presentation collaboration tools

Project Management

• Productivity

The 25 Best Online Collaboration Tools of 2024: Work Better Online

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

As more people work remotely, it can be difficult to find the right online collaboration tools for your team. Read on for the 25 best online collaboration tools for chatting, video calls, document and file sharing, project management and more.

Last Updated: 22 May'24 2024-05-22T16:20:47+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

• Slack — The best team chat and communication app
• Zoom – The most popular video conferencing tool
• monday.com — The best project management software
• Sync.com — The most secure cloud storage for sharing files online
• GitHub — The most popular code collaboration tool & online repository

Online work has become ubiquitous in recent times, and businesses and teams depend more and more on online collaboration software . However, with so many co-working apps out there, finding the right ones for your team can get confusing.

To make things easier for you, we’ve put together our picks for the 25 best online collaboration tools for chatting, video calls, document and file sharing, project management and more.

Companies and organizations can greatly benefit from using these tools to organize their office life, and many remote work software tools can be used by individuals, too. Plus, as remote learning becomes commonplace, good online collaboration software can help reduce the distance between teachers and students. These collaboration tools can be very useful, even if you’re just a college student looking for a way to organize your team project.

Our list provides both paid and free options so that you can find the online collaboration tools you need, no matter your budget. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best tools for collaboration online.

Check out our project management courses and grab a limited-time offer. Registration available now!

Updated Sync.com’s plans and pricing information.

Added Box Business to list.

Chat tools are essential for any modern company, and finding a good chat platform can make or break your team’s communication. These tools can ease remote communication and provide a convenient way to share ideas. Plus, most chat apps have useful features, such as file and image sharing .

Some communication tools follow a more traditional route, offering little more than the essential chat functions. On the other hand, apps like Slack give users much more flexibility with lots of customization options. There are even some outside-the-box solutions, like Chanty’s kanban boards and Yammer’s social network-like interface. Let’s look at the best chat apps for teams.

1. Slack — Powerful and Flexible Chat App for Teams

• Plenty of third-party apps
• Great free plan
• Feature-rich
• Comparatively expensive plans

This cloud-based chat app is no stranger to the business world. Slack is one of the biggest names in online communication, and for good reason. It provides everything you would expect, such as real-time messaging and file sharing, and supplements that with over 2,200 third-party app integrations. It has an excellent free plan, though its paid plans are a bit pricey and there are cheaper alternatives to Slack .

• Free plan — $0/month per user
• Standard — $8/month per user
• Plus — $15/month per user
• Enterprise — Contact Slack for pricing

2. Twist — Slow-Paced and Organized Team Chat

• Easy to manage
• Well-organized chat
• Third-party app integration
• Low on extra features
• No voice or video calls

Unlike Slack, Twist doesn’t focus on real-time messaging. Instead, teammates leave comments on different topics, which are organized within channels. This structure makes it easy to keep track of your team’s communication. Plus, there’s an instant messaging function for quick one-on-one communication. It’s cheap too, with an excellent free plan, plus a 50-percent discount for schools and nonprofits.

• Unlimited — $5/month per user

3. Chanty — Messaging App for Productivity

• Innovative interface
• Built-in project management
• No video calls for groups

Chanty is an off-beat chat tool that organizes chats into a kanban-style task board. Team members can be added to a task, which is a chat room and an item on a kanban board at the same time. It may sound a little odd, but it can be a great way to improve productivity because you’ll always know how far along your team’s tasks are. The free version has some limitations, but thankfully Chanty’s paid plan is very cheap.

• Business — $4/month per user

4. Flock — Cheaper Slack Alternative

• Plenty of features
• Extra features not very useful
• Limited free plan

Flock markets itself as a cheaper version of Slack, and it offers similar functionality. It has instant messaging, with communication organized into channels, just like Slack. There’s even a good number of app integrations.

Its pricing isn’t that great, though, being only slightly cheaper than Slack, plus its free plan has a few features cut out or significantly limited.

• Pro — $6/month per user
• Enterprise — $10/month per user

5. Rocket.Chat — Open-Source Messaging App

• Highly customizable
• Open-source
• Complicated setup
• Confusing pricing plans

Rocket.Chat is one of the most customizable chat apps thanks to its open-source nature. With a bit of coding know-how, you can tailor Rocket.Chat to fit your exact needs. You can even save a few bucks by using the self-hosted free version. However, its features can get confusing and the setup is complicated. Some features are limited to the more expensive paid plans, as well.

• Community — $0/month per user
• Bronze — $2/month per user
• Silver — $4/month per user
• Gold — Contact Rocket.Chat for pricing

Video Conferencing Tools

Although chat apps can facilitate fast communication, there’s nothing like a face-to-face conversation. Video conferencing software has become indispensable because of social distancing norms, with the likes of Zoom becoming household names. Here are our picks for the best video conferencing tools.

6. Zoom — Easy-to-Use and Reliable Video Conferencing Tool

• Superb call quality
• Easy to use
• Rich in features
• Not the cheapest option

One of the top online collaboration tools for students, Zoom has proven itself to be a favorite for schools and businesses alike, offering excellent video and audio quality, as well as stable connections. You can even set a virtual background if you like.

Although its free plan can host up to 100 people in a single call, that call length is limited to 40 minutes. The paid plans offer more call time and participants, but Zoom is costlier than other communication tools.

• Basic — $0/month per user
• Pro — $14.99/month per user
• Business — $19.99/month per user
• Enterprise — $19.99/month per user

7. Google Meet — Video Conferencing by Google

• Google G Suite integration
• Add features via extensions
• Affordable plans
• Some features require extensions

Google Meet comes with the G Suite, along with Google Drive and Google’s document-editing apps. It’s pretty cheap, with a free option that can host up to 100 participants for an hour-long meeting. It also integrates well with Google’s other services. For example, you can schedule Meet calls in the Calendar app. It’s missing some features, though, such as a built-in whiteboard, which you can only get as a third-party extension.

• Google Workspace Essentials — $8/month per user
• Google Workspace Enterprise — Contact Google for pricing

8. Microsoft Teams — Powerful Yet Affordable Video Calling App

• Many advanced features
• Bundled with Microsoft apps
• Excellent value
• Account required for calls

Microsoft has been integrating the popular Skype for Business into its Teams platform for a while, and by July 2021 , it will be completely folded in. Teams comes packaged with the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite, which includes OneDrive cloud storage and the Office 365 apps. Microsoft 365 is surprisingly cheap while offering more cloud storage than G Suite. Microsoft Teams is also available for free, but it requires signing in.

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic — $5/month per user (billed annually)
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard — $12/month per user (billed annually)
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium — $20/month per user (billed annually)

9. GoTo Meeting — High-Quantity Video Conferencing at a Price

• Up to 3,000 call participants
• High-quality video

GoTo Meeting is an enterprise-oriented video conferencing app. It offers HD video chat and comes with some nice features, such as screen sharing and a whiteboard. It can host a high volume of participants, up to 3,000 for its highest precinct tier. However, its pricing can leave your wallet feeling light, especially because its free plan hosts up to only three people.

• Professional — $12.50/month per user
• Enterprise — Contact GoTo Meeting for pricing

10. Whereby — One-Click Video Conferencing

• No login required
• Limited number of call participants
• Paid plans don’t offer value

Formerly known as Appear.in, the newly rebranded Whereby is an excellent choice for small businesses and teams. It offers a one-click solution for video chatting by sharing a link to your chat room. The free version is limited to four participants, and the paid plans upgrade that only up to 50 participants. Small teams and students will benefit the most from Whereby’s free plan.

• Pro — $9.99/month
• Business — $59.99/month

Project Management Tools

Project management tools help your company organize its projects by giving you an overview of your team’s tasks. The best online project management software can help your team power through tasks and reach deadlines by laying out tasks and timelines in an accessible manner.

Here, we’ve laid out our favorite online team collaboration tools for project organization.

11. Monday.com — Project Management Made Simple

• Uncomplicated
• Reasonably priced
• Different project views
• No full free version
• Lacks subtasks

Monday.com is an excellent cloud-based project management tool. It’s easy to use, organizing your team’s work into tasks, with different ways of displaying tasks, such as timelines and charts. There are many ways to customize tasks and add fields to them, but you can’t subdivide your team members’ tasks.

Monday.com is a cheap collaboration tool for small businesses, which comes with a 14-day free trial .

• Maximum users: 2
• Minimum users: 3
• Enterprise-level features.

12. Asana — Cheerful Task Management Tool

• Motivates your team
• Task subdivision
• Straightforward interface
• Complex customer support

Asana focuses on managing tasks , rather than project management. It’s easy to use, with a list of tasks that you divide into subtasks. Asana motivates your team with “celebrations,” which reward users for getting a task done, usually with a little animated unicorn. It has a generous free plan for up to 15 team members, plus its paid plans are well-priced, if not the cheapest.

• Up to 10 users
• Price is per user. unlimited users, expanded features
• Price is per user. unlimited users, even more features
• Custom pricing, advanced security features

13. Trello — Kanban Board for Simple Team Projects

• Convenient for simple tasks
• Easy to learn
• Lacks features
• Low value for its price

Trello isn’t the most feature-filled collaborative tool out there, but it can be useful for teams that don’t need more than a basic Kanban board . Trello’s interface makes it easy to learn, offering only an overview of your tasks. You can comment on tasks, but you can’t divide or edit them in any meaningful way.

• Unlimited users, 10 boards, Unlimited power-ups, Unlimited storage
• Price is per user, Unlimited boards, Custom fields, Invite guests
• Price is per user, Several new views
• Price is per user, Advanced admin & security settings

14. Wrike — Collaboration Platform Packed With Features

• Good project management
• Can be complicated to use
• Sparse UX design

No matter how complicated your team’s projects are, Wrike can probably handle it all . Wrike has subtasks, calendars, event streams, in-depth reports, Gantt charts and more. The downside to this approach is that its interface can get a little complicated. Surprisingly, all those features won’t drain your wallet, and there’s a free plan, as well, albeit somewhat limited.

• Unlimited users. Basic features.
• Price is per user. Plans for 5, 10 and 15 users.
• Price is per user. No monthly option. Plans for 5 to 200 users.
• Plans for 5 to an unlimited number of users.

15. TeamGantt — Timelines for Team Collaboration

• Intuitive interface
• Time tracking features
• Few third-party integrations

If Gantt charts are what your team needs, TeamGantt has them in its name . TeamGantt makes time tracking easy by organizing your projects into a timeline that gives you an overview of what is going on and when. Its interface is intuitive and easy to pick up. TeamGantt offers a free plan for up to three users, but its paid plans are expensive for what they offer.

• 2 users (1 manager)

Document & File Sharing Tools

File sharing is indispensable for any team’s collaboration effort. Cloud storage services, such as Box , let you store and share files, and document editor integration lets multiple team members collaborate on a single file. Some cloud services have specific features that help your team members work together on documents .

It’s imperative that the sharing platform doesn’t interrupt the flow of teamwork. The best file-sharing tools can lead your team members to success by offering comprehensive sharing and permission editing features. Here are our favorite collaboration tools for sharing.

16. Sync.com — The Best Cloud Storage for Sharing

• Advanced sharing options
• Light on the wallet
• User interface needs work
• Slower sync speeds

Sync.com is a cloud storage platform, and it’s our favorite service for sharing files , along with pCloud. It has a smattering of sharing options, including password-protected sharing links, expiry dates, download limits, link activity tracking and more. Sync.com has a killer free plan , but its advanced sharing options are only available with its very affordable paid plans .

• Price per user
• Unlimited GB

17. Box Business — File Storage With Productivity App Integrations

• Robust sharing features
• Native collaboration apps
• No time limit on versioning

Box Business is a cloud storage solution aimed squarely at teams and businesses. It offers unlimited storage on most of its plans and has extensive file and document sharing options. It comes with a document collaboration tool called Box Notes, which functions similarly to Google Drive in that it lets you upload and edit documents in conjunction with others in real time.

• Single user
• Price per user, minimum of three users
• Users: No limit

18. Google Docs — Powerful Document Editing for Teams

• Permissions-based sharing
• Great document editing
• Completely free
• Google’s privacy issues

Google Docs is one of the best free online collaboration tools because of its tight integration with the rest of the G Suite, most importantly Google Drive’s cloud storage . All of your Docs files are kept in Google Drive, which lets you share them and set detailed editing permissions. Docs is free for all Google users, plus it comes with G Suite for teams that collaborate using Google.

• *The plan is “hidden.” To find the 200GB plan, you need to be subscribed to one of the other plans, upgrade or downgrade to the 200GB through your account’s settings.

19. Microsoft Office 365 — Tried and Tested Document Editing

• Fantastic document editor
• Full MS ecosystem integration
• Sharing features could be better

Microsoft Office needs no introduction, and Office 365 is its online incarnation. Office 365 comes as a part of the cheaply priced Microsoft 365 package, and it’s also available for free for standalone use. It integrates with OneDrive, which lets you share files for team collaboration, similar to Google Drive and Docs, though its sharing features leave something to be desired.

• Microsoft 365 Apps — $8.25/month per user (billed annually)

20. Dropbox Business — Cloud Storage for Collaboration

• G Suit/Office 365 integration
• Great sharing options
• Paid plans are expensive

Dropbox is a household name , with millions of subscribers around the world. It’s a mature cloud storage service with stellar sharing options. You can share editing or viewing links, restrict downloads, and set passwords and expiration dates for links. Best of all, Dropbox integrates with Office 365 and G Suite. Its paid plans might be a little north of your budget, but you can try them out for free for 30 days.

• minimum 3 users
• Price per user, 30-day free trial (minimum 3 users)
• Price & storage per user, 30-day free trial. (minimum 3 users)
• minimum 1 user

Other Online Collaboration Tools

Not all collaboration tools fit into an exact category. Some collaboration software just refuses to be put into a box, finding its own niche of users by offering something that competitors don’t. The following services are all top-notch software for collaboration that doesn’t fit into any of our previous categories, but we still believe they are some of the best online collaboration tools.

21. GitHub — Project Management for Coding Teams

• Built-in team communication
• Public & private repositories
• Excellent free plan
• The interface isn’t intuitive

GitHub is a code hosting site that helps teams of coders collaborate on projects. If you need to work together with other programmers, GitHub can help your team keep track of all the different versions of your project’s code, and it provides communication tools to help teams coordinate better. Its free plan is generous, and its paid plans are affordable, even for freshly baked programmers working out of their garage.

• Team — $4/month per user
• Enterprise — $21/month per user
• GitHub One — Contact GitHub for pricing

22. Invision — UX Design Prototyping for Teams

• Sharing & feedback options
• Interactive prototypes
• Project administration options are only for the most expensive package

Invision can help get your projects off the ground by offering powerful tools for creating an intuitive user experience. Invision lets you create app prototypes with clickable buttons, which you can then share with your teammates and clients. You can even get feedback right within Invision, plus manage your project via its dashboard. Small teams can use the free plan, but larger projects will require a paid subscription.

• Pro — $9.95/month per user
• Enterprise — Contact Invision for pricing

23. Time Doctor — Easy-to-Use Time Management Software

• Powerful time tracking
• Third-party integrations
• Some features are intrusive

If you’re having a hard time keeping track of your team member’s work, Time Doctor can help with that. Time Doctor is a time management service that gives team leaders a real-time overview of what team members are doing. Its default settings let teammates check in and out of tasks, but it has some intrusive options, as well, such as scheduled screenshotting.

• Basic — $7/month for one user, pay extra for more users
• Standard — $10/month for one user, pay extra for more users
• Premium — $20/month for one user, pay extra for more users
• Enterprise — Contact Time Doctor for pricing

24. MindMeister — Brainstorming Visualized

• Mind maps & mood boards
• Not too useful after the initial concept phase

MindMeister is a collaboration tool that lets teams visualize ideas for their projects by creating mind maps. These mind maps are presented as bubble diagrams that can link written ideas and images together. This can be very helpful in the early stages of projects but isn’t too useful for project development. There’s a free version that has some limitations and a paid version that’s very affordable.

• Basic plan — $0/month per user
• Personal — $4.99/month per user
• Pro — $8.25/month per user
• Business — $12.49/month per user

25. Usersnap — Bug Reporting in Your Browser

• Simple bug reporting
• Browser feedback tools
• No free version

Usersnap is a quality assurance and collaboration tool that lets you comment on website bugs and issues in the browser, without requiring an extra bug reporting app. It’s one of the best online collaboration tools for website designers because clients don’t need to create an account to leave feedback. Unfortunately, its pricing is a bit high for what it provides, and there’s no free plan.

• Basic — $29/month
• Startup — $79/month
• Company — $149/month
• Enterprise — Contact Usersnap for pricing

Final Thoughts

Online collaboration is here to stay, and your business needs to find the right tools for it. Online teamwork tools can help your company find a workflow that fits its style, and a communication platform that will let teammates collaborate the way they need to.

That’s it for our roundup of the best online collaborative tools for business. We hope you’ve found the right fit for your team’s projects in one of these 25 services. Did your favorite productivity tool make it onto the list? Which collaboration tools does your company use? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below. Thank you for reading.

Online collaboration tools help teams and businesses improve their workflow by setting and keeping track of individual team members’ tasks. Some collaboration tools have specific uses, such as code versioning or bug reporting, while others are used for messaging, video calls or sharing files.

The world has seen the shutdown of public life with the 2020 pandemic, and many businesses have been forced to move their work online. It’s since become apparent that online collaboration can be a valid alternative to office work. Online co-working tools are now abundant and high quality, and you can find apps for every niche at a low cost, too.

• What Are Online Collaboration Tools? Online collaboration tools help teams and businesses improve their workflow by setting and keeping track of individual team members’ tasks. Some collaboration tools have specific uses, such as code versioning or bug reporting, while others are used for messaging, video calls or sharing files.
• Why Should I Use Online Collaboration Tools? The world has seen the shutdown of public life with the 2020 pandemic, and many businesses have been forced to move their work online. It’s since become apparent that online collaboration can be a valid alternative to office work. Online co-working tools are now abundant and high quality, and you can find apps for every niche at a low cost, too.

I would like to say a big thank You for your article 🙂 Indeed working remotely not every time seems to be easy- I really lack contact with my teammates. I like online collaborative tools, especially kanbantool.com – helps me to organize all tasks and fulfill my working day. I really like the simple system that Kanban offers 🙂

I agree with you, Lara. Kanbantool.com really helps to collaborate remotely in a more efficient way. I like that you can see what your colleagues did when you were absent, everything is clearly visible on the board. That’s very helpful.

Dear Aleksandar, Thank you for the list, but I do not understand based on what you decided those are the best. I am looking for a Collaboration tool that can be connected via API to an ERP solution and no one seems to give me that solution.

• What Is AWS? Explaining Amazon’s Most Profitable Division in 2024
• How to Watch Porn in Louisiana and Unblock Pornhub Without an ID in 2024
• How to Unblock Pornhub in 2024: Best Virtual Private Network for Porn
• Kape Technologies Buys ExpressVPN: What You Need to Know in 2024
• 2024 VPN Speed Comparison: 7 VPNs Tested for Upload, Download and Latency
• What Is ExpressVPN Aircove Router & How Does It Work in 2024?

How to choose the best collaboration tools for your organization

Do you have the right tools to keep everyone in the loop?

By the team at Slack March 15th, 2024

Collaboration in today’s dynamic environment isn’t just about sitting in meetings and brainstorming on whiteboards. Teams dispersed around the world still need to solve problems and make important decisions as if they’re in the same room. Providing organizations with the right blend tools to do their best is half the battle. After all, you wouldn’t give someone a steak knife to cut a tree, no matter how sharp that steak knife is.

You need the right mix of tools to collaborate, innovate, track projects and ensure everyone is on the same page. Let’s take a closer look at what modern collaboration tools can do for you and the different types of collaboration tools you should consider using.

What can collaboration tools do for you?

The right collaboration tech stack brings everyone together to work efficiently, whether they’re in Argentina or Zimbabwe. Understanding how various digital collaboration tools support team collaboration will help you assemble the right mix to keep employees happy and productive.

What is a collaboration tool?

A team collaboration tool is an online service or software that allows people to work together digitally via messaging, group chat, file sharing, project management tools, shared calendaring, workflow automation, voice and video calls, and more.

As the modern workplace extends beyond the four walls of an office building, these remote collaboration tools have become indispensable. Moreover, companies can manage these platforms centrally to streamline administrative tasks and archive conversation history for reference.

How do these digital tools support team collaboration?

Collaboration tools have transformed how teams communicate, share information and work together. They improve real-time communication through features like messaging, live chat and video conferencing while reducing the dependency on lengthy email threads, to enable faster decision-making.

These tools can also facilitate seamless document sharing and co-editing to foster teamwork and reduce errors by ensuring that everyone sees the most current information. Many tools also offer project management features for teams to organize tasks, set milestones and track progress right where they work.

Meanwhile, workflow automation streamlines repetitive tasks and reduces bottlenecks so team members can focus on strategic and creative aspects of their work. Cloud-based storage improves accessibility, enabling employees to view and edit documents from anywhere with an internet connection to enhance productivity.

Collaboration tools can also serve as centralized information hubs to promote transparency while keeping everyone on the same page. You can create an environment that fosters cross-functional innovation, breaks down silos and streamlines decision-making.

Tailor your collaboration tool stack to meet team needs

Your collaboration tool stack must include a thoughtful selection of software that aligns with each team’s objectives, workflows and communication preferences to help everyone perform at their best. Here are the most common types:

Web-based productivity tools for remote teams

These cloud-based collaboration tools are the bread and butter of the remote working era, allowing employees to work together in real time from anywhere. Instant chat and messaging keep everyone in the loop—re-creating an environment where you shout over your shoulder and someone will answer your question.

Most tools offer video-conferencing capabilities to facilitate virtual face-to-face meetings, presentations and discussions. Cloud-based file editing lets team members work on a document together while eliminating version control challenges. Meanwhile, centralized file storage and sharing with access control ensure data security and allow the right people to get the right information 24/7.

Visual, real-time collaboration tools

Imagine trying to describe a complex flow chart to someone over the phone; it just wouldn’t work. Cloud-based visual collaboration tools come to the rescue.

These tools aren’t just for designers. Project boards and cards help users visually manage tasks, assign team members and track progress. Meanwhile, virtual whiteboards support real-time visual collaboration, brainstorming and diagramming by allowing multiple users to contribute and edit visual content simultaneously.

Agile collaboration tools

These tools are designed to support the agile methodology and flexible workflows for managing tasks and sprints. Their customizable interfaces enable teams to respond quickly, prioritize tasks and allocate resources effectively. They also provide collaborative documentation and knowledge-sharing capabilities and support version-tracking features essential for an iterative approach.

Asynchronous collaboration tools

It’s hard to get anything done if every app pings and dings all day, requiring your immediate response. Asynchronous collaboration tools facilitate workflows and communication without real-time interactions, allowing employees to review and respond at their own pace. They’re best for collaborative documentation (e.g. wikis and knowledge bases), managing a shared to-do list and providing regular project updates.

Best collaboration tools of 2024

The best team collaboration tools must connect people, data and technology. Apps in your collaboration stack should work seamlessly together via robust integration features. Also, look for cutting-edge technologies like generative AI and automation capabilities to supercharge your team’s creativity and productivity. Here are our top picks for 2024 and beyond.

With over 30 million active users, Slack is where the magic happens. It supports synchronous and asynchronous communications with features like chat, click-and-drag file sharing, audio and video calls, screen-sharing, polls, status updates and notifications. The rich profile features make it feel like you’re in the same room with your colleagues by seeing if they’re offline, in a meeting or too knee-deep in another task to give you an immediate response.

You can create channels for specific teams, projects or other themes. The conversations are organized into threads so users can follow discussions most relevant to them. The platform also integrates with numerous over 2,600 popular collaboration and productivity tools , allowing you to connect the dots and access your favorite tools without having a gazillion tabs open and still get lost in a pile of chats, threads and emails.

So, how good is Slack? Our customer success metrics show that Slack increases employee engagement by 36%, while 89% of users say Slack has improved their communication.

Video calls are the staple of team collaboration. But if you feel they just “aren’t quite there,” you’re not alone. Around is a sleek and minimalistic video-conferencing app replicating the vibe of a dynamic workplace instead of a stiff conference table. As it says on its website, the app is “the ping-pong table, redefined.”

The AI-powered camera and unique interface enhance interactions while ensuring everything is at your fingertips. For example, you can switch among multiple apps without the awkward silence where you spend what seems like forever to find a tab. Moreover, the Slack integration allows you to start meetings with one click and automatically send meeting notes right from Slack.

Replace semi-legible whiteboard scribbles, unwieldy Excel sheets and coffee-stained sticky notes with this project management tool based on Kanban boards. You can get a bird’s-eye view of the status of projects, sub-projects and deliverables or move the digital prompt cards around to track progress and assign tasks.

The app allows you to create checklists and assign comments to cards to keep relevant dialogs in one place. You can also automate tasks to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. Of course, Trello integrates with Slack , so anyone from your Slack workspace can join your Trello boards with one click.

Getting everyone onto the same page (and staying there) while working in different time zones and locations can be a major headache. How do you make all the protocols, workflows, standards, brand guidelines, etc., available, sharable and readily updatable? Enter Notion, the secure online wiki that helps you keep it all together.

Notion’s AI feature allows you to query all of your data and information to get answers and even autofill tables. Meanwhile, you can use the versatile interface to create galleries, establish timelines, manage workflows, build searchable databases and more. With our integration , you can update a Notion database with a Slack message.

There’s a lot more to collaboration than verbal content. Facial expressions and body language are essential for conveying the nuances of a message. Zoom is the go-to cloud-based video-conferencing platform for one-on-one conversations, meetings, conferences, webinars and town halls.

Use Zoom to chat with colleagues, share files and record meetings. With the Slack integration , you can start Zoom meetings from any Slack channel, private group or direct message. You can also share a Zoom Whiteboard with any Slack channel or direct message.

Building your dream collaboration stack is easier than ever

A collaboration stack is any remote team’s lifeline. You must choose the right tools to fit your communication needs, support your workflows and match your teams’ working style and preferences.

Slack provides the home base to keep it all together. You can automate virtually anything with your apps inside Slack. With our numerous integrations , you can connect the tools your team loves, getting more from them every time they use Slack. The proof is in the pudding: 1M+ apps are in active use each week and 700K+ users have built automated workflows in Slack. Try Slack for free to see what’s possible.

• Communication

Was this post useful?

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Thanks for your feedback.

Oops! We're having trouble. Please try again later!

Keep reading

A crash course on the art of external business communication.

Effective external communication strategies can go a long way for business success

Internal communication in business: barriers, benefits and strategies to consider

How cohesive internal communication strategies drive company success

The best collaboration tools for remote teams

Learn about the best tools and technologies for remote and hybrid teams using Slack.

10 tips for mastering time management at work

Time management at work is key to optimizing productivity

Try Slack with your team for free

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

10 best collaboration tools to level up remote teamwork

Jump to section

What are collaboration tools?

6 types of collaboration tools.

How to choos the right team collaboration tools

The 10 best collaboration tools for your team

Create a system that works for you.

Remote work requires just as much collaboration as in-person — if not more.

Online, you still attend brainstorming sessions , project retrospectives, and Friday afternoon coffee breaks with far-off colleagues. You still need to ask questions and communicate with coworkers on the daily.

Collaboration tools make all of that teamwork and social interaction possible. They support asynchronous communication for team members in different time zones, let people access documentation and knowledge bases at all hours, and support video streams for face-to-face communication .

But with the rise of hybrid and remote work has come a rise of remote tools. Choose the right ones for your team by reading up on the features, limitations, and focuses of the best collaboration tools the industry has to offer. 

Digital collaboration tools are software that help remote teams connect. Anything from an instant messaging service like Slack to a calendar app like Google Calendar falls into this category. Each one gives geographically diverse teams the chance to collaborate online without hiccups.

According to a study from McKinsey, more and more companies are offering purely digital products instead of physical ones. Consumers spend more time online, and businesses want to meet them there. That’s one reason why a growing number of offices are relocating to digital platforms, whether they follow a hybrid structure or are purely remote.

Some collaboration platforms specialize in certain kinds of features, and others combine the power of several. This means that you can choose from all-in-one software or create a bespoke mix of tools, using one to communicate , another to document share, and so on. 

