List of Collaboration Tools

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This is a comprehensive list of Collaboration tools that you can use as a quick reference to finding exactly what you need. There is a particular collaboration tool for each distinct collaboration need that exists.

Check out the full list of collaboration tools to find the one that is right for your business. From improving communication to streamlining business processes, you’ll find the tools you need in this collection.

Collaboration Tools Features & Capabilities

Communication

Some collaboration tools have communication capabilities at their core. Examples of online communication tools that specialize in this are include:

Other collaboration features are available but may have a limited scope. Communication features across collaboration tools include:

  • Options for integrated messaging. Live chat, comments within a file and private/group messages are all common
  • Privacy and access settings
  • Conference calling
  • Video chats with screen sharing
  • Project-based conversations

File Sharing & Management

Other online collaboration tools focus on document storage, sharing, and management. Examples of these products include:

They also offer significant opportunities for collaboration. Collaboration features central to file sharing include:

  • Security
  • Support for different file types
  • Comments and notes attached to files
  • Track changes and versioning
  • Editing permissions and access control
  • Shared folders

Adoption

Adoption is key to success with collaboration software. It is only effective if everyone on the team is on board with the software.

It is important to choose a collaboration tool that is easy to use. The tool should also fit your team’s culture and goals. There are dozens of collaboration products on the market — and it’s ever-growing!

To help you find a good fit, consider these questions:

  • What types of projects will you collaborate on?
  • What are the steps of a typical project?
  • How does your team handle communication and workflow?
  • Where do you store project files?
  • How many people will be collaborating? How many departments?
  • Will project managers or team members be collaborating? Both?
  • What other platforms and apps does your team use? How does the tool handle integration?
  • How formal or informal will collaboration be? Will all discussions be related to work on specific projects, or will some be social?
  • Will all conversations be archived?

Best online collaboration tools

Slack

A collaboration tool which needs no introduction

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Excellent interface+Impressive free version

REASONS TO AVOID

-Some might want more depth in security

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 organise 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).

Trello

An app for organising all your projects

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REASONS TO BUY

+Clean, easy-to-use interface+Free version

REASONS TO AVOID

-Not many comms features

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 organised 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

Ryver

An easy-to-use collaboration platform

TODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Easy-to-use interface+Comprehensive platform

REASONS TO AVOID

-Rivals have more features

Ryver is similar to Slack, aiming to give your organisation 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 categorise 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.

Types of Collaborative Working

Team Collaboration

This is one of the most common types of business collaboration in the workplace. In this version, all the members of the group know each other. Each person knows what their role on the team involves and how it impacts other team members. There are set deadlines to get tasks done within a set time to reach the team’s goals.

With this type of collaboration, there is often a team leader who is in charge of supervising the other team members. The team members collaborate on an equal basis to complete their tasks. Once the tasks are completed as set out at the beginning of the project, the entire team generally receives equal recognition for reaching the stated goal.

 Network Collaboration

Network collaboration differs from the types of business collaboration listed above. It starts with individual people taking action in their own self-interest. They start contributing to the network to make themselves and their area of expertise known to other members. Probably everyone in the network doesn’t know each other. They rely on referrals to find out who they should be collaborating with among network members.

Social media tools are an example of network collaboration where the network members collaborate virtually without necessarily knowing each other personally. Members may post links to websites they find helpful using a social bookmarking tool. This information may be helpful to network members who are looking for information on the same topic. As that team works on the topic, they can post links to helpful websites for other network members who may need them later.

 Video Collaboration

Video collaboration is one of the most common types of online collaboration tools being used today. Cloud-based services like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace have virtual conference rooms where meetings are held. Guests are given invitations to join the meeting using their desktop or laptop computers. They can also join the meeting using a mobile device. Most cloud-based services offer guests the option of joining the call through their web browser; there is no requirement to download software.

Participants in a video collaboration can be located in the same office, across the street, in a different region, or halfway around the globe. Team members can talk in real-time, view the same computer screen as a colleague, and ask questions by phone, chat, or through a specialized headset.

 External Collaboration

When you think about types of collaboration spaces, don’t forget about external collaboration. This term covers knowledge sharing that occurs outside the company. An example of external collaboration is the interaction between a brand and its presence on social media. The brand is collaborating with social media users when it asks for opinions and feedback using quizzes or discussions. The answers are analyzed and ultimately used to decide whether the brand is interacting well with its audience or if it needs to tweak its message.

A blog is a way for your company to have a “face.” Customers may find it easier to ask questions and make comments in that space than to contact the company head office directly. These questions and comments are powerful. Make note of what people are saying and apply the messages when you can. Customers are sharing what they think, what they want, and how your company can keep their business.

Conclusion

The first set of collaboration tools was chosen because each had some number of reviews and an average rating of 4 stars or higher on the Amazon website. Another reason for choosing these products is that they’re similar in nature, meaning it’s easier to compare their reviews and determine trends and form a solid hypothesis.

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