Collaborating online with a few people or a larger group can be a huge pain if you’re not using the right tools. If you’re still doing document collaboration the old fashioned way, then you’re familiar with the process of emailing people back and forth and attaching documents to those emails. Not only is this time-consuming, but it clutters your email inbox.

To save you time and frustration, we’re going to share 8 web-based document collaboration tools with you. These tools will eliminate the need for emailing back and forth, keep you organized and give you a productivity boost.

Also be sure to view the comparison chart below, which will show you the pricing, user and storage limitations for each service.

Comparison Table

Cloud Tools

Papyrs

A document management tool that lets you build a personalized intranet for your team or social network for your business.

• Design your own intranet pages with the rich text editor.
• Create a knowledge-base for your team.
• Upload files via drag-and-drop and share them.
• Keep track of changes with complete version history and email notifications.
• Advanced search that looks through pages, files, discussions and forms; shows results as you type.
• Share with specific people or with the world; set permissions and roles for each individual user.
• Have conversations on individual pages of your intranet.
• Personalize and design your pages with custom colors and banners.

GroupDocs

A document viewing and management system for sharing and collaborating on documents online. There are apps for viewing, signing, converting, annotating, assembling, and comparing documents.

• View, add comments and search through documents in your browser.
• Embed documents from GroupDocs into your website or blog.
• Download and print your documents for offline use.
• Get your documents signed digitally.
• Convert your docs to PDF, JPEG, TIFF and more.
• Collaborate on documents and see the comments that others have added.
• Compare documents and keep track of changes; merge two different versions to create the perfect document version.

Agilewords

A simple online tool for sharing and collaborating Microsoft Word documents. You can add and reply to comments, edit and track changes, secure your documents and even assign tasks.

• View full conversations for each document.
• Update documents offline and then synchronize the changes when you’re back online.
• Keep track of all changes so you know who did what; filter activity by event types, documents, dates or users.
• Set review deadlines and assign review or approval tasks.
• Box.net folder integration for further sharing and collaboration.
• View deadlines on the dashboard.
• Receive a daily digest when there is new activity and pending tasks.
• Free plan available – 1 author, maximum 3 documents in review.

Huddle

Combines task management, file and document sharing, project collaboration and content management into a single tool. Huddle works in the cloud, but also includes various mobile and desktop apps.

• Assign tasks to specific users in order to get things done quicker.
• Create user profiles so that your team can connect and keep in touch.
• Keep track of your document versions and convert back if needed; lock files that you don’t want to be edited.
• Keep track of changes and approval workflow.
• Create folders and sub-folders for better organization.
• Sort your files by title, size, date modified or approval status.
• Upload multiple files at once – any size and type.
• Real-time collaboration tools like phone and Web conferencing; you can also schedule meetings and invite specific users.
• Receive reminders for tasks that are close to their deadline.
• Calendar integration with Outlook and Google.
• Reply to content notifications by email instead of going to the website.
• Use the integrated whiteboard to brainstorm ideas and initiate conversations.
• Customize the look and feel of your workspace by adding a logo and changing the colors of your theme.

Tinder

A web-based document management system for collaboration and content sharing. Tinder includes user groups, discussion areas and file sharing. Their external user feature allows you to share with people that are not a part of your organization.

• Add comments and attach documents to your messages.
• Control access to specific documents and restrict to certain user groups.
• Subscribe to folders and groups so that you’re notified when there is new activity and changes.
• Organize your documents, files and folders with tags.
• Keep track of revisions and versions of each document.
• Preview images and documents in your browser – no downloading needed.
• Search globally or within your documents for specific text and keywords.
• Includes SSL/TLS encryption and regular backups to keep your files and documents safe and secure.

HyperOffice

An advanced business tool that includes intranet software, document management, a collaboration suite, business email service and mobile collaboration. With HyperOffice, you can keep your team organized with your own custom intranet or extranet on the Web and mobile devices.

• Reliable business email with the ability to sync with Outlook.
• Online calendar for keeping up with appointments, meetings and events.
• Includes an online project manager and task manager, which can be used to collaborate with your team.
• Upload, view and share files and documents; collaborate with team members.
• Share unlimited documents and store any size documents; includes regular backups and guarantees 99.9% uptime.
• Set permissions, manage document versions, lock documents and search through your documents.
• Create workspaces for teams, customers and partners.
• Create intranet and extranet pages using drag-and-drop publishing tools.
• All plans come with 5 users and 250MB of storage; you can get more users for an additional fee per year and more storage for an additional fee per month or year.

Glasscubes

A simple online collaboration tool with a clean interface. Glasscubes is great for project management, file sharing and team communication.

• Use folders to organize your files and documents.
• Keep track of different versions of your documents.
• Search through your document titles and content.
• Communicate effectively with the built-in discussion feature; plus search through old discussion topics.
• Customize the look and feel with your own logo and preferred colors.
• Includes built-in conference calling with 10 different international phone numbers to call in on.
• Use Glasscubes on your mobile phone for collaboration on the go.
• Use free add-ons to add more features and functionality to your account.
• Regular backups and 256-bit encryption ensures your files and documents are secure.
• Has a free plan that comes with unlimited users, 2 workspaces and 1GB of storage.

NetDocuments

An online document manager that allows you to organize your files and documents, as well as collaborate with a group of people. With NetDocuments you will also get mobile access and the option to use add-ons for an additional fee.

• You get your own home page for displaying your favorite documents and folders; you can also create home page sections.
• Organize your files and put them into folders; likewise you can organize your folders and put them into virtual cabinets.
• Organize your clients or projects even further by creating workspaces.
• Use NDSearch, an enterprise-class search platform integrated into NetDocuments, to search through your documents.
• Set document permissions and view a history of all actions.
• Documents can also be approved and digitally signed.

Bonus: More Options

DocLanding - ”A simple cloud service that makes it simple and affordable to capture, store, and search all your paper and digital documents.”

Redliner - ”Eliminate the frustrations of change tracking and version control within critical documents such as contracts, press releases, ad copy, and other group editing projects.”

PBworks - ”Capture knowledge, share files, and manage projects within a secure, reliable environment.”

DigitalBucket - ”Delivers reliable, scalable and customizable on demand File Sharing and Collaboration platform and services for Individuals and Businesses to store and retrieve any type of data anytime anywhere on the web.”

Nomadesk - ”An easy and secure way to collaborate on and backup critical files from any location. Alleviate the hassles and high costs of traditional document management solutions.”

What tool do you use for online document viewing and collaboration? Do you use one of the above-mentioned tools or do you use something else?

Please feel free to share in the comments.