5 Document Collaboration Tools to Boost Productivity

Take a gander at Collato's favorite services to create, manage, and share documents across internal and external organizations (Google Docs and MS Word are NOT included!).

Remember the good o'days when we used to print and send physical documents to each other? Phew, thank gelato that's a thing of the past.

But many people complain that document collaboration is still a broken process. You’ve probably have had similar experiences... difficulties trying to find the latest version of a document (or finding it at all), not knowing who did what and when, and confusion around your role specifically. But today’s blog solves all these problems and more!

We're jumping straight into our blog topic 'document collaboration.' Find out the benefits of using a document collaboration service as well as our five favorite tools to try out yourself.

Let's do this 💪

What is a Document Collaboration Software?

Document collaboration is more than sharing files, it’s about creating a document with other people with data and information from other sources and platforms. But this process can get pretty tricky when you don’t have a convenient way to incorporate all these different elements. That’s why a document collaboration service, a platform that helps you create, manage, and share information can be a real lifesaver.

Document collaboration softwares all take different forms, but they all have one goal in common: to help multiple people or teams work together on a single document or series of files to achieve a single final version. Incorporating software like this into your workflow can benefit your team in many ways!

What are the Advantages of a Document Collaboration Tool?

Document collaboration tools have become more common in the workplace and for good reasons. Firstly, they make it easy to keep track of projects. Edits and feedback are done straight on the document so that everything is in one place. Second, team members can be anywhere and still have access to the document. This means that teams can be scattered across the globe and still work in a productive and organized way, which is especially beneficial given that many people are now working remotely. And lastly, document collaboration tools help get things done quickly. You can cancel your meetings to go over documents because reviewers can annotate it themselves 👏

When finding a document collaboration tool to use, make sure that it comes with these essential features:

  • Autosave so you’ll never lose your work
  • Version control to see who did what and when
  • Edit tracking so you can always look back on an old version
  • Multiple file formats to upload or download your documents the way you need it
  • Comments so you can give solid feedback

If you have these five basic features, you should be set to start collaborating on your next document. There are some software platforms that have even more tools to help you work efficiently with your team. Let’s have a look at a few options, shall we?

The Best Document Collaboration Tools Ever

There are many document collaboration tools out there, and some very popular ones as well. You probably already have experience in Google Docs and Microsoft Word, but times are changing and modern workplaces need more forms of collaboration to really be productive. We’ve compiled a list of document collaboration software services that will help your team make the switch.

Collato

We can't talk about document collaboration tools without mentioning Collato! We help teams create, manage, track, and share documents in a simple and modern way. Here’s why Collato is our favorite option:

📄 Document production

Create documents that are text or content-based straight on the platform. Or upload any pre-existing documents related to your project.

  • Integrate your document with other documents, presentations, or other visual-based materials (images, videos, voice messages, links etc.).
  • Format your text however you like with various text sizes and pops of color.
  • See what your teammates are working on with real-time editing and a timeline of activities.
  • Get notified when a coworker comments on your document or assigns you a task.
  • Organize your documents by nesting them into categories or within different organizations.
  • Easily share your documents with a click of a button or with a generated link. You can edit the permissions to make sure everyone has the correct access to the content.

💬 Comments galore

We are proud of our commenting features that make document collaboration straightforward and seamless.

  • Highlight text to write a note on a certain piece of written content.
  • Comment on a video with a marker on a certain scene.
  • Record a video comment to put a face to the feedback. You can say exactly what you’re thinking.
  • Convert comments into subtasks for specific members. Your comment will never be lost!

🗄️ Store and come back later

  • Organize your documents so things are easy to find
  • Search content using tags to see the documents you need straight away
  • Integrate other files, documents, and content with a simple drag+drop


Start collaborating with Collato now by creating your account here. It's free forever!

Confluence

Atlassian's Confluence advertises itself as a "remote-friendly team workspace," great for collaborating on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and images. What's especially cool about Confluence is that you can share announcements with your team, regardless of department, to get feedback or brainstorm some new ideas. This also strengthens company culture, a unique way to unite everyone in your workplace!

Confluence Pros:

  • Free version
  • Connects teams, calendars, and workflows
  • Syncs with your Atlassian account
  • Documents stored in one accessible location for easy access
  • Templates

Bit.ai

If you haven't heard of Bit.ai, it's definitely worth a look. Bit.ai is a document collaboration platform that connects individuals, small teams, or entire organizations. You can create beautiful documents with their 'smart editor' or include media integrations, like social media platforms, videos, cloud files, and presentations.

Bit.ai Pros:

  • Gorgeous interface
  • Templates
  • Simple collaboration features
  • A variety of color themes and design for easy recognition
  • Cloud files for smart documents
  • Document tracking

ClickUp

ClickUp is a project management tool that has some pretty rad document collaboration features. It comes equipped with Docs and a Notepad that can be used to create and store important documents that your whole team can edit and access. What is especially special about ClickUp is the Mind Map tool, where you can visualize task structures by organizing them into logical paths. Changing the nodes, content, and colors is super easy, and lets you customize a Mind Map that works best for you, your team, and your project.

ClickUp Pros:

  • Free version
  • Integrated platforms
  • Supports Apple, Windows, iOS, Android
  • Easy to use
  • Many views and board options
  • Various ways to create and present document contents

Dropbox Paper

You’ve probably heard of Dropbox, it’s a well known document collaboration tool that works through file sharing. You can create to-do lists, project timelines, and media-rich documents to keep your team organized. What is especially helpful about this tool is that you can zoom in and out of timelines to see your project trajectory from a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly view. This makes it convenient to see when documents need to be created and sent off to the appropriate people.

Dropbox Paper Pros:

  • To-do lists with due dates
  • A variety of timeline views
  • Compatible with other Dropbox accounts
  • Team mentions and assignments
  • Templates
  • Content collaboration options

We hope this blog gives you some inspiration to start incorporating a document collaboration tool into your workflow. All these platforms have great features to help make your work experience a good one.

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