Best Collaboration Software Tools 2023: Top 22 Team Apps & Platforms
Looking for a way to make teamwork feel like a walk in the park? Look no further! We’ve gathered a list of the best collaboration software platforms of 2023 that will make teamwork easier than ever before.
The collaboration software scene is bursting with tools that can help you manage projects, communicate with your squad, and share files like a pro.
From Slack, the chat app that's shaking up the corporate world, to Miro, the visual collaboration tool for the creatively inclined, these apps are ready to take your teamwork to the next level!
So get ready and let's dive into the best collaboration software of 2023.
Online collaboration tools for business comparison chart (top 10 highest rated team working software apps)
Before we dive into a more detailed collaboration software comparison, let’s quickly see an overview of the 10 best real time collaboration tools, along with their pricing plans and what they’re best for. Please note the table below only features 10 of the best apps, and the complete list contains 22 team collaboration software examples.
Product | Best for | Pricing | Website |
Asana | Best overall | Free plan; $10.99/user/month | |
Slack | Best free option | Free plan; $7.25/user/month | |
Teamwork | General project management | Free plan; $5.99/user/month | |
Trello | Kanban-style collaboration | Free plan; $5/user/month | |
Dropbox | File-sharing | Free plan; $9.99/month | |
Monday.com | Project managers | Free plan; $8/seat/month | |
Evernote | Best collaborative planner | Free plan; $8/month | |
Jira | Agile teams | Free plan; $790/year for 10 users | |
Wrike | Marketers and agencies | Free plan; $9.80 user/month | |
Zoom | Best video conferencing tool | Free plan; $149.90/year/user |
In the next section of this collaboration tools comparison post, we'll dive deeper into the 22 team work software and discuss its best features, pros and cons, and pricing plans.
What is the best collaboration software? Here’s our top 22 list of business collaboration solutions:
Collaboration software is an essential tool for any business looking to improve team productivity and communication. But what is collaboration software, exactly? In short, collaboration software refers to any technology that enables teams to work together on a project or task, regardless of their physical location.
Whether you're looking for a simple tool to streamline your team's communication or an advanced platform to help with project management, our list has got you covered with different types of collaboration software. In this section, we'll explore each of these online collaborative platforms, so you can find the best collaboration software for your business.
1. Asana (best collaboration software overall)
Asana is a cloud-based enterprise collaboration platform and one of the best project management software for teams of any size and industry. It can be used for managing events, collecting feedback, launching campaigns, and more. The standout feature of Asana is its user-friendly Kanban board, which allows users to visualize project progress, add comments and files, assign tasks and due dates, and more.
Asana also offers List, Timeline, and Calendar views and a holistic view of all projects with Portfolios (for Business plan subscribers). The app allows for the automation of routine tasks and custom workflows and integrates with over 200 third-party apps.
Pros:
Generous free plan
Ease of use
Good selection of features
Intuitive Kanban boards
It integrates with 200+ tools
Multiple project views
Team collaboration features
Great choice for businesses across different industries
Cons:
Too many email notifications
Limited mobile apps
Task can’t be assigned to multiple users
Pricing:
Free plan for up to 15 users
Premium, $10.99/user/month, billed annually
Business, $24.99/user/month, billed annually
Contact Asana for Enterprise plan prices
Visit Asana
2. Slack (free team collaboration software)
Slack has landed on our list as one of the best free team collaboration apps for instant messaging. This platform has revolutionized the remote work world since its launch in 2013 and has been constantly voted as one of the best team chat apps. Its popularity is not just due to its trendiness, but also its powerful and practical features, with new ones being added regularly.
Slack channels provide a dedicated communication space, allowing you to create a channel for specific teams or topics. You can create anything from #travel and #teamevents to #pets and #todaysoffice channels. The possibilities are endless. Important information can be pinned in the channel's information menu for easy access, and messages can be responded to in a thread, reacted to with emojis, and tagged for urgency.
