As we move further into the remote work renaissance, harnessing the power of online collaboration tools will be critical. With them, you can achieve faster project timelines, fewer bottlenecks, and much easier workflows.
In this blog, we’re going to compare and contrast some online collaboration tools for you so you can choose the one that’ll make your remote or hybrid work team more efficient.
Best Free Online Collaboration Tools
Punchlist: Best for Gathering Feedback and Making Real-Time Revisions
Punchlist is an online collaboration tool that streamlines and consolidates feedback from clients and colleagues so you can easily make revisions and finish projects faster. Plus, team members can easily collaborate in real time, making it much simpler to bring stakeholder visions to life.
With Punchlist, there is no download necessary. You can send shareable links to stakeholders and add them to guest accounts so they can review work in no time.
What it has:
Know exactly where to make revisions to your projects
Compatible with live websites, Figma canvases, PDFs, image files, PowerPoints, etc.
Automatically captures screenshots, resolution, and browser info with each comment
Maintain distinct conversations within the same project to ensure clarity and privacy
Includes inline commenting and annotations so you can see what collaborators are saying in real-time
Easy sharing through links or email, with controls over who can view or participate in the project
Punchlist is ideal for project managers needing one platform to collect, review, and manage project feedback.
Google Docs vs Dropbox Paper: Which Is Best for Editing Documents and Sharing in Real-Time?
Google Docs
Google Docs is a cloud-based document creation and editing software that allows users to write, edit, and collaborate on documents simultaneously. It is part of Google Workspace, which includes tools like Sheets and Slides.
What it has:
Real-time editing and collaboration
Tons of templates
Automatic saving
Comprehensive revision history
Third-party integrations like Grammarly and LucidChart
Offline editing capabilities
Smart Compose
What’s good about it:
Free for personal use
User-friendly interface
Real-time commenting and suggestion features
Integrates well with other Google services
What could be better:
Limited font options
Can’t add third-party fonts
Not as compatible with opening documents in non-Google software
How much it costs:
Free for personal use
Comes with Google Workspace which has business plans starting at $6 per user/month (for the annual plan)
What it’s best for:
Google Docs is very well-suited for businesses that need reliable, accessible, and easy-to-use tools for document collaboration.
Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper is a cloud-based word processor (much like Google Docs) that allows teams to create, manage, and share content instantaneously. It is integrated with Dropbox so you can manage documents alongside stored files. It can also be used as a task-management tool.
What it has:
Real-time collaboration with live document editing
Features for assigning and tracking tasks
File access and sharing through Dropbox
Edit and manage documents on the go with iOS and Android apps
What’s good about it:
User-friendly interface
Supports tons of media types
Free to use
What could be better:
Limited free storage. Purchase required for additional space
Formatting and text editing are limited compared to other platforms
How much it costs:
Dropbox Paper is available for free with additional storage available through traditional Dropbox plans
What it’s best for:
Dropbox Paper could be good for teams that need a flexible and straightforward tool for real-time collaboration. If you’re already using Dropbox for file storage, it can help you manage project tasks and timelines too.
FigJam vs Miro: Which Is Best for Whiteboard Collaboration?
FigJam
FigJam is an online whiteboard tool designed by Figma. It helps with brainstorming, ideation, and visual collaboration. It allows users to sketch out their ideas, which makes it helpful for diagramming, mood boards, design sprints, team meetings, etc.
What it has:
Real-time collaboration with tools like sticky notes, drawing, and shapes
Integrations with Figma, Dropbox Business, Jira, Slack, Asana, and more
Easy-to-implement templates for different activities during meetings
What’s good about it:
A simple, easy-to-use interface
Highly reliable and responsive
Going from ideation to design is easy with Figma integration
What could be better:
No offline capabilities
Competitors like Miro are more feature-rich
How much it costs:
FigJam offers a starting price of $3 per user per month
Compared to competitors, Figjam’s pricing is very cost-effective
What it’s best for:
If your team is already using Figma and you want to supplement your experience with an easy-to-use tool that can help with collaborative tasks, FigJam might be your jam.
Miro
Miro is an online collaboration tool that helps with mapping out workflows, brainstorming, and project planning. In Miro’s own words, it supports distributed teams by offering a rich visual interface where users can dream, design, and build projects together.
What it has:
Real-time collaboration tools
Integrations with apps like Google Drive, Slack, Zoom, Trello, Excel, etc.
