Looking for the best collaboration software out there? Here are some great tips to get started on the right path.

Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace — you've surely heard about them by now and you may even currently use one. These collaboration platforms have a single goal: to improve your team's productivity.

Whether you have a completely remote or hybrid team, this software is useful for communicating with clients, stakeholders, and team members. With data from late 2021 showing that 13 percent of U.S. private sector jobs involved teleworking full time and another 9 percent part-time, these tools are essential for helping employees get more work done.

But what if Slack doesn't truly solve your communication problems? Does it fit your work style or do you need a more all-encompassing solution?

If you have these doubts, chances are you need a new collaboration tool. But how do you choose the right one? Well, you're in luck — this buyer's guide has everything you need to make the best decision for your business.

What is collaboration software?

Collaboration software is a digital platform that enables teams to communicate, share files, and coordinate projects in real time from any location. These tools typically include messaging, video conferencing, document sharing, and project management features.

To emphasize this point, workers from Europe were 17% more satisfied with their workplace culture when they had access to digital collaboration tools.

Collaboration software allows team members to work from any location, successfully improving productivity. Plus, it ensures everyone is on the same page, strengthens team relationships, and increases efficiency.

What are the benefits of using online collaboration tools?

According to Microsoft's research, 85% of employees consider collaboration software essential for digital transformation. Here are the key advantages:

• Enhanced communication: Real-time messaging, video conferencing, and organized channels reduce confusion and improve team coordination.

• Increased flexibility: Scalable solutions that adapt to team size changes and support remote work arrangements, a key driver for telework adoption, as 57% of businesses offering flexible work hours also increased their use of telework.

• Better transparency: Visible project progress and team activity enable early issue identification and accountability.

• Higher productivity: Streamlined workflows and automated tasks free up time for high-value work.

• Cost savings: Reduced need for physical office space, travel, and paper-based processes, a trend supported by data showing that 63% of establishments that reduced the square footage of their workplaces also increased telework.

How we evaluated collaboration software

We evaluated collaboration software based on four critical factors that determine enterprise success:

• Enterprise governance & security: We prioritized tools that offer robust, policy-enforced controls. This includes permission-aware access to information, clear audit trails for compliance, and a commitment to data security.

• Integration & extensibility: A great collaboration tool must work with your existing technology stack. We looked for software with strong native integrations for popular apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and CRMs, as well as a flexible API for custom connections.

• User experience & adoption: The best tool is one your team will actually use. We assessed each platform's ease of use and its ability to deliver information where work already happens, minimizing context switching and disruption.

• AI & future-readiness: We considered how these platforms are incorporating AI. The focus was on tools that provide trustworthy, explainable AI features and can serve as a reliable knowledge source for other AI systems.

10 collaboration tools to consider

It's quite stressful to make the right decision, especially when you have so many options available. It's easy to get lost at sea and forget about your goal but this guide can be your lifeline.

We've done the research for you. And compiled a list of the best online collaboration tools currently on the market.

Asana

Asana is a work management platform that helps teams manage, organize, and track their cross-functional work, no matter their location.

Source: G2

Asana brings more clarity into a team's workflow and enables them to move faster through features like status updates, time tracking, and custom fields. Moreover, Asana has multiple project views, from calendar, Gantt chart, or kanban board. You can also organize your work with sticky notes to make it easier to track your projects.

As people say, "We are able to track the progress of a task, communicate frequently, update stakeholders, and manage our time and tasks efficiently."

Ah, and it integrates with Guru, too.

Slack

Slack is a cloud-based communication platform many organizations use for text messaging, file and media sharing, and voice or video calls.

Slack uses automation to streamline routine tasks and simplify your flow in a single workspace. Moreover, it connects your people with the tools they use daily. Needless to say, Slack integrates with a variety of apps, from Salesforce to Guru.

Source: G2

"It's great for both casual conversations and professional collaboration. The ability to organize discussions into different channels makes it easy to keep track of topics and projects."