Pros:
Access to previous conversations
Highly customizable
Easy file sharing
Good integration options
Generous free plan
Great tool for remote team collaboration
Cons:
Expensive monthly plans
Issues with call quality
Pricing:
Free, $0/month
Pro, $7.25/user/month billed annually
Business+, $12.50/user/month billed annually
Enterprise Grid, contact sales
Visit Slack
3. Teamwork (collaboration software tool for general project management)
Teamwork has landed on our list as one of the best collaborative software tools for general project management. The platform is a comprehensive project management tool that offers top-notch team collaboration, resource management, and client relationship management features. The platform allows you to organize task lists by creating tasks and sub-tasks and even assign multiple team members to a single task.
Teams and subteams can be created based on departments or projects/clients. There's a time-tracking feature and an integrated real-time chat tool for effective communication. Additionally, you can also find a billing feature for generating invoices. You'll be able to view your projects on a Kanban board, Gantt charts, and Table view. The software integrates natively with Teamwork CRM, Spaces, Chat, and Desk for ticket management.
Pros:
Great ease of use and low learning curve
Generous free plan
Simple and intuitive design
Great customization options
Billing and invoicing included
Cons:
Too many email notifications
Pricing:
Free Forever plan
Starter, $5.99/user/month, billed annually
Deliver, $9.99/user/month, billed annually
Grow, $17.99/user/month, billed annually
Scale, contact the Teamwork sales team
Visit Teamwork
4. Trello (group collaboration app for Kanban-style collaboration)
Trello is a user-friendly and straightforward project management option and one of the best team collaboration apps for smaller teams. The software is favored by solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, and small businesses due to its simplicity, which stands out compared to more feature-packed tools like Wrike and Monday.com.
Trello's interface operates within boards, allowing for easy drag-and-drop movement of cards from one list to another. If your tasks are linear and straightforward, this can be great group collaborative software for you.
Another perk of this collaborative group software is that it lets you extend its functionality with the help of a feature called Power-ups. With Power-ups, you can add extra features to your board, like file management, analytics, time-tracking, etc.
Pros:
Great free plan
Intuitive Kanban boards
Ideal for beginners
Suitable for small projects
Automation is available with the free plan
Extended functionality options
Good mobile apps
Team collaboration and communication tools
Cons:
Not suitable for large-scale projects
Limited reporting
No built-in tool for task dependency management
Pricing:
Free plan
Standard, $5/user/month, billed annually
Premium, $10/user/month, billed annually
Enterprise, $17.50/user/month, billed annually
Visit Trello
5. Dropbox (top file-sharing and collaboration app)
Dropbox is a widely known file-sharing and collaboration app that boasts features like auto-photo upload, simple sharing options, and Microsoft Office compatibility. Your team can centralize your work and collaborate effectively by sharing various types of content like meeting agendas, project outlines, images, videos, and code.
You'll be able to access all of your important files, like PDFs, Google Docs, and JPEGs, as well as connected tools like Slack and Zoom, all in one place. There's a free plan that gives you 2GB of storage. For $10 per month, the storage limit jumps to 2TB.
Pros:
Free plan
Integrations with thousands of applications
Fast upload speeds
Good selection of file-sharing features
Advanced selective sync options
Powerful mobile apps
Cons:
Expensive
Poor privacy
Pricing:
Free plan with 2GB storage
Plus, $9.99/month
Family, $16.99/month
Professional, $16.58/month
Standard, $15/user/month
Advanced, $24/user/month
Enterprise, contact sales for pricing
Visit Dropbox
6. Monday.com (one of the best collaboration tools for project managers)
The tool is also well-suited for remote teams as it comes with a good selection of collaboration features like file storage, activity log, whiteboard collaboration, Zoom integration, time tracking, Kanban boards and Gantt charts, and more. Additionally, Monday.com integrates with over 50 third-party tools, including Slack, Dropbox, and Zoom.
