When we want to work on a project we usually need to collaborate with other team members and create documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Collaboration tools help teams work together online by tackling the scheduling of common resources such as whiteboards, chat rooms and shared file repositories. Collaboration apps can also be helpful for students who want to manage group projects.
There are many collaboration apps out there but not all of them are appropriate for practical use. Here is a list of the leading online collaboration apps:
Microsoft 365
Share and edit documents, now with messaging
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.
Pricing depends on whether you are buying for personal or business use, with fees starting from $6.99 or $8.25 a month per use, with business use requiring pre-paid annual plans.
However, one little advertised alternative option is Microsoft 365 Business Basics, which offers most of the same software packages and options as above, but only comes in at $5 per month per user when paid annually. This makes the entire package extremely cost-effective, especially when compared to standalone UC and collaboration software prices.
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.
REASONS TO BUY
+Familiar software+Collaborative editing+Teams provides UC+Cost-effective bundling
Best Multipurpose Apps
A few of the entries on this list don’t fit neatly into any one category. In a way, that’s what makes them special. They’re flexible, customizable, multipurpose tools. https://60135b0a48feea8eb9e46fc486cdb0d6.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Podio is one. It’s an online hub where any organization or team can get any kind of work and communication done. When you create an account, you choose what kinds of apps you want to have from across a variety of business purposes, such as HR, management, sales, IT, and so forth. If there isn’t an app that fits your needs, you can build it or simply use one of the existing apps as a starting point and change pieces of it.
Another example of a multipurpose app is Asana. Asana started out as a task-management tool but has grown to include excellent options for managing workflows, ideas, projects, and more. If you want to use it as a full-fledged project management app, you can, but Asana’s real strengths have to do with its flexibility and customization options.
Because it’s highly customizable Asana is among the best multi-purpose collaboration tools.
Basecamp belongs among best multipurpose Apps, too. It is one of the stronger apps when it comes to balancing work management and communication. Plus, there’s a lot of flexibility over what you use Basecamp for. You can manage projects or non-project work. It’s also a great place to have asynchronous discussions with in-house colleagues as well as partners on the outside, such as contractors and clients. It all depends on what you need the tool to do.
Todoist is our favorite collaborative to-do list because it effortlessly keeps teams in sync.
To-Do List Best Collaborative
Todoist is the PCMag Editors’ Choice winner for to-do list apps, but it’s also a highly valuable collaboration tool. If your team needs an inexpensive tool that helps a group of people write down, prioritize, and manage everything they need to get done, it’s at the top of the list.
What makes Todoist better than other collaborative to-do apps? For starters, it has apps for every major platform that all work reliably and sync effortlessly. It also gives you a ton of tools for organizing tasks, such as priority ratings and labels, without creating a cluttered interface. That keeps the app easy to use and highly accessible to newcomers.
Codingteam
Coders can easily collaborate when writing their code through platforms like Codingteam. It offers a free ‘software forge’ that encourages visibility and collective code building.
Igloo
Igloo is a company intranet that allows people to communicate and get work done. Its wiki allows colleagues to share information and ideas.
Google Docs
Google needs no introduction. Google’s collaboration tools include its Docs and Sheets services, which are designed to allow teams to edit files at the same time and save all their changes automatically.
Quip
Quip started off as a mobile app and released a desktop version later. Teams can import and work live on different file types. Edits are saved automatically and its chat, comment and checklist features make collaboration easy.
Slack
Source: Slack
Every modern employee is familiar with this popular communication platform and with good reason. A remote communication and collaboration industry leader since 2013, Slack has grown into the go to messaging app for over 10 million daily users. As the years have gone by, Slack has evolved from a simple messaging app into the document storing, file management and community building resource that it is today.
Ways to Collaborate Using Slack
- Team channels for ongoing conversation, strategy and sharing wins
- Example: Marketing channel, sales channel, optimization channel
- Interest-based channels for networking and team building
- Example: Parent channel, dog lover channel, foodie channel
- One on one check ins or daily team standups
Conceptboard
Source: Conceptboard
A visual collaboration platform that connects teammates and clients from any location, Conceptboard offers users the opportunity to work solo or together on expansive digital whiteboards. Through the use of these digital boards, teammates have a secure virtual location where they are free to brainstorm, strategize and create all in one adaptable space.
Ways to Collaborate Using Conceptboard
- Product or app development
- Content strategy
- Brainstorming
- Project kickoffs
- Creative ideation
Google Workspace
Source: Google Workspace
Formerly known as G Suite, Google Workspace is the inclusive virtual location where you can find all of the Google tools you need to collaborate from a distance. For those Google users who have yet to take a deep dive into the workspace, you’ll find a comprehensive list of tools and apps that you can use to take remote collaboration to the next level.
Along with the classic Google tools like Docs and Sheets, you’ll also find apps like:
- Google Meet— a video conferencing tool
- Google Sites— a website building tool
- Google Forms— a survey creator tool
- Google Currents— an employee engagement tool
- Google Jamboard— a digital whiteboard tool
- And more— check out all of Google’s collaboration apps here
Top Hybrid Collaboration Tools
For teams with members on flexible schedules— with some employees working remotely while others work onsite— you need collaboration tools that fit into your hybrid lifestyle. Check out these top hybrid collaboration tools to keep your team connected and collaborating, no matter where they are working from on any given day.
The Whiteboard Owl
True hybrid technology can be used on any device, which is why the Whiteboard Owl prioritizes supporting teams independent of location and workspace setup (it’s our whole mission at Owl Labs). This digital whiteboard app + accompanying whiteboard enhancing camera are intuitive and flexible enough to meet your hybrid team’s ever-changing needs, thanks to features such as auto-enhance, a view of the whiteboard along with a panoramic view of in-room participants, and auto-capturing of whiteboard content.
Ways to Use Cloud-Based Whiteboard Apps
- Education and training
- Concepting
- New hire onboarding
- Creative design
ProofHub
Source: ProofHub
The Swiss Army Knife of hybrid collaboration software, ProofHub is an online project planning software that offers a wide range of customizable features. ProofHub offers tools from Gantt charts to calendars, Kanban boards to custom workflows. Topped off with a user-friendly mobile app and the ability to assign individual tasks, ProofHub is the ideal collaboration tool for any hybrid team.
Notion
Source: Notion
Notion is a versatile project management, team collaboration and internal website tool. With the ability to host internal wikis and use the project management side, your hybrid team can ramp up organization and documentation. Notion gives you the ability to take a single dataset like your editorial calendar and view it by owner, project, deadline or on a calendar. A great option for teams with various work styles and functions, Notion is user-friendly and simple to set up.
The Meeting Owl
We’re partial to this tool for collaboration— it was specifically designed for hybrid teams. The Meeting Owl is a unique video conferencing camera that serves teams with some members who are in-person and others are tuning in remotely. With a smart 360-degree camera that auto-focuses on the speaker, the Meeting Owl is designed to take the tech burden off employees and enable smoother hybrid meetings.
Conclusion
Collaboration is a key part of the development and implementation of any project. Collaboration tools allow teams to work together and provide a level of efficiency and accuracy that was previously difficult and almost impossible.