7 Best Document Collaboration Tools of 2024 (FREE and PAID)

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Written By Haisam Abdel Malak
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Choosing between different online document collaboration tools available in the market doesn’t have to be a hard task. In this digital era, organizations need to improve collaboration between employees to enhance productivity and operation efficiency. In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 7 best document collaboration tools, along with my top 4 choices, so that you can pick the best one.

The 7 best document collaboration tools are Zoho WorkDrive, Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, Dropbox Paper, Atlassian Confluence, Bit.ai, and ClickUp.



Accounts

Free Trial

Projects

SSL

Storage

Domains

Sub-domains

Zoho WorkDrive

$2

monthly

1 user

Free 30-day trial

Best for individuals and businesses

3 different plans

Any device



Google Docs

$6

monthly

1 user

FREE version available

Best for individuals and businesses

5 different plans

Web Browser



Microsoft Office 365

$69.99

monthly

1 user

Free 30-day trial

Best for any size business

9 different plans

Any device



Dropbox Paper

$9.99

monthly

1 user

Free 30-day trial

FREE version available

6 different plans

Web Browser



WordPress Pricing Table Plugin

Contact me, if you want your product to be reviewed


Document collaboration tools are used for a variety of purposes, including sharing documents and working on them together in real-time, commenting on documents, and tracking changes to documents.

Secure document collaboration software is used to improve the quality of work. They allow for better communication and collaboration among team members, which in turn helps in improving the quality of work.

The best way to collaborate on a document depends on what you are trying to achieve, but generally speaking, simultaneous collaboration yields better results than sequential because it allows for faster feedback loops and quicker responses from team members, which leads to better outcomes

There are many online document collaboration tools available to users today. These tools allow users to work on the same document at the same time and see each other’s changes in real-time. This can be a great way to collaborate on projects, as it allows for a more efficient workflow.

Let’s get started reviewing the best document collaboration tools available.

Comparison of Document Collaboration Tools

Best ForFree TrialPriceDeployment
Zoho WorkDriveIndividuals and teams30-day trial$2 / user / monthCloud
Google DocsIndividuals and small teamsFREE$0 FREE
$6 license
Cloud
Microsoft Office 365Individuals and teams30-day trial$69.99Cloud
Dropbox PaperFreelancersFREE$0 FREE
$9.99 $5.50 / user / month
Cloud
Atlassian ConfluenceIndividuals and teamsFREE$0 FREE
$5.50 / user / month
Cloud
Bit.aiIndividuals and teamsFREE$0 FREE
$8 / user / month
Cloud
ClickUp Individuals and teamsFREE$0 FREE
$5 / user / month
Cloud
This table compares the 7 best document collaboration tools in terms of usage, free trial, price, and deployment model

What Are the Best Document Collaboration Tools?

There are many different secure document collaboration tools available, each with its own specific purpose. Some document collaboration tools are designed for real-time collaboration while others are designed for more asynchronous collaboration.

The 7 top document collaboration tools are:

Each of these platforms has its own unique features and benefits, so it’s important to choose the one that best fits your needs.

1- Zoho WorkDrive

Zoho WorkDrive is an online file storage and content collaboration platform that helps hybrid teams, small businesses, and large enterprises work together efficiently.

Whether the task is in-house or outsourced, anyone can collaborate on files with WorkDrive. Securely share documents within your organization and beyond, and control access, track edits, and analyze shared content stats. WorkDrive offers both mobile and desktop apps and enables users to securely access their data from any location.   

WorkDrive makes the right information available to the right people at the right time. The data classification features, like Labels and Data Templates, and enterprise-wide search functions help you locate any document instantly.

Zoho WorkDrive meets industry-specific compliance standards, such as SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. It is both GDPR and HIPAA compliant. With a defense-in-depth approach, WorkDrive provides security at the physical, logical, and data levels.

From file creation and sharing to editing, classification, and retention, WorkDrive helps you effectively manage your teams and their data.

