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Best of Collaboration Software 2021

January 6th, 2021 44 min read

If we learned anything from this year, it’s that collaboration was the key to any business’ success navigating this pandemic. Companies that relied on traditional, on-premise meetings now need a way to bring in their teams on a virtual level to strategize their pivot plan and keep the momentum going. 

From web conferencing to team messaging apps, there are a lot of options out there and no one-size-fits-all solution. As businesses were moving conferences online, hosting webinars, or conducting business meetings, the world depended on these tools like never before. 

The journey to buying software grows increasingly complex and we at TrustRadius find that prioritization lies among excellent customer support, top-of-the-line feature sets, or simply ease-of-use. Here are the Best of Collaboration Software solutions for 2021.

Best Customer Support – Collaboration (Dedicated)

  • Cisco Webex Teams, 1st Place
  • Slack, 2nd Place

Best Usability – Collaboration (Dedicated)

  • Cisco Webex Teams, 1st Place

Best Feature Set – Collaboration (Dedicated)

  • Slack, 1st Place
  • Google Keep, 2nd Place
  • Microsoft Teams, 3rd Place

Best Feature Set – Community Platforms

  • SaleForce Community Cloud, 1st Place

Best Customer Support – Meeting Room Booking System

  • Robin, 1st Place

Best Feature Set – Meeting Room Booking System

  • Robin, 1st Place

Best Usability – Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)

  • Dialpad, 1st Place

Best Feature Set – Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)

  • Dialpad, 1st Place

Best Customer Support – Video Conferencing Equipment

  • Cisco Webex DX80, 1st Place

Best Feature Set – Video Conferencing Equipment

  • Cisco Webex DX80, 1st Place

Best Customer Support – Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

  • Ooma Office, 1st Place

Best Feature Set – Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

  • 8X8 X Series (Formally Virtual Office), 1st Place

Best Customer Support – Web Conferencing

  • Google Hangouts, 1st Place
  • GoToMeeting, 2nd Place
  • Cisco Webex Meetings, 3rd Place

Best Usability – Web Conferencing

  • Cisco Webex Meetings, 1st Place

Best Feature Set – Web Conferencing

  • Cisco Webex Meetings, 1st Place
  • GoToMeeting, 2nd Place

Best Customer Support – Webinar

  • ON24, 1st Place

Best Usability – Webinar

  • GoToWebinar, 1st Place

Best Customer Support – Collaboration

The Best Customer Support Award in the Collaboration category celebrates the products with the best customer support in a time when a large majority of business meetings, conferences, and team huddles have moved online. Having the proper support is key to a business’ success in a virtual office setting as they acclimate to new software. In this category, buyers are looking for a support team that can quickly solve problems in a timely manner to keep their teams productive. 

Webex (formerly Webex Teams), 1st Place

Customer Support Rating: 8.8

Webex (formerly Webex Teams) is praised for its easy-to-use platform—which ends up reducing any user experience issues. On the rare occasion that additional support is required, users report their swift response and friendly support staff. 

“The support that Cisco gives to the product is great. If you have some questions about a problem or about what do you need to do for use some option of the app, you got a personal attention and a solution very fast. All the time you will get a solution. It’s a great support service.”

David C. | IT Manager | Groupo SSC

Slack, 2nd Place

Slack trScore

Customer Support Rating: 8.3

Slack is known for its easy setup and user-friendly features which makes it hugely popular due to its free version. And like Webex Teams, users report that support is rarely needed due to its simplistic design. However, whether you are a free or paid user, user reports swift replies and easy to use ticket submissions so you can clear up any issues in no time. 

“The customer support is quite good, whether you are a free user or paid customer, the responses from the support team are very quick and, of course, you get added attention if you are a paying customer.”

Amod S. | Software Engineer | RiteCare

Best Usability – Collaboration

For many businesses that had to quickly move their teams online this year, usability was no doubt one of the most important attributes for a dedicated Collaboration tool. Getting teams set up quickly with little training was key for companies that needed their employees to continue the conversation in a virtual space. 