Project planning, task management, and content management features
Brainstorming tools with voting, commenting, and notifications
AI-driven mapping and diagramming, clustering and summarization, and content generation
What’s good about it:
Teams can work together seamlessly regardless of location
Intuitive brainstorming, planning, and organization
Link Miro boards to existing workflows and project management tools
You don’t have to be a highly experienced designer to use
Offers a 14-day free trial
What could be better:
The free plan only offers basic features
The free plan and some paid plans have limited storage
Analytic features are reduced for free and some paid plans
Higher learning curve than other whiteboard tools
Fewer export options
Doesn’t support audio and video files
How much it costs:
Free plan available
Paid plans start from $8 per user per month (billed annually)
Enterprise plans for 30+ members
What it’s best for:
If you need a visual collaboration tool with a lot of features for project management, software development, and creative brainstorming, Miro might be for you.
Zoom vs WebEx: Which Is Best for Video Conferencing?
Zoom
Zoom is a widely used video and web conferencing platform for online meetings, file sharing, webinars, and group messaging.
What it has:
High-quality video and audio conferencing
Support for up to 100,000 webinar viewers and 1,000 video participants
Screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, and recording options
Integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, and more
What’s good about it:
Free plan can hold 100 participants with a 40-minute limit
Known for ease of use and reliability
Great video quality and stable connections
What could be better:
Pricing escalates as you require additional features and capacity
How much it costs:
Free tier available
Professional plans start at $12.49 per month billed annually
Costs increase with additional features like larger meeting capacities, Zoom Rooms, and webinar capabilities
What it’s best for:
Zoom is ideal for businesses that need reliable and versatile video conferencing. It's great for organizations that conduct regular webinars or large meetings.
Webex
Webex by Cisco is an online collaboration tool that facilitates virtual meetings and events. It supports anything from daily meetings to large-scale events
What it has:
HD video and audio conferencing
Up to 100,000 webinar attendees
Screen sharing, noise removal, virtual backgrounds, and interactive whiteboard features
Webinars can include real-time translations, polling, and Q&A sessions
Integration with popular CRM tools
What’s good about it:
Extensive feature set
End-to-end encryption and compliance tools
High customization and integration capabilities
What could be better:
Some users may find the interface and numerous features overwhelming
Higher cost compared to some competitors, especially for premium features
Occasional performance issues reported with app integrations and updates
How much it costs:
Webex offers a tiered pricing structure, including a free plan for basic needs
Paid plans start at $14.50 per user per month
For enterprises, detailed pricing requires contacting sales
What it’s best for:
Like Zoom, Webex is a great tool for any business that needs internal and external video conferencing. It’s most beneficial for calls with a large number of participants, such as educational sessions, large meetings, and corporate webinars.
Asana vs monday.com: Which Is Best for Project Management?
Asana
Asana is a robust project and task management platform that helps teams organize, track, and manage their work to meet deadlines and improve team communication.
What it has:
Create projects and tasks, set deadlines, and assign tasks to team members
See your work through lists, calendars, timelines, and Gantt charts
Build and customize your own templates
Automate your workflows and reduce manual task management
Set and track strategic goals for you and your team
Optimize your team’s performance with workload management and time-tracking tools
What’s good about it:
Robust features for task and project management
Plenty of integrations and APIs with other tools like Slack, Google Drive, Salesforce, etc.
What could be better:
It may be too feature-rich for very small teams or simple projects
Could be expensive for smaller teams or startups, outside of the free plan
No true distinctive features that set it apart from other project management tools.
Entry level plan has less automation rules
No 24/7 support (except for highest paid tiers)
How much it costs:
Asana offers several pricing tiers, including a free version for basic needs
The starter plan starts at $10.99 per user per month
The Advances plan starts at $24.99 per user per month
What it’s best for:
If you want a free project management solution for your team, Asana is a good start. It integrates with a bunch of third-party solutions and has the reporting you need to get started. If you need to move up to a paid plan though, there are probably cheaper alternatives out there.
monday.com
monday.com is another project management tool, similar to Asana. It has a wide range of applications, from marketing and content creation to sales and CRM, making it an all-in-one platform businesses can use for almost anything.
What it has:
Configurable dashboard and customizable workflows
More than 200 project templates
50+ integration options
Advanced security measures
What’s good about it:
Ease of use, flexibility, and customization
Collaboration for teams of any size
Great User Experience (UX)
What could be better:
Mobile app isn’t as functional as the desktop
Some views and time tracking are locked behind higher-tier plans
How much it costs:
Free plan
$9 per seat/month for the Basic plan
$12 per seat/month for the Standard plan
$19 per seat/month for the Pro plan
What it’s best for:
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use online collaboration tool that can help with a ton of projects, monday.com may be for you. It can be particularly useful for marketing, IT, and human resources teams.
