After years helping businesses effectively implement HubSpot, I noticed a critical gap: HubSpot CRM lacked the functionality for secure document capabilities that financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries desperately needed.
The truth is, HubSpot’s native document tool wasn’t designed with regulated industries in mind. HubSpot even states that its document tool “should not be used to send sensitive or confidential information.” This forces businesses to either juggle between systems or compromise on compliance requirements.
With Box Connector, you can bring Box’s enterprise-grade security and compliance directly into HubSpot, starting at just $5/month/user for file management and $10/month/user including Box Sign capabilities.
In this guide, I’ll share a comparison of the best document management solutions for HubSpot users in regulated industries based on our experience. Let’s start by understanding what you should look for in a HubSpot document management solution for regulated industries.
What Should You Look For In A Secure HubSpot Document Management Solution?
Your document management solution needs to prioritize security and compliance without sacrificing usability and workflow efficiency. As you evaluate options for secure document management in HubSpot, focus on these critical features:
- Regulatory compliance: The solution must support your industry’s specific compliance requirements like RESPA, FINRA, HIPAA, or SEC 17a-4, with proper certifications and documentation to prove it during audits.
- Security controls: Look for granular permission settings, role-based access controls, and data encryption that prevent unauthorized document access while allowing legitimate collaboration.
- Audit capabilities: Comprehensive audit trails showing who viewed, modified, or shared documents are essential for regulatory defense and internal governance.
- HubSpot integration depth: The solution should feel native to HubSpot, allowing your team to manage documents without opening new tabs or disrupting their workflow.
- Document organization: Strong folder structures, search capabilities, and record association features ensure documents stay organized and findable as your repository grows.
- Retention policies: Regulated industries require specific document retention timeframes, your chosen solution should automate this process to prevent compliance violations.
- Secure sharing: The ability to share documents externally with authentication, password protection, and expiration controls is crucial for client communication.
- E-signature capabilities: Look for integrated, compliant e-signature functionality that maintains the security chain and reduces cost compared to separate solutions.
- Implementation simplicity: The solution should be straightforward to implement without extensive IT resources or lengthy configuration processes.
- Workflow automation: Advanced solutions should offer automation capabilities to reduce manual handling of sensitive documents and ensure consistent processes.
Next, let’s examine the top options available to regulated business for efficient and secure document management in HubSpot.
The Best Secure Document Management Solutions for HubSpot
When it comes to managing documents securely within HubSpot, regulated businesses have several options to choose from. Each solution has distinct strengths and limitations that make it better suited for different use cases. After working with hundreds of businesses, here are the top four document management solutions for HubSpot users in regulated industries:
1. Box Connector
Best for: Regulated industries requiring enterprise-grade compliance and security while maintaining a native HubSpot experience.
Box Connector brings secure document management supported by Box’s comprehensive compliance certifications (HIPAA, FINRA, RESPA, SEC 17a-4) directly into HubSpot, allowing teams to access, manage, and share documents without leaving their CRM. As an integration rather than a storage solution itself, Box Connector maintains your compliance chain by keeping documents in Box’s secure environment while making them accessible within your HubSpot portal.
Starting price: $5/month/user for files, $10/month/user including Box Sign (requires separate Box subscription)
2. DocuSign
Best for: Organizations primarily focused on e-signatures with basic document needs.
DocuSign is widely recognized for its e-signature capabilities and offers integration with HubSpot. While DocuSign excels at signature workflows, its document management features are more limited, and advanced compliance features are typically only available in higher-tier plans. The integration works through a separate widget rather than feeling fully native to HubSpot.
Starting price: $10/month for Personal plan, plus per-envelope fees for signatures
3. Cloud Files
Best for: Connecting multiple storage providers to HubSpot with basic compliance needs
Cloud Files provides integration between HubSpot and multiple storage solutions including SharePoint, Google Drive, and Dropbox. This flexibility can be valuable for organizations using several storage platforms, though compliance capabilities vary depending on the connected storage solution. Cloud Files stores files on third-party servers, which may create additional compliance considerations.
Starting price: $15-25/month/user based on marketplace listings
4. HubSpot Native Documents
Best for: Basic document attachment with minimal security requirements
HubSpot’s built-in document tool provides simple file attachment and sharing capabilities at no additional cost. However, as HubSpot states in its own documentation, this solution “should not be used to send sensitive or confidential information.” It lacks the access controls, audit trails, and compliance certifications that regulated industries require.
