# CloudFiles vs 360 SmartDocs: which Salesforce document tool fits your team?

> CloudFiles vs 360 SmartDocs compared: generation, storage, AI extraction, migration, and pricing for Salesforce teams choosing a document platform.

*2026-07-02 · by Shaunak*

**Tags:** Comparisons, Salesforce, CloudFiles

CloudFiles is a complete Salesforce document platform: generation, managed storage across SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, and S3, AI extraction, migration, and analytics, in one subscription. [360 SmartDocs ](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=994f0c85-2adb-4c30-9e67-40f391c1fc2a)generates documents and stores them in Salesforce Files; its external storage is a separate product. Here is why CloudFiles is the more complete, better-value choice.

### TL;DR

- **CloudFiles** combines generation and managed external storage, AI extraction, migration, and analytics in one product.
- **360 SmartDocs** generates and delivers documents but stores them in Salesforce Files, so it adds to rather than reduces Salesforce storage, and external storage and file management come from a separate product, [360 File Sync](https://360degreecloud.com/360-file-sync/), with no AI extraction. Its [5.0 AppExchange rating comes from just 15 reviews](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=994f0c85-2adb-4c30-9e67-40f391c1fc2a), a much smaller base than CloudFiles'.
- On value, matching CloudFiles with 360 Degree Cloud means buying two products, and even then there is no AI extraction. CloudFiles delivers generation, storage, migration, AI, and analytics in one subscription — [see current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing).

## What each tool is built for?

Before the feature-by-feature detail, here is the scope of each product side by side. CloudFiles is a full document platform; 360 SmartDocs sits in a narrower part of that picture, which is exactly what the comparison below maps out.

## CloudFiles - A complete document platform inside Salesforce

**AppExchange **- 4.9 stars, 1,200+ Salesforce teams

**Focus:** Full document workflow: generate, manage, extract, share

**Storage:** Native SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, AWS S3

**Automation:** Flow actions + Apex + REST API (no-code first)

**Pricing:** [See current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing), free trial, no lock-in

**Compliance:** SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR

## 360 SmartDocs - Generation that stores to Salesforce Files

**Scope:** Generation and delivery; stores to Salesforce Files

**Storage:** External storage via separate [360 File Sync product](https://360degreecloud.com/360-file-sync/)

**AI extraction:** ❌ available

**Migration:** Not in SmartDocs; handled by separate product

**Maturity:** [5.0 stars from 15 AppExchange reviews](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=994f0c85-2adb-4c30-9e67-40f391c1fc2a); a much smaller review base than CloudFiles

**Vendor:** 360 Degree Cloud

Generation, file management, AI data extraction, SharePoint/OneDrive/Google Drive/S3 integration, bulk migration, and engagement analytics, all native to Salesforce and in one subscription. 360 SmartDocs, by contrast: 360 SmartDocs generates and delivers documents, but stores them in Salesforce Files, so it does not reduce Salesforce storage, and its external storage and file management are a separate product, with no AI extraction.

## CloudFiles vs 360 SmartDocs: full feature comparison

A like-for-like breakdown across document generation, storage and file management, AI and automation, sharing and analytics, security, and pricing. Every row is accurate: where a 360 SmartDocs capability is a separate add-on, tier-gated, or narrower than CloudFiles, the table shows exactly where its scope ends.

## - Document Generation

| **Capability** | **CloudFiles** | **360 SmartDocs** |
|---|---|---|
| Generate documents from Salesforce data: contracts, quotes, proposals, invoices | **✅ Yes** One-click generation of contracts, quotes, proposals, and invoices from reusable templates. Documents auto-save to SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, or S3 and link back to the record. | **✅ Yes** Generates Word and PDF from records, reports, and list views. The output is stored in Salesforce Files, not managed in external storage. CloudFiles generates and stores externally. |
| Author templates in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint Add-Ins | **✅ Yes** Native Microsoft Office Add-Ins for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, so teams author and merge in the tools they already use with no layout rebuild. | **⚠️ Partial** Templates are built in Word and uploaded, with no live Office Add-In across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. CloudFiles provides native Add-Ins. |
| Template formats supported: Word / Excel / PowerPoint / PDF | **✅ Yes** Word, Excel, and PowerPoint templates plus a native Salesforce PDF builder. | **⚠️ Partial** Word and PDF only. No native Excel or PowerPoint generation. CloudFiles covers all four output types. |
| Bulk/batch generation: High-volume runs | **✅ Yes** Native async bulk generation, plus on-demand, Flow, Apex, and REST API. | **✅ Yes** Bulk generation from reports and list views is supported. It creates documents only; there is no bulk file management or migration. CloudFiles adds both. |
| E-signature: Integrated signing | **✅ Yes** Built-in DocuSign e-signature, with signature fields defined inside the Word template and recipients auto-assigned from record data. | **✅ Yes** Built-in e-signature. CloudFiles includes e-signature and also manages and tracks the signed file, which SmartDocs does not. |
| Template governance & version control: Validation, versioning, audit | **✅ Yes** Built-in Template Governance Hub: pre-publish validation, version control, and usage insights. | **⚠️ Partial** Publishes approved template versions, but has no pre-publish validation or full governance hub. CloudFiles includes a Governance Hub. |

