11 Best online collaboration tools for 2025

Effective collaboration is the stepping stone for the success of any business or a project, and online collaboration tools play a vital role in it. Collaboration tools help streamline communication, manage tasks, and enable real-time collaboration from anywhere.

Whether you are managing projects, brainstorming ideas, sharing feedback, or working on documents together, using a centralized collaboration tool can streamline your workflow and make everyone productive.

Choosing the right tool can significantly improve your team’s productivity, organization, and overall project success. We’ve covered a diverse list of collaboration tools to meet different team needs ranging from communication and file sharing to project management, design collaboration, code collaboration, and content planning.

Let’s get started.

11 Best online collaboration tools & software for business in 2025

1. ProofHub

ProofHub is a collaboration and project management tool, designed to simplify teamwork. It centralizes communication, task management, file sharing, discussions, and feedback. It brings together projects, team members, clients, stakeholders, and centralizes communication, eliminating the need for multiple tools.

ProofHub provides all the essential collaboration features in a single platform, including features like real-time chat, @mention comments, discussions, task assignments, file sharing, online proofing, notes, and custom workflows.

Its intuitive interface makes it easy for cross-functional and remote teams to stay on the same page, manage feedback loops efficiently, get work done faster and collaborate easily.

ProofHub key features

• Proofing: Review assets, provide feedback, and approve them in real-time. Use markup tools to annotate files and comment on specific regions.
• Discussions: Keep conversations related to a topic organized for later reference. Share files, updates, or information associated with a particular topic.
• Instant chat: Internal communication with built-in instant chat for one-on-one or group conversations.
• File sharing: Use cloud storage to upload files from your system or other third-party services like Google Drive and Dropbox. Collaborate on files with team members using ProofHub.
• In-task comments: Mention team members working on a task and attach related files.

Pros

• Extensive features, including time tracking and reporting, are free of charge
• Flat pricing model with no per-user fee; add new users anytime without any need to upgrade plans
• Forms for collaborating with clients
• Custom roles with access controls for external stakeholders or contributors

Cons

• Invoicing is available only through integration
• Not suitable for solopreneurs

ProofHub pricing

ProofHub offers a 14-day free trial, two flat pricing plans to choose from

• Essential: $45/month for unlimited users (billed annually)
• Ultimate Control: $89/month for unlimited users and all features (billed annually) 

User ratings

• Capetera: 4.6/5
• G2: 4.6/5

2. Slack

Slack is a powerful team collaboration platform built around channel-based messaging. You can organize conversations into channels, create different channels for specific projects, departments, or topics, making communication focused and searchable.

Slack offers features like direct messaging, group chats, threaded replies, and pinning key messages allowing teams to stay organized and aligned. Slack also supports voice and video calls, huddles for quick discussions, and workflow automation to streamline repetitive tasks.

Slack has a massive integration ecosystem of over 2,000 applications including Google Drive, Zoom, Asana, Trello, GitHub, and more, allowing you to connect different software and apps without leaving Slack.

Slack key features

• Channels: Dedicated spaces for project or topic-related conversations.
• Slack Connect: Communication channels for collaborators or clients outside the organization.
• Messaging: Effective communication with gifs, emojis, and images.
• Huddles: Real-time collaboration through audio and video.
• Workflow Builder: Automated workflows for streamlining processes.

Pros

• Extensive integration with other business applications, including ProofHub
• Easy user adoption due to user-interface similarity with other apps 
• Pinning important messages saves time from scrolling and finding important information. 

Cons

• Can be addictive like social media apps
• Offers limited storage space

Slack pricing

Slack offers a free plan with basic functions and limited storage. For more advanced functionality, users can choose from one of the following plans.

• Slack Pro Plan: $7.25/user/month (billed annually)
• Slack Business+ Plan: $12.50/user/month (billed annually)
• Slack Enterprise grid Plan: Contact sales (billed annually)

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.5/5

3. Chanty

Chanty key features

• Chanty integrations: transform a simple team messenger into a powerful business tool.
• Response prediction: The artificial intelligence powering Chanty team messenger uses machine learning to estimate responses.
• Super fast: desktop and mobile apps with a clean and intuitive interface.
• Threaded conversation: Organize conversations related to a particular context in one place. 
• Multi-format communication: Chanty lets you communicate with your team via audio and video calls that will be available in the public beta.

Pros

• Public and private conversations
• A wide range of collaboration tools to help you collaborate with your team
• Workflow management

Cons

• Free version with limitations
• The app gets slow at times

Chanty pricing

Chanty offers a straightforward pricing model:

• Free Plan: This plan is suitable for teams with up to 5 users and provides access to the basic features of Chanty for free
• Business Plan: $4 per user per month when billed annually

User ratings

• Capetera: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.5/5

4. Mockplus

Mockplus is an all-in-one collaboration platform tailored for UI/UX designers and developers. It combines design, prototyping and collaboration into a single workspace, helping cross-functional teams build and deliver better digital products faster.