Starting price: Included with HubSpot subscription
Each of these solutions offers different approaches to document management within HubSpot. The right choice for your business depends on your specific compliance requirements, security needs, and how your team uses documents within your workflow. In the next section, we’ll explore the regulatory challenges that make document management particularly complex for businesses in regulated industries.
Regulatory challenges in document management for HubSpot users
HubSpot’s native document storage was designed for convenience, not compliance. For mortgage lenders, financial services firms, and other regulated businesses, this creates significant risks.
As HubSpot notes in their own documentation: “as documents are publicly shared, the documents tool should not be used to send sensitive or confidential information.”
HubSpot’s native limitations for regulated documents
HubSpot’s built-in document tool provides basic file sharing but lacks critical compliance features:
🚫 No document access controls beyond basic HubSpot permissions
🚫 Limited audit trails that don’t track individual document views and actions
🚫 No compliance certifications for regulated industries
🚫 Public document sharing without proper authentication controls
🚫 No data retention policies for regulatory requirements
Industry-specific compliance challenges
Mortgage & Lending (RESPA Compliance)
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) requires strict document handling procedures for mortgage transactions. Standard document solutions lack specialized compliance capabilities including:
- Secure access controls for sensitive financial information
- Complete audit trails for document activities
- Proper document retention policies
Financial Services (SEC and FINRA Compliance)
Financial institutions must maintain proper document management practices, including:
- Secure document storage and sharing
- Controlled access to sensitive client information
- Comprehensive audit capabilities
- Retention policies aligned with regulatory requirements
Professional Services & Healthcare
For professional services firms handling sensitive client information:
- Document security is essential for maintaining client confidentiality
- Access controls must limit exposure to authorized personnel only
- Audit capabilities must verify who accessed documents and when
Without a compliance-focused document solution integrated with HubSpot, these requirements create significant business risk and operational complexity.
Box Connector: The Native Integration for Box and HubSpot
After examining alternative document management solutions for HubSpot, let’s take a deeper look at Box Connector – the official native integration between Box and HubSpot that brings enterprise-grade security and compliance directly into your CRM workflow.
We created Box Connector to solve a specific challenge faced by regulated businesses: maintaining compliance and security while working efficiently in HubSpot.
By connecting Box’s document security infrastructure with HubSpot CRM, we were able to build a solution that eliminates the constant tab-switching and compliance compromises that regulated businesses face.
Here’s what Box and HubSpot themselves say about Box Connector:
“The integration of Box, HubSpot, Box AI, and Box Sign delivers a unified, powerful platform for managing content, automating contracts, and enhancing collaboration.”
– Dan O’Leary, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Box
“If you are looking for a fully integrated seamless experience within HubSpot, look no further than Box Connector.”
– Chris Alexis, Mid-Market Sales Manager, HubSpot
Box Connector Features
Seamless Document Management
Box Connector provides a truly native experience within HubSpot with features designed to streamline document workflows:
- Native Box UI in HubSpot: Access your Box files and folders directly from a dedicated tab in HubSpot contact, company, deal, and ticket records
- Record-Folder Associations: Pin specific Box folders to HubSpot records, ensuring consistent organization and easy access
- File Management: Upload, download, preview, and organize files without leaving HubSpot
- Global Search: Find documents across your Box account directly from HubSpot
- Content Preview: View documents, including over 140+ file formats, directly within the HubSpot interface
Enterprise-Grade Security
Box Connector inherits Box’s comprehensive security infrastructure:
- Full Compliance Inheritance: Access all of Box’s compliance certifications including HIPAA, FINRA, SEC 17a-4, RESPA, and more
- Permission Synchronization: Box’s granular permission model is fully respected in HubSpot
- Audit Trails: Track document access, modifications, and sharing for compliance purposes
- Retention Policies: Maintain proper document lifecycles with Box’s retention capabilities
- Secure Sharing: Share documents with password protection, expiration dates, and download controls
Box Sign Integration
Box Connector includes full Box Sign capabilities, allowing you to:
- Send E-Signatures: Create and send Box Sign requests directly from HubSpot records
- Track Signatures: Monitor signature status without leaving HubSpot
- Use Templates: Leverage existing Box Sign templates within HubSpot
- Save on Costs: Eliminate per-envelope fees with Box Sign’s user-based pricing model
Pricing Options
Box Connector offers straightforward, predictable pricing with no hidden costs:
Box Files: $5/user/month
- Access your Box files from within HubSpot
- Associate Box folders with HubSpot records
- Upload files to Box from within HubSpot
- Per-user security
Box Files + Sign: $10/user/month
- Everything in the Box Files plan
- Send and receive Box Sign requests in HubSpot
- Leverage Box Sign templates from within HubSpot
Enterprise: Custom pricing for 11+ users
- All features in Box Files + Sign
- Volume discounts
- Priority support
All plans require a separate Box subscription, which provides your secure document storage infrastructure.