## - **Storage & file management**

| **Capability** | **CloudFiles** | **360 SmartDocs** |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce-SharePoint integration: Record-mirrored folders | **✅ Yes** Native, bidirectional Salesforce-SharePoint connection via Microsoft Graph. Folders mirror your record hierarchy automatically. | **⚠️ Partial** SmartDocs stores to Salesforce Files. SharePoint and external file management are the separate 360 File Sync product. CloudFiles includes SharePoint natively. |
| External storage destinations: SharePoint / OneDrive / Drive / S3 | **✅ Yes** Routes and manages files across SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, and AWS S3 with auto-organised folder structures. | **⚠️ Partial** Generated files stay in Salesforce Files. Managed external storage across SharePoint, OneDrive, and S3 is the separate 360 File Sync product. CloudFiles manages four clouds in one product. |
| Full file management from Salesforce: Upload, move, rename, delete, share | **✅ Yes** Upload, preview, rename, move, delete, and share any stored file directly from the Salesforce record page. | **❌ No** SmartDocs does not provide a file browser, upload, rename, move, or delete for external storage from the record. CloudFiles does.. |
| Bulk migration of existing Salesforce files: Frees Salesforce storage | **✅ Yes** Bulk-migrate your entire existing Salesforce file library to external storage in one operation, freeing Salesforce storage and cutting your bill. | **❌ No** SmartDocs keeps files in Salesforce, so it does not reduce your Salesforce storage bill. CloudFiles migration frees storage. |

## - **AI & automation**

| **Capability** | **CloudFiles** | **360 SmartDocs** |
|---|---|---|
| AI OCR data extraction: Document data into Salesforce fields | **✅ Yes** Document AI reads invoices, KYC forms, contracts, and IDs with OCR and ML, then writes the extracted data back into Salesforce fields. | **❌ No** No AI extraction from inbound documents into Salesforce. CloudFiles Document AI does this. |
| Salesforce Flow file actions: No-code file operations | **✅ Yes** Prebuilt Flow actions: create folder, move or copy file, attach a generated document, trigger AI extraction. No Apex required. | **✅ Yes** Generation runs from records, bulk actions, and workflows. There are no file-operation Flow actions, because SmartDocs does not manage external files. CloudFiles ships file Flow actions. |
| Agentforce compatibility: Native AI actions | **✅ Yes** Native Agentforce actions across the document stack. | **⚠️ Partial** No prominently documented native Agentforce actions. CloudFiles provides native Agentforce actions across the stack. |

## - **Sharing & engagement analytics**

| **Capability** | **CloudFiles** | **360 SmartDocs** |
|---|---|---|
| Tracked sharing links & analytics: Opens, views, time spent | **✅ Yes** Secure tracked links (password, expiry, disable download) with per-link opens, views, time-spent, and downloads surfaced inside Salesforce. | **⚠️ Partial** Offers delivery and follow-up over email, SMS, and WhatsApp, but not per-page engagement analytics on shared files. CloudFiles surfaces opens, views, and time-spent per link. |
| Experience Cloud / external portal: Clients without Microsoft licences | **✅ Yes** External clients access and upload stored files through Experience Cloud with no Microsoft or SharePoint licence. | **⚠️ Partial** External Experience Cloud file access and upload is not documented. CloudFiles provides it with no Microsoft licence. |

## - **Security, compliance & setup**

| **Capability** | **CloudFiles** | **360 SmartDocs** |
|---|---|---|
| Independent certifications & compliance: SOC 2, ISO 27001 certified · HIPAA, GDPR compliant | **✅ Yes** Independently audited for SOC 2 Type II, certified to ISO 27001, and compliant with HIPAA and GDPR, with a public Trust Portal and US/EU/UK/AU data residency. | **⚠️ Partial** Independent SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications, or HIPAA compliance documentation, are not prominently published on the listing. CloudFiles is independently audited for SOC 2 Type II, certified to ISO 27001, and compliant with HIPAA and GDPR. |
| Setup complexity: Time to go live | **✅ Yes** Self-serve AppExchange install with free setup support. 98% of customers go live within their first week. | **✅ Yes** Setup is quick, but covers generation only; storage, migration, AI, and analytics require a separate product or are unavailable. CloudFiles sets up as easily and includes them. |

## - **Pricing & value**

| **Capability** | **CloudFiles** | **360 SmartDocs** |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model & total value: Capability per dollar | **✅ Yes** Transparent, published pricing with a free trial, modular add-ons, and no mandatory annual lock-in — [see current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing). One platform replaces several point tools. | **⚠️ Partial** [SmartDocs is priced per user](https://360degreecloud.com/product/smartdocs/pricing/), with external storage in a separately priced product, so matching CloudFiles' scope raises the total, and even then there is no AI. CloudFiles includes everything — [see current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing). SmartDocs' [review base (15)](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=994f0c85-2adb-4c30-9e67-40f391c1fc2a) is far smaller than CloudFiles' [220+ AppExchange reviews](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N4V00000Gh9uFUAR). |

## Where the difference is biggest?

### Storage is a separate product, and files stay in Salesforce

SmartDocs stores generated files in Salesforce Files, so it adds to your Salesforce storage rather than reducing it. Managed external storage and file operations require 360 Degree Cloud's separate 360 File Sync product. CloudFiles combines generation and multi-cloud file management in one platform.