Webex (formerly Webex Teams), 1st Place

Cisco Webex (formerly Teams) trScore

Usability Rating: 9.9

With so many options, tools, and resources, it’s no wonder that Webex is a favorite in the collaboration segment. But what really keeps Webex Teams at the top, is its high usability rating. Users report that it’s relatively easy to set up, and quick for users to start communicating with their teams after installation. 

“The tool is so easy to use. Cisco Webex Teams is intuitive, it has very common options that we can find in others apps, but specially with Webex teams, that options are simple and very effective. In addition to this, the possibilities to create groups and meetings with a simple button help us very much to save time and to use the app in a better and simple way.”

David C. | IT Manager | Groupo SSC

Best Feature Set – Collaboration

When it comes to Collaboration tools, customization is key to make the software work for organizations’ unique needs. Users are looking for customizable features like focused channels for team chat rooms and the ability to manage multiple departments. From free versions for small teams or highly customizable features for enterprise customers, there is a collaboration tool out there right for any business or organization.

Slack, 1st Place

Slack trScore

A strong contender in the collaboration tool category, Slack is praised for its multiple features and options to fit a business or organization of any size. Users love having multiple channels for dedicated chat spaces for teams. They also like the ability to change up design features on an individual level. It’s easy to use, secure and has endless integrations with dozens of apps. 

“It is used by my whole organisation. Slack is primarily used by our company so that developers can talk to each other or to the client without any hassle. It addresses the problem of being able to talk to other people in the organization professionally without switching apps. It is much better and faster than emails and makes collaborations much easier and more interactive.”

Varon K. | Senior Software Engineer | Wipro Limited

Google Keep, 2nd Place 

Google Keep trScore

As part of the G-Suite package, Google Keep is a quick and easy solution for companies already using Google products. Built-in to-do lists and notes make it easy for teams to connect on different projects. 

“I would recommend Google Keep for notes or to-lists that need to be share among more than 2 people or for people who would like to be able to access their notes from a wide range of devices. It is an ideal tool for keeping track of things, since it also allows the user to set reminders. additionally, it is a good tool for someone who might be inspired on the spot, since it allows for drawings.”

Verified User | Analyst in Finance and Accounting | Pharmaceuticals Company

Microsoft Teams, 3rd Place

Falling in 3rd place for feature set, Microsoft Teams is a great option for companies already using Office 365 products. With the ability to set up conference calling and web conferencing both inside and outside of the organization, users enjoy the various meeting and calling features. 

“We use Microsoft Teams across the whole organization for internal communication. It is easy to use, notifications are on-point and the UI is clean and simple. During this work from home period its being used extensively for daily meetings, online sessions and screen sharing. It has cool emojis and GIFs to make chatting more lively and interactive. It has mobile application to make it much easier to access.”

Sandeep R. | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Vitech Systems Asia Pvt. Ltd.

Best Feature Set – Community Platform

When it comes to Community Platforms, users are looking for software with loads of capabilities and options when communicating with their partners. Customization both in aesthetics and functionality are common requests, and a huge bonus when little coding is required on the customer end.

Salesforce Community Cloud, 1st Place

Salesforce Community Cloud trScore

Salesforce Community Cloud is a powerful online forum that allows employees, customers, partners, and prospects the ability to connect and work together virtually. Designed to help facilitate communication and information sharing, customers can ask questions and request help, administrators can integrate data from third-party apps, and employees can collaborate across projects and tasks. From creating customized portals to personalized communications, Salesforce Community Cloud has the ability to customize to meet any business need.

“Highly customizable. A Community Cloud portal can be totally customized both visually and with different functionalities with little to no coding skills required.”