Here are the six main categories of collaboration tools to consider:

1. Whiteboards

Some analog tools are so helpful that companies have found ways to revamp them for the digital age. Teams that once enjoyed brainstorming on physical whiteboards can now use online versions. Platforms offering this tool sometimes couple it with video conferencing so teams can feel like they’re in the same room. 

2. Project management tools

Contemporary project management tools streamline work by managing to-do lists and timelines in the same place. They let you plan projects and sprints, assign tasks, and provide all the context someone needs to complete their work. Project management tools usually have a broad range of features, which means they also vary widely.

3. Calendars

The beauty of cloud-based calendars is they take the work out of syncing up. Unlike an analog calendar, these tools automatically calculate time differences for remote teams, send out meeting reminders, and allow everyone to check their colleagues’ availability. 

4. Instant messaging

Instant messaging platforms allow teammates who live in different time zones to communicate and collaborate at any time. These platforms also facilitate brief exchanges, like quick questions that don’t need to be an email or meeting, and real-time informal conversations that support workplace friendships . 

5. File-sharing tools

File-sharing tools let you access documents and data on a centralized, organized platform. Instead of emailing documents around or asking someone for a file, you simply search for and grab the information you need. And most file-sharing tools have custom organization and access options so data stays secure.

6. Video conferencing tools

Video conferencing tools like Zoom make it possible for teams to sit in a virtual room together and discuss their work in real-time. These platforms often have a chat component for side conversations or rolling questions as well as screen-sharing capability. Some also have features that lighten the mood, like filters and background replacement. 

How to choose the right team collaboration tools

There’s a teamwork tool for every need, and many platforms provide a unique mix of features that tick off several requirements at once. But chances are, you still need to use more than one. Use the following tips to choose the suitable suite for your group:

Get the most out of one tool: There’s no need to split functions like calendar sharing, project management, and video conferencing between several apps. Try making a list of the tools your team needs, and research platforms centralizing these features. 

Minimize onboarding: Collaboration platforms should streamline work, not complicate it. Look for easy-to-use tools that let you quickly migrate data. Avoid platforms with features your team will never take advantage of, especially if you’re paying more for them. 

Consider your ways of working: Find platforms that match your existing workflow. Implementing new tools inevitably causes some disruption, but minimizing that disruption will save everyone time and energy. If your team runs Agile projects , you’ll need a tool to collaboratively build Scrum boards and track sprints. And if your team is always scribbling on a whiteboard or drawing mindmaps, you’ll need one that supports visual brainstorming.

Once you know your team's needs and the type of software you’re looking for, you still need to consider things like price, features, and customization. Here are some top options and what makes them an excellent choice for team players :

1. Slack 

Slack is an online collaboration tool that helps remote teams connect via messaging. Everyone can send instant messages, create group chats and channels, and attach images and documents. Slack is also searchable, so you can quickly locate messages on a particular topic or previously shared files. Overall, this tool is a great way for remote teams to collaborate without the potential waiting period of email.

Asana is remote management software with a collaborative edge. It allows teams to create tasks, timelines, and custom workflows in one place, all while tracking progress. The platform offers additional features like shared calendars and project reporting. Plus, it integrates with many common tools like Gmail, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, so you can easily use the apps you already know and enjoy.

Trello ’s collaborative project management tools run on the Kanban model , letting teams visualize to-lists, in-progress tasks, and completed work quickly and easily. You can create comprehensive task cards with images and chats so all details are in one place. There are also automation options to streamline your flow. And like Asana, Trello integrates with other popular platforms like Outlook and Google Drive. It might not have in-depth project management features like some other tools, but it’s a simple way to track tasks collaboratively.

4. Google Workspace 

Google Workspace combines the power of Gmail with document storage, shareable calendars, and video calls — all in one suite of tools. Your team can chat, give everyone access to files, and meet up virtually with this platform. And it combines several features you likely already use, making it a great option for cohesive and easy collaboration . 

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic . Its intuitive meeting rooms include features like chats, screen sharing, and breakout sessions, making it a robust, highly-functional meeting tool. 

Zoom also has helpful language features, like the ability to caption a meeting or webinar, which aids accessibility for remote offices . You can also record and revisit sessions whenever you want, which is an excellent feature for teams in different time zones where not everyone is always present. Zoom’s cloud storage hosts it for you so you don’t have to take up computer space. 

Figma gives teams a space to design products together with real-time collaboration, even for those working from home . Team members can co-create vision boards , make quick prototypes, and plan work on an interactive whiteboard. It’s an excellent choice for web and software development teams because it has a specific platform for coding digital interfaces. Figma also integrates with dozens of community-generated plugins and provides templates to streamline work. 

Miro is a visual collaboration tool that helps teams plan projects, run meetings , and brainstorm. With virtual sticky notes and mind-mapping boards, it’ll feel like you’re planning in a traditional meeting room. Miro users can link up with over 100 integrations, like Google Docs or Jira. And according to its website, 99% of Fortune 100 companies use the app.

Notion is an all-in-one project management and collaboration software. It boasts AI-assisted writing and notetaking, templates that facilitate planning, and document-sharing features. Notion supports whatever way a group works, whether it practices Agile, plans with Gantt charts, or prefers more lightweight project planning like simple to-do lists. 

Monday makes every day of the week easier for remote teams . The detailed project management platform has a solution for everything, from development project planning to human resource management . 

Monday features virtual roadmapping tools, custom workflows, and project-planning task boards that keep teams aligned, no matter where their members are on the globe. Monday also lets you centralize everything you do, supporting file sharing and communication integrations with third-party tools like Slack. 

10. ClickUp

ClickUp ’s multi-purpose task management system is a great option for wide-reaching teams working on large-scale projects. Its main draw is hyper-organized task boards that allow unlimited custom fields so you include all the information your team needs on every card, but it also has Miro-style whiteboards and Notion-style docs to help you communicate remotely. If you want just one software that does it all, ClickUp is a good place to start. 

There may be many collaboration tools on the market, but there’s only one right option for your team. This could be an all-in-one project management and communication platform or a bespoke suite of tools your team pulls together. It’s up to you and your work style.

Strong team collaboration promotes open communication , clear plans, and more streamlined work. Avoid information silos and lost messages with tools that help far-flung colleagues form real connections .

Thrive in your workplace

Connect with our Coaches to build stronger workplace relationships and cultivate a culture that drives success.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

12 benefits of teamwork that showcase the power of collaboration

Team collaboration 101: learning the art of working together, 13 benefits of collaboration your organization needs to know, 5 tips for breaking down silos and fostering collaboration at work, collaboration at work: the secret to getting better results, a look at the types of work relationships: finding your people, the importance of teamwork for agility at work, communication is key in the workplace. here's how to improve, want to thrive at work learn these essential teamwork skills, similar articles, 10 ways to become your best self, why face-to-face communication matters (even with remote work), what is asynchronous communication, 14 tools to increase employee engagement in 2024, 9 project management (pm) tools that help you get the job done, the 10 best work productivity tools to maximize your time, 15 best organization apps for life and work, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead™
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care®
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

Best online collaboration tool of 2024

Paid and free communication tools for work sharing

Best overall

Best for tools, best for comms, best all-in-one, best for tracking, best for organizing, best for mobile, best for ease-of-use, best for channels, best platform, best for designers, how we test.

The best online collaboration software makes it simple and easy for teams to work together on on projects using the same core files.

1. Best overall 2. Best for tools 3. Best for comms 4. Best all-in-one 5. Best for tracking 6. Best for organizing 7. Best for mobile 8. Best for ease-of-use 9. Best for channels 10. Best platform 11. Best for designers 12. FAQs 13. How we test

Since the pandemic and roll-out of remote working, collaboration has become the new normal in the workplace. Since employees can no longer be expected to work from the same location, this means the ability for teams to share, use, and edit files at a distance has become essential for productivity .

However, collaboration tools aren't simply limited to office software such as Microsoft docs and spreadsheets, but could be anything from using cloud document storage for managing daily tasks, to video conferencing for online meetings. Even better is that the best collaboration tools will work just as well on mobile devices as well as desktops and laptops.

Above all, everything should be clear, easy to understand, simply to use and reduce misunderstanding. Every employee should be empowered to be able to speak to the right person, wherever they are in the company, to address the same problem. And then solve that problem within an acceptable workflow.

The days of collaborative working are here, so below we list what we think are the best collaboration tools currently available.

We've also featured the best task management apps .

Reader Offer: Start for free with 3 editable boards Miro's digital collaboration tool is a visual workspace where you can work with sticky notes online and numerous other features. Start for free today and get access to 3 editable boards and 2500+ templates.

 Preferred partner ( What does this mean? ) 

The best online collaboration tools of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

1. Microsoft 365

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Microsoft Office may not be the first platform you think of when it comes to collaboration, but this now runs at the heart of the Microsoft 365 cloud-based office suite.

This is important because Microsoft Office remains the most used and therefore important office suite out there, and while there are competitors such as OpenOffice and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) they still haven't caught up to the same level of functionality and ease of use.

Therefore as Microsoft Office is likely to be at the heart of many businesses, the move to Microsoft 365 offers a number of advantages, not least the ability for teams to collaborate directly on the same set of documents. This could be anything from work shifts in an Excel spreadsheet, to a presentation in PowerPoint, to client reports written in Word.

Added to this is that Microsoft Teams now comes bundled with a number of Microsoft 365 packages, allowing for Unified Communications integrated with the traditional office software.

What makes Microsoft 365 more attractive is that as a cloud-hosted platform it can be used not just with Windows, but also Mac, Android, and iOS.

Overall, Microsoft 365 doesn't simply offer a great office suite, but one that is also firmly designed for collaboration and sharing with teams.

Read our full Microsoft 365 review .

• ^ Back to the top

2. Google Workspace

Reasons to avoid.

Google Workspace (formerly called G Suite) is Google's answer to Microsoft 365, and more. This is one of the best platforms you can choose for an organization because it comes with a lot of features. 

Think of this software as the enterprise version of all the popular Google tools you use. For instance, you can create custom business emails for staff that uses the same interface as the popular Gmail app. People can create and edit documents collaboratively on Google Docs; you’ll see any changes in real time, and anyone is free to make comments and suggestions for any changes.

There's Meet, a video-conferencing solution for enterprises; this tool for valuable for colleagues to stay in touch with each other, especially for remote companies. There’s also Google Chat, a messaging tool for enterprises; Google Drive for file sharing; Google Sheets for spreadsheets; and a shared calendar tool that enables colleagues to keep tabs on each other’s schedules. These tools are what you’ll get access to as a Google Workspace subscriber.

A Starter plan includes 30GB storage per user and a maximum of 100 participants in video meetings. The Standard plan includes 2TB of storage and up to 150 participants in video meetings. The Plus plan includes 5TB of storage per user and up to 500 participants in video meetings. There's also an Enterprise plan that offers as much storage and video meeting participants as you need; this plan has no standard pricing, so you'll have to contact the sales team for a quote.

Read our full Google Workspace review . 

Slack is without doubt a mighty collaboration tool, with millions of users around the globe. It’s an incredibly smart platform, and you can get it on mobile and desktop devices. It allows for the sending of direct messages (DMs) and files to a single person or a group of employees, and there’s the ability to organize conversations into different channels (perhaps for specific projects, one for technical support, general chat, and so forth).

The app also supports video calling. You can use the feature to talk to your colleagues about projects and work in-depth, without having to type everything into a DM. While this isn’t a replacement for cloud storage services, you are able to drag, drop and share files with your colleagues directly within Slack. It’s also compatible with services such as Google Drive, Dropbox and Box.

To round things off, Slack even has a free version, although unsurprisingly it has limitations (in terms of the number of messages stored, overall storage space and so forth). 

Read our full Slack review .

Miro is one of those online tools that aims to bridge the gap between traditional office working and the modern hybrid routine that many of us are familiar with. It is best described as a multipurpose online collaboration tool, and its list of features is pretty extensive stretching beyond the typical realms of similar software.

The majority of the work you’ll end up doing in Miro will revolve around what it calls boards, which start off as entirely blank spaces. Setting one up from scratch can be daunting and time-consuming, which is why the company has designed templates that you can pick from the get-go.

Some of its most commonly accessed templates include mind maps, Kanban boards, flowcharts, product roadmaps, and timelines. Many of these will serve well as project management tools, and anybody familiar with other project management software like Airtable or Trello will already be familiar with how they work.

Overall, we think Miro is hard to beat. Its long list of features should cover all parts of a typical business process from research and design to presentation, and its collaboration abilities are second to none. Furthermore, its transparency around security and reasonable pricing make it hard for us not to recommend it. The only thing we could wish for is better support channels.

Read our full Miro review .

Asana has been around since 2008, making it a veteran in the collaboration arena, and companies such as Intel , Uber, Pinterest and TED all use it as their core method of communication.

It’s been designed as an easy way for companies to track the work of employees and to get the best possible results. Using the platform, you can create to-do lists for ongoing projects, set reminders for upcoming deadlines and send requests to colleagues. Team members can also assign comments to posts within the app.

You can organize all your projects in a list or board format, and there’s a search function so you can locate past work quickly. In short, Asana is a very effective way to stay super-organized and facilitate conversations when it comes to updates on how work is progressing.

Read our full Asana review .

If you have ever looked into project management software and online collaboration tools, then no doubt you’ve come across Trello. Available on the web and with mobile apps, it lets you easily organize projects and work on them with colleagues.

The platform allows you to work with boards or lists, which can be organized by teams and different tasks. And within these, you can set up to-do lists and delegate amongst colleagues. There’s also the option to assign comments to cards – a quick way to give feedback to others.

Furthermore, Trello boasts a number of integrations with apps such as Evernote, GitHub, Google Drive and Slack. You can download the app for free, but there are premium options available which give access to more features.

The Premium pricing tier unlocks a number of additional administrative features for better organization. There's also an Enterprise edition which is priced according to the number of users required, and provides some additional organizational management features.

Read our full Trello review .

Podio describes itself as a flexible and customizable online platform for work and communication among teams. In other words, it gives you a way to organize large stacks of work and to delegate tasks between employees.

Just like many of the other business collaboration apps out there, Podio provides you with the tools to share files, view the status of ongoing projects and get feedback on the things you’re currently working on. These functionalities are combined into an easy-to-use interface.

Podio is also equipped with quality mobile apps for when you’re out and about, and need to use your smartphone or tablet, and it has an impressive amount of integration with third-party services and apps including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote and Zendesk.

Read our full Podio review .

Ryver is similar to Slack, aiming to give your organization a highly effective means of communication, and an easy way to talk over tasks, ensuring that deadlines are met.

What makes Ryver a compelling option is the fact that you can create as many teams as you want within the app, and easily categorize them to boot. As is the case with Slack, you can use the platform to set up chats with groups and individuals.

There are some interesting filters, too. You can control who sees the things you say and post in the app, and obviously enough, join the teams that are most relevant to you. All company posts are located within a Facebook-style newsfeed, and you can mark posts to come back to them later on.

There’s also a host of native clients across mobile and desktop, including Mac and Linux. There's also a premium version for enterprise which offers workflow automation, Single Sign-On (SSO), and advanced team management.

Read our full Ryver review .

Flock is another application very similar to Slack but is arguably a little less daunting to use and offers more comprehensive communication tools.

Flock supports channels for different teams as well as 1:1 or group conversations. Users can search through messages, files and links and Flock will find it no matter who sent it and where.

There are audio and video calls and screen sharing as well as productivity tools such as polls, note sharing and reminders, while users can assign tasks to certain members of the group.

There’s also integrations with third party applications like Google Drive and Twitter, with notifications appearing directly in channels.

Flock has a free tier, but searches, storage and integrations come with limitations. A Pro plan opens these up while adding admin controls, and the Enterprise plan adds additional user storage, more admin controls and dedicated support.

Read our full Flock review .

10. Airtable

Airtable is a platform that supports extensive online collaboration and project management. You can use it to share data seamlessly within an organization for people to collaborate. This platform has extensive third-party integration, so you can sync data from other apps and ensure it is always up-to-date.

Airtable is not just a standalone collaborative tool. It is actually a platform on which people can build collaborative apps. It touts itself as “low-code”, meaning you don’t need sophisticated programming skills to build apps on it, although a little will help. Anyone in your organization can build an app on Airtable to foster collaboration.

You can start with the free plan, which has limitations on the file sizes and the number of collaborators. Thus, you’ll need a paid plan to maximize your use of this platform, and you can choose from one of three such plans; Plus , Pro , and Enterprise .

The Plus plan supports an unlimited number of users. The limitation is that you'll get a maximum of 5GB space per base (which refers to a project) and a maximum of 5,000 records for each base. The Pro plan increases the storage space to 20GB per base with a maximum of 50,000 records for each base. The Enterprise plan is the highest, giving you up to 1TB of space per base and 100,000 records; this plan has no standard pricing, so you’ll have to contact the sales team for a quote.

Read our full Airtable review .  

11. InVision

InVision is a collaborative tool built for designers. It provides a virtual whiteboard where multiple collaborators can share their design ideas and thoughts to come up with solutions. This whiteboard allows real-time interaction so that teams within an organization can brainstorm about work-related activities.

The whiteboard is called Freehand , owing its name to the fact people usually use their hands to write on whiteboards. In this case, the board is virtual, and you are free to write text while discussing with your team about a work project. You can also add images, photos, videos, etc., to provide context for your ideas. 

Sometimes, you’ll need templates to explain an idea to your teammates, e.g., flowcharts and interactive widgets. The good thing is that InVision provides over 200 pre-built templates that you can use for this. 

The Freehand tool also has direct integrations with a lot of third-party software. For example, you can open a video chat by connecting to Zoom or Webex or turn your whiteboard ideas directly into tasks on Jira and Asana . If you wish, you can import your existing whiteboards from other collaborative apps, e.g., Miro.

This platform was built mainly for designers but is not exclusive to them. It is also suitable for product teams, human resource (HR) teams, marketing teams, etc. 

Other collaborative software to consider

There are many other collaboration tools worth your attention, if nothing else because of the way they apply features differently, or even add other useful features. Here we'll look at some additional online collaboration tools that could be worth exploring further:

Visme is developed specifically for collaborative online reports, presentations, and infographics. Aside from promoting branding support and aiming to reduce design costs, analytics are provided so you can see which presentations and reports result in the most engagement, and adjust accordingly. Visme recommends itself for sales and marketing, HR and recruiting, internal communications, as well as education and in-house training. The software is specifically priced around individual, business, or education use.

Basecamp aims to be an all-in-one collaboration and communications platform, to bring features of multiple software offerings into a single place so that it's easier to sort through information, and, of course, keep it all in one easy to manage place. Features include chat, messageboards, to-do lists and scheduling as well as automated check-in, as well as a single place to store all documents, files, and folders. Unlike other collaborative software that charges per user, Basecamp charges a single fee of $99.99 for unlimited users, which could make it especially attractive to larger organizations.

Wrike is more of a project management and scheduling tool, that makes it easy to see where everyone is in terms of completing a project. As a standalone it might seem quite limited compared to some of the others here, but its strength lies in its extensive range of integrations, which includes Google, Dropbox, Salesforce , Microsoft, Adobe , and Github. This means Wrike can work as a central platform tied to a number of others software apps, allowing you to cover a wider range of options and features than some standalone software options. 

Monday.com is a platform that allows you to plan, track, and collaborate on projects in a visually simple manner. Drag-and-drop functionality and ease of use make this a particularly good platform for project management and general workflow management among teams. It also integrates with Slack, Trello, Google Drive, Dropbox, and others, so you can use it a central focal point for teams to work together. As above, these integrations mean that monday.com can be used to achieve a wider working remit than the standalone platform itself.

We've also featured the best small business software .

Tips for choosing a suitable online collaboration tool 

1. Consider your budget and look for something that’s affordable for your enterprise. If you’re a large organization with a sizeable IT budget, you can go with a more expensive platform that’ll give you access to sophisticated features that you may not even need much. In contrast, if you’re a small business, it’s wise to choose a plan that gives you just the basic collaboration features at a reasonable price. 

2. Customer support. Things can go wrong at any time, so choose a platform that offers customer support via email, live chat, or telephone. Check user reviews to see what other people are saying about your intended platform’s support before making a final choice.

3. Look for a platform with a user-friendly interface. This will make it easy for employees of your organization to collaborate instead of losing productivity trying to figure out how to use the software. 

4. Choose a platform with a strong security reputation to avoid leaks or theft of sensitive data.

5. Pick a platform that has integrations with third-party tools for additional functionalities that you may need. 

Which online collaboration tools is best for you?

When deciding which online collaboration tool to use, first consider what actual needs you have. For example, someone simply wanting to work with a handful of people on a casual basis may find a cheaper option is the most cost-effective while providing all of the necessary tools that would be required. However, if you're planning to use online collaboration tools for professional or business purposes, especially with a large number of people and on a regular basis, then you will probably want to look to the higher-end options for the more advanced options that are included.

To test for the best online collaboration tools we searched for a range of popular options as well as took recommendations from people we know who use online collaboration tools regularly. We then tried each platform to see how user-friendly each was, as well as determine what range of tools and advanced options were available. Pricing also came into account when determining our best list.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .  

Get in touch

• Want to find out about commercial or marketing opportunities? Click here
• Out of date info, errors, complaints or broken links? Give us a nudge
• Got a suggestion for a product or service provider? Message us directly
• You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media. 

Adobe Fresco (2024) review

Adobe Illustrator (2024) review

Best Buy's massive Memorial Day sale is live - here are 18 editor-approved deals

Most Popular

• 2 Microsoft, just give up on the whole Windows-on-Arm idea — the fixation on Apple and the Qualcomm dalliance could end up harming the very partners that stood by your side for 40 years
• 3 Netflix movie of the day: Denzel Washington and Spike Lee surprisingly subvert the heist movie formula with Inside Man
• 4 The near-perfect Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are down to their lowest price
• 5 Samsung Galaxy Ring leak may have revealed its price – and a premium subscription
• 2 Forget Intel and AMD - Nvidia's next big competitor might be a company you've never heard of
• 3 Rural matters: Putting the countryside at the heart of Vodafone’s mission
• 4 Watch out, Apple: Dell reveals mighty new XPS 13 - the first without an Intel processor and supercharged with Snapdragon to dominate in a world of AI
• 5 Marvel is making a second WandaVision Disney Plus spin-off for 2026 – and it'll star Paul Bettany as White Vision

Filter by Keywords

10 Best Presentation Tools to Create Engaging Presentations in 2024

Senior Content Marketing Manager

May 15, 2024

Presentation software has evolved since the early days of PowerPoint dominance. There are dozens of online presentation apps and tools, and each promises to be the ultimate key to creating engaging, interactive presentations.

But here’s the catch.

Not every presentation software is the same. Some dazzle with stunning proof of concept templates , unlimited presentations, and seamless integration with tools like Google Slides and Apple Keynote, while others offer the ability to embed video, audio, and even interactive content to keep your audience hooked.

Yet, amid this vast sea of options, finding the best presentation software for your unique needs can be a formidable challenge.

This article dives into the world of presentation tools, sifting through the good, the great, and the game-changing.

Let’s get started.

What Should You Look for in Presentation Tools?

5. genially, 6. microsoft powerpoint, 7. slidecamp, 8. videoscribe, 9. haiku deck, 10. zoho show.

Here are the top features you must look for in your presentation software solutions:

• Multimedia integration: Look for the ability to embed video, audio, and other interactive content to keep the audience engaged
• Variety of templates: A wide range of professionally designed templates can help in creating visually appealing presentations
• Customization options: The best presentation software should allow you to customize slide layouts and presentation design elements to suit your needs
• Cloud-based access: Look for cloud-based presentation software solutions for easy access and collaboration

The 10 Best Presentation Tools to Use in 2024

ClickUp stands out as a versatile tool for crafting engaging and creative presentations. Using ClickUp’s Presentation Templates , users can effortlessly build compelling narratives for any audience. In addition, ClickUp’s Whiteboard is a unique collaborative workspace, allowing users to incorporate images, drawings, flowcharts, and other visual elements into their presentations, fostering creativity and visual impact.

ClickUp AI acts as your AI-powered writing assistant . It can generate clear and engaging copy and save you time on formatting. It can also act as your brainstorming partner, helping you develop engaging and clutter-breaking content for your presentation.   

ClickUp best features

• Create presentations quickly and efficiently with ClickUp’s customizable templates tailored for different presentation styles and purposes
• Use Whiteboards as a dynamic canvas for brainstorming sessions and visual planning
• Generate rich content by leveraging ClickUp AI for brainstorming, writing, and editing

• Generate visually and contextually rich presentation outlines with ClickUp’s advanced AI Presentation Outline Generator 
• Work together seamlessly with your teammates on presentations, share ideas, and provide instant feedback, all within the same platform
• Work smoothly with all your other tools without having to switch between apps, due to ClickUp’s smooth integration with other tools and platforms

ClickUp limitations

• Some users find the interface initially overwhelming due to the numerous features

ClickUp pricing

• Free Forever
• Unlimited : $7/month per user
• Business : $12/month per user
• Enterprise : Contact for pricing
• ClickUp Brain: Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month

ClickUp ratings and reviews

• G2 : 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
• Capterra : 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)

Prezi revolutionizes the world of presentation software by offering a uniquely engaging experience. Because of its non-linear presentation style, Prezi enables creators to move beyond the confines of traditional slide-by-slide formats, like PowerPoint, to make it interactive and captivating to the audiences.

Prezi best features

• Move away from linear to a more fluid presentation path with Prezi’s open canvas 
• Create highly visual and engaging presentations, keeping the audience’s attention with zooming transitions and a spatial journey through content
• Choose from over 100 professionally designed templates to start creating captivating presentations easily
• Enrich your presentations with access to a million+ assets such as images, GIFs, and videos

Prezi limitations

• Relies heavily on a stable internet connection, which might be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity
• Some users report that it can be demanding on computer resources, especially for complex presentations

Prezi pricing

• Plus: $12/month
• Premium : $16/month
• Teams: $20/month per user (billed annually)

Prezi ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.2/5 (5100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (2100+ reviews)

Powtoon is an innovative platform that uses the power of animation and visual storytelling to create impactful presentations. Widely used in various sectors like marketing, training, internal communications, and education, Powtoon stands out for its ability to simplify complex messages into captivating visual narratives.

Powtoon best features

• Choose from a vast array of animated characters and scenarios to make memorable animated presentations 
• Create powerful visual content with ease with its user-friendly presentation design
• Pick from a diverse template library for quick and effective presentation creation
• Customize animations, integrate audio and video, and add personal touches to presentations

Powtoon limitations

• The free plan has limitations in terms of features and access to assets

Powtoon pricing

• Lite plan : $50 per month
• Professional plan: $190 per month
• Business plan : $1500 (billed annually)

Powtoon ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4 out of 5 (230+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 (390+ reviews)

Pitch is one of the best presentation software in 2024. It redefines presentation-making by blending efficiency, creativity, and collaboration. It’s not just a great tool for creating slides; it’s a platform that empowers teams to produce stunning presentations that deliver results. Because of its AI-driven approach and dynamic features, Pitch is fast becoming the go-to solution for businesses and individuals.

Pitch best features

• Start with an AI draft to quickly generate a presentation, thus saving time and sparking creativity
• Get access to a rich library with 100 expert-made templates 
• Easily adapt slides to your brand with custom fonts and colors, enhancing the professional look of your presentations
• Enjoy quick text and image additions, elegant animations, and real-time collaboration for seamless editing

Pitch limitations

• Being a cloud-based tool, a stable internet connection is necessary for uninterrupted use

Pitch pricing

• Pro: $20 per month
• Business: $80 per month 

Pitch ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4 out of 5 (40+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 (30+ reviews)

Genially is an innovative platform for creating interactive, media-rich presentations and content. It’s designed for anyone looking to engage their audience with clickable, dynamic experiences without needing any coding skills. Genially is particularly noted for its gamification features and wide range of interactive elements, making it a favorite among educators, marketers, and businesses.

