The Best Online Collaboration Software for 2026

Online collaboration apps help teams work together better, regardless of whether members are all in one physical location or remote. Typically, the best collaboration software keeps you in the loop about relevant team activity and helps you communicate your progress to others. Through these apps, you can access the information and assets you need to pick up your part of the work at the right time without someone else telling you to do so. Collaboration software is a subcategory of productivity software , which we have been covering for more than a decade. Here, we collect the top team collaboration tools based on our analysis and testing. The lines between collaboration software and project management , work management , task management , and whiteboard apps (among others) aren't always clear, so our picks span several categories.

Best for Task Management

Todoist

Score: 5.0

Pros & Cons

• + Cross-platform support with effortless, reliable syncing

• + Excellent features, such as natural language input and productivity reports

• + Efficient interface

• + Supports collaboration

• + Works offline

• - Cross-platform support with effortless, reliable syncing

• - Excellent features, such as natural language input and productivity reports

• - Efficient interface

• - Supports collaboration

• - Works offline

Why We Picked It

Todoist is wonderful for writing down what your team needs to do and assigning tasks to the right people. It offers stellar apps for every major platform (and the web) and even generates productivity reports. A paid Pro account is reasonably affordable, too, especially considering it offers an AI assistant and unlimited activity history.

Who It's For

Multi-platform users:Even if your workflows span multiple platforms, Todoist can keep up, thanks to its widespread availability.

Small and growing teams:If you need to work collaboratively but don't need the depth of a dedicated project management app, Todoist is the perfect compromise. It offers enough functionality to keep your team organized without ever becoming overwhelming.

Specs & Configurations

Free Account Offered: True

Number of Collaborators in Free Account: 5

Pre-Built Templates: True

Automation: False

Time Tracking: False

Gantt Charts: False

Android App: True

iOS App: True

Price Per Month: From $5 per person

API Available for Customers: True

Guest Accounts: True

Free Version Available: True

Recurring Tasks: True

Collaboration Features: True

Collaboration in Free Version: True

Location-Based Reminders: True

Best for Work Management

Asana

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Intuitive, modern interface

• + Robust free version

• + Numerous, versatile work management features

• + Convenient automations and integrations

• + In-depth progress tracking

• - Intuitive, modern interface

• - Robust free version

• - Numerous, versatile work management features

• - Convenient automations and integrations

• - In-depth progress tracking

Why We Picked It

Asana is among the most capable and customizable work management tools we've tested. You can use it to make and track lists, manage workflows and ideas, and much more. You can even configure it as a full-fledged project management app, even if that's not necessarily how you can get the most out of it.

Who It's For

Multidisciplinary companies:Asana's incredible flexibility makes it one of the best apps for managing teams with diverse sets of needs, whether you're a big company or a startup with just a few people.

Teams on a strict budget:Not only are Asana's premium plans affordable, starting at just $10.99 per user per month, billed annually, but its excellent free plan works for small teams of up to two members.

Specs & Configurations

Free Account Offered: True

Number of Collaborators in Free Account: 10

Pre-Built Templates: True

Automation: True

Time Tracking: True

Gantt Charts: True

Android App: True

iOS App: True

Free Version Available: True

Recurring Tasks: True

Collaboration Features: True

Collaboration in Free Version: True

Location-Based Reminders: False

Best for Graphic Design

Canva

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Friendly, intuitive interface with helpful pop-ups

• + Multitude of robust yet uncomplicated AI tools

• + Reasonable pricing

• + Doesn't require a design background

• + Excellent free version

• - Friendly, intuitive interface with helpful pop-ups

• - Multitude of robust yet uncomplicated AI tools

• - Reasonable pricing

• - Doesn't require a design background

• - Excellent free version

Why We Picked It

Canva is an all-in-one platform for creating graphics, from branded assets to slide decks and much more. You get a ton of functionality for free, including limited access to Canva's AI tools and millions of templates. Premium accounts include even more animations, audio files, fonts, graphics, photos, and videos to fuel your creativity.

Who It's For

AI fanatics:Canva offers an entire suite of AI functionality, called the Magic Studio, that encompasses everything from an AI copywriting assistant that can embody your brand's style to the ability to turn prompts into entire presentations, and much more.

Small teams:If your team doesn't have a dedicated graphic designer, Canva makes it easy for just about anyone to quickly create attractive graphics.