Pros:
Generous free plan
Multiple project views
Native time tracking
Wide range of integration options
Custom automations
Easy to use
Works well as a CRM solution
Cons:
The best features are locked behind the higher-priced tiers
Pricing:
Free plan
Basic, $8/seat/month, billed annually
Standard, $10/seat/month, billed annually
Pro, $16/seat/month, billed annually
Enterprise plan, custom pricing
Visit Monday
7. Evernote: best collaborative planner
Evernote is a comprehensive note-taking application that enables you to save, arrange, and access all your notes, thoughts, to-do lists, and information effortlessly. It’s accessible across multiple devices, including the web, Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. You can take notes in different formats like text, images, audio, and video and include labels, links, and attachments to make them more searchable and accessible.
You can choose between Individual and Team plans, depending on your needs. If you opt for the Team plan, each member of your team will be able to manage their own notes, assigned tasks, and schedule in one centralized place. Members can also come together for projects and meetings thanks to features that support intuitive collaboration. You'll be able to edit notes simultaneously with your team so you can move ideas, plans, and projects forward faster.
Pros:
Good selection of features
Available for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS
Generous free plan
Plans for individual and team use
Low learning curve
Integration with apps like Slack, Outlook, MS Teams, Zapier, and Gmail
Cons:
Expensive paid plans
Not the most lightweight app
Pricing:
Evernote Free
Evernote Personal, $8/month
Evernote Professional, $10/month
Evernote Teams, $14/user/month
Visit Evernote
8. Jira (online collaboration platform for agile teams)
Jira is an online collaborative software and project management system specifically designed for software development teams. It offers features like issue tracking, bug tracking, and sprint planning. Jira supports Agile methodologies with its Kanban boards, Scrum boards, and the ability to mix both. With the roadmaps feature, teams can plan and work together. The Atlassian Marketplace offers over 3,000 integrations and plugins. Jira also has a free plan for small teams of up to 10 people.
Pros:
Free plan for up to 10 users
Great for software development teams
User-friendly interface
Fully customizable
Numerous integrations
Supports up to 20,000 users
Good selection of agile tools
Bug tracking and issue management
Cons:
Might be pricey for smaller businesses
Designed for technical users
Pricing:
Free plan for up to 10 users
Standard, $790/year for 10 users, billed annually
Premium, $$1,525/year for 10 users, billed annually
Enterprise, starts at $134,500/year for 801-1,000 users
Visit Jira
9. Wrike (good collaboration tool for marketers and agencies)
Wrike is a feature-rich project management and task management application that can be a top-notch option for agencies, marketing teams, and service providers. The software caters to medium to large businesses that prioritize teamwork and manage multiple projects and clients.
Wrike can be tailored to meet specific needs with custom workflows, fields, and reports. It comes with a generous set of built-in and add-on features for work and task management, team collaboration, and resource management. Wrike also comes with advanced reporting and a built-in time-tracking feature. There’s a generous free plan and three monthly plans.
Pros:
User-friendly dashboard
Different project views
Suitable for all kinds of teams
Enterprise-level project management tools
Plenty of add-on features
Good selection of team collaboration tools
Cons:
Pricey monthly plans
Not a good option for beginners
Pricing:
Free plan
Professional, starting at $9.80 user/month
Business, starting at $24.80 user/month
Enterprise plan, custom pricing
Visit Wrike
10. Zoom (great video conferencing tool)
Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with others via video or audio, or both. With Zoom, you can enjoy seamless video conferencing on a variety of devices, including iOS/iPadOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and even Linux.
Zoom sets itself apart from others with its exceptional call quality, even for large meetings with up to 1,000 participants. The platform offers a range of useful features, including the ability for multiple attendees to share their screens simultaneously, hand raising, and putting participants on hold.
Additionally, you can easily share documents, audio and video files, and screenshots during meetings.
Pros:
Recording features
Intuitive design
Supports large audiences
Fully scalable
Cons:
Poor customer support
Pricing:
Basic, $0/user
Pro, $149.90/year/user
Business, $199.90/year/user
Enterprise, contact sales
Visit Zoom
11. Copper (top collaborative CRM)
Copper is a collaborative CRM designed specifically for Google Workspace and integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. It’s suitable for solo entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, medium-sized businesses, and enterprises. There’s a separate plan for software companies, creative agencies, consulting firms, and real estate firms.