Mockplus lets teams create interactive prototypes without code, create sketches, diagrams, wireframes to hi-fi prototypes, and test your design all in one place. You can collaborate in real-time with Mockplus, multiple users can edit, comment, and share feedback on designs simultaneously.

It also supports version control, role-based access and task management, ensuring everyone from stakeholders to contributors stays aligned throughout the development lifecycle. You can import designs and assets by plugins from Adobe XD, Sketch, Figma, and Ps as well.

Mockplus’ key features

• Real-time co-editing: Work together with your team on designs at the same time, instantly seeing each other’s changes.
• Version control: Keep track of different versions of designs and go back to previous ones when necessary.
• Seamless feedback: Leave comments and notes directly on prototypes to communicate effectively.
• Team management: Invite team members, assign roles, and set permissions for better teamwork
• Design handoff: Easily hand over designs to developers with clear specifications and assets

Pros

• Easy to use and low learning curve 
• Huge library of elements (200) and icons(3,000) for many different devices 
• Create interactive prototypes with drag-and-drop functionality 
• Online collaboration streamlines the design process
• You can markup your designs with comments and notes 

Cons

• Lack of support documentation
• No support for gesture-based interaction

Pricing

Apart from the free plan with 10 users limit, Mockplus offers two paid plans to choose from

• Ultimate: 19.92/user/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing 

User rating

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.5/5

5. Box

Box key features

• Box Canvas: Brainstorm and plan visually, like a giant digital whiteboard.
• Box Drive: Access your Box files directly from your computer, like a portable Box folder.
• Box Relay: Automate repetitive tasks with your files, like a robot doing paperwork.
• Box Sign: Sign documents electronically, no need for printing or faxing.
• Box Hubs: Create “favorites” folders for specific teams or projects, like organized sections for everyone.

Pros

• Great for secure storage of files of any size
• Excellent customer service
• Granular permissions

Cons

• Can be slow when sharing large files
• Steep learning curve

Box pricing

For businesses, Box offers four plans to choose from. 

• Business: $5 per user per month, minimum of 3 users
• Business Plus: $15 per user per month, minimum of 3 users
• Enterprise: $25 per user per month, minimum of 3 users
• Enterprise Plus: $35 per user per month, minimum of 3 users

It is important to note that, for individual users or a small team with lower storage and transfer needs, the box offers different plans based on varying storage capacity.

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.2/5

6. Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing platform known for its reliability, ease of use, and clear communication. It supports one-on-one calls, group meetings, webinars, and breakout rooms, making it ideal for team collaboration.

The key features offered by Zoom are screen sharing, whiteboarding, file sharing, polls, and live chat during meetings. It integrates with popular productivity tools like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Calendly, and project management apps, helping teams collaborate and schedule meetings easily.

Zoom key features

• High-definition sound and visual Quality: Ensures clear audio and video during meetings with advanced features like voice detection.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Accessible on various platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and conference room systems.
• Large meeting capacity: Host up to 100 interactive video participants with the ability to engage with an unlimited audience in live virtual events.
• Screen sharing and group collaboration: Enables seamless collaboration through screen sharing and group interactions.

Pros

• Ability to host large audiences
• Stream meetings/webinars on Facebook
• You can hold unlimited 40-minute long meetings for no charge

Cons

• Too many subscriptions and add-ons
• Lack of control over comments

Pricing

Zoom offers a free plan to host a meeting with 100 people for 40 minutes. 

• Pro Plans: $13.33 per month for one host. Features meetings with up to 100 participants with no time limit
• Business Plans: Starts at $18.32 per user, per month. Host meetings with up to 300 participants

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.6/5
• G2: 4.2/5

7. Google Docs

Google Docs key features

• Online document formatting:  Easily create and edit documents online with a range of formatting options including Google Fonts, images, tables, and more.
• Compatibility and export options: Import Word documents and export documents in Word and PDF formats for seamless sharing and compatibility.
• Real-time collaboration: Collaborate and co-edit documents with team members remotely, allowing multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously.
• Offline mode: Set up offline mode to work on documents without an internet connection, ensuring productivity even in low-connectivity environments.

Pros

• Work with others concurrently
• Changes made go live instantly
• The document owner retains control of the file

Cons

• Limited features
• Laggy co-editing 

Google Docs pricing

Google Docs itself is free for individual use. You can create, edit, and share documents, sheets, and slides completely free of charge.