With Slack's channels, you can organize your work and create channels for every project, topic, client, or team.

Trello

Trello offers a smart collaboration platform that brings all your tools, teams, and tasks together in one place.

Image Source: G2

"I like its card feature within the dashboard and how easily we can assign tasks to someone. [...] Not only that, it supports all the file formats while uploading."

Overall, Trello is a flexible tool with boards, lists, and cards. These features give you a clear view of who's doing what. And what still needs to be done.

Source: G2

Furthermore, it empowers your team meetings and makes them more productive and fun.

Trello doesn't work alone. It integrates with multiple platforms, including Guru.

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that connects people from all around the world. And makes collaboration easier, more dynamic, and meaningful.

With Zoom, you can drive human innovation and create strong relationships through features like team chat, screen sharing, online whiteboard, video recording, and the appointment scheduler.

Source: Capterra

'Just clicking on a link allows you to join a meeting, and the audio and video quality is excellent. Additionally, it enables seamless communication with a large group of people simultaneously, almost as if you're speaking with them in person."

Moreover, Zoom has powerful virtual meeting security to ensure no incident occurs.

Zoom offers many third-party integrations that you can download; but if you're interested in Guru, check this page out.

Dropbox

Dropbox is the perfect collaboration platform for storing and sharing key files in a secure, reliable, and private fashion.

This tool keeps your company documents in one place. You can organize them however you want using folders. Don't worry — Dropbox keeps all your files secure and even has trackable links that show when someone opens a document.

Source: G2

Dropbox also has e-signature templates. And you can directly edit PDFs and use video tools to optimize your feedback and approval flow.

"Dropbox allows me to save hard drive space and take my documents on the go, so I can access all my files from any computer or phone."

And it integrates with Guru, of course!

Airtable

Airtable, a fast way to build apps, is a collaboration tool that looks like an old-fashioned spreadsheet. But its modern building blocks increase agility and provide transparency in your work.

Airtable automates your workflows and cuts out the clutter, letting your team focus on more productive tasks.

Source: G2

Moreover, it has powerful reporting capabilities that allow you to create dashboards of charts, graphs, and metrics.

"It's super collaborative — assign tasks, leave comments, and see updates in real time. It's our daily go-to task tracker, easy to use, and even connects with Google Sheets for extra power."

But you know what else it connects with? Guru!‍

Monday.com

Monday.com is a cloud-based team collaboration tool with building blocks like dashboards, integrations, and workflow management automation that help you craft the ideal process.

Source: G2

It's a highly flexible, adaptable, and customizable solution, capable of fitting any business need with project, task, and resource management.

"I have used it to manage home DIY projects / renovations and] multi-million dollar technology integrations. It is _[easy to set up and Monday.com has always been there to help…_"

You can also choose from 30+ widgets to display the information you want on Monday's dashboards, so you make more informed decisions.

Monday — unlike the day of the week — is super-friendly. And integrates with many third-party apps, including Guru.

Miro

Miro is a visual workspace for distributed teams to work together, contribute ideas, and provide feedback.

Source: G2

"...Miro is the perfect tool to share ideas and visualize things. It's even better than a whiteboard in a meeting room, you're not limited by space and multiple team members can work on it at the same time."

With Miro, you can track tasks on a dynamic kanban board, integrated with Jira cards. Moreover, it has powerful content and data visualization, letting you see all documentation, designs, and live data in a single space.‍

Miro's powerful integrations with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Atlassian, Slack, and Guru help you connect your entire company.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams, a group chat software tool, enables remote team collaboration in a faster, simpler, and smarter way.

Source: Capterra

This well-known collaboration tool brings people, content, and conversations together to simplify collaboration. Microsoft Teams' main objective is to scale your business so you can focus on projects with greater impact.

"A key benefit of Microsoft Teams is how seamlessly it works with Office 365. [...] Teams offers a space where users can access their files, documents, and apps without needing to jump between different platforms."