The software offers a good deal of features, including workflow automation, contact management, pipeline management, app integrations, analytics tools, and more. Overall, Copper is an ideal choice for teams that rely on Google Workspace tools and desire a user-friendly and intuitive solution.
Pros:
CRM software built for Google
Looks and feels like a Google product
Designed for simplicity
Robust set of lead management features
Quick onboarding
Customized reporting
Cons:
Lack of flexibility outside Google Workspace
Pricing:
Basic, $23/user/month, billed annually
Professional, $49/user/month, billed annually
Business, $99/user/month, billed annually
Visit Copper
12. ClickUp (best collaboration software for small business)
ClickUp is project management software perfect for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses looking for a single platform for their project management and collaboration needs. This small business collaboration software boasts a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use design.
ClickUp's free plan comes packed with great features such as collaborative docs, whiteboards real-time chat, Kanban boards, sprint management, native time tracking, in-app video recording, 24/7 support, and more. The paid plans open the door to features like Goals and Portfolios, agile reporting, advanced time tracking, workload management, and more. There’s also an in-app chat that supports seamless communication with team members.
Pros:
Clean and elegant UI
Packed with features
Good selection of team collaboration tools (Whiteboard, Chat, Email, and Proofing)
Flexible and customizable
Generous free plan
Powerful reporting capabilities
Cons:
It can feel bloated with too many features
Requires onboarding
Pricing:
Free plan
Unlimited, $5/person/month, billed annually
Business, $12/user/month, billed annually
Business, $19/user/month
Enterprise plan
Visit ClickUp
13. Miro (online collaboration service for whiteboard collaboration)
Miro is a collaborative whiteboard software, established in 2011, that provides an unlimited canvas for users. With a wide variety of widgets, including arrows, shapes, post-it notes, freehand drawing, and smart drawing, it's an ideal tool for remote teams to collaborate and brainstorm.
The platform is the best way to collaborate online, considering it enables real-time collaboration in digital workspaces and also supports asynchronous communication with notes. Screen sharing, video conferencing, and PDF exports of Miro frames for presentations are additional features. There's a free version that offers three interactive whiteboards, and premium team versions are available for $8 or $16 per user per month, billed annually.
Pros:
Great tool for remote teams
Suitable for brainstorming sessions
Generous free plan
Real-time collaboration
Infinite canvas
Screen sharing and video conferencing tools
Easy to use
Plenty of integration options with other apps and services
Cons:
Little offline functionality
Pricing:
Free, $0/user
Starter, $8/member/month, billed annually
Business, $16/member/month, billed annually
Enterprise, contact sales
Visit Miro
14. Google Meet (team collaboration app for online meetings)
Google Meet is software for team collaboration and a video conferencing platform offered by Google as part of the Google Workspace suite of productivity tools. It enables users to participate in virtual meetings with high-quality video and audio, screen sharing, and the ability to join from any device.
The software offers features such as virtual backgrounds, noise cancellation, and real-time captions to enhance the meeting experience. Google Meet is suitable for both personal and professional use and integrates with other Google Workspace tools, such as Google Calendar and Gmail. It offers a free version as well as plans for businesses with additional features.
Pros:
Affordable pricing plans
Great for businesses that already use Google Workspace tools
Powerful mobile apps
Generous free plan
Includes document collaboration
Works entirely within your browser
Cons:
Joining meetings limitations
Pricing:
Free plan, $0/user
Business Starter, $6/user/month
Business Standard, $12/user/month
Business Plus, $18/user/month
Enterprise, contact sales for pricing
Visit Google Meet
15. Google Docs (one of the best collaborative platforms for collaborating on docs)
Google Docs is a free, web-based word processing, spreadsheet and presentation platform for collaboration offered by Google. It allows users to create, edit and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online in real-time with multiple users.
Google Docs integrates with other Google Workspace tools and supports a wide range of file formats, making it a versatile and convenient tool for personal and professional use. It also includes features such as commenting, version history, and suggestions, which make it easy to work on projects with others.
