The 25 Best Online Collaboration Tools of 2020: Work Better Online
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.
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. 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.
Chat Tools
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
Pros:
- Plenty of third-party apps
- Great free plan
- Feature-rich
Cons:
- Paid plans are more expensive than the competition
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.
Pricing:
- 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
Pros:
- Easy to manage
- Well-organized chat
- Third-party app integration
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Unlimited — $5/month per user
3. Chanty — Messaging App for Productivity
Pros:
- Innovative interface
- Built-in project management
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Business — $4/month per user
4. Flock — Cheaper Slack Alternative
Pros:
- Third-party app integration
- Plenty of features
Cons:
- Extra features aren’t 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Pro — $6/month per user
- Enterprise — $10/month per user
5. Rocket.Chat — Open-Source Messaging App
Pros:
- Highly customizable
- Open-source
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- 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
Pros:
- Superb call quality
- Easy to use
- Rich in features
Cons:
- Not the cheapest option
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.
Pricing:
- 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
Pros:
- Deep integration with Google’s G Suite
- You can add features via extensions
- Affordable
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Google Workspace Essentials — $8/month per user
- Google Workspace Enterprise — Contact Google for pricing
8. Microsoft Teams — Powerful Yet Affordable Video Calling App
Pros:
- Advanced features, such as background replacement
- Comes bundled with other Microsoft apps
- Excellent value for its low cost
Cons:
- Must create an account to make a call
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. Meet is also available for free, but it requires signing in.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- 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. GoToMeeting — High-Quantity Video Conferencing at a Price
Pros:
- Up to 3,000 call participants
- High-quality video
Cons:
- Expensive
- Need an account to make a call
GoToMeeting 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Professional — $12.50/month per user
- Enterprise — Contact GoToMeeting for pricing
10. Whereby — One-Click Video Conferencing
Pros:
- Easy to use
- No login required
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- 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 team collaboration tools for project organization.
11. Monday.com — Project Management Made Simple
Pros:
- Uncomplicated
- Reasonably priced
- Different project views
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Basic — $8/month per user
- Standard — $10/month per user
- Pro — $16/month per user
- Enterprise — Contact Monday.com for pricing
12. Asana — Cheerful Task Management Tool
Pros:
- Motivates your team
- Task subdivision
- Straightforward interface
Cons:
- Complicated customer support system
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.
Pricing:
- Basic — $0/month per user
- Premium — $13.49/month per user
- Business — $30.49/month per user
- Enterprise — Contact Asana for pricing
13. Trello — Kanban Board for Simple Team Projects
Pros:
- Convenient for simple tasks
- Easy to learn
Cons:
- Lacks features
- Not enough 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. It’s good as a free tool, but its paid plans don’t offer enough features for the price.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Business Class — $12.50/month per user
- Enterprise — $17.50/month per user
14. Wrike — Collaboration Platform Packed With Features
Pros:
- In-depth project management
- Plenty of features for your money
Cons:
- Can be complicated to use
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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Professional — $9.80/month per user
- Business — $24.80/month per user
- Enterprise — Contact Wrike for pricing
15. TeamGantt — Timelines for Team Collaboration
Pros:
- Intuitive interface
- Time tracking features
Cons:
- Not many 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Standard Team — $24.95/month for one user (plus $9.95 per extra user)
- Advanced Team — $29.95/month for one user (plus $14.95 per extra user)
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
Pros:
- Advanced sharing options
- Light on the wallet
Cons:
- Some sharing options are a paid feature
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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Standard — $5/month per user (billed annually)
- Plus — $8/month per user (billed annually)
- Advanced — $15/month per user (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Contact Sync.com for pricing
17. Egnyte Connect — File Storage With Productivity App Integrations
Pros:
- Integrates with both G Suite & Office 365
- Good bang for your buck
Cons:
- Only the most expensive plan offers private encryption
Egnyte Connect is an enterprise cloud storage service that integrates with both G Suite and Office 365. That’s a rarity offered by only a handful of storage clouds, such as Box. Although Egnyte is very secure, it’s not a zero-knowledge service, like the more expensive Tresorit. Its various plans are well-priced, considering the online collaboration options Egnyte provides.
Pricing:
- Team — $10/month per user (billed annually)
- Business — $20/month per user (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Contact Egnyte for pricing
18. Google Docs — Powerful Document Editing for Teams
Pros:
- Permissions-based sharing
- Top-of-the-line document editing
- Completely free
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- G Suite Basic — $6/month per user
- G Suite Business — $12/month per user
- G Suite Enterprise — Contact Google for pricing
19. Microsoft Office 365 — Tried and Tested Document Editing
Pros:
- One of the best document editors
- Microsoft 365 integration
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- 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)
- Microsoft 365 Apps — $8.25/month per user (billed annually)
20. Dropbox Business — Cloud Storage for Collaboration
Pros:
- G Suite & Office 365 integration
- Great sharing options
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Standard — $15/month per user
- Advanced — $25/month per user (billed annually)
- Enterprise — Contact Dropbox for pricing
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
Pros:
- Built-in team communication tools
- Public & private repositories
- Excellent free plan
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Team — $4/month per user
- Enterprise — $21/month per user
- GitHub One — Contact GitHub for pricing
22. Invision — UX Design Prototyping for Teams
Pros:
- Easy sharing & feedback options
- Interactive prototypes
- Intuitive interface
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- Free plan — $0/month per user
- Pro — $9.95/month per user
- Enterprise — Contact Invision for pricing
23. Time Doctor — Easy-to-Use Time Management Software
Pros:
- Powerful time tracking
- Third-party integrations
Cons:
- Some features are too 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.
Pricing:
- 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
Pros:
- Mind maps & mood boards
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- 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
Pros:
- Simple & intuitive bug reporting
- Leave feedback in the browser
Cons:
- 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.
Pricing:
- 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.
FAQ
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.
After a brief stint in architecture and a tango with teaching, Aleksandar is now dancing to the beat of his own drum as a tech writer, merging his passions for technology and literature. When he’s not hidden behind his computer screen, you can find him photographing the streets of Skopje or cooking quesadillas for his friends at home.