Specs & Configurations

Price Per Month: $14.99 per Person per Month

Free Account Offered: True

API Available for Customers: True

Guest Accounts: True

Time Tracking: False

Pre-Built Templates: True

Android App: True

iOS App: True

Pricing Model: Subscription

Edits Vector Graphics: False

Edits Raster Graphics: True

Touch Interface Support: True

Publication Layout: False

Pro-Level Typography: False

Data-Driven Charts: True

Free Version: True

Real-Time Collaboration: True

Web App: True

Desktop App: True

Mobile Presenter App: True

Mobile Editing App: True

Can Add Audio: True

Best for Collaborative Interface Design and Prototyping

Figma

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Real-time collaboration

• + Works with vector files

• + Robust third-party integration options

• + Good font tools

• + Allows code handoff to developers

• - Real-time collaboration

• - Works with vector files

• - Robust third-party integration options

• - Good font tools

• - Allows code handoff to developers

Why We Picked It

Figma is a collaborative interface design and live prototyping platform. It works much like a virtual whiteboard app, enabling you and your team to work together in real time. The different modes for designers, developers, and presenters all work seamlessly to create a single environment for conceptualizing, planning, creating, and finalizing interface design projects.

Who It's For

Designers and developers:If you have a team of designers and developers who need to work together to plan out a complex interface design project, Figma should be your first choice. It should support just about any third-party app in your workflows, too.

Educators and students:Although Figma's premium plans can get expensive, educators and students can access a more complete version of Figma than what's available to regular users for free.

Specs & Configurations

Pricing Model: Subscription

Edits Vector Graphics: True

Edits Raster Graphics: False

Touch Interface Support: True

Publication Layout: False

Pro-Level Typography: True

Data-Driven Charts: True

Best for Transcription

GoTranscript

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Affordable

• + Incredibly accurate

• + Highly usable web interface

• + Supports many languages

• + Industry-specific transcriptionists available

• - Affordable

• - Incredibly accurate

• - Highly usable web interface

• - Supports many languages

• - Industry-specific transcriptionists available

Why We Picked It

GoTranscript is a highly accurate transcription service offering both AI- and human-generated transcripts. Thanks to its affordable pricing structure, accessible interface, and support for a wide variety of languages, GoTranscript is worth a look for beyond-basic transcription work. Teams leads can set up Workspaces in which coworkers can edit, share, and upload documents.

Who It's For

Academics, lawyers, and medical professionals:GoTranscript's human-based transcription service is a great choice if you work in fields in which the highest level of accuracy is necessary. It also offers HIPAA-compliant transcriptions if you need them.

Non-English speakers:With support for an impressive 140+ languages, chances are good that GoTranscript has specialists who can transcribe recordings from speakers of any nationality.

Specs & Configurations

Automated/Human-powered: Human,Automated

Web Editing: True

Cloud-Based Apps: True

Audio Calls: False

Collaboration Features: True

Best for Diagramming

Lucidchart

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Intuitive user interface

• + Smooth performance

• + Adequate shapes and templates

• + Excellent collaborative features

• + Integrates with many third-party apps and services

• - Intuitive user interface

• - Smooth performance

• - Adequate shapes and templates

• - Excellent collaborative features

• - Integrates with many third-party apps and services

Why We Picked It

Lucidchart is an online diagramming tool that can help you build out a floor plan and design the app of your dreams. Thanks to a huge object library and a similarly impressive variety of templates, it's easy to use Lucidchart to plan out almost anything. Its rich collaboration features also make it simple to work on diagrams with teammates.

Who It's For

Established teams:You need to pay for Lucidchart's Team plan ($10 per person per month, billed annually) to get the most out of the platform in a group setting. This tier notably unlocks document comparison features, revision history with versioning, and more.

Online collaborators:Lucidchart doesn't have any desktop apps, and its mobile apps don't work offline, so you need an internet connection to use the app. Of course, no one would be able to work with you remotely in real time otherwise.

Specs & Configurations

Free Version: True

Sharing Features: Yes

Real-Time Collaboration: True

Web App: True

Windows App: False

Mac App: False

Best Office Suite

Microsoft 365

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Powerful and feature-rich

• + Smooth collaboration features 

• + Distraction-free view in Word 

• + Convenient Copilot features in Excel 

• + Regular updates with new features 

• + Desktop, mobile, and web versions of apps

• - Powerful and feature-rich

• - Smooth collaboration features 

• - Distraction-free view in Word 

• - Convenient Copilot features in Excel 

• - Regular updates with new features 

• - Desktop, mobile, and web versions of apps

Why We Picked It

Microsoft's productivity apps are the best at what they do, bar none. You might find Google Docs more familiar for collaboration, but Microsoft 365 is just as capable for real-time coauthoring. Microsoft's suite is not merely worth the money; it's an amazing bargain considering all you get (including 1TB of OneDrive storage).