You don’t have to worry about upgrading or downgrading every time your team adds or removes members. WorkDrive’s storage and pricing scales with your business. 

Best for individuals and teams of any size.

Key Features:

  • Team folders
  • Smart search
  • Data template
  • Real time document collaboration software
  • Device sync
  • Integration with Google Drive

Pricing:

Zoho WorkDrive comes with 3 different plans

  • Starter: $2 / user/month billed annually (3 users minimum)
  • Team: $4 / user/month billed annually (3 users minimum)
  • Business: $8 / user/month billed annually (3 users minimum)

zoho-document-collaboration-tool
Zoho pricing plans

2- Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, web-based platform that offers a variety of features for collaborating on documents and follows the latest document management trends. One of its most useful features is the ability to see who else is editing the document in real-time and to chat with them directly from within the document.


It is a word processing program that allows users to create and edit documents online. It is part of the Google Drive suite of productivity tools. Google Docs allows users to collaborate on documents in real-time and offers a variety of features, including the ability to add images, videos, and charts.

All you need to get started is a Google Gmail account, and you’ll be able to create documents, share them with others, and collaborate in real-time.

There are some predefined templates to choose from to help you create documents like a resume, letter, project proposal, brochure, and so on.

Google’s free plan includes 15GB of cloud storage. If you require additional storage, you can always switch to a premium account.

Best for individuals and small teams

Key Features:

  • FREE version up to 15 GB cloud storage
  • Online document collaboration
  • Ease of sharing information
  • Activity tracker
  • Offline editing

Pricing:

Google Docs comes with 5 different plans

  • Free: up to 15 GB of storage
  • Business Starter: $6 user/month
  • Business Standard: $12 user/month
  • Business Plus: $18 user/month
  • Enterprise: you need to contact them

Google-document-collaboration-tool
Google Pricing Plans

3- Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft Office 365 is a powerful and real time document collaboration software for both business and personal use. It is a cloud-based suite that includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.

Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription-based service that includes a variety of productivity tools, including real time document collaboration. One of its key features is the ability to track changes made to a document, which can be very helpful when multiple people are working on it.


It brings together the best tools for the way people work today. By combining best-in-class apps like Word and Outlook with powerful cloud services like OneDrive and Microsoft Teams, Office 365 lets anyone create and share anywhere on any device.

People who are already familiar with Microsoft Word know the power this document collaboration tool brings.

It comes with a 30-day free trial, however, you have to enter your credit card information on registration.

Best for individuals, large, medium, and small businesses.

Key Features:

  • Online document sharing and collaboration in real time
  • Connect from anywhere
  • Highly secure
  • Different templates to choose from
  • Works on desktops, mobiles, and tablets

Pricing:

Microsoft Office 365 comes with different plans to suit your budget

  • Personal: $69.99/year (save 16% when you pay yearly)
  • Family: $99.99/year (save 16% when you pay yearly)
  • Business Basic: $6.00 user/month
  • Apps for business: $8.25 user/month
  • Business Standard: $12.50 user/month
  • Business Premium: $22.00 user/month
  • Microsoft 365 E3: $36.00 user/month
  • Microsoft 365 E5: $57.00 user/month
  • Microsoft 365 F3: $8.00 user/month

Microsoft-Document-Collaboration-Tool
Microsoft office 365 pricing

4- Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper is a new tool from Dropbox that allows users to create and collaborate on documents in real-time. Paper is designed to be a simple, yet powerful way to manage your documents and get work done with others.

You can create and edit documents, share them with others, and see changes as they happen. Paper also includes features like commenting, @mentions, and file attachments that make collaboration easy.

Dropbox Paper is a free secure document collaboration software that offers a simple, minimalist interface for collaborating on documents.

Paper is an app that was designed to help us work together on projects. The app allows us to create and edit documents, presentations, and spreadsheets in real-time. It also integrates with our other Dropbox apps so we can access all of our files from one place.

The app has been designed to feel like a natural extension of the desktop experience so you can use it as easily as you would your favorite word processing or spreadsheet program.

