The 8 Best Document Collaboration Tools You Need for Productivity

Modern corporate teams often span oceans, time zones, and sleep schedules. So where does the teamwork happen?

Document collaboration tools let users collaborate in shared files, allowing remote and hybrid teams to stay connected and productive. We’ll cover the basics of document collaboration and review some of the best tools available in 2025. Plus, find out how Slack’s work OS helps teams do more with their docs — and teammates.

Top document collaboration tools to enhance productivity in 2025

Overwhelmed by choice when it comes to document collaboration tools? Let’s narrow down your options to some of the best platforms on the market. (Oh, and these platforms all integrate with Slack, so you can securely share files via channel or direct message without having to switch apps.)

The following list was curated using G2, which scores software based on user feedback, features available, and overall satisfaction. G2 uses a five-star system focused on usability, customer satisfaction, and market presence. Each of the tools listed here has a minimum rating of four stars.

1. Slack: Beyond messaging

If you use Slack, you have plenty of methods for document sharing and collaborating on files with teammates. You also have access to:

• Canvases. These digital whiteboards can be created in channels, meetings, or direct messages to capture and organize your most important information. You can also adjust share settings so only certain users can view and edit.
• Lists. Create task lists for more streamlined project management. Link cloud documents and assign tasks to individuals in the same place as your conversations.
• Huddles. Start an instant audio or video call with one or more teammates in a channel, pulling in relevant documents or canvases within your work OS.
• Workflow Builder. Automate messages, file sharing, tasks, and more to optimize your workflows.
• Integrations. Connect the popular document-sharing apps you use every day, like Google Drive and Dropbox, so teams never have to context-switch while collaborating on critical documents.

2. Google Workspace: Integrated productivity

With Google Workspace, users can securely create and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Google Drive lets you generate shareable links and set access permissions for both individual files and shared folders. You can collaborate on any Drive document with other users in real time and convert existing files from other programs to make them editable in Drive. Drive folders allow you to categorize shared files, and the search feature makes it easy to locate the doc you need.

3. Microsoft Teams: Seamless office integration

Microsoft Teams lets users chat and make video calls directly through Microsoft 365. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents can be linked directly from SharePoint into Teams and co-authored. Plus, the app syncs natively with Outlook, letting users know when you’re busy, free, or currently presenting a document.

4. Asana: Task management meets collaboration

Asana lets teams manage their tasks in simple lists while helping project managers keep everyone on track with tools like Gantt charts and tables. Teams can add and manage documents to their projects through native, two-way integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Slack’s team collaboration tools.

5. Trello: Visual project collaboration

Trello puts projects into helpful kanban-style project boards that integrate with useful online collaboration tools like Slack and Google Docs. This way, teams can drag and drop tasks from To-Do to Doing to Done and see statuses at a glance. And Trello’s inbox feature makes it easy for individual team members to handle their tasks in a list, which syncs with bigger boards.

6. Dropbox: Security across platforms

Dropbox supports document sharing, real-time collaboration, and customizable access permissions. Dropbox Paper allows collaborators to work on multiple content types in one document, and ready-made templates streamline the file-creation process. Features like version history and file recovery let users track changes, revert to previous versions, and recover recently deleted files. Dropbox also supports encryption, device access control, and integration with third-party security tools. You can even set shared Dropbox links to expire for added security.

7. Atlassian Confluence: Data in every direction

Atlassian Confluence provides collaborative spaces for your team to create, format, organize, and securely share work. With Confluence Cloud, you can store, manage, set access permissions for, and even archive files as needed. The platform also lets you make Confluence sites viewable to external stakeholders and provides engagement analytics so you can easily view performance metrics.

8. Adobe Creative Cloud: Design by committee

Adobe Creative Cloud lets users access, edit, and save files across devices. Users can also edit Creative Cloud files directly in apps like Photoshop, Adobe XD, Illustrator, and Fresco. Team members can co-edit files at the same time, add comments on Creative Cloud folders and files, and receive immediate feedback on their work. Creative Cloud’s security controls and processes ensure data privacy protection and compliance with relevant regulations.

Key features of modern document collaboration tools

So, what makes a document collaboration tool worthwhile for your organization? It will depend on your unique needs and business goals, but generally, it should have certain core functions for supporting cross-functional collaboration. Let’s look at a few:

Real-time editing and feedback

Your tool must allow multiple users to work on the same document at the same time. Collaborators should be able to see other team members’ input and contributions in real time and implement changes right away. This means:

• Quicker resolution: No more sending files back and forth and waiting for the green light to move forward
• Faster turnarounds: Helping you get moving on big projects with tight deadlines
• Simpler version control: With everyone operating from the same document, the days of saving and working from multiple file versions are over

Comprehensive access controls

Who needs access, and how much access do they need? Your doc collaboration tool should let you grant varying levels of permission to anyone who needs to view, comment, or work on a shared document — internally or externally. Some teammates may only need commenting or viewing access, while other stakeholders may need full permission. Role-based access keeps important internal docs and discussions secure and in the right hands.

Standard features and integration with other tools

Your chosen solution should integrate with all the other real-time collaboration tools your team relies on. It should also come with standard features to support and streamline document collaboration, such as:

• Activity logs: Maintain team accountability by tracking who made which changes and when.
• Commenting and feedback: Create and reply to others’ comments and annotations.
• Document management: Easily and intuitively organize folders and files.
• Tagging and tasks: Tag other collaborators in comments to send notifications and assign tasks.
• Version control: Track changes made to the doc and revert to a previous version if necessary.

 

Share, collaborate, and organize files with Slack

Emailing files back and forth and waiting for others to review is not only time-consuming and frustrating — it’s costly. Document collaboration tools let your teams update the same doc at the same time, from wherever they work. And when you work in a central operating system like Slack, you can create, collaborate on, and share all your important docs in one secure place.

Check out the Slack App Directory to learn more about the document-sharing tools Slack supports.

FAQs

What is document collaboration?

Document collaboration is when multiple people work together on the same document, often simultaneously. Remote and hybrid teams typically use document collaboration tools to create, edit, and share ideas on various types of documents in real time, regardless of location and time zone.

If your team uses Slack, you can use channels and direct messages (DMs) to create collaborative canvases to capture ideas, meeting notes, to-do lists, and any other information your team might need to record. You can also integrate third-party apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Confluence.

How do document collaboration tools improve team productivity?

Collaborating on cloud-based documents lets digital teams work asynchronously. The following benefits speed up your ideation, content creation, and editing processes:

• Real-time access, collaboration, and feedback
• Streamlined communication
• Automation for repetitive tasks
• Faster workflows

Can these tools be used by remote teams?

Absolutely. Cloud-based collaboration tools make it simple to add users and share documents anywhere. They’re an ideal solution for remote and hybrid teams.

For example, whenever someone new joins the team, just add them to an existing project channel or canvas. This will help them catch up on ongoing discussions, outstanding questions, shared files, and recent updates — all from within Slack.

What factors should be considered when choosing a collaboration tool?

Your document collaboration tools should fit seamlessly into your team’s workflow. A good platform should:

• Be easy to scale so you can add additional collaborators as needed
• Provide centralized access to all your documents for easy sharing and collaborating
• Give users instant, secure file sharing with fellow contributors, external partners, and other stakeholders
• Integrate with all essential tools in your workflow for creating and managing files, tasks, and more

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This article is for informational purposes only. This article features products from Slack, which we own. We have a financial interest in their success, but all recommendations are based on our genuine belief in their value.