Genially best features

• Transform static content into interactive experiences, enhancing audience engagement
• Employ gamification features to boost learning outcomes and audience interest significantly
• Embed audio, video, and interactive data visualizations, providing a rich media experience
• Design presentations easily with an intuitive and user-friendly drag-and-drop editor 
• Easily add interactive elements such as hotspots, pop-up windows, and hover-over labels, enhancing the interactivity of presentations

Genially limitations

• Highly interactive or media-rich presentations might be resource-intensive

Genially pricing

• Pro : $7.49/month billed annually
• Master: $20.82/member/month billed annually
• Team: $70.79 for 5 Master members/month billed annually

Genially ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (50+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)

PowerPoint remains a cornerstone in the world of presentation software, continually evolving to meet modern demands. With its 2023 updates, PowerPoint has become a tool with advanced AI capabilities , enhancing how presentations are created and delivered. Known for its reliability and comprehensive feature set, PowerPoint is a go-to choice for professionals and educators.

PowerPoint best features

• Use Copilot to transform Word documents into presentations and generate new slides from prompts or outlines, elevating storytelling
• Insert 3D objects and animations directly into presentations for a more dynamic visual experience
• Use voice, touch, and ink for natural interaction with your presentations, including converting handwritten notes to text
• Get AI-powered coaching for speech practice, offering feedback on pacing, word choice, and more

PowerPoint limitations

• Can be resource-intensive, especially when using advanced features like 3D objects
• More expensive than other tools

PowerPoint pricing

• Microsoft 365 personal: $6.99/month, includes PowerPoint and other Office apps with premium features
• Microsoft 365 family: $9.99/month, same as Personal, but for up to six people and more cloud storage
• The Free version is available with basic functionalities, ideal for casual users
• PowerPoint only (1 year licence) : $159.99

PowerPoint ratings and reviews

• G2 : 4.6 out of 5 (4,100+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 (20,500+ reviews)

SlideCamp is an innovative solution for sales and marketing teams to manage and create PowerPoint presentations. Offering a centralized platform for storing, sharing, and repurposing presentation slides, it ensures teams can access the most up-to-date and effective content.

SlideCamp best features

• Store all sales and marketing materials in one centralized library, making managing and updating presentations easier
• Facilitate a level playing field for reps by securely sharing presentations and other collateral with the team and ensuring easy access to the latest versions of slides
• Save time by easily finding and reusing content from old decks rather than starting from scratch
• Get insights into presentation performance with reporting and analytics

SlideCamp limitations

• Primarily designed for PowerPoint users, and may therefore not cater to those using other presentation software
• While it offers repurposing of existing slides, customization options may be limited compared to creating slides from scratch

SlideCamp pricing

• Team Plan : $99 per month
• Unlimited Plan : $499 per year

SlideCamp ratings and reviews

• G2 : Not enough reviews
• Capterra: Unavailable

VideoScribe offers a unique approach to presentation-making through animated video creation. It’s a user-friendly animation tool perfect for marketers, educators, and small businesses looking to enhance their communications with captivating animated videos. With an intuitive interface and powerful features, VideoScribe makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create attractive presentations.

VideoScribe best features

• Create impressive animated videos without prior presentation design skills with its user-friendly tools
• Use various animation styles and ‘drawing hands’ to give a unique feel to each video
• Add audio tracks and record voiceovers to complement the visual content
• Share and export videos in multiple formats to suit various platforms and needs

VideoScribe limitations

• Requires a stable internet connection for accessing cloud-based resources and templates

VideoScribe pricing

• Monthly plan : $25.96/month 
• Annual plan: $10.62/month (billed annually)
• Team plans: Customizable options available for teams, with discounts on multiple subscriptions

VideoScribe ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.1/5 (60+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.2/5 (50+ reviews)

Haiku Deck sets itself apart by focusing on simplicity, clarity, and professional design. It’s the perfect tool for anyone looking to create beautiful presentations easily, whether on the web, iPad, or iPhone. Haiku Deck’s user-friendly interface and vast array of templates make it a popular choice among teachers, marketers, and business professionals.

Haiku Deck best features

• Enjoy a simple, clutter-free interface that can enhance the creative flow
• Employ professional design elements like stylish fonts, layouts, and image filters
• Access thousands of templates for quick and easy creation of visually appealing presentations
• Access over 40 million free Creative Commons images 
• Easily share and access any connected device

Haiku Deck limitations

• May not offer as many options for embedding video or interactive content as other tools

Haiku Deck pricing

• Pro: $19.99/month 
• Premium: $29.99/month (billed annually)

Haiku Deck ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (30+ reviews)
• Capterra : 4.3/5 (10+ reviews)

Zoho Show is a collaborative presentation software designed for modern teams. It offers a blend of professional slide design capabilities, team collaboration features, and support and compatibility across devices. Therefore it is an ideal choice for businesses and educators who require flexibility and power in their presentation tools.

Zoho Show best features

• Stay in sync with your team with real-time collaboration, contextual commenting, and instant notifications
• Embed audio and videos, create animations, and use infographics to make data-driven slides more engaging
• Broadcast presentations on smart TVs via smartphones or smartwatches
• Seamlessly import PowerPoint files without any loss of formatting or content

Zoho Show limitations

• Some users might require time to utilize its extensive features fully
• Being primarily cloud-based, it requires a consistent internet connection for optimal functionality
• The abundance of features can be overwhelming for users who prefer a more straightforward tool

Zoho Show pricing

• Professional: Starts at $2.2 per user/month (billed annually)

Zoho Show ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.4/5 (60+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (20+ reviews)

Navigate the Future of Presentations with 2024’s Best Tools

The evolved presentation tools of today, for example, Google Slides, PowerPoint, etc., are not just about creating slides; they’re about storytelling and bringing ideas to life in ways that resonate deeply with audiences.

ClickUp’s presentation tools are among the best presentation software at the forefront of this revolution. With innovative features like AI-driven content creation and collaborative whiteboards, ClickUp helps unleash your creativity.

Take ClickUp for a spin today.

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

• Free training & 24-hour support
• Serious about security & privacy
• 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

Empower teams to work smarter and collaborate seamlessly across time and space with Microsoft Teams.

Collaboration: achieve more together

Communicate and collaborate in one place with Microsoft Teams.

Work together from anywhere and at any time

Share and edit content in real-time with Microsoft Teams collaboration tools.

What is collaboration?

Collaboration is working together on a shared project or goal. Use collaboration tools for business to stay on task, keep projects organized, and get work done.

Features of collaboration

Share files, co-author and edit content simultaneously, and work together—even if apart—in channels.

Benefits of collaboration

Work effectively together: improve productivity, save time, and accomplish more. Break down silos and bring your team together, keeping everyone in the know and ensuring everyone has a voice.

Get the latest collaboration tools for business

Managing dispersed teams can be a challenge. Bring people together and empower them to get more done with Microsoft Teams.  

See changes as they happen

Work together on the same file in real time within Teams with automatic sync and version history tracking.

Collaborate with people inside and outside your organization, across organizational boundaries as one extended team

Communicate with anyone inside and outside your organization with chats , or use shared channels to create a shared workspace across teams or companies—all without needing to switch tenants. Channel members can chat, meet, share and co-author files, and work together for seamless collaboration.

Translate messages with a click

Seamlessly communicate in 35 languages with inline translation in chat and channels.

Organize your team for seamless collaboration

Create dedicated spaces for group communication and collaboration to share ideas, make decisions, and get work done. Create open team channels, make it private for select members only, or use shared channels to work with external contacts. Quickly access conversations and content that's shared and saved in a channel, and reference pinned posts with important information.

Portable components to think, plan, and create together in Teams chat. Send a Loop component, bulleted list, table or an action item in a chat today.

Read more about collaboration tools for business

New hybrid work innovations in microsoft teams, free your teams to innovate by improving collaboration, five ways to make group chats the best place at work, what is real-time collaboration, and how does it help your business.

Stay connected with family and friends with collaboration tools in Microsoft Teams

Spend less time coordinating and more time together. From book club to birthday parties, it’s easier to make plans, assign duties, and stay organized.

Organize your life

Keep everything you need in one place: chats, meetups, files, and tasks. See activities, events, grocery lists, and chores from a single dashboard.

Make plans together

Plan activities more easily with chats, tasks, and shared to-do lists. Make decisions faster with instant polls, and share meeting invites directly in a group chat.

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean to collaborate with others.

Collaborating means working together to accomplish something. Some examples of workplace collaboration are when you brainstorm during a meeting, share ideas, edit a document with someone else, or help someone on a project.

Why is it important to collaborate at work?

Collaborating at work introduces new ideas and approaches to problem-solving. It fosters creativity and inclusion, because everyone has a unique perspective. It can help businesses meet their goals and serve their customers better.

What does it mean to be collaborative at work?

Being collaborative means not working alone. Ask other people for their input, volunteer to help others, and make sure group projects include everyone.

How do businesses collaborate?

Businesses collaborate when they each contribute to something, like an event, product, or initiative.

What is a channel in Teams?

A channel in Teams is a dedicated workspace for people to come together to communicate and collaborate with each other and focus on getting work done. Private channels are also available to empower secure, organized team communication with specific members.

Get Microsoft Teams for your organization today

Get Teams with productivity apps, file storage and sharing, email, and more.

Follow Microsoft Teams

TechRepublic

Account information.

Share with Your Friends

10 best online collaboration tools for remote teams

Your email has been sent

• Best overall: Google Docs
• Best collaborative mind map app: MindMeister
• Best visual collaboration app: Miro
• Best collaborative cloud CAD app: Onshape
• Best remote troubleshooting app: Vuforia Chalk
• Best visual assistance app: Be My Eyes
• Best collaborative astronomy app: Night Sky
• Best collaborative music composition app: Flat
• Best real-time music performance app: JackTrip Labs
• Best internet-optional collaborative drawing app: Inko

Whether you use a smartphone, laptop, tablet or desktop computer, once you link your device to the internet, you can work with almost anyone else through different collaboration tools and software. These types of apps make it possible for groups of people to type, talk, draw, video conference and work together in many other ways.

SEE: Use our project manager hiring kit to find the best person to lead your project teams.

While the software below represent a diverse set of collaboration solutions, they share one thing in common: Each makes it possible for people to work together in real time on a shared file or in a shared virtual space. Now, let’s dive into the best digital collaboration tools for business and personal use.

Best online collaboration tools compared

Here is a feature set comparison table for the best digital collaboration tools for 2023. We have picked the core features to consider when choosing a team collaboration software or app.

Please note that some applications on this list don’t have certain features not because the feature is missing but because the feature may not necessarily be applicable to the app’s primary function.

Google Docs: Best overall

Google Docs is an outstanding real-time collaboration app that you can connect from any device from any location. All you need is a browser and an internet connection to create and edit collaboratively. There is no need to save anything, as whatever changes you make are saved in real time. In addition, you can see version history, and if you want, you can easily restore to any of the earlier versions.

• Business Starter: $6 per user per month billed annually, or $7.20 per user per month billed monthly.
• Business Standard: $12 per user per month billed annually, or $14.40 per user per month billed monthly.
• Business Plus: $18 per user per month billed annually, or $21.60 per user per month billed monthly.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing.

• Real-time collaboration: Create, edit and collaborate on documents with others from your computer, phone or tablet with the Google Docs app ( Figure A ). With Google Docs, everyone can work together on the same document simultaneously.
• Formatting options: Fonts, colors and formatting options allow you to customize your documents to suit your needs.
• Voice typing: Use Google Docs voice typing for an alternative (and possibly more accessible) way to get content into the document.
• Google Sheets integration: Access, edit and collaboratively work on Google Sheets spreadsheets from within Google Docs.
• Version history: Track changes to your documents and view versions from days, weeks or months ago. You can also check which users made which changes.
• Easy sharing and collaboration.
• Connected with Google Drive.
• Supports various formats, including .doc, .pdf and .ppt.
• Tracks change easily.
• No dedicated desktop application.
• Limited templates.

MindMeister: Best collaborative mind map app

MindMeister is a cloud-based, collaborative mind mapping tool used to create and display connections between concepts. The software includes all of the standard features you’d expect in a mind map app: Start with a central concept, add related ideas on different branches and then add additional branches as desired. You can customize each node by adding a note, link, media or comments.

• Basic: Free for up to three mind maps.
• Personal: $6.99 per month.
• Pro: $11.49 per month.
• Business: $18.99 per month.

• Create, share and collaborate on mind maps: Create colorful and structured visual mind maps for brainstorming, organizing and decision-making ( Figure B ).
• Real-time collaboration: MindMeister allows multiple users to collaborate on mind maps from anywhere in the world.
• Task management: Set deadlines and assign tasks to yourself or collaborators directly from the mind map.
• Mind map templates: Choose from a wide range of professionally designed mind map templates to start mind mapping immediately.
• Export: Export mind maps to several popular sharable file formats, including PDFs, image files, Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.
• Intuitive user interface.
• Real-time collaboration.
• Integration with an extensive list of third-party applications.
• It offers multiple options for exporting.
• Mobile app is difficult to use.
• The free trial lasts only seven days.

SEE: Check out how Miro compares to our list of the best mind mapping software .

Miro: Best visual collaboration app

Miro offers an enterprise-friendly solution that, at first glance, seems like a whiteboard app. But, Miro serves as much more than a collaborative drawing board, thanks to its number of third-party app connections, breadth of tools and depth of community sharing. In addition to drawing, Miro includes tools for specific tasks, such as diagramming and mind mapping, along with advanced features like voting on boards.

• Free plan: Unlimited team members with up to three editable boards.
• Starter plan: $8 per month per user billed annually, or $10 per month per user billed monthly with unlimited boards and users.
• Business plan: $16 per month per user billed annually, or $20 per month per user billed monthly with unlimited boards, team members and security features.
• Enterprise plan: Tailored to each customer’s specific needs.

• Collaborative whiteboard: Miro’s whiteboard enables remote teams worldwide to brainstorm, design and collaborate on real-time projects ( Figure C ).
• Remote team management: Manage remote teams with Miro’s integrated project management tools, including project timelines, task boards and Gantt charts.
• Visual project planning: Create visual project plans with Miro’s Agile boards, user stories and sprint boards.
• Design thinking: Utilize Miro’s design-thinking templates to drive innovation, solve complex problems and develop creative solutions.
• Ideation and brainstorming: Use Miro’s digital sticky notes, mind maps and brainstorming tools to generate ideas and collaborate on them.
• Prototyping and testing: Create interactive prototypes, run usability tests and collect feedback with Miro’s flexible canvas.
• Enterprise-grade security.
• Variety of templates.
• Supports multiple languages.
• Steep learning curve.
• Prone to technical glitches and slow loading.

Onshape: Best collaborative cloud CAD app

Onshape is a cloud software-as-a-service design system that supports both collaborative computer-aided design and product data management. You and your colleagues can work on a 3D design simultaneously within a browser or the Onshape mobile apps for iOS or Android. Design branching and merging lets teams experiment with different approaches and solutions, and built-in data management and bill of materials systems ensure content is always up-to-date.

• Free plan: Free for non-commercial projects; all user data is stored in a public workspace. They also offer a 14-day free trial.
• Standard plan: $1,500 per user per year.
• Professional plan: $2,500 per user per year.
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing.

• CAD modeling: Onshape offers powerful tools that enable users to easily create and edit 3D parts and assemblies of any size or complexity ( Figure D ).
• Collaboration: Onshape enables users to collaborate with colleagues, customers and suppliers in real-time.
• PDM and release management: Onshape’s built-in release management system keeps track of all changes and helps you to collaborate with colleagues.
• Administration and security: Onshape provides administrators with control over user access and data security. Administrators can customize user roles and set data security policies.
• Cloud storage capability.
• Browser-based, so no desktop installation is needed.
• Parts can be modeled together.
• Rendering performance is limited.
• Limited tools for adding surface texture or text.

SEE: Pair Onshape with a top cloud-based project management software for enhanced remote team collaboration.

Vuforia Chalk: Best remote troubleshooting app

Vuforia Chalk makes it possible for people to make virtual chalk marks during a live video conferencing session. Unlike in a standard video conferencing session, the stream pauses when a participant starts to draw, ensuring they can leave their mark exactly where they want it. The augmented reality app ensures each mark made stays in the appropriate place — seemingly “sticking” wherever it was drawn, even as conferencing participants move devices and screens around. The app is an excellent way to make practical expertise available to people remotely.

Vuforia Chalk is a subscription-based service offered by PTC, so pricing is determined case-by-case. Potential customers must contact the PTC sales team directly to get a quote. Those interested can also try the 30-day free trial.

• Augmented reality technology: Vuforia Chalk provides advanced AR technology that allows users to draw virtual objects on real-world surfaces and share them with remote experts ( Figure E ).
• Seamless collaboration: Vuforia Chalk enables remote collaboration between the user and an expert, allowing them to communicate in real-time, draw annotations on the user’s screen and collaborate on the same AR view.
• AI-powered annotations: Vuforia Chalk leverages AI-powered annotations to provide users with a quick and easy guide.
• RealWear: Vuforia Chalk supports RealWear HMT-1, HMT-1Z1 and Navigator 500.
• Mobile app: Vuforia Chalk lets users connect with remote experts through an intuitive mobile app.
• Direct interaction through an audio and video connection.
• Easy to use with no training required.
• Some users have reported lagging issues.
• Compatibility issues with some cell phones.

SEE: Pair Vuforia Chalk’s troubleshooting capabilities with a developer project management software for improved issue tracking and handling.

Be My Eyes: Best visual assistance app

The Be My Eyes mobile app lets people with low or no vision connect with sighted people via a live video call. The app shares video from the back-facing camera of the person who seeks help, so the remote, sighted person may offer assistance with the task at hand. The app offers versions that work on both iOS and Android devices and is free to use for blind and low-vision users as well as sighted volunteers.

Be My Eyes is a free service with no pricing options. The organization relies on donations and volunteers to provide its services.

• Video-call collaboration: Connects blind and low-vision people with fully sighted volunteers through video calls ( Figure F ).
• Accessible support for blind and low-vision individuals: The app offers blind and low-vision people support and assistance with everyday tasks.
• Compatible with various mobile devices and operating systems: Be My Eyes is available on iOS and Android systems.
• Global and linguistic accessibility: The app is available in more than 150 countries, and has over 6 million volunteers and over 450,000 blind and low-vision users. It also offers access to a wide range of languages.
• User-friendly app.
• Ability to freeze the video at any time.
• Can not choose a particular assistant.
• Data hungry.

Night Sky: Best collaborative astronomy app

Astronomy enthusiasts who use Apple devices are likely familiar with Night Sky, an app that lets you point your phone or tablet toward the sky to identify planets, stars, satellites and more. It’s a personal planetarium app that relies on location and the positioning of your device to calculate what to display. Night Sky also provides a forecast to let you know the best stargazing time for the upcoming night. Many core features of the app may be used for free.

• A Night Sky free version is available.
• Night Sky+ monthly: $5.99.
• Night Sky+ annual: $39.99.
• Night Sky+ unlimited: $229.99.

• Constellation finder: Night Sky offers an interactive tool that helps users identify and learn about constellations in the night sky ( Figure G ).
• Moon phases calendar: This calendar provides a visual guide to the moon’s current phase, the dates of upcoming full moons and the lunar illumination percentage.
• Meteor showers calendar: Night Sky offers a list of upcoming meteor showers and the dates when they are expected to peak.
• Spatial audio object navigation: Night Sky will “chirp” to help you find any star, planet or constellation you’re looking for.
• Astronomy news: Night Sky provides a regularly updated news feed with the latest news and discoveries in astronomy and space exploration.
• Fully compatible with Apple iWatch.
• Well-designed user interface.
• Virtual models that allow users to circle around the view.
• Limited tutorial and in-app tips on how to use the app.
• Pop-ups to get paid subscriptions can get annoying.

Flat: Best collaborative music composition app

Flat provides a cloud-based music app that lets you compose in a browser. You can compose for all standard band and orchestra instruments as well as use templates for standard sets of voices or instruments, such as choral, vocal, chamber, jazz and rock groups. What sets Flat apart from the competition, though, is it includes collaboration features.

• Flat Basic: Free per user per year.
• Flat Power: $9.99 per user per month, billed monthly, or $4.08 per user per month, billed annually.
• Flat Power Lifetime: $199 one-time purchase.

• Virtual music composition: Compose with virtual instruments or audio loops ( Figure H ).
• Shareable online storage: Create, store and share your music scores online.
• Advanced layout customization: Flat offers page layout customization options that allow you to structure your compositions as a PDF for printing.
• Supports MusicXML and MIDI files: Once you’ve finished composing, Flat lets you export your music as MusicXML and MIDI files.
• Version history: Get a quick look at all of the changes made to your composition with Flat’s version history.
• Easy quiz creation.
• Excellent on-screen guidance.
• Limited content on music technique and theory.
• Auto grading features are lacking.

SEE: Improve your team experience with Inko with a creative project management tool .

JackTrip Labs: Best real-time music performance app

JackTrip Labs offers Virtual Studio software for rehearsal and performance as well as JackTrip Bridges hardware to connect equipment. Instead of a browser, you’ll need to download an app for macOS, Windows or Linux to use this real-time music performance gadget. Wherever possible, you’ll want to use hard-wired internet, microphone and audio connections — not Wi-Fi or Bluetooth — to eliminate as much latency as possible. You’ll also want to connect with the fastest internet connection possible.

• Free: This plan only allows you to play simultaneously with up to 16 musicians and up to 30 minutes of session length.
• Essential: $8.25 per month billed annually, or $10 per month billed monthly.
• Advanced: $25 per month billed annually, or $30 per month billed annually.

• Compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux: Take advantage of JackTrip Labs regardless of your operating system ( Figure I ).
• Online music teaching and studio space: Teach music online, including private lessons and group lessons, and customize your studio.
• Remote rehearsals: With JackTrip Labs, you can set up and rehearse with others from anywhere in the world.
• Remote songwriting and recording management: Create and collaborate on songwriting sessions, remote recording and live streaming HD audio.
• Outstanding audio quality.
• Low latency.
• Initial setup can be confusing.

Inko: Best internet-optional collaborative drawing app

Inko is a collaborative whiteboard app that works on iPad, iPhone and Mac devices. On these platforms, the app includes basic drawing features you might expect: a few pen styles, a preset palette of colors, a lasso tool to select objects, an eraser to remove items and a pointer tool that leaves a trail that disappears momentarily after you draw.

• Nearby plan: $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year; allows local collaboration over peer-to-peer or LAN.
• Remote plan: $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year; enables remote collaboration over the internet.

• Apple tool compatibility: Inko offers extensive support for Apple Pencil as well as compatibility with Apple TV.
• Collaborative support for remote connections: Inko supports peer-to-peer connectivity, even for remote collaboration.
• iOS optimization: The tool is optimized for iOS to support file sharing, split view multitasking on iPad, drag and drop, quick actions, Siri shortcuts, SF symbols and dark mode ( Figure J ).
• Configurable canvas formats: These include support for portrait and landscape formats, as well as 4:3 or 16:9 aspects, to suit various device sizes.
• Export: You can export Inko files as a PDF, image or native archive export.
• Wide range of brushes and tools.
• Powerful export and sharing options.
• Cloud storage.
• Sharp at any zoom level.
• Trial period is too limited.
• Beginners can find advanced tools challenging to use.

What is collaboration software?

Digital collaboration tools are software applications and platforms that enable remote teams to communicate, share information and collaborate on projects. Examples of digital collaboration tools include project management software, online meeting and video conferencing tools, task management tools, document and file sharing tools, online whiteboards and virtual workspaces.

These tools help remote teams stay connected, organize projects, track progress, manage ticketing systems and ensure everyone is on the same page. They allow team members to communicate in real-time, brainstorm ideas, share documents and collaborate on projects without being in the same location.

By using digital collaboration tools, remote teams can stay connected and productive even when they are miles apart. Digital collaboration tools can also be useful for certain consumer collaborations, like drawing or music production.

What are key features of online collaboration tools?

Cloud-based.

With a cloud-based software or application, you get asynchronous communication within the team. This means if any team member makes any changes to the project or file, it can get updated in real-Goo for everyone. There is also a reduced risk of losing data if users forget to save the file. However, some cloud-based software needs access to the internet at all times, while some also allow for offline use.

File sharing

File sharing is a fundamental need for collaboration. An app with in-built file sharing or seamless integration with a third-party application allows team members to share files easily. File sharing feature also ensures security, allows for a centralized knowledge base, and helps users manage larger files.

Team messaging

Team messaging features help provide convenient and efficient forms of communication. This includes tools such as one-to-one messaging, group chats, threads, video meetings and other forms of communication. While some apps have native team messaging capability, others rely on integration with third-party messaging applications such as Slack.

A mobile app provides a way for users to collaborate on the go. While mobile may not offer the full functionality available in browser or desktop mode, it can provide useful tools to help collaborate when you are away from the computer.

What are the benefits of online collaboration tools for remote teams?

Digital collaboration software is a must for any business looking to streamline its processes. Here are some of the top benefits of digital collaboration software:

• Increased transparency: You get increased transparency in team activities to help ensure accountability and the ability to track the progress.
• Boost team morale: With digital collaboration, teammates feel engaged and empowered, which is great for morale.
• Improved productivity: Teammates get access to online resources, and they can leverage their colleague’s knowledge through real-time communication. This helps improve the overall productivity of work.
• Better quality of communication: Digital collaboration tools provide teams with different types of tools for communication, including audio, video and augmented reality. Such tools help improve the quality of communication.

How to choose the right collaboration tool for your business

Before deciding on the right collaboration tool for your business, it’s essential to identify your business needs. Understand what kind of collaboration you need, the goals you want to achieve and the information you need to share and manage.

Then, evaluate the features and benefits of different collaboration tools, looking at how easy a prospective tool is to use, how secure it is, and if you can use it on multiple devices and platforms. Additionally, look at tool pricing and consider scalability if you plan to grow your business in the future.

Ultimately, to determine if a tool is right for you, test it out with your team and collect user feedback. This will ensure you make the best decision for your business.

Review methodology

To compile this list of best digital collaboration tools, we looked at several software and evaluated them based on usability, feature set, customization, scalability and pricing. Although this list consists of a variety of applications, our review was focused on evaluating the collaboration capabilities of the software. Therefore, we did a more detailed analysis of the software’s team collaboration features.

Try pairing your chosen collaboration software with a top project management tool for improved collaboration and communication on projects.

Subscribe to the Project Management Insider Newsletter

Subscribe to Project Management Insider for best practices, reviews and resources. From project scheduling software to project planning apps, stay up to date with the latest in project management tools. Delivered Wednesdays

• 6 best project management software for small businesses
• Project management checklist
• Software usage policy
• Best software for businesses and end users

Create a TechRepublic Account

Get the web's best business technology news, tutorials, reviews, trends, and analysis—in your inbox. Let's start with the basics.

* - indicates required fields

Sign in to TechRepublic

Lost your password? Request a new password

Reset Password

Please enter your email adress. You will receive an email message with instructions on how to reset your password.

Check your email for a password reset link. If you didn't receive an email don't forgot to check your spam folder, otherwise contact support .

Welcome. Tell us a little bit about you.

This will help us provide you with customized content.

Want to receive more TechRepublic news?

You're all set.

Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye out for a confirmation email from our team. To ensure any newsletters you subscribed to hit your inbox, make sure to add [email protected] to your contacts list.

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Human Resources 18 Best Business Collaboration Tools for Easier Team Collaboration and Project Management

18 Best Business Collaboration Tools for Easier Team Collaboration and Project Management

Written by: Sara Austin May 19, 2021

Team collaboration has changed in the past two decades and has changed even more since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With pandemic closures impacting everything from small businesses to large corporations, formerly on-site teams suddenly became remote teams, requiring businesses to change the way that they do business.

According to Forbes , leaders have to rely on business collaboration tools more than ever before and the choices will seem endless. Here are some of the best online collaboration tools to keep your team moving, no matter where they may be.

Business collaboration tools list:

Design and visual communication tools, project and task management tools, business chat and messaging tools, voice and video conferencing tools, document collaboration tools, file sharing and storage tools, time tracking and scheduling tools, business collaboration tools faq.

Who’s it for : Venngage is an infographic design solution that lets you create infographics, reports, business proposals, presentation decks, posters, signage, and a wide range of other graphics assets—no design skills required.