Key Features:

  • Ability to comment and mention colleagues
  • Ease to share
  • Easy to use
  • Different templates to choose from

Pricing:

It comes with different plans to suit your needs

  • Free
  • Personal Plus: $9.99 / user / month
  • Personal Family: $16.99 / month (up to 6 users)
  • Business Professional: $16.58 / user / month
  • Business Standard: $12.50 / user / month
  • Business Advanced: $20 / user / month

dropbox-document-collaboration-tool
Dropbox Plans

5- Atlassian Confluence

Atlassian Confluence is a powerful real time document collaboration software that helps teams work together more effectively. It provides a central place for team members to share ideas, collaborates on projects, and stay up to date on the latest news and developments.

Confluence also makes it easy to find and reuse information, which helps teams work more efficiently and avoid duplication of effort.

Confluence allows you to share PDFs, Office documents, pictures, and other files. Automatic versioning, immediate previews, full-text search, and pinned comments make managing your files a breeze.

They offer a Free plan for Confluence for up to 10 users, 2GB of storage, and community support.

Key Features:

  • Versioning
  • Advanced security features
  • Device sync
  • File change notifications
  • Simultaneous editing
  • Different templates

Pricing:

  • Free
  • Standard: $5.50 / user / month
  • Premium: $10.50 / user / month
  • Enterprise: You need to contact them

confluence-document-collaboration-tool
Confluence pricing plans

6- Bit.ai


Bit.ai is a document management and online document collaboration platform that helps teams manage their work and stay organized. The platform enables users to create, edit, and share documents, as well as track changes and comments.

Bit.ai also offers a variety of features to help teams work together, such as real-time collaboration, version control, and document sharing.

The pre-made templates are an excellent starting point for getting started on any project quickly. It assists teams in centralizing and organizing their work, collaborating in real-time across processes, intelligently managing digital content, and tracking engagement across shared content.

They offer a free plan for up to 5 members and a free trial for their paid service

Key Features:

  • Online document sharing and collaboration
  • File Sharing
  • Archiving & Retention
  • Document Templates

Pricing:

Bit.ai comes with 3 different plans

  • FREE: up to 5 members
  • Pro plan: $8 / user / month
  • Business plan: $15 / user / month

bit-collaboration-tool
Bit.ai pricing plan

7- Clickup


Clickup is an online project management software that enables users to collaborate on projects and tasks. It includes features such as task management, team collaboration, file sharing, and real-time updates. It is available in both free and paid versions.

They provide a platform to complete all of your work in one place: Tasks, Docs, Chat, Goals, & more.

This real time document collaboration tool is designed to help entrepreneurs manage every aspect of their business from sales, marketing, and customer service to project management, accounting, and more.

With ClickUp you can easily create projects to organize your work and assign tasks to team members. You can also create templates for recurring tasks like invoices and contracts so you can save time on repetitive tasks. The best part is that everything you do in ClickUp is backed up automatically so if anything happens to your computer your information will be safe.

ClickUp has millions of users and more than 100,000 teams at firms such as Google, Airbnb, Uber, Nike, and Ubisoft.

Best for personal use and small to large teams

Key Features:

  • Document management
  • Team collaboration
  • Email integration
  • Integrations with Slack, Trello, and Google Drive.

Pricing:

It comes with 5 different plans

  • FREE: 100 MB storage
  • Unlimited: $5 / user / month
  • Business: $12 / user / month
  • Business Plus: $19 / user / month
  • Enterprise: you need to contact them

click up collaboration tool
ClickUp pricing plan

Why Collaboration Tools Are Important?

Real time document collaboration tools are used by people to share and edit documents with others online. They allow people to work on a single document simultaneously by accessing it from different computers or devices at the same time.

There are many reasons why document collaboration tools are important in today’s world: they help us save time and money, they make us more efficient, and they provide a way for us to work together on projects no matter where we are located around the globe, and so much more!

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