Guru also integrates with Microsoft Teams, so you'll get the best of both worlds.

Jira

Last on our list, Jira is a project management tool for agile development teams that focus on building products.

Source: Capterra

Jira enables better visibility into your project's progress so you're always aware of bottlenecks. Plus, Jira makes sure to deliver your project on time by breaking down complex tasks into simple ones that meet your goals.

"Jira has excellent project planning and management. [The] kanban boards are very helpful in team management and tracking the tasks assigned to [the] team."

You can integrate Jira with plenty of popular apps like Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive. But don't forget it also integrates with Guru.

What collaboration features should you look for?

Capterra's research discovered that the most-used project management software features are dashboards and document management. On a funnier note, burndown and Gantt charts are both the most-ignored and most-desired PM features.

In a nutshell, collaboration tools should have the following functionalities:

• Real-time communication: This feature gives you the ability to send and receive messages on a variety of channels, such as voice, video, and group chat. It should do so in real time to avoid miscommunication and delays. When used properly, you foster a sense of connection between team members, which leads to an increase in morale.

• Task management: An intuitive task management workflow lets you create, track, and assign tasks with ease. Moreover, it allows you to set deadlines, priorities, and dependencies, so you can monitor project progress. Look for tools with customizable views and dashboards, but also with notifications and reminders.

• Document sharing: Your collaboration tool should make file sharing as easy as pie. Try to find a tool with flexible document sharing, meaning it should support different file types and sizes. Moreover, you should be able to access, edit, and upload the files in one place, and have robust control permissions.

• Integrations: You don't want a tool that messes up your existing flows. It should be compatible with other tools you currently use and fit well within your business. Guru mixes perfectly with any collaboration tool of your choice and brings all company knowledge to your fingertips.

• Analytics and reporting: The communication tool should be able to measure your team's performance and activities. And create visually appealing reports that yield valuable insights. Through this feature, you can visualize strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to improve your internal communication.

With these features fresh in mind, let's look at the top 10 collaboration tools you should consider.

How to choose the right team collaboration software

Choosing the right collaboration software requires evaluating your specific team needs and following a systematic selection process. Here are six essential steps:

Step #1: Identify specific goals and objectives

Start by assessing your team's communication patterns, project complexity, and workflow requirements. Consider these key questions:

• What communication methods does your team prefer (text, video, voice)?

• Do you need synchronous or asynchronous collaboration?

• How do you currently manage tasks and deadlines?

• What file sharing requirements do you have?

By answering these questions, you can actively search for tools that solve your main challenges and fit your work culture, as needs vary by industry—in sectors like information and finance, over 40% of jobs involved teleworking at least some of the time in 2021. Try to identify what your team actually wants, taking into consideration their working habits, typical project complexity, budget, and time constraints.

Step #2: Assess your budget

Determine your budget before evaluating tools to avoid overspending on unnecessary features. Consider both upfront costs and long-term expenses like user additions and training.

Gather your team and talk about how much you can afford to spend on the collaboration tool. Be aware of additional costs, especially if you add new members in the long run.

Moreover, consider your resources. Do you have time to spare for people to fully learn the tool? Do you have the necessary training materials or will you need to spend time teaching them?

Step #3: Make a list of features and functionalities

Now that you have your needs and budget all figured out, it's time to start making a list of must-have features. For instance, if you're a small team, you might not need a fancy mobile app. A simple to-do list or whiteboard is just what the doctor ordered.

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Here are some mission-critical features of collaboration software:

• Real-time communication tools

• Task and project management tools

• Document sharing and collaboration tools

• Integrations like email, calendars, knowledge management tools, etc.

• Security features

• Application Programming Interface (API)

• Analytics and reporting tools

We can chat more about these features after we go through each step. So, don't switch tabs — you might miss out on precious information.

A great tip is to also focus on making lists of nice-to-have features and the ones you don't need. Talk with your team members (since they're the ones who'll use this tool the most). And figure out together what features would be nice to have alongside the crucial ones.