Features : Extensive graphics library, thousands of fully customizable templates, real-time team collaboration features, branding kit, drag-and-drop editor, and seamless sharing within teams or publicly on Venngage’s community page.

Businesses choosing Venngage can enjoy seamless team collaboration and communication features like:

Real-time collaboration:

Commenting:

Venngage also offers thousands of fully customizable templates that can be used for any  business communications  and collaboration needs:

Project communication plan:

Pitch deck :

Pricing : Venngage offers a free plan for users that gives them unfettered access to over 1,400 templates and 3 million stock photos.

To create more infographics and have more storage available for graphics, you can upgrade to the Premium plan, which is $19/month or $16/month if you sign up for a yearly subscription. For businesses, Venngage also has a comprehensive Business plan for $49/month or $39/month if you sign up for a yearly subscription.

Who’s it for : Small to large organizations use Wrike to manage projects and break down organizational siloes.

Features : Pre-built and purpose-driven workflow templates, Kanban boards for Agile teams, Gantt charts to illustrate timelines and dependencies, team calendars, customizable dashboards and more.

Integrations : Microsoft Teams, Tableau, Salesforce, Google Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, SharePoint, OneDrive, Github, Jira, and more. Wrike integrates with over 400 different apps and programs.

Pricing : Wrike offers free plans for simple task tracking, or you can sign up for one of their paid plans. Their Professional plan is $9.80 per user/month, and their Business plan is $24.80 per user/month. They also offer specialized enterprise plans to meet the needs of individual organizations.

Who’s it for :  Remote teams  of all sizes can benefit from Basecamp’s comprehensive collaboration toolset.

Features : Document repository, group chat feature, calendar integrations, automatic check-ins, to-do lists, message boards, Gantt charts, project tracking, and more.

Integrations : Zapier, Field Trip, Slack, Google Hangouts, MangoBoard, Google Calendar, Trello, Jira, HubSpot, Asana, Microsoft Outlook, Evernote, OneNote, Tableau, and much more.

Pricing : Basecamp offers a free Personal plan and a paid Business plan.

The Personal plan gives you 1GB of storage space to support up to 20 users for 3 projects. The Business plan offers unlimited users and projects, as well as 500GB of storage space for a $99/month flat fee.

Who’s it for : Everyone from individuals to enterprise clients can use Asana to track projects and workflows.

Features : List view, timelines, project boards, goal tracking , automation, workflows, dashboards, internal messaging, file sharing, templates, and more.

Integrations : Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Vimeo, Zendesk, Zoom, LucidChart, Zapier, and more.

Pricing : Asana offers a free Basic plan that is perfect for individuals or small teams, as well as Premium ($10.99 per user/month) and Business ($24.99 per user/month) plans with broader capabilities.

Who’s it for: Small to midsize teams and businesses across various industries use ProofHub to efficiently manage projects, teams, and workflows, and for seamless communication and collaboration – all in one place.

Features: Built-in chat, discussions, announcements, shared notes, online proofing, task management, customizable workflows, kanban boards, centralized file repository, Gantt charts for timelines and dependencies, shared team calendars, timers and timesheets for time tracking, custom reporting, and more.

Integrations: Freshbooks, Quickbooks, Google Calendar and iCal, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive, and much more.

Pricing: ProofHub offers two flat-fee pricing structures apart from its 14-day free trial. Their Essential plan comes at $45 per month (if billed annually) for up to 40 projects and unlimited users, and their Ultimate Control plan comes at $89 per month (if billed annually) for unlimited users, projects, and features.

Stackby is a no-code versatile database platform, serving as an excellent Airtable Alternatives . That can be used by individuals, teams, and businesses across various industries, offering seamless workflow streamlining, efficient data organization, and enhanced collaboration capabilities.

Features:  300+ Customized database templates, 6 different views (Gallery, grid, kanban, Custom Forms, Update forms, Calendar, 25+ unique column types, Column-level API connectors like YouTube, Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, etc.  Integrations: 40+ Integrations available on Stackby like Microsoft Teams, Ahref, Facebook Ads, Clearout, Zapier, Whatsapp, Mattermark, Slack, Github, Intercom, Twilio, n8n, Verify Bee, Alexa, CoinMarketCap, Pubbly and more.

Who’s it for : Trello is flexible enough for entrepreneurs, medium-sized businesses and enterprise clients.

Features : Code-free automation, timeline view, Kanban boards, dashboard, table view, calendaring for time management, file sharing, project planning, instant messaging and more.

Integrations : Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and Confluence.

Pricing : Individuals and small teams can sign up for a Free Trello account. A Business Class account is $10 per user/month billed annually. Enterprise accounts are also available.

Who’s it for : nTask is designed for everyone – individuals, small businesses and large enterprises. It provides a comprehensive set of features that help teams stay organized and efficient.

Features : nTask is a task and  project management software  that offers a range of features including task assignment, collaboration, tracking and reporting.

It also includes project boards, calendars, time-tracking tools and more.

Integrations : nTask integrates with a range of popular software such as Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, MS Teams and Zoom. It also offers an extensive library of API’s for further integrations.

Pricing : nTask offers three pricing plans, ranging from free to enterprise level. The free plan is perfect for individuals and small teams, while the paid plans offer more features for larger companies. Paid pricing starts from $3/month/user.  

Who’s it for: Agencies looking for a single platform that enables them to take back control, get organized, and be more productive and profitable.

Features: Resource & workload management, time tracking, financial management, team collaboration, task management, third-party integrations, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, project tracking, and more.

Integrations: Microsoft Teams, Slack, ClickUp, HubSpot, Usersnap, Plecto, Stripe, Microsoft Outlook, Bybrand, Pabbly, and much more.

Pricing: Teamwork offers a free plan that is available for up to 5 users while paid plan starts at $5.99 per month.

Who’s it for: Ideal for teams and businesses of all sizes seeking a user-friendly remote project management tool.

Features : Teamly offers Real-Time Chat and Workflow Management for instant collaboration and organized productivity. It also provides clear Screen Capture Recording and precise Employee Time Tracking, all secured with 256-bit encryption.

Integrations : Teamly is an all-in-one solution, offering a comprehensive suite of features designed to meet diverse team needs.

Pricing : Available in a Free Plan, a $47/month Starter Plan, and a $97/month Business Plan, with up to 25% discount for annual subscriptions. A 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee is provided.

Who’s it for : Slack is a tool suitable for teams of all sizes, supported by multi-channeled chats and video conferencing capabilities.

Features : Instant messaging, voice and video calls, workflow builder, channels, inter-organizational collaboration, file sharing, and project archives.

Integrations : Dropbox, Zoom, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Suite, Salesforce, Zendesk, Jira Cloud, Asana, Zapier, Trello, and more.

Pricing : Slack offers three plans for users. The Standard plan offers basic functionality and 10 GB of storage per member for $6.67 per user/month. The Plus plan offers 20 GB of storage and supports the use of SSO for $12.50 per user/month. Enterprise plans are also available.

Who’s it for : Sole proprietors to enterprise organizations can benefit from Connecteam’s company chat and messaging tools, designed to keep stakeholders in touch and provide the means to share documents and other assets to facilitate collaboration.

Features : Mobile employee  communication tools , task management, digital forms, employee scheduling and time clocks and training course development and delivery.

Integrations : QuickBooks and NextBee.

Pricing : Connecteam offers three plans for up to 50 users and an Enterprise plan.

Their Free plan offers their most basic tools. For $39/month, you can upgrade to a Basic plan, adding team chat and directory features.

Their Advanced plan offers even more features, such as live polling and chat channels, for $79/month.

Their Expert plan offers the full suite of features for $159/month. Teams larger than 50 users can contact Connecteam for an Enterprise plan quote.

Who’s it for : Zoom is used by everyone from individuals to schools to enterprise clients.

Features:  HD video and audio, multi-screenshare, reaction polls, instant messaging, customizable backgrounds and filters, and desktop and mobile apps.

Integrations : Google Workspaces, Panopto, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, Monday.com, Asana, LinkedIn, Flock, Zoho CRM, Zapier, Atlassian Jira and many more.

Pricing : Zoom offers a free Basic plan that lets you meet with up to 100 participants for up to 40 minutes at a time. Their Pro plan is $149.90 per license/year for up to 1,000 participants and group meetings up to 30 hours. The Business plan is $199.900 per license/year with additional benefits such as Single Sign-on and company branding.

Who’s it for : Skype is a video and instant messaging tool that works for individuals to enterprise clients.

Features : Audio and HD video calling, call recording, subtitles, smart messaging, screensharing and more.

Integrations : Microsoft Teams, AnswerConnect, Avaya, Cisco, Dialogflow, Outlook and more.

Pricing : Skype offers a Free version that allows for instant messaging and video calls, as well as subscription-based services to use Skype as a phone.

Who’s it for: Nextiva is the choice for businesses of all sizes looking to unify team collaboration and customer support on a single platform.

Features: Video calling and large virtual conferencing, IVR and auto attendant, HD voice quality, scheduled video meetings , call recording, screen sharing, HD voice quality, voicemail transcription, mobile and desktop SMS/MMS.

Integrations: Seamlessly works with a range of essential tools, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools.

Pricing: Nextiva has three unified communications plans. The Essential plan starts at $18.95/user/month, featuring auto-attendant and unlimited voice and video calls. For $22.95/user/month, the Professional plan includes CRM integrations, SMS/MMS texting, and unrestricted conference calls for up to 40 participants. The Enterprise plan, at $37.95/user/month, adds features like call recording and analytics, ideal for small and medium teams.

Google Workspace

Who’s it for : Google Workspace is a business-oriented collaboration product for small to large businesses.

Features : Google Workspace is made up of a constellation of Google apps, including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and more.

Integrations : Adobe Creative Cloud, box, Dropbox, Evernote, LucidChart, Asana, DocuSign, Freshdesk, SurveyMonkey, SmartDraw and much more.

Pricing : Google Workspace is a suite of several Google tools, including Docs, Sheets, Meet and more. The Business Starter plan is $6 per user/month, the Business Standard plan is $12 per user/month, and the Business Plus plan is $18 per user/month, with each plan offering more storage and conferencing capabilities.

Microsoft Office 365

Who’s it for : Individuals, businesses, schools, and enterprise clients use Microsoft Office 365 for document creation, editing and management.

Features : Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, Outlook, Publisher, SharePoint, Skype, Yammer, and more.

Integrations : Docusign, Zapier, DropBox, Salesforce, Ring Central, box, Clio, ActiveCampaign, Okta, Miro, and more.

Pricing : There are many plans for Microsoft 365, each with its own features and benefits. Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $5 per user/month and the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan is $20 per user/month. Microsoft 365 Family is $99.99/year for up to six people.

Freshservice

Who’s it for : Small to large IT and non-IT organizations use Freshservice to track workflows and manage projects.

Features : Inventory tracking and asset management software , project management, task tracking, automation of tasks such as emails and responses, workflows and customizable dashboards.

Pricing : For a price quote, contact BMC Software directly.

Google Drive

Who’s it for : Google Drive is a cloud-based document storage solution for everyone from individuals to enterprise organizations.

Features : Cloud-based document storage, real-time collaboration, task assignment, deep integrations with other Google tools such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Integrations : Slack, Dropbox, Airtable, Trello, YouTube, TypeForm, G Suite, Asana, Facebook Pages, Discord, HubSpot and thousands more.

Pricing : Google Drive is free to use, but organizations may choose to upgrade to Google Workspace to unlock all of this tool’s advanced capabilities. A Business Starter plan starts at $6 per user/month, with additional plans available at $12 per user/month for Business Standard and $18 per user/month for Business Plus. Enterprise plans are also available.

Who’s it for : Businesses, professionals and individuals who need cloud storage for digital files use Dropbox to store their important files.

Features : File sharing, device syncing, desktop and mobile apps, security and back-ups, collaboration tools, file organization and document management tools.

Integrations : Canva, Autodesk, Trello, Slack, Okta, and Getty Images.

Pricing : Dropbox offers a Basic free plan with 2 GB of storage, a Plus plan for $9.99/month with 2 TB of storage and a Family plan for $16.99 per month for up to six users.

For business accounts, Dropbox offers a Standard plan with 5 TB of storage for $12.50 per user/month, a Professional plan with 3 TB of storage plus sharing tools for $16.58/month and an Advanced plan for $20 per user/month with unlimited storage.

Who’s it for : Remote and on-site teams use Flock to stay in contact.

Features : instant messaging, channel chats, video calling, file sharing, productivity tools, and personalized onboarding.

Integrations : Asana, Twitter, Trello, Github, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Todoist, Mailchimp, Bitbucket, and Jira.

Pricing : Flock has a free Starter plan for up to 20 team members. A pro plan costs $4.50 per user/mo. for up to 100 team members. Enterprise quotes are also available for larger teams.

Who’s it for : Small to large organizations can use Nutcache for work and time tracking, task management, and automation.

Features : Collaboration workspace, work tracking, task management, automation,  Gantt charts , project budgeting, time tracking, invoicing, and more.

Integrations : PayPal, Stripe, QuickBooks, Google Suite, Slack, GitHub, and Zapier.

Pricing : Nutcache offers a Free plan to get you started, as well as a Pro plan for $$6 per user/month and an Enterprise plan for $12 per user/month.

Who’s it for: Small to large businesses, remote teams that need to track work hours, budget projects, monitor productivity, and track employee attendance .

Features: Timesheets, detailed reporting, project budgeting, payroll, clock in and out, screenshots, idle time tracking, app usage time, and more. 

Integrations: Trello, Asana, ClickUp. 

Pricing: Standard plan starts from $5 per user /month, and Elite plan costs $7/user/month.

When I Work

Who’s it for : When I Work is a collaboration tool for small to large teams.

Features : Time tracking, internal communications, work scheduling, project tracking, 1:1 and group chats, time-off requests, clock-in/clock-out, onboarding, labor forecasting, auto-scheduling, payroll management , labor reporting, cost tracking, and more.

Integrations : ADP, Gigwage, Onpay, Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex, Square, Crew, Zapier, and more.

Pricing : When I Work offers pricing that scales to meet your business needs. For organizations up to 100 employees, When I Work costs $2.00 per user. Enterprise plans for larger organizations are also available.

What are collaboration tools for business?

Organizations rely on many tools to facilitate collaboration and communication among and within teams. Some of the most common collaboration tools for business include:

• Project management software
• Time tracking software
• Employee communication and networking
• Document repository
• Cloud-based document sharing and editing
• Visual communication tools

What are the benefits of collaboration tools?

Collaboration tools are essential for managing the flow of work in organizations, especially when our teams are separated due to remote work or geography.

When and where should I use business collaboration tools?

Business collaboration tools can be used to manage both onsite and remote teams, as well as to facilitate teamwork among geographically separated team members.

How do I choose the right business collaboration tools?

A worker is only as good as their tools, and business collaboration tools are no different. When considering the right tools for your organization consider the following questions:

• Does this business collaboration platform do everything I need, or will I need to invest in additional tools?
• What does my team like or not like about this tool?
• Is this tool hard to learn or implement?
• Is this tool secure?
• Can this tool grow with my business?
• Does this business communication tool offer adequate customer support?
• Does it have all the functions you need or those you expect to need in the future?
• Does this tool give you an adequate return on investment?

If you are looking for the best collaboration software for small businesses and enterprise organizations, you will find that there are many to choose from.

Team collaboration tools can help your team maximize its potential or drag it into chaos.

By carefully considering the best online collaboration tools for business, you can choose a business collaboration software that will deliver real results.

Looking for a business plan software to help save time and reduce errors? Pick from one of these 7 best business plan software to get started.

In summary: Invest in the right business collaboration tools for better teamwork and increases in productivity

Having the right collaboration tools in the workplace is vital to ensure seamless team collaboration and effective implementation of any team projects.

Besides being the perfect visual communication tool, Venngage offers many features that make collaboration among team members a breeze.

You can easily add team members to a design and work together in real time directly on the design dashboard. You can also add comments or share the design with everyone via a private link.

Our library of thousands of easy-to-edit templates and our drag-and-drop editor allow you to quickly and easily create business materials and other content with ease. Start creating and collaborating now—no design experience required.

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

10 Best Design Collaboration Software & Tools for Creatives

Published: May 21, 2024

Even the most creative people know the most innovative projects get done when you work as a team. However, working as a team can be difficult without the right tools to streamline and organize your workflows while keeping everyone informed.

So, to help you work more efficiently with your team, I rounded up 10 of my favorite design collaboration software and tools you can try.

Let's get into it!

Free Website Design Inspiration Guide

77 Brilliant Examples of Homepages, Blogs & Landing Pages to Inspire You

• Agency Pages
• Ecommerce Pages
• Tech Company Pages

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

What is design collaboration software?

Best design collaboration tools that i love.

1. Asana 2. InVision 3. Figma 4. Typeform 5. Notion 6. Miro 7. Trello 8. Balsamiq 9. Simplified 10. Visme

Design collaboration software is a digital tool or program that allows teams to collaborate on projects, share ideas, submit feedback, and manage content in real-time.

With the right collaborative tools and software, you and your team can efficiently collaborate while monitoring projects, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Now that you know about design collaboration software, let's dive into different software and tools available to your organization.

And, once you've chosen which tool or software you want to use for your next collaborative design project, check out HubSpot's Content Hub to help you with the creation side of your project.

You can explore our free web design resources for extra inspiration or help.

Here are 10 creative collaboration tools I recommend checking out.

I've been using Asana for years, and it’s been incredibly helpful in managing my assignments and collaborating with colleagues at HubSpot.

It has a variety of features, such as intuitive work workflows, calendars, and task boards that you can either keep for yourself or loop your team on.

What I like:

Asana allows users to plan and structure their workflows to their liking. I especially love that I can set deadlines and communicate them to my team members via messages in the platform or automatic email notifications.

Asana also has a card feature that allows you to leave important details and checklists regarding how the assignment should be completed, almost like a virtual flashcard with the assignment on the front and information on the back.

Asana is best for teams in which assignments are sent up the ladder to the next person. For example, someone may assign me a blog post in Asana.

Once I complete that blog post, I mark it as completed, and it's pinged to my colleague for scheduling.

What Users Are Saying:

It‘s me; I’m “users.” I use Asana all the time for work, and I enjoy it. It‘s easy to create detailed cards with assigned tasks and track my and my teammates’ progress through our workflows.

2. InVision

InVision is like a digital whiteboard platform that allows teams to collaborate, share essential project details, and communicate at every step of the design process.

The last thing you want for a project is a fractured team in which some people are unaware of what's happening.

Invision solves this issue by centralizing your project and enabling your team to collaborate in one place.

What I Like:

The platform provides a customizable experience with over 100 templates and allows your users to integrate their favorite tools. This creates a custom workflow that is adaptable to the user's needs.

InVision is best for marketers who want to centralize and manage every aspect of the design process, from ideation to hand-off.

Users say InVision is very intuitive and easy to use, but creating a prototype can be difficult because it might not always recognize links and buttons on your prototype.

Image source

This platform is among the most versatile on this list and boasts features like:

• unlimited viewers (great for large teams)
• shareable links
• private projects
• Unlimited teams
• Custom workspaces

Moreover, Figma has a mobile app for Android and iOS, making it ideal for marketers who are constantly on the go.

Figma is an excellent option for both individual and team projects. Thanks to its unlimited viewers and team features, it's ideal for large or cross-functional teams.

While looking through reviews, I noticed a lot of users calling Figma the best UX/UI design tool, especially for new or non-designers.

With Typeform, I can create quizzes, polls, or surveys so I can gather feedback from my team, such as what's working or not working in my project or if teammates are encountering any hiccups.

I especially love that I can add images, GIFs, or other types of media to make my surveys more interesting and engaging.

Creating surveys to send out to team members.

Notion is a wonderful platform for storing and organizing screenshots, links, and other media in a Wiki-style layout. This allows you and your team to keep track of references in one place.

You can also customize your Notion layout to accommodate your workflow.

The platform is best for saving and organizing references for your team so they can easily be deferred back to when needed.

Most users praise Notion for its organizational resources. However, they say the mobile app isn't as optimized as the desktop.

Miro is very user-friendly and has an intuitive layout.

Miro is best for brainstorming and collaboration among team members.

Users praise Miro as an exceptional collaboration tool, especially for global teams during brainstorming sessions.

I love tools like Trello because I'm a visual person. Seeing assignments neatly organized into boards that other team members can access and track helps me visualize my workflow.

Like Asana, tasks within workflow boards can be marked “Assigned,” “In Progress,” or “Done,” so team members are all aware of how a project is progressing.

Trello works best for teams that use the Kanban approach to their workflow. Kanban means using visual cues to communicate the tasks that need to be done in a workflow.

Users love how simple Trello is to use since it mainly requires dragging and dropping digital cards from one stage to the next. The platform's visual elements makes is easy for users to track their progress on just one screen.

However, some users complain that private items and personal notes can be difficult to distinguish from shared boards, meaning team members can wind up receiving notifications for personal tasks that don't concern them—which can be distracting.

I‘m a sucker for a unique motif, so I love Balsamiq’s “marker-on-a-whiteboard” look. Plus, it's a great tool for beginner designers who simply need a quick mockup.

Balsamiq is excellent for collaborating on design mockups.

Most user reviews of Balsamiq mention the platform's “ease of implementation.”

If you want a tool that will boost the efficiency and speed of the design approval process, them Simplified could be for you.

Reviews of Simplified show that users appreciate its free plan, which allows them to use a variety of features at no cost.

Many also say it's helped them to create more content, such as blog posts, faster and to help them keep track of multiple client-based projects.

Visme allows for role-based permissions, meaning that users can designate different levels of access depending on the roles of team members.

This helps protect sensitive information and ensures some team members aren't bogged down with details that may not be pertinent to their tasks.

Visme is best for crafting visuals that bolster content.

Many users, like the one below, praise Visme for how easy it is to use and for its unique features, such as the background removal tool. Many found that it's flexible for use on an individual and team level.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

8 Graphic Design Resume Examples to Land Your Next Job

How to Create an Ebook From Start to Finish [Free Ebook Templates]

24 Best Free Marketing & Sales Icons for Your Website or App

The Ultimate Collection of 200+ Best Free Content Marketing Templates

7 Visual Hierarchy Principles for Every Marketer

36 Beautiful New Ebook Templates [Free Download]

What is Information Design + How It Can Help You as a Marketer

Ultimate Guide to Hero Images [Best Practices + Examples]

How to Use the Rule of Thirds in Web Design [Quick Tip]

Outsourcing a Design Project? Here's How to Write a Design Brief

Streamline your workflow and excel in project management with these 5 free resources from HubSpot.

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

Integrations

Inspiration

Consideration

Go hybrid with Prezi

It’s a new world. Are you ready? Here’s how Prezi helps your team thrive in today’s hybrid workplace.

Prezi Video explained

We’ve compiled these quick, easy-to-follow tutorials to make you a Prezi Video master in no time.

The science

Learn to grab their attention and keep it with presentation advice from the pros.

Create moving, zooming presentations that grab attention and keep it.

Appear right alongside your content while presenting to your audience.

Make stunning interactive charts, reports, maps, infographics, and more.

Online presentation tools that help you stand out

Engage your audience no matter where you are. Prezi’s online presentation tools help you connect with your audience and create conversational presentations that come with you on-screen to any video call. With professionally-designed templates, branding solutions, immersive views, and more, it’s never been easier to create and present online.

1-844-773-9449 8:30 am–5 pm PST

Trusted by business both large and small

Do more than talk at your audience. Prezi makes every presentation a personal and engaging conversation. Use the open canvas of Prezi Present to view your whole presentation, then jump into topics in any order as your audience shows interest. No need to search through slides or bore your audience. Engage everyone even more with interactive elements like charts, maps, and tables made in Prezi Design.

Take your presentations online with Prezi Video . Display your presentations next to you on screen so you can stay face-to-face with your audience instead of being blocked by a shared screen. Get even more online presentation features like immersive views, branding solutions, and name tags with a Teams license. Create your presentation online with Prezi Present, then take it to a virtual meeting with Prezi Video for a truly personal and professional online presentation.

Find the perfect template for your presentation

Creating a presentation is simple with the right starting blocks. Use Prezi’s online presentation templates to make a winning sales pitch, product demo, or training session. With a Teams license, any presentation template can be branded with your own colors, fonts, and logo to make your message more memorable.

Check out more online presentation templates

• Create a Prezi account and open Prezi Video in your dashboard.
• Get started with quick record or choose any of our professionally-designed video templates .
• Upload your own images, GIFs, and videos, or select free visuals from our Unsplash and Giphy right in Prezi.
• Add your presenter notes to track your main ideas or speaking points.
• Practice your presentation and get ready to present in a video call or record your video for later.
• Share your video. You can trim the video, add a description, edit the transcript, choose the thumbnail, adjust privacy settings, and present your video right in Prezi Video .

Create an oline presentation with Prezi Video

Get inspired by the top presenters in the biz

Some of the best online presentations out there are available on Prezi. Look through our gallery of presentation examples, curated by Prezi’s editors, for some of our favorites. You can take notes, get inspired, and you can even re-use an existing presentation for your own purposes. Just look for the green symbol, then customize the presentation with your own content.

Explore online presentation examples

More features that make online presentations with Prezi great

You’re in the driver’s seat

License management Add or remove team members, and transfer licenses with ease.

Content ownership Keep control of your team’s content, even when someone leaves.

Privacy control Publishing settings and overviews let you manage who sees what.

MSI Installation Remote software deployment gets everyone the latest versions fast.

We’re your biggest supporters

Phone and chat support Our customer support experts are standing by to help.

Dedicated success manager Let your personal guide get your team up and running.

Branded templates Get your own template with your fonts, logo, and colors.

Advanced training* Get personalized trainings and webinars, plus the option to get Prezi-certified. *Available with software commitment minimum

Your security is our priority

SOC2 compliance We stay compliant and constantly up-to-date with SOC2 requirements.

Continuous monitoring We constantly scan and test our infrastructure and application.

Cross-team integration Our security, engineering, and product teams partner with each other closely. Learn more about our security measures

Discover resources for better presentations online

Frequently asked questions

Can i convert my google slides, powerpoint, or keynote presentations to prezi.

You sure can! Upload any existing sales deck from PowerPoint or Google Slides to Prezi to convert it to a Prezi presentation online. You can also use a Keynote presentation by exporting it as a PDF and importing that.

How do you present online with Prezi?

Use Prezi Video to take your presentation to a virtual meeting and present online. Your presentation will appear next to you on screen, so you can more easily interact with the content while maintaining a face-to-face connection with your audience.

What video conferencing tools does Prezi Video work with?

Prezi Video connects to the top video conferencing platforms out there. Select “Prezi Camera” from your camera settings to view your presentation in your virtual meeting.

Am I able to import my own branded assets into Prezi?

Setting up your brand kit in Prezi lets you upload your logo, fonts, colors, and any other asset, so they’re preloaded and ready to be used in any project you create.

What types of assets or images are available within Prezi?

You don’t need to prepare all your images before creating a presentation in Prezi. Get access to the huge Unsplash and Giphy libraries directly within the Prezi editor, perfect for finishing up presentations on the fly.

Your team creates better presentations online with Prezi

Prezi helps you create stunning and highly engaging presentations online that are perfect for sales, marketing, training, or internal communication, and there’s so much more you can do when you get your team on Prezi. Discover other cool features purpose-built to help hybrid and virtual teams succeed, such as the Prezi brand kit, enhanced collaboration tools, and more when you get a demo or sign up for a free trial.

Vartika Kashyap

52 Best online collaboration tools for 2024

Introduction

Working from anywhere is the new normal! Today’s workforce is all about flexibility, with a massive 83% of employees wanting to work remotely or have a hybrid work model. This shift means teams need strong online collaboration tools to stay connected and work together.

Whether your whole team works remotely or you have a mix of office and home folks, using online collaboration tools can make everyone way more productive! These tools help your team stay on the same page, even without a physical workspace.

There are a ton of options to choose from! Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. This article will be your guide to the best online collaboration tools. We’ll break down the best options, highlighting their key features, pros and cons, pricing, and even user ratings.

Let’s explore the tools that will unlock success for your team, no matter where they work from!

Best collaboration tools & software for business

Project management tools, 1. proofhub.