Use Cases
Box Connector shines in specific scenarios that other solutions can’t handle:
- Mortgage Processing: Maintain RESPA compliance while organizing loan documents within HubSpot
- Client Onboarding: Securely collect and organize client documents with proper audit trails
- Compliance Documentation: Store and manage regulatory documents with appropriate access controls
- Secure File Sharing: Share confidential information with clients while maintaining security
While there are several document solutions for HubSpot, Box Connector offers unique advantages:
- HubSpot Native Experience: Built using HubSpot’s latest UI extensions for a seamless experience
- Comprehensive Compliance: The only solution that brings Box’s full document compliance capabilities to HubSpot
Box Connector delivers on the promise of secure, compliant document management without disrupting your team’s HubSpot workflow.
Make Your Decision: Selecting The Right HubSpot Secure Document Solution for Your Business
After reviewing all the document management options for HubSpot, how do you determine which solution is right for your organization? The decision ultimately comes down to your specific compliance requirements, document workflows, and budget considerations.
Start by asking yourself these key questions:
- What are your compliance requirements?
- Do you need specific certifications like HIPAA, FINRA, or RESPA?
- How comprehensive do your audit trails need to be?
- What are your document retention requirements?
- How do your teams use documents?
- Do they primarily need to view documents, or actively collaborate on them?
- How important is the native HubSpot experience to your workflow?
- Do you need e-signature capabilities integrated with your document management?
- What’s your technology environment?
- Are you already using Box, or would you need to adopt it?
- Do you have other storage solutions you need to maintain?
- How important is implementation speed and simplicity?
- What’s your budget?
- Are you willing to invest in separate solutions for storage and e-signatures?
- How many users need access to document management capabilities?
- Does per-envelope e-signature pricing impact your business model?
When Each Solution Makes the Most Sense
We built Box Connector to address the needs of regulated businesses using HubSpot, I recognize it’s not the perfect fit for every organization. Here’s my honest assessment of when each solution makes the most sense:
Choose Box Connector if:
- You operate in a regulated industry with specific compliance requirements
- You value a native HubSpot experience for document management
- You want to combine document management and e-signatures in one solution
- You’re already using Box or are willing to adopt it as your secure storage solution
- You need granular permission controls and comprehensive audit capabilities
Consider DocuSign if:
- E-signatures are your primary concern rather than document management
- You have simple compliance needs that don’t require extensive certifications
- You’re already heavily invested in DocuSign’s ecosystem
- You don’t mind your team working in separate interfaces
- Your document volumes don’t make per-envelope pricing prohibitive
Look at Cloud Files if:
- You need to connect multiple storage solutions to HubSpot
- You have minimal compliance requirements
- You need to maintain connections to several document repositories
- Basic document organization capabilities meet your needs
- You’re comfortable with files being replicated on third-party servers
Stay with HubSpot’s native solution if:
- You don’t handle sensitive or regulated information
- Basic file attachment capabilities meet your needs
- You have no specific compliance requirements
- Document management is a minor part of your workflow
- Budget constraints make additional tools impossible
Regardless of which solution you’re leaning toward, I recommend these next steps:
- Try before you buy: Take advantage of free trials to experience how each solution fits into your document workflow
- Involve stakeholders: Get input from your compliance team, end users, and IT department
- Start small: Consider a pilot with a subset of users before rolling out to your entire organization
- Ask questions: Reach out to solution providers with your specific use cases and requirements
At Box Connector, we’re committed to helping regulated businesses succeed with HubSpot. Our goal isn’t just to sell software—it’s to help you solve the real challenges of managing sensitive documents in HubSpot while maintaining compliance. That’s why we built Box Connector, and it’s why we continue to improve it based on feedback from businesses like yours.
Ready to see Box Connector in action? Start a free trial today.
Leave a Reply