Pedro H. | SalesForce Developer | Information Technology & Services

Best Customer Support – Meeting Room Booking System

Despite COVID-19 causing many businesses to go fully remote, or even partly remote, some have chosen to remain working in-office. Either due to the particular industry they’re in or employee choice. Owing to this, Meeting Room Booking Systems are still relevant pieces of technology for businesses. Given that they require a mixture of hardware and software, implementation can be tricky. This is one category where excellent customer support can make or break whether a user continues to be a customer.

Robin, 1st Place

Robin trScore

Customer Support Rating: 9.4

Robin, headquartered in Boston offers their meeting room booking system, featuring software for scheduling conference rooms, space management with workspace usage analytics, and integrate digital signage. Users appreciate their support staff’s eagerness to understand their challenges and willingness to make tweaks in order to improve their product.

“All of the interactions I have had with Robin recently (past 2 months) have been overwhelmingly positive. We ask lots of questions and they have answers. They even put us in touch with some of their other clients to compare notes about post-COVID return to office plans, and they are eager to understand our challenges in order to improve their product.”

Adam G. | Facility Manager | PagerDuty

“I do not need to use support from Robin due to the easy interface. I would assume it’s high quality due to their thoughtfulness with their platform.”

Sydney H.| Resident Instructional Coach | St. Louis Teacher Residency

Best Feature Set – Meeting Room Booking System

When it comes to large businesses managing tons of meeting space, conference rooms, and workspaces, getting the dates and times that your employees need to book meetings in a timely fashion is critical. As business software grows in technical complexity, a vendor’s ability to assist users with any number of problems or processes can make an immense difference in users’ experience with the software.

Robin, 1st Place

Robin trScore

Robin offers their meeting room booking system, featuring software for scheduling conference rooms, space management with workspace usage analytics, and integratable digital signage. Users love it easy to use the platform and the ability to synchronize with their calendars. This product is so well received due to its ease of use, but when it comes to customer service, they set the bar high. 

“Especially for large organisations, having a go-to source for a specific task saves everyone a lot of time. Robin does this for office management, and the software is obviously continually improving which is a good sign. The system seem well integrated with the office as well and an attention to detail is made to keep the user experience as quick as possible. Smaller organisations may not advantage as much from the same benefits and features such as analytics may have a questionable use consider the low footfall around a smaller office.”

Verified User | Engineer in Engineering | Leisure, Travel & Tourism Company

Best Usability – UCaaS

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platforms provide a broad range of communication and collaboration applications and services in the cloud. The three main capability areas UCaaS solutions cover are: voice/VoIP, audio and video conferencing, and instant messaging/chat. When it comes to usability in this category, buyers are looking for systems that are incredibly intuitive, given that these tools need to be easily picked up by the vast workforces of enterprises.

Dialpad Talk, 1st Place

Dialpad Talk trScore

Usability Score: 8.5

Dialpad Talk is a cloud communications UCaaS platform that provides users with integrated voice, video, and messaging capabilities from one unified interface. With powerful integrations, scalability, and most important, quality of calls, Dialpad has remained a top provider in the industry. Users praise it’s easy to use platform and scalability as businesses grow. 

“This system is very easy to use. Put on the headphones, click an answer, and speak to your caller. Or, to make a call, the keypad is very user-friendly and it also keeps a tab of all callers and calls. This makes it very convenient if you speak with someone frequently.”

Verified User | Paraprofessional in Legal | Legal Services Company

Best Feature Set – UCaaS

Given the comprehensive nature of UCaaS, features are everything. It’s a category where “too many features to use” is relatively unheard of. UCaaS buyers are looking for one-stop-shops for their online communication needs. Products that can rise to the occasion or going to have every feature a potential buyer needs, and then ones they didn’t even know they needed. To compete in the modern business world, your software needs to help you stay ahead of the curve by optimizing how your employees work.

Dialpad, 1st Place

Dialpad Talk trScore

Dialpad Talk is a cloud communications UCaaS platform that provides users with integrated voice, video, and messaging capabilities from one unified interface. With powerful integrations, scalability, and most important, quality of calls, Dialpad has remained a top provider in the industry. Users love the fast texting capabilities and zero call restrictions in addition to it’s super easy to use platform.