ProofHub is an online collaboration tool designed to simplify teamwork. It provides a centralized workspace where team members can collaborate on projects effortlessly. With ProofHub, every project, team member, client, stakeholder, and related communication is brought together, eliminating the need for multiple apps.

Team members can share ideas, feedback, progress, and issues in real-time, ensuring effective collaboration and reducing delays.

For managers, ProofHub offers the ability to create collaborative workspaces tailored to teams or projects. They can organize tasks, delegate work efficiently, track progress, and communicate with the team in real-time, regardless of location.

ProofHub key features

• Proofing : Review assets, provide feedback, and approve them in real-time. Use markup tools to annotate files and comment on specific regions.
• Discussions : Keep conversations related to a topic organized for later reference. Share files, updates, or information related to a particular topic.
• Instant chat : Internal communication with built-in instant chat for one-on-one or group conversations.
• File sharing : Cloud storage for uploading files from your system or other third-party services like Google Drive and Dropbox. Collaborate on files with team members using ProofHub.
• In-task comments : Mention team members working on a task and attach files related to it.
• Extensive set of features, including time tracking and reporting, without any extra cost.
• Flat pricing model with no per-user fee ; add new users anytime without any need to upgrade plans
• Forms for collaborating with clients.
• Custom roles with access controls for external stakeholders or contributors.
• Invoicing is available only through integration
• Not suitable for solopreneurs.

ProofHub pricing

ProofHub offers a 14-day free trial, two flat pricing plans to choose from

• Essential: $45/month for unlimited users (billed annually)
• Ultimate Control: $89/month for unlimited users and all features (billed annually) 

User ratings

• Capetera: 4.5

2. Filestage

Filestage is a collaboration tool that simplifies the content collaboration and review process for teams. It provides an easy way for internal and external stakeholders to leave feedback on videos, images, PDFs, and more. The platform generates to-do lists based on comments to ensure no feedback is missed.

With Filestage, you can review and approve in real-time, external partners and clients can comment without registering, and version control makes projects easy to manage and easy to see as to which stakeholders have approved a file.

Filestage key features

• Easy Review: Simplifies feedback gathering and reviewers don’t need to sign up.
• Comments: Reviewers can directly comment on files, making the process less time-consuming.
• Consistency: Provides a central place for reviewing files and sharing feedback, promoting consistency.
• Creative Management: Aids in creative management and quick collaboration for teams.
• Time Saver: Simplifies creative reviews and approvals, saving time previously spent on email threads.
• Great collaboration solution for internal and external projects.
• Neat and simple user interface.
• Excellent customer support.
• No mobile app version is available.
• Complex dashboard layout.

Filestage pricing

Filestage offers a free version available for freelancers.

Paid plans:

• Basic: $49/month for unlimited users and up to 10 projects (billed annually).
• Professional: $249/month for unlimited users and up to 25 projects (billed annually).
• Enterprise: Custom pricing available; contact sales representatives.
• Capetera: 4.7

3.  GanttPRO

GanttPRO is a project collaboration tool designed with a core emphasis on Gantt charts, providing teams with extensive collaboration possibilities in a familiar environment of project management.

The platform offers customizable task management capabilities with real-time descriptions, comments, attachments, and notifications, facilitating streamlined collaboration. Additionally, efficient resource management allows for the reallocation of resources with a short learning curve for easy adoption.

GanttPRO’s key features

• Task management:   Create dependencies and an ideal Work Breakdown structure to ensure smooth functionality.
• Gantt chart: Interactive online Gantt chart maker for planning and controlling multiple projects simultaneously.
• Project scheduling : Make schedules with drag-and-drop simplicity.
• Resource planning: Add resources to your Gantt charts and connect them to specific tasks online.
• Time tracking: Log the actual time spent on tasks, and milestones, and add comments.
• Ensures data security and file fidelity is observed at all times.  
• Numerous templates allow for instant tasks and scheduled assignments. 
• Well-designed, easy to learn, and use.
• Limited integrations.
• No billing or invoicing.

GanttPro pricing

GanttPRO offers an initial free trial for 14 days. After that, users can select from the following paid plans based on their requirements. 

• Basic: $7.99/user/month (billed annually)
• Pro: $12.99/user/month (billed annually)
• Business: $19.99/user/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing. 
• Capterra rating : 4.8/5
• G2 rating:  4.8/5

Nuclino is a unified online collaboration tool that brings together teams’ knowledge, documents, and projects in one place, offering a simple and intuitive knowledge base management platform.

You can create documents for every topic or project and organize them visually into a nested list, a Kanban board , or a mind map-style graph.

Versatile yet clutter-free, Nuclino offers a user-friendly interface that has everything you need and nothing you don’t.

Nuclino’s key features

• Sidekick AI: A generative AI app for creating summaries and drafts.
• Search Bar: Quickly find anything in your knowledge base with filtering options.
• Multiple Views: Organize documents and projects visually into a nested list, Kanban board, or mind map-style graph.
• Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with Slack, Google Drive, Figma, Lucidchart, and other tools to keep work in sync.
• Real-time collaboration.
• Users can add text, images, videos, files, tasks, embeds, code blocks, and more.
• Minimalistic design with simple, intuitive, and lightweight user-interface.
• Easily undo unwanted or accidental changes by restoring versions.
• Limited functionality for managing documentation.
• Not suitable for large organizations.

Nulcino’s pricing

Nuclino offers a free plan with 2 GB storage and limited features. To access more advanced features, users can upgrade to one of the following plans

• Standard: $ 5 per user per month (billed annually)
• Premium: $10 per user per month (billed annually)
• Capetera: 4.8

5. Basecamp

Basecamp , with its decent toolkit, is one of the simplest and most user-friendly team collaboration tools. Apart from its project management capabilities, the platform comes with built-in features that promote collaboration within the teams. 

A very thick silver lining is also there, which allows external clients to contribute to the tasks without altering the internal management in any possible way.

Basecamp’s key features

• Message board: Centralizes project conversations for easy collaboration.
• Client access: Provides a unified platform for clients and team members to share files, communicate, and collaborate.
• Hill charts: Offers detailed insights into task progress within Basecamp.
• Campfires: Facilitates convenient group chats for updates and project collaboration.
• Doors: Connect with external tools while using Basecamp.
• Flat-fee pricing, add as many users as you want to.
• Centralized document storage space. 
• Easy to customize and control user access. 
• Lack of some essential project management features.
• Adding subtasks to the main task is difficult.

Basecamp’s pricing

Basecamp offers two pricing plans tailored to different team sizes, each with a 30-day free trial:

• Basecamp: $15 per user per month on annual billing
• Basecamp Pro Unlimited: $299 per month on annual billing
• Capterra : 4.3/5
• G2 :  4.1/5

Asana, being the old player, has made itself quite a name in the arena of project management. The tool promises a great collaboration framework for teams.

Asana is a pick of many industry leaders due to its multiple view offerings that allow them to stay on top of every team member’s work and task progress.

Also, it cuts down the email fog to streamline the task flow by getting the teams on the same page and bringing transparency across.

Asana key features 

• Timeline and boards: Visualize task progress with a clear overview of project milestones 
• Shared workspace: Collaborate on projects in a shared workspace area. 
• Calendar : View task due dates and deadlines in a calendar format.
• Projects: Gain a complete overview of tasks within projects.
• Recurring tasks automation: Automate the creation and scheduling of recurring tasks. 
• Multiple third-party integrations are available. 
• Facilitates communication and collaboration.
• Interactive and user-friendly interface.
• Lacks in-detail insights reporting.
• Assigning tasks to multiple team members is not possible

Asana’s pricing

Asana offers a free plan with basic features and a 15-user limit. Besides, it offers the following three options to choose from. 

• Premium – $13.49/user/month (billed monthly)
• Business – $30.49/user/month (billed monthly)
• Enterprise – Custom pricing
• Capterra rating : 4.5/5
• G2 rating:  4.3/5

Communication & Collaboration Tools 💬

Slack is one of the well-known communication tools used by the new-age workforce for collaboration. It puts everything you need for work in one place, like messages, files, and apps.

Whether you’re part of a big company or just organizing a small group, Slack brings all your stuff together so you can easily manage it. 

With the powerful mobile and desktop application, millions of people are using Slack to bring their teams together and drive their business’s growth forward.

Slack key features

• Channels: Dedicated spaces for project or topic-related conversations.
• Slack Connect: Communication channels for collaborators or clients outside the organization.
• Messaging: Effective communication with gifs, emojis, and images.
• Huddles: Real-time collaboration through audio and video.
• Workflow Builder: Automated workflows for streamlining processes.
• Extensive integration with other business applications, including ProofHub
• Easy user adoption due to user-interface similarity with other apps 
• Pinning important messages saves time from scrolling and finding important information. 
• Can be addictive like social media apps. 
• Offers limited storage space. 

Slack pricing

Slack offers a free plan with basic functions and limited storage. For more advanced functionality, users can choose from one of the following plans.

• Slack Pro Plan: $7.25/user/month.
• Slack Business+ Plan: $12.50/user/month
• Slack Enterprise grid Plan: Contact sales
• Capterra: 4.7/5

8. Troop Messenger

Troop Messenger simplifies team collaboration, facilitating seamless communication and project coordination while ensuring data protection through features like end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication.

With streamlined messaging and file-sharing capabilities, teams can exchange information efficiently, saving costs and time. The user-friendly interface makes navigation seamless, even for novice users, with features that are self-explanatory.

Troop Messenger’s key features

• Task management: Create and assign tasks, track progress, and set deadlines.
• Burnout: Unsend messages you’ve accidentally sent.
• Flagging: Flag important messages for easy reference.
• Code snippet: Share code snippets with your team.
• Airtime Groups: Create groups for voice-only communication.
• Facilitates real-time communication.
• Remote screen sharing.
• Role-based access controls.
• Steep learning curve.

Troop Messenger’s pricing

Troop messenger offers a three-tier pricing structure: 

• Premium: $ 30/user/year or $2.5/user/month
• Enterprise: $ 60/user/year or $ 5/user/month
• Superior: $ 108/user/year or $ 9/user/month
• Capterra: 4.8/5

Chanty is an online collaboration platform that improves team communication and fosters healthy relationships among team members. It offers transparent and accessible communication through text, audio, and video calls, including screen sharing capabilities.

By featuring instant messages with plenty of storage space, an unlimited searchable history, and handy file sharing you can enjoy seamless communication with your teams. 

Chanty key features

• Chanty integrations : transform a simple team messenger into a powerful business tool .
• Response prediction: The artificial intelligence powering Chanty team messenger uses machine learning to estimate responses.
• Super fast: desktop and mobile apps with a clean and intuitive interface.
• Threaded conversation: Organize conversations related to a particular context in one place. 
• Multi-format communication: Chanty lets you communicate with your team via audio and video calls that will be available in the public beta.
• Public and private conversations
• A wide range of collaboration tools to help you collaborate with your team. 
• Workflow management. 
• Free version with limitations.
• The app gets slow at times.

Chanty pricing

Chanty offers a straightforward pricing model:

Free Plan: This plan is suitable for teams with up to 5 users and provides access to the basic features of Chanty for free. 

Business Plan: $3 per user per month when billed annually and $4 per user per month when billed monthly. 

• Capetera: 4.7/5

Flock is one of the great team collaboration tools that increases team productivity by reducing emails. It offers a seamless and easy way of communication within teams (either in groups or individually).

You can connect with your team on messages and video calls, manage projects with to-dos, group discussions, polls, and reminders, and integrate your favourite apps.

In comparison to other team chat apps, Flock is fairly easy to set up and use. Additionally, it is relatively budget-friendly. 

Flock key features

• Shared To-Dos and reminders: Assign and track tasks within channels or privately, and set reminders for important deadlines.
• Notes and note sharing: Create shared notes for team projects and easily collaborate on content.
• Retained information:  You can migrate a Slack account to Flock without losing a history of conversations just because you want to use a different tool.
• Personal Chat tab: Create a private space for notes, saving important messages, and accessing personal reminders.
• Mailcast: Share emails directly within Flock channels for easier team discussion and action.
• Supports lots of integrations.
• Full-featured messaging.
• Audio-Video conferencing.
• Less file format support in file-sharing mode.
• No private or voice note option on this platform.

Flock Pricing

Flock offers a free plan ideal for small teams or individual users:

• Pro plan: Starts at $6/user/month billed monthly, or $4.50/user/month billed annually. 
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing available.

11. Nextiva

Nextiva offers a small business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution is perfect for businesses looking to collaborate with customers effortlessly through unlimited calls. They can even port their existing phone number over to Nextiva.

This online collaboration platform offers full business phone service capabilities with advanced features such as local phone numbers, call pop, automated greetings, voicemail-to-email, SMS text messaging, mobile apps, HD hold music, and more. 

Nextiva key features

• Audio/Video Conferencing: Communicate with your team via video or audio calls.
• Unlimited Texting: Send and receive unlimited messages using your business phone number.
• Call Forwarding and Auto Attendant: Easily direct calls with auto attendant and call forwarding features.
• Unified Communications: Merge voice, video, chat, and fax into a single platform for seamless communication.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Organize customer interactions with tools like contact management, lead scoring, and deal tracking.
• Highly customizable auto-attendant.
• Stable call quality and service. 
• Proactive customer support. 
• Expensive pricing. 
• Confusing interface.

Nextiva’s pricing

• Essential Plan: $18.95/user/month (billed annually)
• Professional Plan: $22.95/user/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise Plan : $32.95/user/month (billed annually)

Note: Discounts are available for annual payments, and add-on features such as CRM and analytics tools may incur additional costs. Actual prices may vary depending on team sizes and negotiations.

• Capterra: 4.4

Fleep is a messenger built for work collaboration. It keeps away the countless threads of email and meetings and makes chatting with team members easy and simple.

You can even create tasks and ask for updates from the team members. With features like direct and group chats, email integration, and guest access, it simplifies daily operations.

Fleep is suitable for various team sizes and types, from small startups to large enterprises. It’s particularly well-suited for teams that value simplicity, organization, and efficient communication.

Fleep’s key features

• Task Management: Lightweight task management for ultimate project collaboration .
• Pinboard: Pin important messages to the side of each conversation .
• File Sharing and Central Storage: Collaborate easily on documents with centralized storage.
• Audio Video Calling and Screen Sharing: Discuss matters via calls and share screens.
• Set Reminders: Utilize IFTTT integration to set reminders.
• Streamlines task management 
• Easy to set up and organize conversations
• Open-source communication and seamless file sharing
• Voice call quality takes a dip sometimes
• Some problems with cross-device compatibility

Fleep offers two paid plans for individuals and teams:

Business: €5/user/month (billed annually) Enterprise: Custom pricing

13. Google chat

Formerly known as Google Hangouts, Google Chat is a collaboration tool offering both 1:1 and group conversations for businesses.

It facilitates direct and group chats, integrates seamlessly with other Google Workspace apps, and provides threaded conversations for organizations. Google Chat streamlines workflow, enhances productivity and is suitable for teams of all sizes seeking a straightforward solution for effective teamwork and communication.

With Google chat, you can create channels to quickly chat and share files with team members anytime and from anywhere.

Google chat’s key features

• In-line topic threading: Easily organize conversations by topics within the chat interface.
• Search across multiple spaces: Efficiently search for information across different chat rooms or channels.
• Organized structure: Navigate and explore content within the organizational structure seamlessly.
• File sharing: Share documents, images, and other files directly within the chat interface.
• Task assignment: Assign tasks to team members and track progress within the chat environment.
• Simple and free communication tool.
• Seamless integration with Google and third-party apps.
• Offers instant messaging, voice calling, and video calling.
• Character limitation. 
• Limited functionality makes it extremely basic.

Google Chat is free to use. Advanced features like Spaces and increased storage require a Google Workspace subscription:

• Business Starter: $6/user/month (billed annually)
• Business Standard: $12/user/month (billed annually)
• Business Plus: $18/user/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with additional features and support.

User rating:

• Capterra: 4.5/5

Design Tools

14. mockplus.

Mockplus is the one-stop product design online collaboration platform that allows product teams to create website or mobile app projects online smoothly from wireframing to design handoff.

It brings together designers, developers, and all the stakeholders, to collaborate on prototyping, testing, iteration, and scaling— all from one convenient location. 

The platform also facilitates developers and designers to import designs and assets by plugins from Adobe XD, Sketch, Figma, and Ps.

Mockplus’ key features

• Real-time co-editing: Work together with your team on designs at the same time, instantly seeing each other’s changes.
• Version control: Keep track of different versions of designs and go back to previous ones when necessary.
• Seamless feedback: Leave comments and notes directly on prototypes to communicate effectively.
• Team management: Invite team members, assign roles, and set permissions for better teamwork
• Design handoff: Easily hand over designs to developers with clear specifications and assets
• Easy to use and low learning curve 
• Huge library of elements (200) and icons(3,000) for many different devices 
• Create interactive prototypes with drag-and-drop functionality 
• Online collaboration streamlines the design process
• You can markup your designs with comments and notes 
• Lack of support documentation
• No support for gesture-based interaction

Apart from the free plan with 10 users limit, Mockplus offers two paid plans to choose from

• Ultimate: 14.94/user/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing 

User rating

• Capterra:4.4

Canva is a simple graphic design tool to make work collaboratively on creative assets , like images, videos, PDFs, etc. You can make unique designs in just a few minutes and share them with your team.

The credibility and ease of use of this feature-rich online collaboration platform are the same as any simple design tool. Also, collaborating with teams is much easier with Canva. Designers can share their designs with anyone and other team members can leave their comments. 

Canva key features 

• Easy sharing & permissions: Instantly share designs via links and control access for viewing, commenting, or editing.
• Real-time collaboration: Collaborate simultaneously on designs, view edits in real-time, leave comments, and tag team members for input.
• Version control: View past versions of designs, track changes, and ensure work is never lost.
• Branded templates: Create and share branded templates for consistent design across projects.
• Design feedback tool: Gather feedback directly within Canva from clients or team members, streamlining the review process.
• Even a non-designer can learn to design using Canva. 
• Very simple to use and user-friendly. 
• Offers a wide range of inbuilt social media templates.
• You cannot create unique elements. 
• It can take a lot of time to learn its array of features.

Canva Pricing

Canva offers a free version for casual use with limited features 

Canva paid plans

Pro: $119.99/year or $12.99/month. Premium content, high-res downloads, branding tools, social media scheduling.

Teams : $119.90/year or $12.99/month per user. All of Pro + team collaboration, brand management, approval workflows.

Enterprise: Custom plan for large organizations with advanced features and security.

• Capterra:4.7/5

16. Adobe XD

Adobe XD is an in-one UX/UI solution for designing websites, mobile apps, and more. Designed for both Mac and Windows, it is a part of the Adobe creative cloud. 

This team collaboration tool allows designers to switch from static layouts to interactive prototypes in a single click and make required adjustments in real-time.  

Designers can connect it with their favorite tools like Dropbox, Avocode, and others to collaborate with team members on design projects.

Adobe XD key features

• Document management: Manage documents and track the ones you’ve shared across desktop, mobile, and web
• Document editing: Change text and formatting, edit lists, and add, rotate, and resize images 
• Privacy features: Apply PDF passwords and permissions
• Forms: Fill forms faster with automatic tool selection track status, send reminders, cancel requests, replace signers
• Huge template library
• Easy cropping and resizing.
• Integrated stock library. 
• Downloads are not movable from computer to computer. 
• Extremely competitive entry price.

Here’s a concise breakdown of Adobe XD pricing plans:

• Free: Starter plan with limited features, suitable for hobbyists.
• Individual: $9.99/month, includes all Adobe XD features, ideal for freelancers or small teams.
• Teams: $22.99/month per user, offers collaboration tools, best suited for design teams.
• All apps : $52.99/month per user, provides access to the full Adobe suite, including XD, perfect for professionals needing multiple tools.
• Capterra: 4.5

17. InVision freehand

InVision freehand is a very useful collaboration tool designed to bring teams together for brainstorming, planning, and executing various projects, not just limited to user-interface design. It aims to bridge the gap between traditional freehand sketching and digital design, allowing collaborative work on a virtual canvas. 

With InVision, you can collaborate on designing projects from a single dashboard and seamlessly navigate the entire process from one convenient location. The clients can provide instant feedback in the form of comments.

The tool allows users to collaborate, upload wireframes, and designs, gather feedback seamlessly, and test much more effectively and efficiently. 

InVision freehand key features

• Collaboration canvas: Real-time digital whiteboard for sketching and brainstorming together.
• Ready-to-Use templates: Quick-start templates for wireframes and mood boards.
• Organized workspaces: Dedicated sections for different project stages.
• Interactive visual elements: Pre-made shapes and notes for enhanced communication.
• Flexible collaboration: Open to team members and external stakeholders for real-time or delayed feedback discussions.
• Code-free design prototyping UI tools
• Intuitively designed and easy to use for people of all technical levels
• Streamlines the back-and-forth process of sending PDFs or screenshots of mockups.
• Expensive for larger teams. 
• Lacks some prototyping capabilities in comparison to other available software.

Here’s a summary of InVision Freehand pricing:

• Free: Suitable for small teams, includes basic features such as 3 Freehands, collaboration, and limited shapes. 
• Pro: Starts at $4 per user per month when billed annually.  Advanced tools like custom shapes and file uploads, $4 per user per month.
• Enterprise: Tailored for large organizations, with pricing available upon request.
• Capterra: 4.4/5

Sketch is a Mac app for UX design deliverables. The platform is a complete tool in itself for web design businesses – small, large, solo professionals, or scaling up. 

It takes the pain out of working with repeated design elements so that designers can design once and use it anywhere. You can find some nested symbols in Sketch to create flexible design elements with ease.

With more than being a complete design platform, Sketch allows users to collaborate on designs by analyzing and providing feedback in any browser. 

Sketch key features

• Plugin ecosystem: Extensive library of plugins for specific tasks and tool integrations.
• Real-time collaboration: Simultaneous editing for streamlined teamwork.
• Mac OS & Web Apps: Native Mac app for powerful tools, plus a web app for cross-platform collaboration.
• Libraries: Share reusable design elements for consistency and efficiency.
• Version History: Track changes and revert to previous versions for collaborative design iterations.
• Easy to use, high fidelity
• Massive user-created plugins to enhance Sketch in almost every way possible
• Seamless integration with other design software
• Inflexible styles can make redesigning and rebranding an awful, lengthy experience. 
• Only runs on MacOS.

Sketch offers the following pricing options to choose from: 

Monthly: $12/user/month – includes all features, collaboration, and shared Workspaces.

Yearly: $120/user/year (equivalent to $10/month) – includes all features, plus 2 free months.

Yearly License (for solo designers, Mac only) : One-time purchase: $120 – includes all features for one year, no updates after.

• Capterra: 4.6

Time Tracking Tools ⏱⏳

Toggl is one of the best online collaboration tools for managers, team members, and stakeholders to have a clear overview of the team’s workloads and availability.

With its no-hassle time tracking software , you can better take control of your time, boost productivity, centralize work information, share timelines, and even increase revenue with Toggl. 

It integrates with tens of different project management tools and makes the project manager’s life a lot easier.

Toggl key feature

• Web integration: Log time from any web tool with a browser extension.
• Billing overview: Quickly view billable time and team progress.
• Automated reminders: Automatically notify team members about missed hours and schedule reports to your inbox.
• Offline and mobile tracking: Track time offline and on mobile devices.
• Seamless integration: Integrate with your favorite productivity tools seamlessly.
• Available on all platforms, a wide range of features. 
• Generous free tire of service and integration with other apps. 
• Visually appealing reports. 
• A limited number of tags. 
• No client invoicing or payroll features.

Toggl pricing

Toggl offers a free plan for 5 users

• Starter – $9 per user per month (billed annually)
• Premium – $ 18 per user per month (billed annually)

20. TimeCamp

TimeCamp, also known as an automatic time tracker, is an online time-tracking collaboration tool. The platform is equipped with quite a considerable amount of features to track time. 

Great for both freelancers and teams, the platform allows users to create tasks and subtasks and assign hours to them. It also has a timesheet integration to track and bill time spent on projects.  

Teams all over the world can easily track time without the headache of timesheets.

TimeCamp key features 

• Shared Workspace: Collaborate on projects with real-time access to tasks, progress tracking, and updates.
• Task Assignment: Assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and monitor progress.
• Board View: Visualize workflow with Kanban boards, prioritize tasks, and manage work efficiently.
• Comments and Discussions: Discuss tasks, ask questions, and provide feedback within the platform.
• Real-time Chat: Instant communication through in-app chat for quick discussions and problem-solving.
• Several integrations with popular business software. 
• Invoicing tools streamline tracking billable hours.
• You can self-correct any distracting habits and use your time more productively.
• Unorganized project interface.
• The mobile app could be better.

TimeCamp pricing

Apart from a free forever version, Timecamp offers three paid plans to choose from.

• Starter:   $2.99/user/month when billed annually,  $3.99 when billed monthly 
• Premium:   $4.99/user/month, $6.99 when billed monthly 
• Ultimate: $ 7.99/user/month, $10.99 when billed monthly

Timely is an automated time tracking tool and one of the best team collaboration tools that is of great value for individuals in project development. 

With its AI-powered time-tracking software, you can not only track time, but teams, projects, and plans all together in one place. Timely is beautifully designed to lay out your scheduled activity next to your actual activity.

Timely key features

• Time Tracking: Core functionality enabling collaborators to monitor task and project time.
• Project Dashboard: Centralized control center displaying project status and vital information.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with team tools for efficient data flow and productivity.
• Memory Tracking: Provides insights into time utilization for maximizing efficiency.
• Reporting: Offers detailed insights on individual/team performance, project progress, and resource allocation.
• Ideal for different types of businesses. 
• Easy to review calendar. 
• Easy access from any device. 
• May takes some time to wrap your head around the layout.
• Expensive premium tier version.

Timely pricing

With a 14-day free trial on every plan, Timely offers three price plans to choose from:

• Starter: $9/user/month when billed annually, $11/user/ month when billed monthly
• Premium: $16/user/month when billed annually; $20/user/month when billed monthly
• Unlimited: $22/user/month when billed annually; $28/user/month when billed monthly
• Capterra: 4.7

22. ClickTime

ClickTime is one of those time-tracking tools that are particularly great for project-driven teams like programmers, engineers, developers, and professionals working in other sections of the IT department. 

With timesheets in ClickTime, you can increase project visibility, reduce costs, and stay on top of every project. You can even customize your timesheets as per your needs – as not every business works on the same operations.

Moreover, timesheets also help you reveal new insights, and understand patterns and employee performance – all from a simple sheet!

ClickTime key features

• Time Tracking: Monitor employee work hours, manage expenses, and handle time-off requests efficiently.
• Project Budgeting and Resource Allocation: Plan project budgets and allocate resources wisely to avoid overloading your team.
• Internal Notes and Comments: Add and discuss project details, tasks, and timesheets with internal notes and comments.
• Customizable Permissions: Control access levels based on job roles and responsibilities for data security and smooth workflow.
• Team Chat: Some ClickTime plans offer a built-in chat feature for quick communication within the tool.
• Extensive time reports are easy to understand. 
• Time tracking syncs to timesheets, providing real-time updates. 
• Simplicity and ease of use. 
• Can be difficult to manage multiple clients. 
• Not visually appealing.

ClickTime pricing

ClickTime offers four pricing tiers based on the number of users:

• Starter:   Starts at $10 per user per month. (billed annually)
• Team: Starts at $13 per user per month. (billed annually) 
• Premier: Starts at $24 per user per month. (billed annually)
• Enterprise Plan:  Pricing available upon connecting with the sales team.

23. RescueTime

RescueTime helps is time tracking and collaboration software that helps your team members prioritize tasks and enhance productivity by tracking their activities and providing insights to stay focused.

The smart coaching of RescueTime creates insights by measuring your focus and creating a day-end summary report to help you stay on track. The platform even blocks the sites that hinder your productivity and ability to focus.

It is a personal analytics service that shows you how you spend your time and provides tools to help you be more productive.

RescueTime key features

• Detailed activity tracking: Gives you detailed reports and data based on your activity
• Distraction free focus sessions: Lets you block distracting websites for a certain period of time
• Daily reviews: Log highlights about what you accomplished during the day
• Productivity pulse: a score from 0 to 100 that indicates the level of productive activity within your recorded time
• Cross-platform availability: Runs securely in the background on your computer and mobile devices
• Array of activity-tracking capabilities. 
• Users can block distracting websites. 
• Goal-setting properties and task-tracking attributes. 
• Mobile apps need work.
• Lack of scheduling.