Pros:
Generous free plan
15GB of free cloud storage
Simple, elegant interface
Advanced collaboration and revision-history features
Cons:
Not as powerful as Microsoft Word
No desktop apps
Pricing:
Free plan, $0/user
Business Starter, $6/user/month
Business Standard, $12/user/month
Business Plus, $18/user/month
Enterprise, contact sales for pricing
Visit Google Docs
16. Excel (one of the best collaboration tools for businesses that need to organize data)
Excel is a spreadsheet tool for organizing data and performing financial analysis for both small and large companies. Excel has various uses, including data management, accounting, financial analysis, task management, and customer relationship management. Excel’s main features are functions, formulas, data analysis, charting, data filtering, and document templates.
If your needs are more basic and you're a small team of a few people, the software can be used as a project management system for mapping out the project scope, handling your finances, and managing your day-to-day tasks. With the co-authoring feature, you and your team can work on the file simultaneously and see changes that happen in the workbook in a matter of seconds.
Pros:
Good data visualization tools
450+ functions for manipulating and displaying data
Co-authoring feature
Cons:
No free plan
Fewer collaboration options than other collaborative software tools like Google Sheets
Pricing:
Excel for Windows and Mac, one-time fee of $159
Microsoft 365, starting at $6.99/month for up to 6 people
Visit Excel
17. Microsoft Teams (great app for collaborating at work)
Microsoft Teams is an all-in-one collaboration platform that unifies messaging, video conferencing, calling, and file storage. Its standout feature is the group chat, which comes loaded with advanced capabilities like message editing, deletion, pinning, new thread creation, and file sharing.
Teams also boast the popular threading feature, enabling quick and easy responses via simple reply clicks. If texting becomes overwhelming, Teams allows for seamless audio or video calls with just one click, and even lets you record your meetings and share your screen.
Pros:
Great for large teams
Generous free plan that supports group calling
Suitable for teams that are already using Microsoft products
Messaging, conferencing, and file sharing all at one place
Good selection of integrations
Good quality and reliability
Screen sharing, whiteboard, hand raising, and virtual backgrounds options
Cons:
Complicated navigation
Requires good RAM and processor speed
Pricing:
Free plan, $0/month
Microsoft 365 Personal, $6.99/month
Microsoft 365 Family, $9.99/month
Microsoft Teams Essentials, $4.00/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Basic, $6.00/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Standard, $12.50/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Premium, 22.00 user/month
Visit Microsoft Teams
18. Smartsheet (good spreadsheet-based collaboration software)
Smartsheet is a spreadsheet application that doubles as a powerful project management tool. Ideal for users familiar with Microsoft Excel or Google Drive/Sheets, Smartsheet offers most of the same capabilities as a standard spreadsheet. As a project management tool, Smartsheet includes features such as project views, workflow automation, and team collaboration.
The software allows you to view projects and tasks in Grid, Board, Gantt chart, and Calendar views, and easily set up tasks and dependencies. Smartsheet streamlines workflows through conditional logic and even integrates with Brandfolder, the digital asset manager, for enhanced document proofing.
Pros:
Good selection of team collaboration tools
Powerful analytics and reporting
Robust automation tools
Extended functionality
Fully customizable and flexible
350+ project templates
Cons:
Steep learning curve
No free plan
Pricing:
Pro, $7/user/month, billed annually
Business, $25/user/month, billed annually
Enterprise plan, contact customer service
Visit Smartsheet
19. Notion (business collaboration tool for sharing knowledge)
Notion has landed on our list as one of the best business collaboration tools. This app is a versatile all-in-one workspace suitable for a variety of needs, from task management and project management to CRM and database management.
The beauty of Notion is that it can fulfill multiple needs of a business, such as documentation, knowledge base, project management, task tracking, roadmap planning, and more.
Notion is also great for personal use for managing things like school, personal projects, and journaling. The platform's best feature is its blocks, which can be anything from a to-do item, an image, a document, a blog post, or a lead. These blocks are put into pages, such as a project, planner, or wiki database, and can be easily shared with team members for collaboration.