“Dialpad Talk is used by the entire sales business development team. So far the product is simply fantastic and haven’t faced any sort of problems yet. The features are simply awesome and best part is people can get connected throughout the globe with Dialpad Talk.”

Saahil P. | Business Development Analyst (International Business) | M2SYS Technology

Best Customer Support – Video Conferencing Equipment

Video Conferencing Equipment is audio-visual hardware that enables video conference calls. In a global economy, travel is no longer essential when you have quality equipment to conduct meetings worldwide. Users are looking for providers that help them choose the right equipment for their needs and offer options to take their virtual meeting to the next level. 

Cisco Webex DX80, 1st Place

DX80 trScore

Customer Support Rating: 8.5

Cisco has a long history of quality customer support and with its video conference equipment solutions, it’s no different. Customers appreciate their quick responses and large database of documentation and community content. 

“The Cisco support team is very quick to help resolve any issues. Submitting tickets online you can usually expect a quick response, with a paid subscription to support. They now have a Chat platform to help resolve items even faster rather than having to wait for an email or a phone call.”

Brian S.| Network Engineer | H.W Kaufman

Best Feature Set – Video Conferencing Equipment

Video Conferencing Equipment is such a diverse category, with make-or-break decisions coming down to a product having just the exact feature and interoperability with other peripherals you need.

Cisco Webex DX80, 1st Place

DX80 trScore

Cisco has a long history of producing quality hardware and with its video conference equipment solutions, it’s no different. Users appreciate the ease of setup and quality of video and audio. Other users think it’s the perfect replacement for a desktop. 

“We use the DX80 system-wide in our health system as an option for a desktop or very small conference room setting. The addition of Webex being our main source of meeting collaboration has made the DX80 a perfect option to simplify joining meetings.”

Verified User  | Technician in Information Technology | Hospital & Health Care Company

Best Customer Support – VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology for delivering voice and other forms of communication over an IP. VoIP providers offer communications services that the business world relies on for collaboration. When you’re managing calls with multiple departments in multiple locations, the scalability of your company can crush your budget. And with the complexity of VoIP, you need a provider with reliable quality service and coverage to have your back. 

Ooma Office, 1st Place

Ooma trScore

Support Rating, 9.7

For businesses of all sizes, Ooma provides advanced voice and collaboration features which they describe as flexible and scalable. With flexible low monthly plans and no commitments, Ooma makes it easy for any business size. With dozens of outstanding reviews for customer support, customers appreciate their swift responses and ability to solve problems quickly. 

“Support has been above expectations with every interaction. Calls are handled promptly and escalated quickly when additional expertise is required.”

Tom V. | President | Von Enterprises, Inc.

“I have always had my question, concern, issue resolved to my satisfaction; most of the time on the first call. I can think of 2 times my issue had to be escalated to next level support, but I was kept well informed of the progress, etc. I get a live person whenever I call, and everyone I have ever spoken with has been super friendly, yet very knowledgeable and professional!”

Wendy W. | Facility Manager | Payne Springs Self Storage

Best Feature Set – VoIP

Quality is everything when it comes to VoIP. Users want the crisp quality of a phone call via the internet. While having a strong connection plays a major part of it, VoIP technology has come such a long way that the software itself has a huge effect on the quality of your online calls. VoIP products that shine due to their feature set not only have a variety of useful features for users, but have some of the highest quality call experiences available.

8×8 X Series, 1st Place

8×8 X Series promises smarter, more efficient ways to connect with customers and employees. 8×8 says its X Series delivers a powerful Unified Communications platform that provides one solution for voice, video, and chat across any device, anytime and anywhere. From cloud phone service to internet faxing to video conferencing and everything else in between, 8×8 has your business covered.

“I believe this application is very suited for everything. You can send text messages from a number that’s not your desk phone, receive, and transfer calls. Setting up is super simple and integrating SSO is super simple as well. There’s multiple ways to logon and multiple ways to receive calls/access voicemails on site as well as offsite.”