### No AI extraction, even with both products

Neither SmartDocs nor its companion storage product reads inbound documents to populate Salesforce fields. CloudFiles Document AI extracts from invoices, contracts, and IDs into Salesforce.

### A perfect rating, but a thin record

SmartDocs holds a 5.0 AppExchange rating, but from only 15 reviews. CloudFiles has 220+ AppExchange reviews across 1,200+ Salesforce customers, a much deeper track record.

### Better value as one platform

Two products from 360 Degree Cloud, still without AI, cost more and cover less than one CloudFiles subscription, which includes generation, storage, migration, AI, and analytics in one subscription — [see current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing).

## Which should you choose?

Neither tool is the right answer for every team. The honest split looks like this.

#### 🚀 Choose CloudFiles if you need

**✅ **Document generation that auto-saves to SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, or S3 and links back to the record.

**✅ **Native Microsoft Office Add-Ins so you reuse existing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint templates without a rebuild.

**✅ **Full file management (upload, preview, move, rename, delete) of external storage from inside Salesforce.

**✅ **Bulk migration of existing Salesforce files to external storage to cut your Salesforce storage bill.

**✅ **AI OCR that extracts data from invoices, contracts, and IDs back into Salesforce fields.

**✅ **Tracked sharing links with per-document engagement analytics inside Salesforce.

**✅ **External portal access for clients via Experience Cloud without a Microsoft licence.

**✅ **Independently verified SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance.

**✅ **One platform, one subscription — [see current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing) — instead of buying generation, storage, e-sign, and analytics separately.

#### 🚀 Consider 360 SmartDocs if you need

👉🏻 You need fast generation and can store outputs inside Salesforce

👉🏻 You are willing to buy a separate product for external storage

👉🏻 You do not need AI extraction or per-document engagement analytics

👉🏻 A [15-review track](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=994f0c85-2adb-4c30-9e67-40f391c1fc2a) record is enough assurance for your use case

See CloudFiles on your own data

Join 1,200+ Salesforce teams using CloudFiles to generate, manage, share, and automate documents across Salesforce and SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, and S3.

[Get on AppExchange →](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N4V00000Gh9uFUAR)

## Frequently asked questions

**Is CloudFiles better than 360 SmartDocs?**

Yes on scope and value. SmartDocs generates documents and stores them in Salesforce Files, so it adds to rather than reduces Salesforce storage, and its external storage is a separate product, 360 File Sync, with no AI extraction. CloudFiles combines generation, multi-cloud storage, migration, AI, and analytics in one product.

**Does 360 SmartDocs manage external storage like SharePoint?**

Not by itself. SmartDocs stores generated files in Salesforce Files. Managed external storage across SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, and S3, and any storage-cost reduction, requires 360 Degree Cloud's separate product, 360 File Sync. CloudFiles includes all of it in one product.

**Does 360 SmartDocs use AI or reduce Salesforce storage?**

No. SmartDocs keeps files in Salesforce Files, so it does not cut your storage bill, and neither it nor its companion storage product extracts data from inbound documents. CloudFiles bulk migration and Document AI do both.

**Is 360 SmartDocs proven and good value?**

SmartDocs holds a 5.0 rating on AppExchange, but from 15 reviews, a much smaller base than CloudFiles' 220+ AppExchange reviews across 1,200+ Salesforce customers. Matching CloudFiles' scope also means buying two products from 360 Degree Cloud while still lacking AI. CloudFiles includes generation, storage, migration, AI, and analytics in one subscription — [see current pricing](https://www.cloudfiles.io/pricing).

**What can CloudFiles do that 360 SmartDocs cannot?**

Manage files across four clouds in the same product, reduce Salesforce storage through migration, extract data with AI, and provide per-page engagement analytics, none of which SmartDocs offers on its own.

**Disclaimer.** This comparison was written by the CloudFiles team. CloudFiles is our product and we have a commercial interest in this comparison. Information about 360 SmartDocs is based on publicly available product documentation, official 360 Degree Cloud documentation, AppExchange listings, and third-party review platforms including G2, Capterra, SoftwareAdvice, and AppExchange reviews, verified as of June 2026. 360 SmartDocs and 360 File Sync are products of 360 Degree Cloud Technologies. Features, capabilities, ratings, and limitations may vary by configuration, plan tier, and updates over time. If any information here is inaccurate or outdated, please contact [marketing@cloudfiles.io](mailto:marketing@cloudfiles.io) and we will correct it promptly.