Step #4: Research collaboration software vendors

Once you have your list of features, you can start researching your available options. Try to find solutions that match your goals, budget, and needs — or, at least, ones that meet most of them.

How can you start this process? By reading reviews, looking at testimonials, asking for recommendations, and checking case studies. Doing so gives you a pretty good overview of the benefits, features, and potential disadvantages of the chosen software.

During your research, try to compare the collaboration tools and see how each one works. Do the comparison yourself or find a buyer's guide that does it for you.

Moreover, consider these factors:

• Pricing

• User-friendly interface

• Ease of use

• Security features

• Compatibility with existing tools

Ideally, try to narrow down your list to three to five options. It'll definitely help you in the next step.

Step #5: Request demos and trials

By now, you'll probably have a few options that have got you pretty excited. If that's the case, then this step will surely make you happy.

Cause it's time to see these tools in action and get hands-on experience with them. Sign up for free trials or try out free plans to see if the collaboration platform is really the one you're looking for.

Don't forget to invite your team members, as their feedback and concerns will prove invaluable and help you make your decision faster. See how well the tool keeps up, how easy it is to learn and use, and how your team likes it.

When the trial period is over, ask your team for feedback. Try to gauge their reaction, answer any concerns, and meet their preferences and expectations.

Then…

Step #6: Make your decision and implement

If you've found the right tool by now, congratulations!

Now, all you need to do is make sure your team uses it to its full potential and adopts it successfully into their daily operations. Moreover, encourage people to leave their thoughts about the tool and provide guidance and training when they encounter issues.

In addition, monitor the tool's performance and how it impacts your team's productivity. If needed, you can make adjustments so it yields the outcomes you truly want.

However, maybe you still can't decide which tool is good for you.

Don't worry, you still have time to choose. Take a deep breath and analyze your team's feedback again, do more research, and try the tools for a longer period. In addition, you can make a list of pros and cons and score the tools accordingly.

Talking with your team is also a good idea!

But now, as promised, let's focus on the must-have features every collab tool needs.

How is collaboration software used?

Collaboration software has plenty of uses but its main purpose is to foster a more productive remote work environment. And facilitate communication between dispersed teams.

How does it do that, though? Here are some common use cases:

• Project management: You're currently working on three projects at the same time; it's pretty hard to keep track of every task. How many times have you failed to meet a deadline because you couldn't see your project's progress? Collaboration software lets you create tasks for each project and team member, set deadlines, etc., and streamline your workflows.

• Client collaboration: 65% of teleworkers who use remote technologies like instant messaging say collaboration tools are great substitutes for in-person contact. It's super easy to hold virtual meetings and video calls with clients or coworkers, regardless of their geographic location. This way, you can hold webinars, create roadmaps, and collaborate with remote members in real time.

• Document sharing: You know how time-consuming and frustrating it is to sift through all your folders when searching for that document. All you can think of as you check the same place again is, "Where is it?!" A good collaboration tool lets you easily share documents with your peers. Pairing it with a knowledge base solution like Guru also does wonders for document organization.

Okay, now we can talk about the benefits of using collaboration software. Let's go!‍

Building your AI source of truth with collaboration software

While collaboration software connects teams, ensuring information accuracy requires a dedicated knowledge management solution. Guru serves as your AI source of truth, delivering verified answers across all collaboration platforms.

Guru connects to all your company's applications—including your new collaboration tool—to create a single, verified knowledge layer. Our Knowledge Agent then delivers trusted, permission-aware answers right where your teams work, whether in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or a browser. Every answer from AI Chat and Research comes with citations, so you always know the source.

Furthermore, Guru's MCP/API allows your company's verified knowledge to power other assistants like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, ensuring consistency and accuracy across every AI interaction. You correct information once in Guru, and the right answer updates everywhere.

Ready to see how Guru builds a trusted layer of truth on top of your collaboration stack? Watch a demo to see it in action.