcull is feature-packed and comes with:

  • Built-in audio and video transcription
  • Email threading
  • Automated metadata sorting
  • OCR
  • Deduplication
  • Team collaboration
  • Secure file sharing

You can import data from a wide range of sources, including:

  • Slack
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Vault
  • Box

Best of all, Logikcull provides 24/7 support even if you’re using the free version!

Logikcull

9. Nextpoint

Nextpoint is a feature-packed cloud-based free eDiscovery software that was designed to help you prepare, review, and search through documents without having to install a thing. Whenever its search algorithms encounter an image, they will immediately use advanced OCR functionality to transcribe any text it may contain and classify it accordingly.

With Nextpoint, you’ll never have to worry about bumping into a duplicate file – it will detect it and let you know. You can let it group and classify the documents and emails discovered on its own or take a more proactive approach. The user interface should be intuitive enough, but it’s comforting to know that a customer support team is always there to answer your questions.

Here are the features you can expect to find:

  • Streamlined document review
  • Customized templates
  • One-click production
  • Deposition management
  • Quick data reduction
  • etc.

In addition, you’ll be pleased to know this free eDiscovery software lets you get started at no charge and comes with free processing, importing, and hosting.

Nextpoint

10. Discovery Attender

Discovery Attender is an award-winning eDiscovery and forensics solution that will get you up and running in a matter of minutes. Not only is it quick to install, but it can also automatically scan multiple data sources at the same time based on your custom set of criteria, which is bound to save you a ton of time during your eDiscovery and digital forensics investigation. In case it discovers a password-protected document, it automatically flags it and sets it aside for future processing.

Traditionally, you would have to go over all the documents manually, so the main objective of Discovery Attender is to cut down the manual work necessary to the bare minimum. This is achievable through its multi-threaded scanning that can handle data from multiple sources and thus help you conserve your most valuable resources – your money and time. Whenever you discover crucial evidence, this e discovery forensics software will let you flag it, secure it, and generate a detailed expert report, thus helping maintain the chain of custody at all times.

Discovery Attender has the capacity to scan data from multiple sources, including:

  • SharePoint servers
  • PST files
  • MBOX email files
  • Lotus Notes NSF files
  • MSG files
  • EML files
  • Files shared on a network
  • and more!

Discovery Attender

Conclusion

With the help of these free eDiscovery software tools we’ve suggested, you should have everything you need to start your investigation.

While all of them share the essential ingredients of helping you automate the workflow and categorizing the documents, each of them brings something unique to the table so it’s on you to find the one you like best!