Michael R. | RSC Engineer | All Covered

Best Customer Support – Web Conferencing

Web and video conferencing tools have become fundamental to how many organizations conduct business. The software enables remote employees, customers, and partners to connect easily and often. Last year, web conferencing software saw a surge in users, which in turn meant that more people than ever most likely needed help learning the ins and outs. Web conferencing platforms with great customer support teams help ensure that users continue to be engaged, and don’t throw out a product for an alternative due to a frustrating experience.

Google Hangout, 1st Place

Google Hangout trScore

Support Rating: 7.8

As part of Google’s infamous G Suite, Google Hangouts is a communication platform that includes messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. With super affordable rates, ease of use, and outstanding support, it’s no wonder Google Hangout gets glowing reviews. 

“The rare times we reached out to Google for support, it was easy to contact someone via chat or phone, and our issues or questions were always resolved or answered quickly.”

Verified User | C-Level Executive in Corporate | Accounting Company

GoToMeeting, Support, 2nd Place

GoToMeeting trScore

Support Rating, 8.4

A veteran in this category, GoToMeeting comes in at #2 for Best Customer Support. Used by millions, GoToMeeting by LogMeIn excels in virtual communication and collaboration with a fast, easy, and reliable professional online meeting solution. With endless support articles available in their knowledge base and swift responses from their tech team when issues pop up, it’s no wonder this legendary service stays near the top of the list. 

“I have reached out to support just once, and they were lovely. It was for a small issue regarding linking a meeting which they resolved within chat, they were understanding and to the point. The directions helped me conduct my activity without delay. It is always great when companies have customer support who value their customers.”

Verified User | Administrator in Corporate | Education Management Company

Cisco Webex Meetings, 3rd Place

Webex Meetings trScore

Support Rating, 8.3

Another long-serving service provider in this space, Cisco Webex comes in at #3 in customer support for web conferencing. With affordable pricing, Webex’s built-in AI and machine learning capabilities eliminate tasks from users’ plates. It supports team meetings, webinars, online training, real-time technical support, and conference calling. Users appreciate the courteous and patient nature of their support staff when dealing with any issues. As always, swift response times to tickets are key to their high rating as well as a robust library of troubleshooting documentation. 

“Cisco support is rarely called but they are extremely courteous and knowledgeable. Meantime to resolution performs with top marks. Issues are responded to quickly and effectively. The support personnel have demonstrated patience and calmness when others have been on edge. When issues are raised, the Support team response times have always exceeded our expectations.”

Gary S. | Director of Enterprise IT | General Dynamics Information Technology

Best Usability – Web Conferencing

Let’s face it, some people will never contact customer support, for a variety of reasons. Users like this want tools that are easy-to-use with no issues out of the box. Given that different organizations use different tools, web conferencing products that people can get up and running with no prior experience are increasingly in demand.

Cisco Webex Meetings, Usability, 1st Place

Webex Meetings trScore

Usability Score: 8.7

While their customer support comes in at #3, Cisco Webex Meetings is a breakaway winner in usability. Users love the easy to use document and screen sharing capabilities. And because users trust the teams at Cisco, you can count on its reliable speed and secure networks. 

“Cisco Webex Meetings is our main collaboration tool. Every day we meet, call, share, and chat internally and with our clients. Cisco Webex Meetings saved us hundreds of travel hours, sped up project kickoffs and knowledge transfer. Even support desk troubleshooting is way better with Cisco Webex Meetings. Having used Webex about 10 years ago, I can now take advantage of the new features like breakout rooms, lobby, reduced background noise, etc.”

Verified User | Team Lead in Information Technology | Computer Networking Company

Best Feature Set – Web Conferencing

Some of the key features a web conferencing platform should have are screen sharing, support across multiple device types, chat, meeting recording, and high-quality audio and video. Our best feature set winners in this category excel at providing users with those tools.