RescueTime pricing

RescueTime offers two pricing options:

• Free plan: Basic time tracking, good for beginners.
• Premium plan: Costs $12/month, or $6.50/month (when billed annually), includes advanced features like custom labeling, music integration, and detailed reports.

24. Harvest

Harvest is a web-based time-tracking online collaboration tool that harnesses the power of time-tracking and goes way beyond to foster online collaboration in the most effective manner. 

It also supports a resource planning tool that helps you schedule future projects and assign team members based on capacity. Also, with Harvest in operations, apart from time tracking, you can even generate and issue invoices by tracking expenses for every client. 

It is a robust and easy-to-use time-tracking application that easily integrates with iOS, Android, and even Apple Watch. 

Harvest key features

• Harvest makes it easy to track time and expenses
• Submit timesheets, track billable, and non-billable hours and send invoices
• Intuitive visual reports to keep projects on track
• Simple and flexible time tracking app. 
• The mobile app makes work convenient. 
• Seamless invoice payments. 
• Billable time tracking. 
• Lack of sales tax integration. 
• Missing batch-assign functionality.

Harvest pricing

Harvest offers a free plan for individual users with 1 seat and two projects. Teams can opt for the following plan:

Harvest Pro: Unlimited seats, unlimited projects. Starts at $10.80/seat/month (Billed Annually) & $12/seat/month (Billed Monthly).

• Capterra: 4.6/5

File Sharing Tools 📂

25. dropbox.

Dropbox is a simple and powerful way to revolutionize the standards of collaboration. This file-sharing and storing tool keeps your team in sync like the hands of the clock. 

Keeping up with the business lifestyle when on the go asks for a centralized platform for files. And Dropbox comes to your rescue here. Also, its business version allows more space (1 terabyte, or enough to store 250 movies) and more features, and higher sharing limits. 

You can even sync your Dropbox content to ProofHub for managing tasks and projects. Send files and folders and keep your work safe in Dropbox.

Dropbox key features

• Dropbox Paper: A dedicated collaborative workspace for creating documents, notes, and to-do lists together.
• Dropbox Capture: Capture screenshots, screen recordings, and GIFs to share feedback or document processes.
• File locking & admin controls: Manage team access, track activity, and enforce security policies for Business plans.
• Real-time co-editing: Work on documents simultaneously with others, seeing changes instantly as they’re made.
• Smart suggestions: The Dropbox desktop app suggests relevant files and actions based on your activity and previous work.
• Use it anywhere, on any device
• Basic features are effortless to use
• Limited storage for free users
• Costly pricing

Dropbox pricing

Dropbox offers four levels of pricing with increasing storage and user capacity.

• Plus:  $11.99/month (Monthly Billing) or $9.99/month (Annual Billing) Suitable for a single user. Storage capped at 2TB
• Essentials: $22/month (Monthly Billing) or $18/month (Annual Billing) with 3 TB storage
• Business: $24/user/month (Monthly Billing) or $20/user/month (Annual Billing) or 3 or more users. Starts at 9 TB for the team
• Business Plus: $32/user/month (Monthly Billing) or $26/user/month (Annual Billing). Accessible to more than 3 users. Starts at 15 TB for the team.

26. Internxt

Internxt is a cloud storage service with a primary focus on privacy and security of data. It offers a collaborative and secure storage space. 

Internxt is all about keeping your sensitive data safe from exploitation.   It offers privacy with zero-knowledge encryption, meaning they can’t even access your data. 

The data is stored on several fast servers across the EU, providing insurance against any disasters. Plus, you can get to your files from any of your devices whenever you need them.

Internxt key features

• Advanced sharing: Control who accesses folders, decide their permissions and manage access easily.
• Secure links: Share files with external parties using secure links with expiration dates and access limits.
• Team management: Delegate file control, enforce 2FA, and monitor team activity efficiently.
• Cross-platform accessibility: Access and collaborate on files seamlessly across desktops, mobiles, and tablets.
• Loaded with security features, including military-grade encryption.
• Value for money plans
• Open source and transparent
• Lacks file versioning
• Delayed response time from support

Internxt pricing

Apart from a free forever plan, Internxt offers two payment options to choose from based on the required storage space. 

Individual plans (Monthly & Annual):

• 200GB: €1.54monthly / €14.25 annually 
• 2048GB: €3.09 monthly / €34.09 annually 
• 5120GB: €16.19 monthly / €61.99 annually 
• 10240GB: €19.29 monthly / €92.99 annually

Lifetime plans (One-time payment):

• 2048GB: €499.00
• 5120GB: €999.00
• 10240GB: €1499.00
• Capterra : 4.3 out of 5 stars
• G2 : 3.7 out of 5 stars

27. Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive is a document collaboration tool with which your team can not only store photos, documents, videos, and more but sync and access your files anytime, anywhere. 

A Microsoft product, OneDrive, allows you and your colleagues to easily collaborate on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote from your desktop, mobile device, and the web. (Only when you are a user of Microsoft 365)

With OneDrive, you can work seamlessly with tools you use every day to create, communicate and collaborate effectively with your system.

Microsoft OneDrive key features

• Seamless Sharing: Share files with individuals or groups, controlling permissions for viewing, editing, and downloading.
• Activity Feed: Track changes to shared files, including edits and timestamps, promoting transparency and accountability.
• Version History: Easily revert to previous file versions when collaborating with multiple users, ensuring data integrity.
• Comments and Mentions: Leave comments within documents, mention specific users for feedback, and collaborate efficiently across devices.
• Integration with Microsoft Teams: Collaborate on files within Teams channels, accessing OneDrive files directly from conversations.
• Ease of access. 
• 256-bit AES encryption.
• Intuitive file sharing. 
• Privacy blindspots.
• Data vulnerability.

Microsoft OneDrive pricing

While you don’t get standalone OneDrive plans anymore, subscribing to Microsoft 365 lets you access OneDrive along with various other productivity tools.

• Free Plan: Limited storage (5GB) and basic sharing features, suitable for small-scale or casual use.
• Microsoft 365 Personal: $6.99/month for 1TB storage per user, real-time co-authoring, and version history.
• Microsoft 365 Family: $9.99/month for 1TB storage per user for up to 6 users, shared collaboration features.
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5/user/month for 1TB storage per user, web versions of Office apps, and basic security features.
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $12/user/month for 1TB storage per user, full desktop Office apps, advanced collaboration, and security features.

28. WeTransfer

WeTransfer outshines itself by allowing you to not only benefit from sharing your content, videos, images, and more but makes team collaboration simple and smooth too. 

With WeTransfer keep your things simple, transfer your files from A to B using a web browser service, and get instant feedback on it without requiring any other platform. 

You can also personalize the way you share your files, and take your story to amazing places with captivating ideas.

WeTransfer key features 

• Large file transfers: Send files up to 2GB for free or up to 200GB with a Pro account.
• Customization: Make your transfers unique by adding custom backgrounds and URLs.
• Password protection: Keep your files safe and private by adding a password (requires a paid plan).
• Transfer tracking: Know who downloaded your files and when they did it.
• Collaboration tools: Work together on projects in real-time with remote collaboration (requires a paid plan).
• Simple drag-and-drop functionality
• Share large files for free
• Integrations with apps like Slack, Sketch, and Thunderbird
• Quick and simple file sharing
• No encryption option for free users
• Password protection for paid users only

WeTransfer Pricing

WeTransfer offers following plans to choose from:

• Free Plan: Enjoy WeTransfer’s basic features at no cost, perfect for occasional file transfers of up to 2GB. 
• Pro Plan: $10 per month per person (billed yearly) or $12 per month per person (billed monthly). 
• Premium Plan: $19 per month per person (billed yearly) or $23 per month per person (billed monthly).
• G2: 4.8 

29. Hightail

The Hightail, being the online file collaboration tool, serves two primary purposes: online file sharing and creative collaborative features. It helps teams manage projects from start to finish

With this online collaboration software, teams can easily collaborate on files, share images, send large files, videos, and PDFs, and protect data shared with clients and other team members. As the clients are in the loop, they can provide feedback on files anytime and all the changes can be tracked easily. 

The collaborative platform aims to eliminate sharing files through emails, where most of the miscommunications can occur.

Hightail key features

• Dedicated spaces: Organize files, feedback, tasks, and approvals for specific projects.
• Secure file sharing: Share large files securely with team members and clients without requiring account creation.
• Collaborative annotation: Provide specific feedback directly on files with visual markings and text comments.
• Team organization: Control access levels, assign tasks, and track progress within projects.
• Seamless integrations: Connect with tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive for seamless collaboration.
• A wide range of security features for sharing files
• Provides confirmation of document delivery
• Simple file-syncing
• Functionality fragmented across multiple apps
• Limited collaboration
• Doesn’t show file size when uploading

Hightail pricing

Hightail offers following pricing plans:

• LITE:  Free version with up to 2GB of storage.
• PRO: Plan starts at $12 per month when billed annually
• TEAMS: Plan starts at $24 / user / month when billed annually.
• BUSINESS: Business plan starts at $36 per user per month billed annually. 

Highlight user ratings

Box is a file-sharing service that facilitates creating, editing, reviewing, and sharing documents in real-time from anywhere. Focused on security and encryption, Box ensures the protection of crucial information stored on the Cloud, making it accessible from any device.

Box key features

• Box Canvas: Brainstorm and plan visually, like a giant digital whiteboard.
• Box Drive: Access your Box files directly from your computer, like a portable Box folder.
• Box Relay: Automate repetitive tasks with your files, like a robot doing paperwork.
• Box Sign: Sign documents electronically, no need for printing or faxing.
• Box Hubs: Create “favorites” folders for specific teams or projects, like organized sections for everyone.
• Great for secure storage of files of any size. 
• Excellent customer service. 
• Granular permissions. 
• Can be slow when sharing large files. 

Box pricing

For businesses, Box offers four plans to choose from. 

• Business: $20 per user per month, minimum of 3 users, $15 per user per month with annual billing.
• Business Plus: $33 per user per month, minimum of 3 users, $25 per user per month with annual billing.
• Enterprise: $47 per user per month, minimum of 3 users, $35 per user per month with annual billing.
• Enterprise Plus: Custom pricing available based on demand.

It is important to note that, for individual users or a small team with lower storage and transfer needs, the box offers different plans based on varying storage capacity.

31. SugarSync

SugarSync is a cloud file-sharing, file sync, and online backup service that is simple, powerful, and easy to use. It makes it easy to access all your folders across any of your devices, making it easy to get things done while giving you the peace of mind that your important files are always protected.

SugarSync key features

• Multifolder syncing: Enables you to backup your existing folder structure
• Online backup: Access folders instantly from other PCs or mobile devices
• Guest access: Secure and quick file sharing with anyone without any need to create a sugar sync account. 
• Easy restoration: Recover and restore entire folders, including all subfolders and files within them, to a previous point in time
• Synchronizes any folders on your computer. 
• Continuous file updating. 
• File explorer and Finder integration. 
• No simultaneous co-editing capabilities.
• Video Conferencing Tools 

SugarSync pricing

SugarSync Business Plan offers 1TB of storage for 3 users at $55 per month or $550 per year. You can add more users for an additional fee. This plan includes admin control, live phone support, and remote wipe features.

• Capterra: 4.1/5

Video Conferencing Tools 🎥

Skype is a renowned online collaboration tool offering instant messaging and calling features for seamless communication.

It allows audio and video calls between multiple devices like one on the laptop and the other on the phone. You can even bring your teams together through group video calls and give great presentations online with the help of screen sharing. 

You can make free or low-cost calls locally or internationally and avail yourself of premium features at Skype for Business .

Skype key features

• Video calling and screen sharing: Conduct presentations, work on documents together, and explain ideas visually in real-time.
• Whiteboard: Use the collaborative digital whiteboard to brainstorm, sketch ideas, and visually plan projects.
• Live call translations: Break down language barriers and enable seamless communication with international team members.
• Cloud storage (Skype Premium): Store and share project files, notes, and resources in a central location accessible to everyone.
• Instant messaging and chat history: Facilitate quick discussions, brainstorming, and keeping track of decisions and notes.
• Record and share your screen, save the meeting, and record voice calls. 
• Intuitive navigation and everything is labeled. 
• It is memory intensive in web browsers as well as Android applications. 
• Raised prices of international calls.

Skype pricing

Skype offers different subscription options based on the country. 

• United States Subscription: $2.99 per month, offers unlimited minutes to US-based mobiles and landlines, 15 cents per minute for other calls.
• North America Subscription: $6.99 per month, provides unlimited minutes within the plan, 35 cents per minute for calls outside the plan, covering 8 countries and regions.
• India Subscription: $7.99 per month, includes 800 minutes, $1 per minute for calls beyond the allocated minutes.
• Capterra: 4.2

Zoom, a leading enterprise video communication software, offers reliable cloud-based video and audio conferencing for modern collaboration needs.

With almost the same functionality as Skype, this online collaboration tool allows teams to come together on a single platform to communicate and collaborate with its advanced features.

This video conferencing tool enables you to attend a meeting from your desktop, mobile device, or conference room including screen sharing too.

Zoom key features

• High-definition sound and visual Quality: Ensures clear audio and video during meetings with advanced features like voice detection.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Accessible on various platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and conference room systems.
• Large meeting capacity: Host up to 100 interactive video participants with the ability to engage with an unlimited audience in live virtual events.
• Screen sharing and group collaboration : Enables seamless collaboration through screen sharing and group interactions.
• Ability to host large audiences. 
• Stream meetings/webinars on Facebook.
• You can hold unlimited 40-minute long meetings for no charge. 
• Too many subscriptions and add-ons.
• Lack of control over comments. 

Zoom offers a free plan to host a meeting with 100 people for 40 minutes. 

• Zoom One: Starts at $12.49 per user, per month. 
• Zoom Meetings Pro: $14.99 per month for one host. Features meetings with up to 100 participants with no time limit. 
• Zoom Business: Starts at $18.33 per user, per month. Host meetings with up to 300 participants. 
• Zoom Business Plus: Starts at $22.49 per user, per month. 

Zoom Events and Webinars: Require a Zoom One license with additional pricing based on features and session type.

34. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is an online collaboration software designed for businesses, offering seamless video conferencing solutions without overwhelming its users. 

With the option to share screens while meeting, GoToMeeting also allows users to message, record, and schedule meetings, with just a simple single click. The tool is great to collaborate with teams – both in-house and remotely.

GoToMeeting also comes with dozens of useful tools, and easy-to-use Web-conferencing solutions, to get you started immediately.

GoToMeeting key features

• Screen sharing and web audio calling : Collaborate effectively with screen sharing, web audio, drawing tools, and the ability to record meetings.
• Remote team collaboration: Facilitates meetings for remote teams, eliminating the need for physical presence.
• HD-quality video : Conduct webinars and host conferences with high-definition video quality.
• Essential IT support features: Ensures essential IT support features to keep everyone connected securely.
• Essential IT support features keep everyone connected
• Secure video conferencing
• Record meetings as it happens 
• Unstable call-in process. 
• Premium features can be expensive for some users.

GoTo Meetings Pricing

GoTo Meetings offer three paid plans to choose from

Professional plan: $12/month/organizer (up to 150 people with dial-in).

Business plan: $16/month/organizer (up to 250 people with unlimited cloud recording and transcription).

Enterprise plan: Contact sales for pricing details

Optional add-ons cost extra

WebEx, a full-featured communications software solution, is for businesses that rely heavily on meetings. It offers the creation of a highly secured team workspace where communication is in the cloud.  

You can build an engaging meeting atmosphere for your team no matter wherever in the geographical location.  Along with this, you can even host events and webinars for audiences of any size. 

With WebEx, you can streamline your business and help solve real human problems without wasting even a second.

WebEx Key features

• HD video conferences with collaboration and file-sharing capabilities
• WebEx mobile app for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry
• Get your own personalized meeting room
• Simple user interface.
• High-definition audio and visual quality.
• Stream live meetings on social media channels. 
• Allows only maximum attendees up to 3000. 
• Recorded meetings can take up a lot of storage space in your device.

WebEx pricing

Besides a free version with unlimited 1:1 meetings, WebEx offers three paid plans to choose from: WebEx Call: $183.60 per year or $15.30 per month per license.

WebEx Suite (Meet + Call): $270 per year or $22.50 per month per license.

WebEx Enterprise:   Contact sales

36. ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting is a browser-based web conferencing tool that comes along with dynamic features like webinar room customization, paid webinar hosting, a backup recovery system, and more.

It is mainly used to make webinars more effective and online meetings more collaborative. You can connect seamlessly and get started in no time with others regardless of location and operating system.

Overall, ClickMeeting is a perfect tool that fosters effective communication and collaboration.

ClickMeeting key features

• Audience engagement: Easily engage your audience and encourage interaction during webinars and online meetings.
• High-Quality live seminars: Conduct high-quality live seminars for effective communication and collaboration.
• Detailed analytics : View and export detailed information to derive useful predictions and trends from your webinars.
• Screen sharing and video sharing: Share screens and videos with other attendees to enhance collaboration.
• Hassle-free setup: Getting started with ClickMeeting is quick and easy, requiring minimal setup time.
• Simultaneous chat translation.
• Screen sharing capabilities. 
• Automated webinars.
• Lack of phone support hotline. 
• Maximum 10-hour storage capacity.

ClickMeeting pricing

With a 30 days free trial, Clickmeeting offers three distinct plans to choose from: 

• Live Plan: $26/month billed annually or $32/month billed monthly for live meetings.
• Automated Plan: $42/month billed annually or $48/month billed monthly for automated features.
• Custom Plan: Tailored for companies needing scalable solutions.

Documentation Tools 📑

37. google docs.

Google Docs is a widely popular documentation tool known for its ease of use and collaboration features, making it a trusted platform for creating, editing, and sharing various types of documents.

With this platform, you can publish documents of all kinds. And once you have set the offline mode on your Google Docs, you will not even need an internet connection to edit or use the docs.

Google Docs key features

• Online document formatting:  Easily create and edit documents online with a range of formatting options including Google Fonts, images, tables, and more.
• Compatibility and export options: Import Word documents and export documents in Word and PDF formats for seamless sharing and compatibility.
• Real-time collaboration: Collaborate and co-edit documents with team members remotely, allowing multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously.
• Offline mode: Set up offline mode to work on documents without an internet connection, ensuring productivity even in low-connectivity environments.
• Work with others concurrently.
• Changes made go live instantly.
• The document owner retains control of the file. 
• Limited features
• Laggy co-editing 

Google Docs pricing

Google Docs itself is actually free for individual use. You can create, edit, and share documents, sheets, and slides completely free of charge.

However, for businesses and organizations, Google Docs comes as a part of Google Workspace.

There are three main plans

• Business Starter: $6 per user per month (billed annually) or $7.20 per user per month (billed monthly)
• Business Standard: $12 per user per month (billed annually) or $14.40 per user per month (billed monthly). 
• Business Plus: $18 per user per month (billed annually) or $21.60 per user per month (billed monthly).

38. Microsoft Office Online

Microsoft Office Online is set of several collaboration tools essential business purposes, i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Onenote all in one place. It is a go-to tool for editing purposes. 

You get all the basic documentation and editing tools in the free version that are sure to suit your needs just fine. Save documents, and presentations, convert PDF documents to Word, communicate and collaborate, and get great work done securely.

However, all the features are not available for free but the tool is quite within the budget.

Microsoft Office online key features:

• Get the latest office apps both desktop apps – both the desktop and online versions
• Makes the work you do available to you from anywhere
• Available on desktop, tablet, and phone
• It is similar to the desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications.
• Completely free. 
• Can be accessed from any device. 
• Missing some key features. 
• Don’t work when you don’t have an Internet connection.

Microsoft Office online pricing

You can access basic versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote completely free as long as you have a Microsoft account. No subscription is required.

However for advanced formatting features you may need to upgrade to one of the Microsoft 365 Plans

• Microsoft 365 Personal: $69.99/year or $6.99/month.
• Microsoft 365 Family: $99.99/year or $9.99/month (shareable with up to 5 other users).

Bit.ai is a smart document collaboration tool for teams to create interactive documents, manage digital content, track document insights, and further collaborate on them to get work done.

Despite lacking a robust mobile application, the platform outshines other tools with in-built engagement tracking capability apart from managing documents.

In this documentation software, team members can invite colleagues accordingly depending on who they need to collaborate with. 

Bit.ai key features:

• Multiple productivity tools: Create team notes, meetings, meeting agendas, proposals, and much more
• Customizanle templates: Select from a variety of templates and themes 
• Web clipper: Add any web link into a blank line in Bit and hit enter
• Content integration: Add links to any PDF, PPT, or spreadsheet on the cloud from Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive
• Notification: Receive real-time alerts when someone opens your smart document
• Integrates with more than 100 applications. 
• Lifetime free version. 
• Multiple support channels.
• Limited formatting.
• Limited phone support.
• No free trial.

Bit.ai pricing

Bit.ai offers a free plan for up to 5 members and 50 documents at no cost. For advanced features, users can upgrade to following plans

• Pro Plan: $12 per member per month (monthly billing) or $8 per member per month (annual billing) for enhanced features.
• Business Plan: $20 per member per month (monthly billing) or $15 per member per month (annual billing) for advanced business solutions.
• Capterra: 5.0/5

Note-Taking Tools

40. evernote.

The Evernote tool is a collaboration tool for businesses that make it possible to keep and share your ideas with the team and sync them to any of your devices. 

By adding texts, images, audio, PDFs, scans, and documents, you can make your notes as interactive as possible and bring them together to collaborate with ease and simplicity. 

You can even capture, organize and share notes from anywhere and to anyone on the team. The teams can also give their best ideas and knowledge in seconds and keep everything in one place.

Evernote key features:

• Capture and prioritize ideas, projects, and to-do lists
• Plan, keep records, and manage projects from any device–even offline
• Type notes, add attachments, clip web pages, or record memos
• Use notebooks, tags, or our powerful search to find everything you need quickly
• Multi-device note sync.
• Top-tier organizational system.
• Powerful advanced search.
• Not for brief tasks or short notes. 
• Limitations of the free plan.

Evernote pricing

Evernote offers a free plan with basic functionality at no cost. For more advanced features, users need to upgrade to one of the following plans

• Personal: $10.83 per month or $129.99 per year, for individual users.
• Professional: $14.17 per month or $169.99 per year, for enhanced personal productivity features.
• Teams: $20.83 per user per month or $249.99 per year, for collaborative workspaces with advanced team features.

41. Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a free note-taking application available across multiple platforms, including Android, macOS, iOS, Windows, and the web.

Apart from noting down your thoughts and ideas in OneNote, you can even draw your vision and clip from the web to give wings to your imagination. Unless you want any high-class features from the app, rest assured, Microsoft OneNote is sure to serve your basic needs.

You can create notes with ease, highlight the sections, add colors or shapes, and even ink annotations to collaborate on them.

Microsoft OneNote key features: 

• Multi-platform accessibility: Accessible on Android, macOS, iOS, Windows, and the web.
• Drawing capabilities: Allows users to draw sketches and ideas using their fingertips.
• Handwriting recognition: Converts handwritten notes to typed text.
• Offline functionality: Works without an internet connection.
• Totally free till you don’t exceed 5GB. 
• Widely available. 
• Interactive user interface. 
• Pen writing is not smooth. 
• Advanced formatting options are not available.

Customer support tools 💁

42. acquire.

Acquire is a versatile customer communication platform suitable for businesses, agencies, and startups of all sizes, whether operating hybrid or remote. It offers a range of customer engagement options, including live chat, chatbot, co-browsing, voice calls, and video chat, to deliver efficient support to customers.

With Acquire, you can even share PII (personally identifiable information) in an encrypted manner to ensure the complete safety of your data.

Acquire key features

• Customization: Tailor the platform to suit your business needs by selecting and using the apps that fit your requirements.
• Chat routing and history: Track chat history for better information management and route chats by tagging team members for complex queries.
• Tracking: Monitor various performance factors such as chat time periods, total number of chats, and demographics.
• Automated responses: Send proactive messages to customers based on their location, behavior, and other factors.
• Video chat: Seamlessly switch to video chat for enhanced customer service experience directly within the chat window.
• Acquire offers multiple support channels to support teams. 
• You can deploy intelligent chatbots to be at the frontline.
• Offers live chat, voice calls, and video chat. 
• Can be expensive for some teams and businesses.
• Video quality sometimes can get pixelated.

Acquire pricing

Acquire offers two straightforward pricing plans

• Self Service Plan: $500 per month billed annually, plus $25 per agent/month.
• Integrated Solution Plan: $2000 per month billed annually, plus $45 per agent/month.
• Capterra: 5.0

43. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a robust tool designed to bring teams together, resolve complex issues efficiently, and deliver exceptional customer support. It offers powerful collaboration features, allowing team members to discuss and solve tickets in one place. 

Additionally, there’s a customizable team dashboard that you can use to monitor all the customer support activities of your team.

Freshdesk key features

• Simplified ticketing: Easily manage and organize customer tickets to prevent issues from falling through the cracks.
• Collaboration features: Share ticket ownership and collaborate with team members to provide seamless customer support.
• Automation: Leverage automation to streamline repetitive tasks and enhance productivity.
• Reporting: Advanced reporting and tracking system for making data-driven decisions in the future.
• Security: Top-notch security measures and SSL encryption ensure the safety of all data.
• Modern and user-friendly design.
• Ease of usage. 
• Rich on features customer service platform. 
• Hard to configure.
• Limited automation and rules.
• Basic dashboard with limited features.

Freshdesk pricing

Basic support for small teams, accommodating up to 10 agents at no cost.

Growth Plan: Starts at $15 per agent per month billed annually or $18 monthly.

Pro Plan: Begins at $49 per agent per month billed annually or $59 monthly.

Enterprise Plan: Starting at $79 per agent per month billed annually or $95 monthly.

44. Intercom

Intercom is a versatile collaboration software designed to enhance sales, marketing results, and customer support. It features advanced automation technology, including resolution bots, to efficiently address common customer issues.

Also, the team inbox feature within Intercom makes it possible for your support team to continue conversations with customers that are actually taking place on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Intercom key features

• Real-time Chat : Engage and communicate with customers in real-time or follow up on conversations later.
• Chatbots: Automate customer interactions with powerful sales and support chatbots to lighten the workload of team members.
• App Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with over 250 apps and allows custom integrations.
• Desktop and Mobile Interface: Provides both desktop and mobile apps for a seamless user experience across devices.
• Easy to set up and install.
• Diverse knowledge base continually grows.
• Software easily integrates with your website or system.
• Slow, unresponsive customer support. 
• Quite expensive for smaller businesses.

Intercom pricing

Intercom offers three paid plans to choose from:

• Essential: Basic plan at $39 per seat/month for essential features.
• Advanced: Intermediate plan at $99 per seat/month for more advanced features.
• Expert: Premium plan at $139 per seat/month for expert-level features and support.

Organizational tools

45. mindmeister.

MindMeister makes its spot in the list of online collaboration tools as it allows teams to plan projects, manage meetings and sketch out business plans.

With this intuitive user interface, you can choose from plenty of templates that it has to organize work easily. And it also allows the user to share their mind maps with anyone they want in real-time or make it public.

It allows teams to be more innovative by providing an environment for brainstorming as well as planning. 

MindMeister key features 

• Creative brainstorming: Ideal for solo or team brainstorming sessions to capture, develop, and share ideas visually.
• Project planning: Use mind maps to outline project plans, develop business strategies, and organize events.
• Mobile app: Access, edit, and present mind maps on the go with the Android and iOS mobile app.
• Export options: Export mind maps in PNG, PDF, or Word formats for easy sharing and distribution.
• Easy to create mind maps.
• Easy to republish elsewhere.
• Export mind maps in PNG, PDF, or Word formats
• Difficult to use on phones because of the size of the text. 
• Can’t create free-flowing maps.