Who It's For

Individuals or small businesses:While Microsoft 365 is an excellent suite of software for individuals or even small teams, we recommend Microsoft 365 Business for larger companies, thanks to its array of administrative tools and business-focused apps.

Microsoft users:If you already use some Microsoft software, be it an old copy of Microsoft Word, Copilot , or Windows , Microsoft 365 is a natural, familiar choice.

Specs & Configurations

Price Per Month: $6.99

Free Account Offered: False

API Available for Customers: False

Guest Accounts: False

Time Tracking: False

Pre-Built Templates: True

Android App: True

iOS App: True

Desktop Apps: True

Cloud-Based Apps: True

Windows App: True

Mac App: True

Mobile Apps: True

Open Source: False

Free Version Available: True

Online Collaboration: True

Opens/Saves Microsoft Formats: True

Imports From PDF: True

View/Edit Format Codes: False

Mail App Included: True

Links to Live Web Data: True

Records Macros: True

Best for Taking Notes

Microsoft OneNote

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Free version includes all core features

• + Excellent organization tools

• + Supports free-form placement of attachments, drawings, and text

• + Top-notch web clipper

• - Free version includes all core features

• - Excellent organization tools

• - Supports free-form placement of attachments, drawings, and text

• - Top-notch web clipper

Why We Picked It

Microsoft's OneNote comes close to perfecting digital note-taking . It supports everything from free-form sketching to voice notes, alongside cross-platform syncing and easy-to-use organizational tools. It's the first app you should try if you want to take notes, and its free version is very capable. OneNote lets you share notes at the Notebook level, and it supports co-authoring.

Who It's For

Beginner note-takers:If you don't have any specific note-taking needs, OneNote is a major upgrade over typing something into the Notes app on your iPhone or a text document.

Microsoft users:As a Microsoft app, OneNote works seamlessly with OneDrive storage and other Microsoft 365 apps. If you sign up for a Microsoft account for any reason, it's at least worth checking out OneNote.

Specs & Configurations

Free Storage: 5GB

Storage for Price Listed: 1TB

Max File Upload: 100MB

Web Clipper: True

Web App: True

Mac App: True

Windows App: True

Android App: True

iOS App: True

OCR: True

Sketching Supported: True

Email Forwarding: True

Scanning: True

PDF Annotation: True

Geolocation: False

Audio Note-Taking: True

Collaboration Tools: True

Free Version Available: False

Recurring Tasks: False

Collaboration Features: False

Collaboration in Free Version: False

Location-Based Reminders: False

Product Category: Productivity,Software

Best for Whiteboard Collaboration

Miro

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Excellent collaboration and presentation tools

• + Rich feature set

• + Strong support for integrations with other apps and services

• - Excellent collaboration and presentation tools

• - Rich feature set

• - Strong support for integrations with other apps and services

Why We Picked It

Miro has the best feature set of any whiteboard app, including tools for asynchronous and real-time collaboration. We especially appreciate Miro's ease of use and its wonderful templates, which help you see all the ways you might incorporate it into your work. Subscriptions are also fairly affordable.

Who It's For

Remote teams:If your team spans different time zones or has different working hours, Miro's asynchronous collaboration tools help keep everyone involved. Remote work arrangements make this likely.

Visual learners:Not everyone enjoys brainstorming in a text document or spreadsheet. Miro makes visual-first collaboration accessible and intuitive for entire teams.

Specs & Configurations

Price Per Month: $10 per person

Free Account Offered: True

API Available for Customers: True

Guest Accounts: True

Time Tracking: False

Pre-Built Templates: True

Android App: True

iOS App: True

Best for Team Messaging

Slack

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Simple and intuitive interface

• + Advanced messaging capabilities

• + Many powerful integrations

• + Helpful AI features

• + Easy admin management

• + Extensive integration support

• - Simple and intuitive interface

• - Advanced messaging capabilities

• - Many powerful integrations

• - Helpful AI features

• - Easy admin management

• - Extensive integration support

Why We Picked It

Slack is easily the most beloved team messaging app available, despite costing more than others. People love its layout and the ability to deeply personalize their settings and tailor the experience. It even takes the win over Microsoft Teams in our head-to-head comparison .

Who It's For

All professionals:No matter the size of your team, you need a reliable way to communicate with everyone that's not email. Slack's accessibility and robust feature set make it the top option.

Budget-conscious users:If you don't want to spend a dime on business messaging, Slack's generous free plan lets you set up a custom workspace. You also get the core abilities to access 90 days of messaging history, create channels, and share files.