Microsoft Teams vs Slack: Which Is Best for Team Communication?
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is an online collaboration tool integrated with Microsoft 365, offering capabilities like chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and more.
What it has:
Works with other Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive
Direct peer collaboration, project management, and document sharing
High-quality video and audio conferencing
Data encryption and compliance tools
What’s good about it:
No extra cost for Microsoft 365 users
Recording, transcription, and high participant capacity for meetings
Highly secure, with built-in protections and compliance options
What could be better:
Overlap with Microsoft tools can cause confusion
To get the most out of Teams, you need an Office 365 subscription
How much it costs:
Microsoft Teams offers a free version with basic features
Paid versions start at $4 per month
What’s it best for:
If your organization is already using Microsoft’s suite of features, Microsoft Teams is probably a solid choice. It's particularly effective for larger organizations or educational institutions.
Slack
Slack is an online collaboration tool designed to simplify business communication. It supports in-person and remote workers through chat, video calls, file sharing, and many other features.
What it has:
Messaging, file sharing, and video calls
Over 2,600 third-party integrations
Searchable message archives and custom notifications
Direct messaging and channel-based communication
What’s good about it:
Highly intuitive interface
No user limit on free version
Slack's paid plans offer unlimited message history and workflow automation
What could be better:
Comparatively expensive, especially at higher tiers
Video call quality can be inconsistent
Lacking privacy policy has been a point of contention
How much it costs:
Slack Pro version starts at $7.25 per month
Business+ version is $12.50 per month
Must contact sales for enterprise pricing, but it supports up to 500,000 users
What it’s best for:
If your team likes flexible communication and tons of integrations, Slack is probably the way to go. Teams that like rapid, informal communication with customization options will prefer Slack.
Dropbox vs Zoho WorkDrive: Which Is Best for File Sharing?
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud storage service that provides file sharing, storage, and collaboration solutions. Users can store files online and share them so they’re accessible from any device.
What it has:
File syncing across multiple devices
Advanced sharing with control over permissions
Tons of third-party integrations
File recovery with Dropbox Rewind
What’s good about it:
Clean user interface with easy-to-understand navigation
Very reliable
Integrations with many other online collaboration tools
What could be better:
Free plan offers only 2GB of storage
Competitors have better security and encryption
How much it costs:
Free plan with 2Gb of storage
Plus plan at $9.99 per month with 2TB of storage
Essentials plan at $16.58 per month with 3TB of storage
Business plan at $15 per user per month with 9TB of storage
Business Plus at $24 per user per month with 15TB of storage
What it’s best for:
For teams that want a smooth and fast file-sharing user experience, Dropbox is probably your best bet. It also comes with advanced sharing features and a boatload of third-party integrations to improve productivity.
Zoho WorkDrive
Zoho WorkDrive is a cloud-based file storage platform designed for teams of all sizes. It helps with managing and sharing files in a secure environment, enhancing team productivity and collaboration.
What it has:
Organize and manage files with team folders
Real-time notifications and in-app collaboration tools
TrueSync lets you access files without consuming local storage
Private sharing including password-protected links and expiration dates for shared links
What’s good about it:
Easy-to-use interface
Works great with native Zoho apps
Cost-effective pricing compared to Dropbox
What could be better:
Limitations on file size
Few third-party integrations
How much it costs:
Free individual plan with 5GB of storage
Starter plan at $2.50 per user per month for 1TB
Team plan at $4.50 per user per month for 3TB
Business plan at $9 per user per month for 5TB
What it’s best for:
Zoho WorkDrive is best suited for teams looking for an affordable and effective solution for team collaboration and file management. It is not as well suited for individuals, as Zoho WorkDrive doesn’t offer any individual paid plans, unlike Dropbox.
FAQs About Collaborative Online Tools
What Are Online Collaboration Tools?
Online collaboration tools are software solutions that enhance communication, cooperation, and productivity for team members who work together virtually. With online collaboration tools, you can share information, files, and resources in real time.
How Can Online Collaboration Tools Lead to Productive Teamwork?
Here’s how online collaboration tools can lead to more productive teamwork:
Online collaboration tools keep team members connected so they can share ideas more freely and solve problems faster
Many online collaboration tools offer real-time editing and updates on documents and projects to allow for immediate feedback and edits
Project management features in online collaboration tools set clear goals, deadlines, and responsibilities
They also make it easier to access files and resources without the bottlenecks of traditional file-sharing methods
With cloud-based collaboration tools, team members can access work anywhere, at any time, on any device
What Are Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Collaboration Tools?