MindMeister pricing

Beside its free version, MindMeister offers three paid plans to choose from:

• Personal plan: Starts at $4.50 per user/month when billed every 6 months, or $3.50 per user/month when billed yearly.
• Pro plan: Starts at $6.50 per user/month when billed every 6 months, or $5.50 per user/month when billed yearly.
• Business plan: Starts at $10.50 per user/month when billed every 6 months, or $8.50 per user/month when billed yearly.

46. Organimi

Organimi is a comprehensive organizational chart tool designed to streamline the creation and management of workplace structures. It offers features to simplify the process of mapping out organizational hierarchies, allowing users to choose from templates or start from scratch. 

It integrates with Active Directory, GSuite, and any other system that provides an Excel file or CSV to allow for a seamless import of extensive contact lists. 

Organimi key features

• Customization options: Extensive color and customization options to format and brand organizational charts according to specific needs.
• Printing and sharing: Easily print and share organizational charts within the organization to keep everyone updated on the structure.
• Drag & Drop functionality: Intuitive drag-and-drop functionality for effortless chart creation and editing.
• SmartChartTM legend: Includes a SmartChartTM legend for additional customization and branding strategies.
• Visualize animations and transitions.
• Great user interface. 
• Charts are easily updated and we can embed live charts on our internal staff website.
• Some hiccups when it comes to changing the style of the org chart.
• A strong internet connection is a requirement.

Organimi pricing

Organimi offers a 14-day trial allowing exploration of features before commitment. After that users can upgrade to one of the following plans:

• Basic Plan: $10/month billed annually or $18/month billed monthly, catering to teams of up to 150 users.
• Premium Plan:   $20/month billed annually or $35/month billed monthly, accommodating teams of up to 150 users with scalable pricing.
• Capterra: 4.3/5

Social Media tools

47. planable.

Planable is a social media collaboration platform helping marketing teams work faster and better, together by allowing them to create content and publish it in no minutes. 

With real-time collaboration features and four types of approval workflows, you can preview your posts for all platforms and collaborate just right next to the posts. 

Planable offers marketers a better way to create, plan, review, and schedule content for the most popular social media networks. Built with teams in mind, Planable is a good product for teams of any size. 

Planable key features

• Multiple viewing options: Offers list, feed, grid, and calendar views for flexible content planning.
• Contextual collaboration: Collaboration occurs in context, right next to the posts, via comments and replies.
• Approval workflows: Four types of approval workflows: none, optional, required, and multi-level.
• Social media integrations: Integrates with popular social media channels like TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more.
• Separate workspaces: Provides separate workspaces to organize content and team members efficiently.
• Set custom dates and use the calendar to upload the posts.
• Create posts and share them on all social media platforms from a single platform.
• Phone app works quite well.
• Lack of analytics
• Hard to customize when posting bulk content.

Planable pricing

Beside a free version offering single user workspace, Planable offers three paid plans to choose from: 

• Basic Plan: $11/user/month annually or $13/user/month monthly, unlimited posts, 4 pages/workspace, 2 types of approval, Feed & Calendar views, up to 20 tweets/month.
• Pro Plan: $22/user/month annually or $26/user/month monthly, 10 pages/workspace, 3 types of approval, Grid view, Save as an Ad feature, up to 50 tweets/month.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, contact sales team for details.

48. SocialBee

Why waste time managing social media accounts when SocialBee can do all the work for you? Yes, that’s right. This AI-powered platform manages social media posts with ease.  

Whether you are busy working all day around or a small business owner having budget constraints, or a freelancer, consider SocialBee your very own social media manager who will for sure save your day.  

Creating posts with SocialBee’s Canva, Unsplash, GIPHY, and more integration saves you a lot of time. 

SocialBee key features

• Post-scheduling for seamless publishing of content. 
• Social media analytics to analyze your social media account growth. 
• AI-powered and Canva-integrated content creation. 
• Multiple integrations with industry-leading platforms. 
• Team collaboration to achieve social media goals.
• Advanced editing features to create creative content. 
• Easy organization and content scheduling for multiple accounts and clients.
• Keep track of hashtags to save you time. 
• Content if scheduled keeps on posting on its own.
• Exceptional customer service. 
• Great loading speed. 
• Might get difficult to get your head around content posting on certain social media platforms, like Instagram.

SocialBee pricing

SocialBee offers a 14 day free trial. After that, users can choose one of the following paid plans:

• Bootstrap: Ideal for solopreneurs and new businesses; starts at $24.20/month, connects 5 profiles, includes 1 user/workspace.
• Accelerate: Best for small businesses; starts at $40.80/month, connects 10 profiles, includes 1 user/workspace.
• Pro: Best for social media managers, teams, and agencies; starts at $82.50/month, connects 25 profiles, includes 3 users/workspace.
• Pro50: Best for small agencies starting out; starts at $149.20/month, connects 50 profiles, includes 5 users/workspace.
• Pro100: Best for medium agencies; starts at $274.20/month, connects 100 profiles, includes 5 users/workspace.
• Pro150: Best for large agencies; starts at $374.20/month, connects 150 profiles, includes 5 users/workspace.

49. HeyOrca

HeyOrca is a collaborative social media platform designed to streamline content planning, publishing, and reporting for agencies and teams of all sizes. It prioritizes both in-house and external collaborations on social media content. 

From planning and publishing content to getting in-detail reporting on social media results, the platform makes the client approval process seamless. And that too in a single platform. 

HeyOrca key features

• Content calendar: Easily create, publish, and schedule various types of content on Instagram directly from the platform.
• Competitor reports: Compare content performance with competitors to gain insights and improve strategies.
• Visual dashboard reporting: Get detailed overviews of social media performance through visually appealing dashboards.
• Bulk actions: Take bulk actions to edit content efficiently and effectively.
• Event strips: Visualize upcoming events, campaigns, and more with Event Strips for better planning.
• Planning and organizing social media posts is super easy. 
• Comprehensive overview of social media performance provides great insights. 
• User-friendly interface.
• Sometimes content publishing isn’t pulled over the first time.  
• No bulk upload feature.

HeyOrca pricing

• Basic Plan: Starting at $59/month (or $50.15/month annually), unlimited users, collaborative scheduler.
• Standard Plan: Starting at $99/month (or $84.15/month annually), collaborative scheduler, visually appealing reports, suitable for unlimited users.
• Pro Plan: Starting at $149/month (or $126.65/month annually), unlimited scheduling, advanced reports, social inbox, ideal for unlimited users

Software development tools

GitHub is a platform designed for developers to collaborate efficiently, solve problems together, and learn from each other while storing and sharing code. It makes it easy for developers to work together on projects. They can create public or private repositories (repos), which are like folders containing the project’s code and other files. 

Developers can then fork a repo, create their own copy, make changes, and submit pull requests to have their changes merged into the main repository.

GitHub key features

• Role management: Set roles and expectations easily without starting from scratch.
• Built-in review tools: Tools for code review make the process easier and faster.
• Moderation tools: Features like issue and pull request locking help teams stay focused on code.
• Documentation: Create well-maintained docs with high levels of care.
• The tool supports Markdown for issue tracking, user comments, wikis, etc. 
• Lets you convert one or several files into a working Git repository. 
• Great for remote collaboration. 
• Element of a security risk since it’s cloud-based. 
• Pricing plans can be expensive for some users.

GitHub pricing

GitHub offers a free plan ideal for individuals and small teams. However, for advanced functionality teams can choose from following two plans:

• Team Plan: Starting at $3.67 per user/month for the first 12 months annually, or $4 per user/month with monthly billing.
• Enterprise Plan: Starting at $19.25 per user/month for the first 12 months annually
• Capterra:4.7

GitLab is DevSecOps tool by Git for software developers to collaborate on the codebase. It goes beyond simple version control, offering a feature-rich suite for communication, planning, feedback, and knowledge sharing. Since GitLab’s core is open source, organizations can customize GitLab to fit their specific needs and workflows. This makes it a versatile platform that can adapt to diverse development environments. Also, it integrates several features, allowing smooth transitions between development, testing, and deployment.

Additionally, an exposure to a large community of developers helps in the learning and development of the team members. 

GitLab key features

• Code sharing: Share reusable code snippets within projects to enhance collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Targeted feedback: Provide comments directly within the codebase for detailed feedback on specific sections.
• Collaborative review: Engage in threaded discussions on proposed changes within merge requests to foster comprehensive feedback and agreement.
• Comprehensive tracking: Log and monitor bugs, feature requests, and tasks with designated assignments and threaded discussions.
• Independent development: Work on separate branches without disrupting others, merging changes seamlessly when ready.
• Open source software
• Large user base and community
• Unified platform with several feature sets
• Steep learning curve for beginners 
• Potential security concerns

GitLab Pricing

There are three main pricing tiers for GitLab.  The Free tier is available for up to five users and includes 5GB of storage, 10GB of monthly transfer, and 400 compute minutes. The paid tiers are as following:

Premium: Starts at $29 per user per month and includes 50GB of storage, 100GB of monthly transfer, and 10,000 compute minutes. 

Ultimate: Custom pricing available

It is important to note that several add-ons and extended storage costs extra. 

52. Beanstalk

Beanstalk is software that helps teams work together on coding projects. It makes writing, reviewing, editing, and deploying code across different environments easier. With Beanstalk, team members can collaborate and give feedback on code changes before they’re merged into the main code. 

Also, Beanstalk provides tools for creating, managing, and merging branches, allowing developers to work on different features or bug fixes independently without affecting the main codebase. 

Overall, Beanstalk offers a comprehensive set of features and integrations, making it suitable for teams looking to enhance their development workflow and code quality.

Beanstalk key features

• Activity feeds: Track your team’s code updates, including who did what and when, with email alerts.
• Blame tool: Identify who modified a specific line of code, along with the time and reason.
• Release notes: Stay updated on server deployments with notifications and deployment details.
• Compare View: Easily compare different code versions to see changes, contributors, and related issues before merging.
• Inline comments : Share and discuss design changes directly on mockups and images.
• Integrates with popular tools and services like GitHub, Slack, and Figma.
• Easy deployment
• Cost-effectiveness
• Limited flexibility or customization.
• Limited debugging tools

Beanstalk pricing

Based on the size capacity, Beanstalk offers five different plans to choose from

Bronze plan: $15/month, suitable for freelancers

Silver plan: $25/month, expands on Bronze and suitable for growing startup

Gold plan: $50/month, geared towards businesses and small teams

Platinum plan: $100/month, designed for larger teams and businesses, 

Diamond plan: $200/month, meets enterprise-level needs. 

What are online collaboration tools?

Team collaboration tools are not just made for remote location workers but are also valuable tools for any business that wants to be more efficient and effective in its actions.

These sophisticated online collaboration tools enable real-time communication by empowering teams to optimize resources , execute projects, promote transparency, and achieve unparalleled collaboration through document sharing, multiple task views, and provide real-time updates regardless of team members’ geographical locations.

Why do you need online collaboration tools?

Imagine managing teams from one part of the globe and your designers, writers or developers or marketing team sitting on the other side of the globe. 

How do you collaborate with your remote workers frequently and conveniently? How do you manage to get everyone on the same page and ensure that they get the latest updates on projects? 

Well, it surely can be challenging for not only the remote business workers but also in-house teams to keep pace with the upcoming tasks. 

But, all thanks to the best collaboration tools, managing small and big businesses, streamlining the project workflow, and keeping an eye on task progress becomes super easy in a virtual interface with everyone being on the same page.

What exclusive features to expect from online collaboration tools?

There are several digital collaboration tools available online in the market today and each tool differs from the others in terms of features, usage, functionality, etc. However, there are some essential features that any top-rated team collaboration tool should offer to its end users. 

1. Instant messaging

Communication is the backbone of any business. Swift communication ensures the timely exchange of information between users from the same or different departments within the organization. Collaboration software with an inbuilt instant chat feature is of great use for those who want to exchange quick information (directly or in groups) along with sending GIFs, documents, files, and images.

2. Centralized discussion

Wasting time on meetings is the one thing collaboration tools for businesses should be able to bring an end to. When you get a centralized platform to share every bit of information in a single space, keeping every team member, management, and even stakeholders in the loop isn’t an uphill battle. Also, a desired level of privacy secures crucial information from getting the attention of every eye.

3. Intuitive interface 

Any good online collaboration tool should have a neat layout and an intuitive interface so users can effortlessly navigate through it. Why should you settle for complex, difficult-to-use collaboration software that less-tech-savvy users might find overwhelming? So, choosing a platform that your team feels comfortable using is worth every dollar you invest in it.

4. Real-time updates

To complete and deliver projects on time, it’s important for every team member to stay updated on all recent developments within the project. Don’t you agree? Well, that’s why real-time updates are an important feature that should be in a collaboration platform. With users receiving real-time notifications on the web app, mobile app, and email, keeping everyone in the loop and taking timely necessary action become convenient.

5. Online proofing

With remote work becoming a new normal, an online proofing feature comes to your rescue. For instance, with creative and design teams working from varied geographical locations, the online proofing feature helps them to quickly collaborate on files and documents for review, annotation, and approval. Collaborating on designs and other creative assets is as easy as sharing a link. This feature eliminates the need to use back-and-forth email chains, saving you a lot of valuable work time.

6. Bird-eye view

An online collaboration tool with Calendar and Gantt view can give you a quick overview of tasks and their stage and progress in no time. Whereas a Calendar view allows you to see tasks, events, and milestones all in one place.

Gantt, on the other hand, benefits you in locating and eliminating bottlenecks by analyzing dependencies and adjusting accordingly.

So, visual collaboration is also a thing.

7. Smart task management

Task management with collaboration tools for businesses is more than merely the creation, allocation, and tracking of tasks, but is smart task management that brings clarity to job roles and responsibilities. By mentioning team members ( with @mention) you can even bring team members to the same page, draw their attention, connect with them, and loop them in to provide a clear understanding of what they are expected to work on, with whom, and when.

8. File sharing

A collaboration tool with a centralized location allows users to not only store and organize but share and even collaborate on all their digital files and documents without relying on long email threads. Be it MS Word, Google Docs, PDF, or other design elements, accessing and sharing files, documents, and designs, you want to edit, publish, or forward to other collaborators for reviewing and approval fosters smooth collaboration. (Without you juggling between multiple apps) 

What are the benefits of collaboration tools for businesses and teams?

Businesses across all industries are deriving a wide range of benefits from team collaboration tools. That’s the reason The global team collaboration software market size was valued at USD 21.69 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% from 2022 to 2030.

Here are some benefits that are too good to ignore. 

Cross-functional collaboration – As the name suggests, you would think it to be obvious for a collaboration tool to foster greater collaboration. But the platform upscales the expectations by promoting and facilitating increased engagement between the multiple departments by narrowing down the distance in-between.

Improved team productivity – Timely communication, improved coordination, and greater transparency on tasks result in skyrocketed productivity. As teams are empowered with organized conversations and shared information together in one place. And that’s all because of an online collaboration tool in operations.

Enhanced project management – An effective online collaboration tool can greatly and positively impact the entire project lifecycle. A platform that allows you to manage multiple projects simultaneously, monitor project progress and performance, centralize document management, and most importantly collaborate on project-related documents is a step to take in the future. 

Improved time utilization – 89% of workers admit to wasting time every day at work. An online collaboration tool with an inbuilt time-tracking tool helps project teams keep track of time spent performing different tasks manually or using automatic timers. Also, what better could you ask if it can allow you to set time estimates and start/due dates for tasks too? Agree?

Improved employee engagement – Engaged employees are a win-win situation for any company. Period! And collaboration tools do the same by encouraging transparency within the teams, promoting teamwork by reducing isolation between them (especially remote teams), and enabling them to work together and collaborate effectively. 

Improved work organization – Unorganized work is a productivity killer. That’s why an online collaboration tool streamlines your work process by centralizing scattered information and eliminating duplicated ones. With every single detail available on the table, the chances of miscommunication are reduced to zero. 

Streamlined workflow of agile teams – Collaboration tools for businesses streamline the workflow of agile teams based on agile methodologies. By allowing teams to schedule daily stand-ups, sprint planning, share updates, and get instant feedback and real-time report, these tools enable businesses to deliver high-quality work.

Our criteria for the selection of the best collaboration tools?

Now that you know the importance of collaboration tools and some common-use tools, let us give you a quick overview of how did we reach this particular selection of online collaboration tools.  

1. Features

My idea behind the selection and analysis of online collaboration tools is to get you the ones that provide you with excellent service and multiple features for team collaboration. As we know the multiple features embedded in an all-in-one platform can improve work efficiency and productivity to a much higher extent on the whole. 

2. Ease of use

Moving ahead, you all would agree that nobody wants a complex structure to work. Right? That’s why we made sure that the tools we recommend you deliver services that do not take a lot of time to get used to and keep an eye out for an intuitive interface and simple navigation.

3. Technology in action

We are thriving in the era of technology. So, obviously, we had to find the tools that serve modern technological needs. Cloud-based technology is so far the better out there in comparison to others as it allows you to save every piece of information online which you can access from anywhere.

4. Integrations

Integrations are key to convenient work. That’s why integration is the other main aspect that became the evaluation step of my selection process. So, my list contains the tools that seamlessly integrate with important tools and are also compatible with various devices.

5. User review 

Of course, how could have we avoided going through the review sites and user feedback before compiling the list of tools? That’s why we gauged product performance by going through real-life experiences and insights from people. Trust me, you will find the details here which won’t be mentioned in any product description page. 

We all have budget constraints and ensuring our expenses align with our budget constraints is crucial. That’s a smart thing to do. Trust me! And that’s why my list of tools entails products of different price ranges. Because price analysis in my perspective sometimes gets you to bag significant discounts.

So, pick one that brings out the best in your teams. As these tools are sure to level up your communication game.

Conclusion  

In this digital age, collaboration is the name of the game. As physical office spaces and virtual workstations battle for supremacy, it’s important for businesses to keep their employees aligned on business goals. 

Using a feature-rich online collaboration tool is of great use for both in-office and remote teams. Using the tool, you can keep all your team members, stakeholders, and clients on the same page while encouraging organization, collaboration, and transparency within the organization. 

However, being a user of ProofHub, it’s obvious that we would pitch for ProofHub. Not just because it’s my favorite but because it offers the best value for money in terms of the number of features offered, ease of usage, pricing, and overall user experience. – No bias at all.

You can try it for yourself.

But lastly, we would still say that the last call is yours. And we know you will make the right decision.

How can online collaboration tools lead to productive teamwork?

Online collaboration tools facilitate communication, file sharing, project management, and real-time collaboration regardless of physical location. By providing a centralized platform for team members to work together, these tools reduce the redundant chit-chat and enable better organization of tasks for everyone to stay in the loop. Features such as instant chat, video conferencing, shared document editing, and task assignment help teams collaborate seamlessly, leading to more efficient and effective teamwork.

What are the advantages of online collaboration tools?

Collaboration tools provide the following advantages to teams: 

• Improved communication: Online collaboration tools enable instant communication among team members regardless of their location, leading to quicker decision-making and problem-solving.
• Enhanced productivity: These tools streamline workflows by centralizing tasks, files, and discussions, reducing the time wasted on searching for information or coordinating schedules.
• Remote work coordination: Online collaboration tools support remote work by providing a virtual workspace where team members can collaborate in real-time, ensuring continuity of work despite geographical barriers.
• Transparency and accountability: Features like task tracking, version control, and activity logs promote transparency within teams, fostering accountability and clarity about responsibilities.
• Cost savings: By eliminating the need for physical office space and travel expenses, online collaboration tools can significantly reduce operational costs for businesses.

What are examples of extremely simple online collaboration tools?

ProofHub: A centralized location to organize projects, teams, clients, stakeholders, and work-related communication. 

Google Docs: Allows real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Slack: An instant messaging platform for team communication, file sharing, and collaboration.

Zoom : Video conferencing software for virtual meetings, webinars, and remote presentations. Dropbox : Cloud storage service for sharing files and collaborating on documents with version control.

Can collaboration tools improve remote work?

Yes, collaboration tools play a crucial role in improving remote work by providing a virtual workspace where remote team members can communicate, collaborate on projects, share documents, and coordinate tasks seamlessly. These tools help bridge the gap between remote team members, ensuring that they stay connected, informed, and productive regardless of their physical location. Additionally, collaboration tools enhance remote work by facilitating better organization, task management, and real-time communication, leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness in remote work setups.

• Share on LinkedIn
• Email this Page
• Share on Facebook
• Share on WhatsApp

Try ProofHub, our powerful project management and team collaboration software, for free !

 No per user fee.    No credit card required.    Cancel anytime.

Collaborate on a PowerPoint: Tips and Tricks for Sharing and Editing Presentations

• Recent Posts
• How to Color Code Folders in Outlook 365: A Step-by-Step Guide - May 23, 2024
• Tech Tips: How to Quickly Locate Folders for Emails in Outlook - May 23, 2024
• How to Easily Delete Templates in Outlook - May 23, 2024

Collaborating on a PowerPoint presentation is a great way to bring together diverse perspectives and work towards a common goal. As someone who has worked on many collaborative presentations, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to keep everyone on the same page. However, with the right tools and strategies, it’s possible to create a cohesive and effective presentation that showcases everyone’s strengths.

One of the most important things to consider when collaborating on a PowerPoint presentation is how you will share and edit the file. There are a few different ways to do this, including saving the file to a cloud-based service like OneDrive or SharePoint and inviting others to access it, or using the co-authoring feature in PowerPoint to work on the file in real-time. It’s important to choose a method that works best for your team and ensures that everyone can access and edit the file as needed.

Another key consideration when collaborating on a PowerPoint presentation is communication. It’s important to establish clear roles and responsibilities for each team member, as well as a timeline for completing the project. Regular check-ins and updates can also help ensure that everyone is on track and that any issues or challenges are addressed in a timely manner. By taking these steps, you can create a collaborative environment that fosters creativity and productivity.

JUMP TO TOPIC

Utilizing OneDrive for Seamless Collaboration

Managing permissions for secure editing, leveraging comments and chat for feedback, inviting colleagues and managing access, utilizing version history and reverting changes, incorporating multimedia elements into slides, creating and sharing your powerpoint presentation.

When it comes to creating and sharing your PowerPoint presentation, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure seamless collaboration. In this section, I will cover two key areas: utilizing OneDrive for seamless collaboration and managing permissions for secure editing.

OneDrive for Business is a cloud-based storage service that allows you to upload, share, and collaborate on your PowerPoint presentations with others. To utilize OneDrive, you will need to have a Microsoft account. If you don’t have one, you can easily create one for free.

To upload your PowerPoint presentation to OneDrive, simply go to the File menu and select Save As. From there, choose OneDrive as the location to save your presentation. Once your presentation is saved, you can easily share it with others by sending them a link or inviting them via email.

One of the benefits of using OneDrive for collaboration is that multiple people can edit the presentation at the same time. This means that you can work on the presentation with your colleagues in real-time, making changes and updates as needed.

When sharing your PowerPoint presentation with others, it’s important to manage permissions to ensure that only the people you want to have access to the presentation can edit it. To manage permissions, simply click on the Share button in the top right corner of the ribbon. From there, you can enter the names or email addresses of the people you want to share the presentation with and choose whether you want them to have editing or viewing access.

It’s important to note that if you haven’t yet stored your presentation to OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365, you will be directed to do so when you click on the Share button. This is to ensure that your presentation is securely stored in the cloud and can be easily accessed by those with whom you’ve shared it.

In conclusion, utilizing OneDrive for seamless collaboration and managing permissions for secure editing are key to creating and sharing your PowerPoint presentation with others. By following these tips, you can ensure that your presentation is accessible, editable, and secure, making collaboration with your colleagues a breeze.

Enhancing Team Communication Through PowerPoint

As a collaborative tool, PowerPoint can be an excellent way to increase team communication and streamline the feedback process. Here are some tips and tricks to make the most of your PowerPoint collaboration experience.

One of the most useful features of PowerPoint collaboration is the ability to leave comments and feedback in real-time. This can be especially helpful when working with a large team or when trying to get input from multiple stakeholders.

To leave a comment, simply click on the “Review” tab in the PowerPoint ribbon and select “New Comment.” You can then type your feedback directly into the comment box and send it to your colleagues.

In addition to comments, PowerPoint also offers a built-in chat feature that allows you to communicate with your team in real-time. To access the chat, simply click on the “Chat” icon in the top right corner of the PowerPoint window. From there, you can type messages to your colleagues and receive instant feedback.

To collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll need to invite your colleagues to join the project. To do this, click on the “Share” button in the top right corner of the PowerPoint ribbon and select “Invite People.”

From there, you can type in the email addresses of your colleagues and set their access level. You can choose to give them view-only access, or you can allow them to edit the presentation as well.

It’s important to note that when you invite colleagues to collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation, they will need to have access to the same version of the software that you’re using. If they’re using an older version of PowerPoint, they may not be able to open the presentation or make changes to it.

To ensure that everyone is working with the same version of PowerPoint, consider using the cloud-based version of the software or saving your presentation to a shared drive. This will allow everyone to access the presentation from any device and ensure that everyone is working with the most up-to-date version.

In conclusion, PowerPoint can be an effective tool for enhancing team communication and collaboration. By leveraging comments, chat, and effective access management, you can streamline the feedback process and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Optimizing Your Workflow with PowerPoint Tools

Collaborating on PowerPoint presentations can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and techniques, it can be a breeze. In this section, I will share some tips on how to optimize your workflow with PowerPoint tools.

One of the most useful PowerPoint tools for collaboration is the version history feature. This feature allows you to view and revert to previous versions of your presentation, making it easy to recover from mistakes or conflicts.

To access the version history, you need to have a Microsoft 365 subscription and save your presentation to OneDrive or SharePoint. Once you have done this, you can access the version history by clicking on the “File” tab and then selecting “Version History” from the menu.

From here, you can view previous versions of your presentation and see who made changes and when. You can also restore a previous version by selecting it and clicking “Restore”. This is particularly useful if you need to undo changes made by a collaborator or if you accidentally delete something important.

Another way to optimize your workflow is by incorporating multimedia elements into your slides. This can help make your presentation more engaging and effective, especially if you are presenting to a large group.

PowerPoint offers a variety of tools for adding multimedia elements, including videos, images, and audio files. You can add these elements by clicking on the “Insert” tab and then selecting the appropriate option from the menu.

One thing to keep in mind when adding multimedia elements is that they can increase the size of your presentation file. This can make it more difficult to share and collaborate on the presentation, especially if you are working with a large group.

To address this issue, you can use the “Compress Media” feature to reduce the size of your multimedia files. This feature is available under the “File” tab and can help you optimize your presentation for sharing and collaboration.

Overall, optimizing your workflow with PowerPoint tools can help you collaborate more effectively and create more engaging presentations. By utilizing features like version history and multimedia elements, you can make your presentations more secure, efficient, and effective.

Related posts:

• Unfortunately, PowerPoint Cannot Read: Troubleshooting Tips
• How to Highlight Important Slides in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Free Online Solution to Repair Damaged PowerPoint Files
• Error Occurred When PowerPoint Was Saving the File: How to Fix It
• Add Sound to PowerPoint Animation: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Mastering Bullet Points in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Adding a Slide to an Existing PowerPoint Presentation: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Easily Add Annotations in PowerPoint
• How to Add Copilot to PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Easily Delete Comments in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Create a Timeline in PowerPoint 2010: Step-by-Step Guide
• Add a Slide to an Existing PowerPoint Presentation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

How-To Geek

Why i prefer google slides to microsoft powerpoint.

Your presentations (and your sanity) will thank you.

Quick Links

• Ease of Collaboration
• Offline Access
• Integration With Other Google Tools
• More Storage Space
• Compatibility With PowerPoint
• AI Features
• Provide Detailed Version History
• Customization Features and Template Options

PowerPoint and Google Slides are two popular options for presentations, but which one is best? As someone who has used both programs for a long time, I've found that Google Slides offers many advantages that make it my go-to choice.

Let's be clear: I'm comparing the web-based PowerPoint and Google Slides versions. It's unfair to compare Google Slides to the desktop version of PowerPoint, isn't it? Here are some reasons why Google Slides is my favorite presentation tool.

1. Ease of Collaboration

Ease of collaboration was the central reason I switched to Google Slides for my presentation needs. As a content creator, I always aim for a seamless collaboration experience while dealing with my clients and team members. Google Slides offered exactly that, and I was in love with it.

