Let’s break down the term Collaborative Documentation Tools. “Collaborative”, as in there is not just one person creating the documentation. Think of it as if you had a partner or two that you could bounce ideas off of and who would help you edit/read and provide constructive criticism and encouragement to make sure your documentation is complete and correct. Also, the term “Tools” makes this topic immediately more tangible and easier to understand – we can think of tools as things we use to complete many different tasks.
Collaborative Documentation tools are a group of products developed by Microsoft to help business customers organize and share structured information used for project management. Project, Visio, and Excel are the primary collaboration tools that specifically cater for this purpose.
Google Docs
With over 800 million active worldwide users, Google Docs is the most well-known of all the document collaboration software on this list.
However, many don’t realize that, in addition to adding comments and making edits to a finished draft, real-time online collaboration is possible with Docs.
Up to 200 people can simultaneously view a Doc, and 10 users can make simultaneous real-time edits.
All edits are automatically updated in the same master doc and saved in the cloud, so there is no need to create a new document for every draft. This version control feature prevents teams from making edits to outdated drafts.
Documents are shared via email or through a URL, and team leaders can select which specific employees can directly edit, suggest edits, or have view-only access.
The “Live Edits” feature shows real-time, color-coded updates that multiple people have made to a file. Users can track changes to see previous file versions without the new changes, approve or deny edits. They can also make comments in the sidebar, tag each other in these comments, or communicate via chat messaging.
Docs also allows users to save files in multiple formats, including PDF, plain text, web page, and rich text. It’s a wise choice for teams with a focus on user-friendly software, or for smaller companies that need a free editing tool.
Pricing and Plans
Google Docs can be purchased as a part of the G Suite product package or on its own. The below table compares the prices and plans of the free Google Docs Personal plan and the paid Google Docs Business Plan.
| Features | Personal Plan | Businesses Plan |
| Cost | Free | $10/user per month |
| iOS and Android Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ |
| Autosave | ✓ | ✓ |
| Real-Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Work Offline | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voice typing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Revision History | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comments and In-Line Edits | ✓ | ✓ |
| Includes Google Meet | X | ✓ |
| Cloud Storage | 15 GB per user | 100 GB per user |
Zoho WorkDrive
Zoho WorkDrive’s Writer is a real-time online document creation and editing platform ideal for businesses that have numerous files requiring frequent collaboration across devices.
It’s “blank page” interface is designed to eliminate distractions when writing or editing. For reviewers who must perform especially detailed edits, the tool’s “Focus Mode” highlights only one line of text at a time.
Zoho also comes with a virtual writing assistant, Zia, that scans documents for grammar errors and readability.
It integrates with Microsoft Word and WordPress and comes with a template library for drafting documents like HR policies and event invitations. Zoho WorkDrive includes a “Content Mask” feature that allows admins to hide sensitive information or specific parts of a document from selected reviewers. Its “Content Lock” lets the document’s creator select which parts of the text they don’t want to be changed.
Additional Zoho WorkDrive features include:
- Quick chat messaging tool
- Live cursors
- Offline editing
- Access receipts on collaborators
- Comments and user tagging
- Track changes
- Document merging
- Digital signatures
Pricing and Plans
Zoho WorkDrive offers three paid plans that can be paid monthly or annually. Additional storage is available for purchase.
| Features | Starter | Team | Business |
| Cost | $2.00/user per month | $4.00/user per month | $8.00/user per month |
| File Upload Limit | 1 GB | 5 GB | 50 GB |
| Storage | 1 TB/team | 3 TB/team | 5 TB/team |
| Team Folders/Subfolders | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| External File Sharing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS and Android Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content Search Bar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Real-Time Collaboration and Commenting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| File Activity Timeline | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| File Access Statistics | X | X | ✓ |
| Team Activity Timeline | X | X | ✓ |
| File Locking | X | X | ✓ |
Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper is similar to Box’s collaboration system in that, in the past, Dropbox was solely a tool to store and share files.
Dropbox Paper is a completely free document editing tool that lets simultaneous users make real-time edits and suggestions. As with Zoho WorkDrive, Dropbox Paper’s interface is uncluttered and free of distractions like menus and toolbars, which are only available when specific text is highlighted.
In addition to making live line edits, users can use the comment and tagging features to make suggestions in the sidebar. They can also mark comments as unread, and edit and delete past comments. Comment history is also available.
While primarily a file editing tool, Dropbox Paper also offers project timelines. This allows admins to manage deadlines, use task management features, and set project milestones to ensure responsibilities are clear.
It’s a good choice for businesses that require specific document outlines, have a high number of people collaborating on files, and those that rely heavily on images and URLs when creating content.
Additional Dropbox features include:
- Real-time comment notifications
- Searchbar
- Pre-made template library
- Keyboard shortcuts for document formatting
- Emoji comment reactions
- Drag-and-drop image insertion
- Automatic image gallery creation
- Link embedding
- Ability to connect multiple documents
Paper is 100% free to use.
Notion
Notion is a real-time collaboration app designed to replace a variety of popular workflow management tools like Trello, Confluence, and Asana.
It has the most customizable interface of any tool on this list, allowing users to create their own sidebar file organization system, add action items, and create tags and labels for files.