Specs & Configurations

Price Per Month: $7.25 per user, billed annually

Free Account Offered: True

API Available for Customers: True

Guest Accounts: True

Time Tracking: False

Pre-Built Templates: False

Android App: True

iOS App: True

Price Per Person Per Month: $7.25 per month, billed annually

Free Version: True

Audio Calls: True

Video Calls: True

Best for Project Management

Teamwork

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Straightforward interface

• + Top-notch customization options

• + Includes billing, invoicing, and proofing capabilities

• + Free tier available

• - Straightforward interface

• - Top-notch customization options

• - Includes billing, invoicing, and proofing capabilities

• - Free tier available

Why We Picked It

Teamwork excels as a project management solution because it offers an accessible interface without skimping on features. It's highly customizable, and you can expect robust support for billing, invoicing, and proofing, among many other things. Although Teamwork's paid plans can get expensive, it offers a viable free plan that includes features like basic AI tools.

Who It's For

Established businesses:Teamwork's paid plans start at $9.99 per user per month, billed annually, which makes it one of the more expensive project management apps available. Especially if you have a larger team, you'll need a budget large enough to justify the subscription.

The feature-hungry:If you want your project management app to be a one-stop shop that covers everything from client billing to task tracking, Teamwork's maximalist approach makes it a great fit. It even packs in a hearty variety of AI features to help you save time.

Specs & Configurations

Price Per Person Per Month: 10.99

Storage Included at Price Listed: 100GB

Free Version Available: True

Storage Space for Free Accounts: 100MB

Number of Projects in Free Account: 5

Dependencies: True

Gantt Charts: True

In-App Task Timer: True

Time Estimates: True

Markup Tools: True

Resource Management: True

Budgeting: True

Billing and Invoicing: True

Customizable Roles/Permissions: True

Guest/Client Access: True

Best for Video Conferencing

Zoom Workplace

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Competitive price

• + Advanced Zoom AI Companion

• + Many integrations

• + End-to-end encryption

• + Easy to use

• - Competitive price

• - Advanced Zoom AI Companion

• - Many integrations

• - End-to-end encryption

• - Easy to use

Why We Picked It

Zoom is the biggest name in video conferencing for good reason, and Zoom Workplace builds on top of that core meeting functionality to create a capable, robust collaboration platform. It has an accessible interface, a feature-rich free version, a helpful AI companion that can summarize or transcribe meetings, and a long list of integrations, among other features.

Who It's For

Teams with diverse communication needs:If your team requires more than email or a business messaging app to communicate, Zoom Workplace is the most advanced video meeting platform you can use. There's a good chance that most people already know how to use it, too.

Remote teams:If your team is entirely remote, Zoom Workplace has all the tools you might expect, including breakout rooms, polls, screen sharing, remote mouse and keyboard control, and more. All of those features make online collaboration seamless.

Specs & Configurations

Free Version Offered: True

Multi-Language Support: True

Whiteboard Tools: True

Share Desktop: True

Share Mouse / Keyboard: True

In-App Messaging: True

In-App Private Chat: True

Calendar Integration: True

Audio Recordings: True

Video Recordings: True

24/7 Phone Support: True

Social Media Integration: True

Cloud Storage: True

Transcription: True

Virtual Backgrounds: True

Blur Backgrounds: True

What Is the Best Visual Collaboration App?

Visual collaboration apps are growing in popularity, and our current favorite is Miro. It works like a digital whiteboard or canvas that multiple people can join simultaneously and lets collaborators add all kinds of content, including documents, drawings, images, sticky notes, videos, and more. Miro offers video calling , so you can chat with colleagues while simultaneously brainstorming and working on visual projects. Finally, the app offers a healthy library of objects and templates for making charts, diagrams, and other visual aids you can reuse in other business materials, such as presentations.

What Is the Best Collaborative To-Do List App?

Todoist is our Editors' Choice winner for to-do list apps, but it's also a highly valuable collaboration tool. If your team needs an inexpensive app that helps a group of people manage, prioritize, and write down everything they need to get done, it's unbeatable.

What makes Todoist better than other collaborative to-do list apps? For starters, it has apps for every major platform that all work reliably and sync effortlessly. It also gives you a ton of tools for organizing tasks, such as priority ratings and labels, without cluttering the interface. That keeps the app easy to use and highly accessible to newcomers.

Culture Is the Key to Collaboration

One important point about all tools for team collaboration and communication is that they must be supported by a company culture. Throwing a new tool at a bunch of people and telling them to use it instead of email doesn't work. To successfully start using a collaboration tool, all key players on the team need to buy into it.

When you're up and running with a collaboration app that fits your needs, and everything starts clicking, it might amaze you how much more productive and organized your team becomes.

PCMag and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.