So, is Google Slides better than PowerPoint for collaboration? It certainly has advantages that make it an ideal choice for a lot of users.

With Google Slides, you can efficiently work with others and share your work , no matter what kind of computer or phone you use. If you have a Google account and the link to the presentation, you can join in and make changes simultaneously with other members.

In contrast, to collaborate in PowerPoint, you have to consider various external factors, such as the user's working device and storage locations. For example, you might not be able to easily collaborate with someone who has an older version of PowerPoint, or with someone using a PowerPoint mobile due to feature limitations. Some things that are restricted in the free web and mobile version compared to PowerPoint on desktop include limited commenting tags, editing options, and more.

Additionally, Google Slides also has built-in chat and commenting features. This feature allows all your team members to stay on the same page and communicate with each other to streamline editing. In PowerPoint, you're limited to comments only.

2. Offline Access

Another important reason for my switch to Google Slides is the offline access feature. With this feature, you can create, edit, and present presentations to others even without an internet connection. Any changes you apply offline are synced automatically once you're back online, so you can keep working even without an internet connection.

You can activate offline access by checking the offline mode option in your Google Drive settings.

Also, with Google Slides, you don't need software installed on your computer to access your presentations offline. However, Microsoft PowerPoint requires an internet connection to save changes to OneDrive storage. No internet, no autosave!

3. Integration With Other Google Tools

Switching to Google Slides is easy if you already use Google apps like Docs, Sheet, Meet, and Gmail. They all work well together. You can import charts and tables from Google Sheets into your presentations with just a few clicks. Any modifications to the original data in Google Sheets will automatically be reflected in your Google Slides presentation.

For example, on Google Slides, open the "Insert" tab and navigate to the "Chart" option. From there, click on the "From Sheets" option and import a chart from Google Sheets.

Furthermore, you can add Google Keep notes to your Slides and share your content in Google Meet with Smart Canvas without switching between tabs.

On the other hand, Microsoft PowerPoint integrates with other Microsoft tools, but it's not as seamless as Google Slides and has limited integration capabilities. For example, unlike Google Sheets, which updates data automatically in Slides, PowerPoint requires you to manual refresh to update Excel charts. This means you need to copy and paste the updated chart from Excel to PowerPoint.

4. More Storage Space

Google Slides offers more storage space through Google Drive. With a Google account, you get 15GB of storage shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. This is significantly more than what Microsoft offers with its free PowerPoint Web version, which only provides 5GB of OneDrive storage. If you create large presentations with many images or videos, Google's extra storage space can be a significant advantage.

Additionally, Google offers affordable plans to upgrade your storage if needed. For example, you can get 100GB of storage for a $20 annual fee, which is perfect for those who create and store a lot of presentations. However, it's important to note that pricing for additional storage might be different depending on your region.

For detailed information, it's best to check your plans manually by clicking the "Get More Storage" option in Drive.

5. Compatibility With PowerPoint

I know what you're thinking—what if I need to work with someone who only uses Microsoft PowerPoint? Fear not; Google Slides has got you covered. You can import and export PowerPoint presentations into Google Slides, making switching between the two platforms easy.

This feature has been a lifesaver for me when I work with my clients or colleagues who use PowerPoint. I can easily collaborate with them and edit their files without any hassle. After making changes, I can save the Google Slides file again as a PowerPoint file.

You can add your PowerPoint file to Google Slides by either uploading it on Drive or directly opening it from the File > Open option.

6. AI Features

You can also use Google AI tools like Gemini to improve your presentations. For example, the Gemini AI feature in Google Slides allows users to generate images and slides based on their prompts. You can access Gemini from the Slides side panel and input your prompts, such as "Create a slide about," and it will generate slides accordingly.

This feature lets you quickly add relevant and visually appealing presentation content without leaving the Google Slides platform. Using Gemini AI, you can also generate background images in various styles, such as Vector art, Photography, Watercolor, and others.

In contrast, Microsoft AI feature tools like Copilot are not available on the PowerPoint web version. To use Copilot and other AI features in PowerPoint requires a paid subscription to either Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro.

7. Provide Detailed Version History

Both Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint allow you to view and restore previously edited versions of your presentation. However, Google Slides stands out with its detailed version history feature. This feature groups certain versions of your presentation together if you make multiple changes over a short period. This makes it easy to find and select the version you need. These group versions are displayed under the Version History panel.

Another notable feature of Google Slides is the ability to name the modified versions. This is quite useful when working on large documents with multiple collaborators, as it can take time to find the version you want, among many others. To rename a version, open the "Version History" panel, click the three-dot icon, and then select "Name This Version" from the dropdown menu.

Once you've named important versions of your presentation, you can filter them by selecting the "Named Versions" option from the drop menu. This will highlight only the renamed versions, along with the current version of the document, making it easy to locate the version you need.

8. Customization Features and Template Options

The web version of Microsoft PowerPoint has limited features compared to the PowerPoint desktop app, which can sometimes be helpful while designing presentations. For example, you can't insert charts or equations in the web version. Additionally, you can't add hyperlinks to pictures or shapes. On the other hand, you can add equations, charts, and hyperlinks to images in Google Slides.

While both platforms offer a good selection of templates, I prefer Google Slides because its templates are user-friendly and easy to customize. It also provides more flexibility when working with themes compared to the web version of PowerPoint.

Google Slides isn't a flawless tool, but for me and many other presentation creators, it not only gets the job done but also has some advantages over PowerPoint. Whether you're a student, team, or regular user, you can use it to make clear and effective presentations.

May 27, 2024

Can't find what you're looking for?

Decktopus vs Beautiful.ai: 2023's Best AI Presentation Tool?

In the dynamic realm of AI-powered presentations, Decktopus and Beautiful.AI engage in fierce competition. Both platforms harness the potential of AI to redefine the presentation landscape, offering users instant access to intuitive tools and dynamic features. Decktopus, with its innovative approach, integrat

What's Inside?

In today's digital age, PowerPoint presentations and their equivalents have an outstanding place in our lives. The gradual evolution of creating slides tailored to your specific needs can be seen as a developing success. While numerous presentation tools are available, our focus today is on Decktopus and Beautiful.ai, both excellent competitors of traditional PowerPoint presentations.

Both tools are some of the best in the field, so let's explore which one better fits your needs and requirements. Based on your audience's unique requirements, either Decktopus or Beautiful.ai could be the top choice.

Complete Revised Passage: In today's digital age, PowerPoint presentations and their equivalents have an outstanding place in our lives. The gradual evolution of creating slides tailored to your specific needs can be seen as a developing success. While numerous presentation tools are available, our focus today is on Decktopus and Beautiful.ai, both excellent alternatives to traditional PowerPoint presentations.

For further review, let’s take a look at both tools, including those from Google, in detail and find out more about them from the perspective of templates, utilizing AI, content creation, functionality, affordability, etc.

Decktopus is not only a smart, tailored online presentation tool but also a game-changer in creating professional presentations effortlessly, surpassing other platforms in the market. With a wide range of integrations of templates, visuals like icons, images, GIFs, and content suggestions at your fingertips, the platform streamlines the entire creation process.

Users have the flexibility to personalize their slides, add images and multimedia elements with ease, and even collaborate within the organization or with others seamlessly. In a head-to-head comparison vs Decktopus, it becomes clear that it is attentively designed to simplify the presentation creation journey while ensuring a final product that is not only polished but also visually stunning.

Advantages of Using Dropdeck AI's Decktopus for Presentations

• Having a friendly interface is useful for people from all professions and age groups.
• The organization structure for businesses and companies provides better workflow and management
• Thanks to pre-built templates, you save time while preparing presentations
• As with the newest version of Decktopus, you have more font options.

Cons of Decktopus

• You will need the internet to edit your presentation because Decktopus does not yet offer the editable export feature.
• While AI can assist with grammar checking and image suggestions, it may not always produce accurate or high-quality results. 

What is Beautiful.ai?

Beautiful.ai aims to simplify presentation creation of powerpoint presentations with professionally designed templates and smart features that automate design elements. Users can focus on content while the platform ensures polished, professional slides with minimal effort. Its intuitive interface supports collaboration, making it a popular choice for professionals, educators, and anyone creating impactful visual content.

Pros of Beautiful.ai

• User-friendly for business and professional purposes
• Tailored templates and slides with the DesignerBot feature

Cons of Beautiful.ai

• Since there is no undo button, it may take more time to correct the things you have done.
• Challenging to use the software without knowledge of advanced features and highly customized design elements
• Some performance issues and utilize a significant amount of device resources.

What are the main differences between Decktopus and Beautiful.ai?

From an AI perspective, both Decktopus and Beautiful.ai utilize the power of artificial intelligence to simplify the process of creating presentations and elevate design capabilities. However, crucial distinctions appear in the specific ways they implement AI technology.

Content Creation and Generation

Decktopus aims to use AI algorithms to generate content suggestions and structure presentations based on user inputs and prompts such as keywords, topics, and storytelling. It assists users in organizing their ideas and creating cohesive narratives for their presentations. Beautiful.ai, on the other hand, focuses more on design automation and optimization rather than content generation, although it may offer some guidance on structuring presentations effectively.

Try Decktopus AI now!

AI’s Assistance on Design and Slides

Both platforms use AI to assist users from a design perspective, but their approaches differ essentially. Beautiful.ai's AI algorithms automate design elements like alignment, sizing, and formatting to ensure visually appealing slides. It offers suggestions for visual enhancements based on design best practices.

Decktopus, meanwhile, offers more personalized and completed design suggestions based on the specific content and context of the presentation, aiming to optimize both content and design at the same time. Although the AI-generated presentation comes prepared in Decktopus, you can use the edit mode to customize your presentations by using alignment, sizing, and formatting features easily.

Although Beautiful.ai uses DesignerBot to design your slides automatically with AI, Decktopus makes you use AI manually to get more specific outcomes for your needs. For example, you can write down a prompt for DesignerBot in Beautiful.ai and get a more complete design for all of your slides but in Decktopus, you can use the AI image feature to enhance your images in slides one at a time.

As for other AI features, you can use AI assistant features in Decktopus like Tips and Q&A to be prepared for your presentation beforehand and be ready for questions from your audience or to create more comfortable and story-like structure suggestions.

Customization and Flexibility

Decktopus utilizes the power of artificial intelligence to dynamically adjust pre-built templates and design elements based on your preferences and content characteristics, ultimately saving you valuable time. With just a few prompts and template selections, you can create a polished presentation in minutes. The user-friendly edit/design mode simplifies the process of making any necessary changes. Decktopus aims to deliver a personalized presentation experience tailored to each individual. In comparison, while Beautiful.ai does offer customization options, its design approach may be more structured, limiting extensive customization based on AI insights, meaning it will cost you more time and effort.

Collaborative Sharing Capabilities in AI Presentation Tools

Both Beautiful.ai and Decktopus offer valuable collaboration features to enhance the presentation creation process, including animation tools to bring slides to life. Beautiful.ai enables seamless collaboration by allowing users to share presentations with teammates or external stakeholders, making possible real-time feedback and adjustments. With the ability to work on the same presentation simultaneously, users can edit and animate their presentations to better suit their team or the situation they are addressing.

Similarly, Decktopus provides a user-friendly platform for sharing presentations with a public share link and offers collaboration capabilities through its Collaboration feature. Users can collaborate with anyone within or outside their organization, encouraging teamwork and creativity. Additionally, the deployment of Decktopus's Analytics feature allows for detailed analysis of presentation engagement, providing valuable insights into viewer interactions.

Both platforms offer flexibility in controlling presentation access during collaboration, empowering users to collaborate effectively while maintaining control over their content. Ultimately, whether you choose Beautiful.ai or Decktopus, you'll find instense collaboration tools that support your team in creating impactful presentations.

Affordability

When it comes to affordability and integration options, let's take a peek at what these tools offer. 

Decktopus has two plans, Pro AI and Business AI, available for monthly or annual subscription. Plus, Decktopus offers educational support, creates discount coupons at various times, and always aims to compensate users for the service provided.

And, Beautiful.ai has three plans, neatly categorized as Pro, Team, and Enterprise, each with its own perks. Well, Decktopus doesn't give out demos, but you can still use some features for free, like the AI image and tips. Beautiful.ai, on the other hand, offers a 14-day free trial, so you can give it a spin and see if it fits your needs.

Decktopus' Pro AI plan lines up with Beautiful.ai's Pro plan in terms of features, but the flexibility of monthly or annual subscriptions with Decktopus might sway your decision. Plus, Decktopus packs in some smart extra features like Form Response Email Notifications, Tips, and Q&A Generation.

Now, comparing Decktopus' Business with Beautiful.ai's Team plans, they're pretty neck and neck with features like custom layouts and brand colors. But Decktopus pulls ahead with Webhook and CNAME features, not to mention their support for customers is strong.

Ultimately, Decktopus stands out for its user-friendly interface, innovative AI features, and flexible pricing options when compared to other presentation tools. The platform's commitment to empowering users with tools for effortless and impactful presentations is commendable. With its focus on customization, collaboration, and professional design, Decktopus vs other platforms emerges as a compelling choice for individuals, teams, and organizations seeking to elevate their presentations while staying within budget.

Import PDF feature and PowerPoint Add-In Feature

A big difference between them is that Beautiful.ai has a PowerPoint add-in feature for enhancing PowerPoint presentations, while Decktopus has an import PDF feature. By importing your PDF into Decktopus, you can create a completely new, pre-designed presentation by blending AI's rich database and the information contained in your PDF. But although the feature offered by Beautiful.ai is groundbreaking, it can be a little more difficult to use and may require expertise.

Flexibility and Adaptability of UI

When we look at the UI and interfaces of both tools, they both have striking and professionally prepared interfaces. However, Beautiful.ai's interface can be a bit confusing as the editing page includes more features, and editing can take more time than necessary. Since the UI and interface used by Decktopus provide more familiar and easy editing options, you are more likely to save time and create a simplified but stylish presentation.

In summary, Beautiful.ai stands out for its intuitive design, smart templates, and design automation, making it ideal for users who prioritize simplicity and efficiency in creating presentations. Decktopus, on the other hand, appeals to users looking for more versatility and control over their presentations by offering dynamic content creation, extensive customization options, flexible pricing, and training support.

Ultimately, based on these comparisons and considering personalization options, the choice between Beautiful.ai and Decktopus comes down to individual preferences, specific needs, and the desired level of customization and collaboration.

Five Ways Decktopus Beats Beautiful.ai

1. Creating a personalized presentation in Decktopus offers more flexibility compared to Beautiful.ai. While Beautiful.ai provides easy ways to make changes, save layouts, and customize colors with its pre-built templates, Decktopus stands out for its ability to easily modify them. With smart templates in Beautiful.ai and enhanced creative control in Decktopus, the latter may be preferred for those seeking more customization options.

2. With the release of the new version of Decktopus, teams have turned into Organizations and it is aimed to capture the team spirit better. You can join more than one organization at the same time, send your personal decks to folders within the organizations, and make your work attitude more professional. Although Beautiful.ai also provides convenience for your company or team within the Team and Enterprise plans and allows you to receive simultaneous feedback, decktopus stands out both in terms of budget and workflow management. In addition, the webhook and CNAME features offered by Decktopus for organizations provide a great convenience for business owners.

3. Although Beautiful.ai's layout and design may impress users with a background in online presentation tools, for those new to such platforms, it can present a learning curve. Locating specific functions or navigating amongst options might be challenging. In contrast, Decktopus prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, ensuring quick access to essential features and enhancing productivity through efficient time management .

4. Although both tools attach great importance to the use of AI and encourage the use of AI to both facilitate and beautify your presentations, the AI features included in Decktopus increase the possibility of being preferred. Thanks to features such as Slide notes, Transcript, Tips, and Q&A, you can prepare your presentation professionally, transcribe your slides, and master the subject in the best possible way. By using the Tips and Q&A features, you can prepare for possible questions that may arise during the presentation or review the questions you can ask your audience after the presentation.

5.Both tools are used for presentation, but the purpose of Beautiful.ai is more about pitch and marketing, as can be seen from its interface. For example, using the chart and list features can be challenging to learn for someone creating presentations for everyday use. At this point, Decktopus is progressing in accordance with every usage purpose and user profile. The fact that the chart and list features are not confusing and the ease of editing and customization makes Decktopus stand out.

Ultimately, the choice between Decktopus and Beautiful.ai depends on individual specifications, project requirements, and desired features. Both platforms have their strengths, so it's essential to consider what aspects are most important for your specific presentation needs.

Both Decktopus and Beautiful.ai offer strong features for creating engaging PowerPoint presentations. Decktopus stands out with its flexibility in PowerPoint content creation, allowing users to easily customize their slides to suit their needs.

Additionally, Decktopus excels in the direct import of PDF files, making it convenient to incorporate existing content seamlessly. In terms of organization features, Decktopus provides intuitive tools to arrange and structure PowerPoint presentations effectively. The user-friendly interface of Decktopus enhances the overall experience, making it simple for users to navigate and design their slides efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. is beautiful.ai worth it.

• Beautiful.ai is a solid choice for creating presentations, but if you're looking for advanced features like AI-powered content creation and direct import of PDF files, you might find Decktopus to be a better fit. Decktopus offers unique features and flexibility for personal needs and your workspace, making it worth considering for users who need more advanced capabilities in their presentation tool.

2. Is Beautiful.ai better than Decktopus?

• While Beautiful.ai has its strengths, such as user-friendly design and smart templates, Decktopus stands out with its innovative features like AI-powered content creation and direct import of PDF files. For users seeking advanced capabilities and flexibility in their presentation tool, Decktopus may be the better choice.

3. Which is the best AI presentation maker?

• Decktopus is a strong competitor for the title of the best AI presentation maker . There are many tools out there like Slides.ai, Gamma, Beautiful.ai, etc. but Decktopus, with its advanced features, intuitive interface, and flexibility, it offers users a powerful tool for creating impactful presentations with ease.

4. What are the disadvantages of Beautiful.ai?

• While Beautiful.ai offers many benefits, some users may find that it lacks the advanced features and flexibility provided by other tools like Decktopus . For users who require more customization options or advanced capabilities, Beautiful.ai may not fully meet their needs.

5. What is the difference between Decktopus and Beautiful.ai?

• Decktopus distinguishes itself from Beautiful.ai with its innovative features and specifications like AI-powered content creation, direct import of PDF files, and organization tools. These specifications make Decktopus a versatile and powerful presentation tool, offering users advanced capabilities to create impactful presentations with ease. Decktopus distinguishes itself from Beautiful.ai with its innovative features and specifications like AI-powered content creation, direct import of PDF files, and organization tools. These specifications make Decktopus a versatile and powerful presentation tool, offering users advanced capabilities to create impactful presentations with ease.
• While Beautiful.AI certainly has its merits, it ultimately falls short in comparison to the comprehensive capabilities of Decktopus. Decktopus emerges as the clear choice, offering comprehensive features that excel in both functionality and design. With its intuitive interface and seamless organization structure, Decktopus streamlines the presentation creation process, empowering users to craft compelling content with ease.

Don't waste your time designing your presentations by yourself!

Type your content and let our platform design your presentations automatically. No more wasting time for your presentations. Use hundreds of presentation templates to impress your audience. This is the only tool you need to prepare presentations. Try our Presentation Builder today >>

Don’t waste your time by trying to make a website for all your content

Place your content links and let our platform design your bio link automatically. No more wasting time for your social content distribution. Use hundreds of presentation biolink to impress your audience. This is the only tool you need to prepare good-looking bio links. Try our Bio Link Builder today >>

Do You Want To Create a Presentation?

Latest Articles

Exploring Beautiful.ai Alternatives: Competitors and Top Picks

Discover top Beautiful.ai alternatives for your presentations. From WPS Office to Piktochart, Slides, Visme, and more, we've listed the best AI-powered presentation apps to elevate your slides.

Decktopus vs Google Slides: Ultimate 2024 Showdown

Explore a head-to-head comparison of Decktopus vs Google Slides in the 2024 showdown! Get insights on customization, collaboration & innovation features in presentation.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest news and tips from Decktopus.

Let’s create a form here to get visitors’ email addresses.

Ready to dive in? Start your free trial today.

• PDFelement for Windows
• PDFelement for Mac
• PDFelement on Mac App Store
• PDF Reader for Windows
• PDFelement for iPhone/iPad
• Get from App Store
• PDFelement for Android
• Get from App Google Play
• PDF Scanner for iPhone

Cloud & SDK

• Document Cloud
• PDFelement Pro DC
• PDFelement SDK

Online PDF Tools

• PDF to Word
• Compress PDF
• Word to PDF

Educational Users

• Annotate PDF
• Combine PDF

Personal Users

• Convert PDF
• Organize PDF

Professional Users

• eSign PDFs Legally
• Extract Data from PDF
• Password Protect PDF

PDF Solutions for

• Chat with PDF
• AI PDF Summarizer
• AI PDF Translator
• AI Content Detector
• AI Rewrite PDF
• Proofread PDF
• Add Bookmarks to PDF
• Explain PDF
• Mac Software
• OCR PDF Tips
• Online PDF Tips
• Edit PDF like Word
• PDF Converter Tips
• PDF Compressor Tips

Why PDFelement

• Customer Stories
• PDF Software Comparison
• Contact Support
• PDFelement for iOS
• InstaScan for iPhone

Explore More

• Reviews See what our users say.
• Free PDF Templates Edit, print, and customize free templates.
• PDF Knowledge PDF-related information you need.
• Download Center Download the most powerful and simple PDF tools.
• Download Download Pricing Pricing

How To Collaborate on Powerpoint for Team Presentations? [3 Best Methods]

Here are three ways your team can collaborate on PowerPoint. This is your ticket to organized presentations.

• Best Solution to Sign PDF on Linux and More
• esign pdf online, esign pdf online free, esign pdf free online, online esign pdf, electronically sign pdf online
• How to Save Documents to Cloud
• How to Share Files on the Cloud to Improve Collaboration
• Best Free Document Cloud Solution - Easy to Use
• How To Use Cloud Storage - the Complete Guide
• How to eSign a Document on Cloud in Two Ways
• How to Add Signature to PDF on Linux
• How to Add an Electronic Signature to a PDF File Online Free
• How to Upload File to Cloud: Easiest Way Explained
• How To Collaborate on Powerpoint for Team Presentations?
• crop images online
• print screen mac
• How to take a screenshot on a Mac
• Cropro: A must have screenshot capture tool
• windows 11 screenshot
• How to take a screen grab
• Best screenshot tools for Windows and Mac
• How to Edit a Screenshot Online
• How to Paste a Screenshot on a Mac
• How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot

Does your group need to create a presentation for your thesis? Does your team need to create a slideshow for a project pitch? Many times, one person is tasked with creating the PowerPoint presentation. The problem with that is that the slides may not align with your teammates' prepared speeches. So, instead, we suggest that you collaborate in PowerPoint. Have each member edit the slides for the parts assigned to them.

In this article, we will discuss three ways your team can collaborate on PowerPoint. There are also some extra tips towards the end!

In this article

• How To Collaborate on Powerpoint
• Collaborate on PowerPoint by Uploading the File to Wondershare Document Cloud
• How To Share the PowerPoint in Wondershare Document Cloud to Enable Collaboration
• How To Comment on Collaborative PowerPoint in Wondershare Document Cloud
• How To Start Collaboration PPT on Google Drive
• How To Collaborate on PowerPoint Using Google Slides

Method 1. How To Collaborate on Powerpoint

You can share a PowerPoint file with multiple people and let them edit it. It's a built-in feature that makes collaborations seamless. This is how you use the said feature:

• Open your PPT file with PowerPoint.
• Click File > Share.

• On the pop-up window, click Anyone with the link can edit.

• Select Specific People > Apply.

• Add the email addresses of your groupmates.

• Click Send.

Please note that you will not see the changes made by others in real-time. You can simultaneously edit the PowerPoint file, yes. However, the changes are not immediately reflected at the end of each editor. This may result in editing conflicts, where two or more editors have changed a section of the PowerPoint.

Thus, you will need to resolve these issues. Otherwise, the PowerPoint will become more confusing for your team. Needless to say, it is counterproductive. You did not learn how to make a collaborative powerpoint to reach that outcome.

Method 2. How To Make a Powerpoint Collaborative Using Wondershare Document Cloud

You can also use alternative tools to collaborate on PowerPoint. This is the route to take if a member does not have Microsoft PowerPoint unlocked. One of the best tools to use is Wondershare Document Cloud and Wondershare PDFelement. They allow you to share the PowerPoint presentation as a PDF. Your teammates can view the converted PDF, comment on the PDF, and collaborate on the PDF to tell you about the changes they want to make.

There are other tools that also offer that. So, why choose Wondershare Document Cloud? One word: security. With Wondershare Document Cloud, you can rest assured that your data will not be leaked.

Follow these steps to make a collaborative PowerPoint using Wondershare PDFelement and Wondershare Document Cloud.

Part 2.1. Collaborate on PowerPoint by Uploading the File to Wondershare Document Cloud

The first step is to upload the PowerPoint to Wondershare Document Cloud in order to be able to share it with your team.

• Open Wondershare PDFelement. Click + > From File.

• Open your PowerPoint file. Wondershare PDFelement will automatically convert it to PDF.
• Click File > Save to Cloud > Document Cloud.

• Alternatively, Save the PDF.
• Launch a web browser and go to Wondershare Document Cloud's website. Log into your account.

• Click Upload File. Upload the PowerPoint presentation that you converted to PDF.

Part 2.2. How To Share the PowerPoint in Wondershare Document Cloud to Enable Collaboration

When you upload a file to Wondershare Document Cloud, you are still the only one with access to it. To give others access to the PPT, you must share it with them. This is how you do it:

• Find the file that you uploaded to Wondershare Document Cloud.
• Click the three dots > Share.

• Click Designated person.
• Add the email addresses of your teammates.

• Optionally, modify the Permission settings.

Part 2.3. How To Comment on Collaborative PowerPoint in Wondershare Document Cloud

What if your teammate was the one who uploaded the PowerPoint? You can comment on the file to let the other users know about what you think. Here is your guide to commenting on the said file.

• Log into Wondershare Document Cloud.
• Click Documents > Shared by Others.

• Open the PowerPoint presentation.
• Click Add comment.

• Select the commenting tool that you wish to use.

• Select the text where you want to comment on.
• On the Comments panel on the right, a bubble will appear. Type your comment in there and click Post.

Method 3. Collaborate on PowerPoint Using Google Slides

Can you collaborate on PowerPoint for free? Yes, you can. Google provides its users with a set of online tools you can use for document management. One of these tools is Google Slides, an online platform for creating and editing slideshow presentations. To access this tool, you just have to create a Google account.

Part 3.1. How To Start Collaboration PPT on Google Drive

You need to upload the PowerPoint file to Google Drive to make it accessible to your team, then your teammates can collaborate on Google . Follow these steps:

• Launch a web browser and go to Google Drive. Log into your Google Account.
• Click New > File Upload. Upload the PowerPoint file.

• Open the file. It will open in Google Slides.
• Click Share.

• Add the email addresses of the people you want to be able to edit the PowerPoint.

• Click Share to turn it into a collaboration PPT file .

Part 3.2. How To Collaborate on PowerPoint Using Google Slides

Here's how to comment on PowerPoints uploaded on Google Slides. Note that you can edit the PowerPoint and make changes yourself. But we strongly recommend that you inform your team about the changes you want to make first.

• Open the PowerPoint.
• Click the element where you want to comment on. You can comment on text, images, or full slides.
• Click Insert > Comment.

• Type your comment on the bubble that will appear on the right of the slides. Click Comment.

You can collaborate on PowerPoint to ensure every team member knows their parts in the presentation. It's also a great way to get all members involved in the presentation's creation. You can use Microsoft PowerPoint itself to share the PPT files with your groupmates. But it is not the only tool you can use for that.

One great alternative is Wondershare Document Cloud and Wondershare PDFelement. They allow you to share PPT files securely and collect inputs from your teammates through comments.

People Also Ask

Here are some questions people ask after the "how to collaborate on PowerPoint" question.

1. What if there are conflicting edits during the collaboration?

2. can you see previous versions of the presentation, 3. in what scenarios would you need to collaborate in powerpoint, you may also like.

• How to eSign PDF Online for Free [Step-by-step Guide]