Pros:
Clean user interface
Easy learning curve
Generous free plan
Flexible and versatile
Great note-taking capabilities
Good selection of collaboration tools
Cons:
Lacks advanced project management features
Has a learning curve
Pricing:
Free, $0/month
Plus, $8/user/month, billed annually
Business, $15/user/month, billed annually
Enterprise, contact sales
Visit Notion
20. Airtable (best tool for database-driven collaboration)
Airtable stands apart from other tools as a unique hybrid of database and spreadsheet capabilities combined with project management and collaboration features. This combination creates a powerful yet intuitive system that can be used as a CRM, project management tool, and collaboration platform.
Airtable offers flexible project visualization with multiple views, including grid, Gantt, timeline, gallery, calendar, and Kanban board. Other features include shared team calendars, team dashboards, file sharing, extensions, automations, and more.
In essence, Airtable brings together the best of both worlds, with the simplicity of a spreadsheet and the power of a database.
Pros:
Great tool for managing structured data
Supports the creation of extensive databases
Works great as a project management tool
Generous free plan
Good selection of team collaboration tools
Lots of project templates to choose from
Cons:
Not very intuitive
Pricing:
Free, $0/month
Plus, $10/seat /month, billed annually
Pro, $20/seat /month, billed annually
Enterprise, contact sales
Visit Airtable
21. Figma (team collaboration website for designers)
Figma is a cloud-based interface design platform that has quickly become one of the best collaboration tools for designers. With this collaboration software tool, multiple team members can work on the same design simultaneously in real-time, making it easier for them to share their work and receive feedback.
The platform also offers robust version control, allowing designers to see and revert to previous iterations of a design easily. Figma's design components and team libraries make it easy to maintain consistency and ensure that everyone is working with the most up-to-date assets.
These features, combined with Figma's user-friendly interface and robust feature set, make it an essential tool for any design team looking to improve collaboration and productivity.
Pros:
Easy interface and user experience
Good selection of collaboration tools
Web-based and accessible
Free plan available
Cons:
Limited free plan
Pricing:
Starter, $0/month
Figma Professional, $12/editor/month, billed annually
Figma Organization, $45/editor/month, billed annually
Enterprise, $75/editor/month, annual billing only
Visit Figma
22. Slickplan (top tool for website collaboration)
Slickplan is a website planning and organization tool that offers a user-friendly way for designers and developers to plan, design, and build websites. It's one of the best website planning tools due to its intuitive interface, which makes it easy to create and manage a sitemap, flowcharts, and wireframes.
This website collaboration tool also allows you to easily create and manage content, including pages and categories, making it a great tool for both content strategists and website designers. Slickplan is a great option for remote teams as it also offers robust collaboration features like the ability to share and receive feedback on your website plan.
Pros:
Free plan available
Good selection of collaboration features
Great option for digital creative agencies
Cons:
Limited free plan
UI not intuitive
Pricing:
Free plan, $0/month
Basic, $10.79/month, billed annually
Pro, $31.49/month, billed annually
Team, $62.99/month, billed annually
Agency, $103.49/month, billed annually
Visit Slickplan
Which team collaborative software tool is best for me? Final points
Finding the best collaboration software tool for your business can be a challenging task, but it's important to take the time to find the right one.
In this comparison post, we’ve voted Asana as one of the best online collaboration tools overall, but this doesn't mean it would be the best app for everyone. Every business is different, and the best collaboration tool for you will depend on your budget, needs, and preferences.
Whether you're looking for a video conferencing tool like Google Meet or a Kanban-based project management tool like Trello, there are many team collaboration tools available.
It's important to consider your unique business requirements and evaluate the features, pricing, and user reviews of each tool before making a final decision. Sometimes, running a business requires using several platforms for collaboration. For example, you can go with Asana for project management and Zoom for online meetings.
In the end, the best collaboration software tool for you is the one that helps you effectively communicate and collaborate with your team. By choosing the right tool, you can boost your productivity, increase efficiency, and ultimately achieve your business goals.