In addition to standard features like live co-authoring and editing, Notion provides version history, unlimited team member access to documents, and multiple view options.
It’s ideal for companies who need to consolidate the number of collaboration software programs they’re currently using, but still, need project collaboration features.
Additional Notion features include:
- Distraction-free interface
- Mobile and desktop versions
- Keyboard shortcuts
- User tagging
- Commenting feature
- Due dates
- Notifications
- Drag-and-drop content organization
- Kanban board and to-do list formats
- Template library
Pricing and Plans
Notion offers one free plan and three paid plans, billed monthly or annually. The most important file collaboration tools come with the Team or Enterprise plans.
| Features | Personal Plan | Personal Pro | Team Plan | Enterprise Plan |
| Cost | Free | $4.00/user per month | $8.00/user per month | Unlisted |
| Android and iOS Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Guest Access | 5 maximum | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Version History | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Commenting and Real-Time Editing | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Permissions | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wiki | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple Views | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| App Integration | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
Collaboration Tool: Bit.ai – Smartest Interactive Documents
The first and one of the most feature-rich tools on this list is Bit.ai. Bit is a new age cloud-based document collaboration tool that helps teams create, manage, and track documents.
Bit helps you make sure your documents are more than just plain boring text. Thus, apart from allowing multiple users to collaborate on documents, Bit also allows users to share any sort of rich media like YouTube videos, SoundCloud Playlists, Google Docs, One Drive Excel Spreadsheets, GIFs, Tweets, Pinterest boards, etc. Basically, anything on the internet with a link can be shared and Bit will automatically turn it into visual content.
Just copy-paste the URL of your content. Bit automatically generates a live preview of your digital content within your document. Imagine how rich and interactive your smart documents can become!
In addition to adding rich embeds and content, you can also add file attachments inside of your documents. It allows your reader to reference additional documents they need to sign, download, store, or access. Bit allows hundreds of various file types to be added to your documents. No more hunting through email attachments to find the right document. You can even choose to preview your file attachments and have them display inside of your documents! You can preview PDFs, Excel, Word docs, Mov. files, etc.
Bit has a very minimal design aesthetic to it, but it’s feature-rich and helps teams rethink the way they work and communicate.
It even includes an ability for users to track engagement levels on the documents they share. Users are able to see who has accessed their document, how frequently, how much time they spent on it, how often they have returned to it, along with other great engagement metrics.
Here’s a visual tour of Bit documents so you can see the amazing interactivity & collaboration:
Here are some additional features Bit provides:
- Create professional-looking docs quickly with Bit’s pre-made and professional-looking templates.
- Content library that allows you to save images, files, and digital content you need to reuse and add often to your documents.
- Smart search allows anyone to search across workspaces, documents, and the content inside of documents quickly.
- Smart workspaces are created around projects, teams, departments, and clients to keep your documents organized.
- The ability to @mention and comment on a shared document allows team members to collaborate and work together effectively.
- Shared documents come with the option to include a lead capture form.
- All settings of a trackable document can be edited at any time and update in real-time with your audience.
- Includes personalized branding on your documents, along with your own custom subdomain so your shared document URLs include your company name.
One of the most impressive parts of Bit is that it’s collaborative and can work with any size team. Teammates can collaborate on documents and easily move Bit docs through normal workflows in your company easily and fluidly.
For example, if a marketer comes up with an idea after doing competitor analysis, they can loop in with his/her manager, bring in a sales manager to the document and make a decision on how to communicate those competitor differences better. They can collaborate and once approved can move the Bit document to the design team, finalize the copy and get the final copy ready for approval from management, legal, and the executive team.
Bit is creating the future of documents for you and your team so you don’t have to rely on multiple tools. It’s the smartest way to create, manage, and track your document all from one place.
ClickUp
ClickUp is the world’s leading project management tool and is used by highly productive teams worldwide.
From team document collaboration to remote project management, this project management software can handle anything and everything!
The best part?
This team collaboration software is free!
ClickUp key features
Here’s why ClickUp is the best document collaboration software available in the market:
1. Docs
ClickUp’s Docs is a built-in document collaboration solution for your team.
Use it to create and store important company and project-related documents that your team can easily edit and access.
Here’s a closer look at what you get with ClickUp Docs:
- Real-Time Editing to edit a document alongside other team members to maximize collaboration
- Collaboration Detection to see when a team member views, comments, or edits a document
- Real-Time Syncing ensures that recent changes are reflected on every team members’ device
- Nesting allows you to organize pages within a document for added categorization
- Rich Text Formatting to give you all the functionality you need to create detailed, beautiful documents
- Keep your Docs public or private with the Permissions Feature. Send links for file sharing and you can customize what the recipient can do with the file
- Import Feature for importing documents from external sources to Clickup Docs. For example, you can import work from Evernote, Google Docs, and even from a Microsoft Word Document
- The ability to get your Docs indexed by Google to appear in search results
Talk about the perfect tool for knowledge management!
Conclusion
Collaborative documentation tools provide a user-friendly method for communicating service information. They help Service Reps easily capture, share, distribute and track their service activity. Tools allow customers to access service information right from their desktop devices; providing them with better visibility into work orders and service requests, as well as shortening the time it takes to resolve incidents.