Collaboration platform

Question

I am working, with my team, for designing and publishing a magazine. I tried googling for collaboration platforms, but I cannot find what I need. I am looking for an online collaboration platform to support the following:

• uploading PDF files with preview
• uploading any other file as an asset
• commenting and versioning for the uploaded files
• maybe some kind of white board layout to express our ideas easier

I need a free platform if there is one. What do you recommend?

Answer 1

I'd recommend Slack. I'm not affiliated with it, but have used it on a project recently and I think it fits what you want.

• Uploading files (of multiple types), including integration with Google, Dropbox, etc.
• Commenting on files
• Task and integration with other services (pages and pages of services)
• Internal communication and discussion
• Breakout into teams and channels
• Universal search (even into Word, PDF, etc. files)
• Web and Mobile native (so you get access everywhere)

There's a tour that goes through the main features.

Pricing is free, with paid plans for better support, more integrations (e.g., website monitoring, etc.).

It's clearly aimed more at web design and website monitoring, but I think it would work for you.

Answer 2

This can be done with Evernote.

Files and links can be shared and annotated. You can keep version information.

The limitations of its free version may or may not be too great for your purpose but it will handle most of your requirements, if not all.
The paid versions should cover everything that you require.

Answer 3

I would suggest going back to google but this time to google docs:

To quote from the help most of your desired features are right there:

Overview of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides

What are Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides?

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are productivity apps that let you create different kinds of online documents, work on them in real time with other people, and store them in your Google Drive online — all for free. You can access the documents, spreadsheets, and presentations you create from any computer, anywhere in the world. (There's even some work you can do without an Internet connection!) This guide will give you a quick overview of the many things that you can do with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents and collaborate with other people in real time. Here's what you can do with Google Docs:

• Upload a Word document and convert it to a Google document
• Add flair and formatting to your documents by adjusting margins, spacing, fonts, and colors — all that fun stuff
• Invite other people to collaborate on a document with you, giving them edit, comment or view access
• Collaborate online in real time and chat with other collaborators — right from inside the document
• View your document's revision history and roll back to any previous version
• Download a Google document to your desktop as a Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML or zip file
• Translate a document to a different language
• Email your documents to other people as attachments

To learn more about Google Docs, check out the Google Docs getting started guide.