However, for businesses and organizations, Google Docs comes as a part of Google Workspace.

There are three main plans

• Business Starter: $6 per user per month (billed annually)
• Business Standard: $12 per user per month (billed annually)
• Business Plus: $18 per user per month (billed annually)
• Entrerprise: Custom pricing

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.7/5

8. Evernote

Evernote key features:

• Capture and prioritize ideas, projects, and to-do lists
• Plan, keep records, and manage projects from any device–even offline
• Type notes, add attachments, clip web pages, or record memos
• Use notebooks, tags, or our powerful search to find everything you need quickly

Pros

• Multi-device note sync.
• Top-tier organizational system.
• Powerful advanced search.

Cons

• Not for brief tasks or short notes. 
• Limitations of the free plan.

Evernote pricing

Evernote offers a free plan with basic functionality at no cost. For more advanced features, users need to upgrade to one of the following plans

• Personal: $10.83 per user/ month (Billed annually)
• Professional: $14.17 per user/ month (Billed annually)
• Teams: $20.83 per user/ month (Billed annually)

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.4/5

9. MindMeister

MindMeister key features 

• Creative brainstorming: Ideal for solo or team brainstorming sessions to capture, develop, and share ideas visually.
• Project planning: Use mind maps to outline project plans, develop business strategies, and organize events.
• Mobile app: Access, edit, and present mind maps on the go with the Android and iOS mobile app.
• Export options: Export mind maps in PNG, PDF, or Word formats for easy sharing and distribution.

Pros

• Easy to create mind maps
• Easy to republish elsewhere
• Export mind maps in PNG, PDF, or Word formats

Cons

• Difficult to use on phones because of the size of the text
• Can’t create free-flowing maps

MindMeister pricing

Beside its free version, MindMeister offers three paid plans to choose from:

• Personal plan: Starts at $4.50 per user/month when billed every 6 months, or $3.50 per user/month when billed yearly
• Pro plan: Starts at $6.50 per user/month when billed every 6 months, or $5.50 per user/month when billed yearly
• Business plan: Starts at $10.50 per user/month when billed every 6 months, or $8.50 per user/month when billed yearly

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.6/5
• G2: 4.2/5

10. Planable

Planable is a collaboration platform designed for social media teams and content marketers. It helps social media teams work faster and better by allowing them to co-create posts, leave comments, tag teammates and get approvals in real-time. 

Planable offers a unique visual content calendar, where teams can see how posts will look across different platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, etc.) before they go live. With multi-level approval workflows, teams can ensure that content is reviewed by the right people at the right time.

Planable also supports collaborative scheduling, drag-and-drop rescheduling, and post versioning, making it easy to manage content calendars. It’s ideal for marketing teams who need a transparent, and organized way to collaborate on social media content.

Planable key features

• Multiple viewing options: Offers list, feed, grid, and calendar views for flexible content planning.
• Contextual collaboration: Collaboration occurs in context, right next to the posts, via comments and replies.
• Approval workflows: Four types of approval workflows: none, optional, required, and multi-level.
• Social media integrations: Integrates with popular social media channels like TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more.
• Separate workspaces: Provides separate workspaces to organize content and team members efficiently.

Pros

• Set custom dates and use the calendar to upload the posts.
• Create posts and share them on all social media platforms from a single platform.
• Phone app works quite well.

Cons

• Lack of analytics
• Hard to customize when posting bulk content.

Planable pricing

Beside a free version offering single-user workspace, Planable offers three paid plans to choose from:

• Basic Plan: $39/workspace/month annually or $33/workspace/month monthly, unlimited posts, 4 pages/workspace, 2 types of approval, Feed & Calendar views, up to 20 tweets/month
• Pro Plan: $59/workspace/month annually or $49/workspace/month monthly, 10 pages/workspace, 3 types of approval, Grid view, Save as an Ad feature, up to 50 tweets/month
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, contact sales team for details

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• G2: 4.6/5

11. GitHub

GitHub key features

• Role management: Set roles and expectations easily without starting from scratch.
• Built-in review tools: Tools for code review make the process easier and faster.
• Moderation tools: Features like issue and pull request locking help teams stay focused on code.
• Documentation: Create well-maintained docs with high levels of care.

Pros

• The tool supports Markdown for issue tracking, user comments, wikis, etc
• Lets you convert one or several files into a working Git repository
• Great for remote collaboration

Cons

• Element of a security risk since it’s cloud-based
• Pricing plans can be expensive for some users

GitHub pricing

GitHub offers a free plan ideal for individuals and small teams. However, for advanced functionality teams can choose from following two plans:

• Team Plan: Starting at $4 per user/month with monthly billing
• Enterprise Plan: Starting at $21 per user/month

User ratings

• Capterra: 4.8/5
• G2: 4.7/5

What are online collaboration tools?