Cisco Webex Meetings, 1st Place

Webex Meetings trScore

While their customer support comes in at #3, it’s clear Cisco Webex Meetings is a winner in the feature set category. Users love the extra tools when hosting large meetings, in addition, their newest features like a virtual lobby and reduced background noise capabilities give them a huge leg-up on the competition. And because users trust the teams at Cisco, you can count on its reliable speed and secure networks. 

“I think Cisco Webex Meetings is great for school/college because of breakout sessions, for executive meetings in an organization using Cisco Telepresence equipment, for streaming live events to external sites like Youtube or Facebook live. It is good for small organizations to establish a meeting for their day to day operations.”

Adrian A. | Analista de servicios GTI | ARUS Tecnología + Información + Conocimiento

GoToMeeting, 2nd Place

GoToMeeting trScore

Just behind Webex Meetings is GoToMeeting in the best feature set category. GoToMeeting offers countless integrations like Slack, Office 360 and Chrome, making their web conference service easy to launch through many platforms. Users love its high-quality video and audio in addition to security features for meeting attendees. 

“GoToMeeting is a great option for having to meet with clients or to show them your screen. Since end-users are not forced to download a client and can join from any web browser, it works well for inviting customers in secure locations or who don’t have the rights to download applications to their computer. It does an alright job for supporting customers, but there are better options to control the customer’s computer from afar.”

Tim R. | General Manager | KEYLOK

Best Customer Support – Webinar

The three main use cases for webinar software are internal communications (one to many), lead generation, and training. In addition to the live presentation, a recorded video of the presentation is often distributed later on. Given their emphasis on external use, you don’t want any surprises (we mean, issues) when dealing with clients. Quality webinar customer support teams will help walk you through the software so you’re prepared to lead quality webinars without a hitch.

ON24, 1st Place

ON24 trScore

Support Rating: 8.8

When annual conventions, conferences, and company training scrambled to turn their normally in-person events virtual, there was a clear winner in customer support for webinar software. ON24 delivers effective high-quality web conferencing but with specialized tools to enhance engagement with participants. Users love their robust toolbox with customizable surveys and polls in addition to reporting and dashboards for post-meeting data. 

“We mainly use ON24 to launch our insights reports. A week or so before the launch date, we host two webinars for our teams (no less than 80-100 attendees in each one) and two more for clients on the launch day (our record has been 1,000 registrants and about 500 attendees within two sessions or a launch). Around the world, it’s used by our Marketing and Insights Teams to present recent insights to our clients although normally related to content launches. The business problems webinar addresses are basically the liability and complexity of other systems such as Skype or Webex, and the possibility to offer our clients multiple touch points with our company as well as a short and sweet way to catch up with our insights.”

Verified User | Manager in Marketing | Market Research Company

Best Usability – Webinar

While Usability is of course important for the webinar host, an aspect of usability for webinar software is ease-of-use for webinar guests. Attendees can’t usually access your webinar from the platform of their choice, which makes the dependent on the software you choose as host. Opt for webinar platforms with reviews that call out its ease-of-use not only for hosts, but for guests.

GoToWebinar, 1st Place

GoToWebinar trScore

Usability Score: 8.5

Another top contender in the LogMeIn family, GoToWebinar is a webinar solution used for millions of webinars each year, for marketing, training, and corporate communications. When companies had to quickly shift to moving training and conferences online this year, having a product that is easy to set up was crucial to these large meetings’ success. While there are a lot of customization tools available, users love how easy it was to launch with available templates. Not only is it easy to set up for the organizer, but participants found it was easy to navigate when they joined webinars. 

“Overall, GoToWebinar was very easy to use, interested attendees found it very easy to sign up and attend, and we could do everything we needed fairly easily. We also saw which attendees didn’t attend, recorded the webinar easily with GoToWebinar and easily sent it to them to watch at their own time.”

Alex C. | Growth Marketer | Epignosis

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