Online collaboration tools are digital platforms that help teams collaborate by offering features such as messaging, file sharing, task tracking, video conferencing, and more.

These tools enable real-time communication by empowering teams to optimize resources, execute projects, promote transparency, and achieve unparalleled collaboration through document sharing, multiple task views, and provide real-time updates regardless of team members’ geographical locations.

What are the benefits of collaboration tools?

• Cross-functional collaboration – A collaboration platform promotes and facilitates engagement between multiple departments by narrowing the distance between them.
• Improved team productivity – Timely communication, coordination, and greater task transparency result in skyrocketed productivity. Teams are empowered with organized conversations and shared information in one place.
• Enhanced project management – An effective online collaboration tool can positively impact the project lifecycle. A collaboration platform allows you to manage multiple projects simultaneously, monitor project progress and performance, and collaborate on project-related documents.
• Improved employee engagement – Collaboration tools encourage transparency within the teams, promoting teamwork by reducing the communication gap between them (especially remote teams), and enabling them to work together and collaborate effectively.
• Improved work organization – An online collaboration tool streamlines your work process by centralizing communications, files, and tasks. This reduces confusion and helps team members find the information they need quickly.
•  Real-time collaboration – Collaboration platforms allow team members to contribute to documents, spreadsheets, and projects in real-time. Everyone can see changes instantly, which speeds up decision-making.
• Task management and accountability – Most collaboration platforms include task management features to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. This helps team members stay accountable, ensuring tasks are completed on time.
• Increased transparency: By having all tasks, communications, and files in one place, team members have a clear understanding of what is being worked on and by whom. This prevents misunderstandings and keeps everyone informed about the project’s progress.

What features should a collaboration tool have?

There are essential features that any top-rated team collaboration tool should offer, including:

1. Instant messaging: Swift communication ensures the timely exchange of information between users from the same or different departments within the organization. Collaboration software with an inbuilt instant chat feature is great for those who want to exchange quick information (directly or in groups) and send GIFs, documents, files, and images.
2. Centralized discussion: When you get a centralized platform to share every bit of information in a single space, keeping every team member, management, and even stakeholders in the loop isn’t an uphill battle. Also, a desired level of privacy secures crucial information from getting the attention of every eye.
3. Intuitive interface: Any good online collaboration tool should have a neat layout and an intuitive interface so users can effortlessly navigate through it. Choose a platform that your team feels comfortable using.
4. Real-time updates: To complete and deliver projects on time, every team member needs to stay updated on all recent developments within the project. With users receiving real-time notifications on the web app, mobile app, and email, keeping everyone in the loop and taking timely necessary action become convenient.
5. Online proofing: A proofing tool allows teams to review, edit, and approve content efficiently. It streamlines feedback, reduces errors, and ensures that final versions are accurate and consistent, saving time in the approval process.
6. Bird-eye view: An online collaboration tool with Calendar and Gantt View can give you a quick overview of tasks and their stage and progress in no time. Whereas a Calendar view allows you to see tasks, events, and milestones all in one place.
7. Smart task management: Task management in a collaboration tool helps teams prioritize, assign, and track tasks efficiently. It ensures clear accountability, improves organization, and keeps projects on schedule by providing a clear overview of progress and deadlines.
8. File sharing: A collaboration tool with a centralized location allows users to not only store and organize but also share and even collaborate on all their digital files and documents without relying on long email threads.

How to choose the right collaboration tool?

A good collaboration tool is subjective to your requirements. Choosing the right collaboration tool for your team depends on several key factors:

1. Understand your team’s needs: Identify what your team requires most—communication, project management, file sharing, or a combination. This will help you choose the best option for your team.
2. Ease of use: Select a tool that’s intuitive and easy to adopt. A complex tool may discourage your team from using it effectively.
3. Integration with other tools: Ensure the tool integrates with the software your team already uses, such as Google Drive, Slack, or Microsoft Office.
4. Customization options: Look for tools that offer flexibility and customization. This allows your team to make changes according to your specific workflows and processes.
5. Scalability: Choose a tool that can scale with your needs, offering advanced features as your team size or project complexity increases.
6. Budget: Consider the cost and how much you want to spend on a tool. Every tool offers different pricing options with variable features and user limits.

Conclusion 

In this digital age, collaboration is the name of the game. As physical office spaces and virtual workstations battle for supremacy, businesses need to keep their employees aligned on business goals.

A feature-rich online collaboration tool is great for both in-office and remote teams. With the tool, you can keep all your team members, stakeholders, and clients on the same page while encouraging organization, collaboration, and transparency within the organization.

FAQs: