Looking for the perfect proofing software ?
Most proofing tools help you eliminate spellings errors, misplaced punctuation, and embarrassing grammatical errors.
But did you know that online proofing software can do much more than just correct your grammar and spelling, or improve your writing skills ?
That’s right.
Think beyond the squiggly red line spellcheck!
Modern proofing tools can be your ultimate creative collaboration hub.
It can help you with writing and editing and even with receiving and organizing feedback.
That’s the complete document approval process!
But just like the number of spellings for ‘chili’ (chilli? chile?), the list of options in the online proofing software market is endless.
So if you want to choose the right online proofing system for your work, you’re in the right place. In this article, you’ll learn what online proofreading tools are, why you need them, and the 6 best proofing tools currently available.
What Is A Proofing Tool?
A proofreading tool or a proofing software is a workflow management tool tailored to the needs of content creators. You can use it to create a new piece of text or visual content, and receive and respond to feedback without having to download the document each time.
But isn’t my dictionary , a Google Doc file, and spell checker enough?
Do I really need proofing software ?
Yes, because content creation is full of nightmares.
Additionally, English is a crazy language !
It takes several meetings, going over content plans, multiple editing, and spell check rounds, and a few (hundred) drafts to create a blog post that everyone likes.
Trust us, we know this all too well 🙁
Even then, stubborn grammatical errors or a misplaced artwork file rears its ugly head minutes before your final submission!
And all you can do is scream silently.
Or loudly. It’s up to you, really.
Of course, using Ctrl+Z to undo things and pressing the backspace key can considerably ease your pain. (Imagine retyping a thousand-word article for a single spelling error . Phew!)
Yet, the typical proofing workflow remains complicated and challenging.
You must put up with:
- Lags in collaboration
- Missing older versions of your MS Word file or artwork
- Delays in multiple reviews
But don’t worry.
These are exactly the problems that an online proofreading tool is meant to solve.
What are the benefits of an online proofing tool?
An excellent proofing software will help you:
- Create content (alone or collaboratively)
- Conduct rounds of grammar checking with impeccable style!
How to choose a proofreading tool
An online proofing system could be of two kinds.
Some are simple, bare-bone content management software.
While others are elaborate, multifunctional labyrinths.
However, your ideal online proofreading tool should combine ease of use with a feature-rich experience.
Tall order? Not really.
Chances are, content creation is just one of the many things you dabble in.
You also need to manage your team, deal with your client or freelancer, oversee finances, etc.
But you won’t be able to do any of this with a narrow-focused proofing software.
For that, you need project management software .
So if you choose to invest in an online proofing software, ensure that it helps you with much more than just content management.
Thankfully, just like your favorite yellow sponge, we love making lists!
(But ours are much shorter and better curated.)
Not one for lengthy (or short) lists? Jump to this section to see our top suggestion for project management software.
What Are the Top 6 Proofing Tools To Choose?
Untitled documents. Emails without subjects . Unscheduled “catchup calls”.
These are a few of our least favorite things.
That’s why we make our lists as Thoreau as possible.
Oh, sorry. We meant ‘thorough’!
(See why everyone needs a proofing process ?)
We’ve listed the key features, pros, cons, and pricing for each online proofing system so you can make the most informed choice for your team.
1. ClickUp 
ClickUp is the world’s highest-rated tool for project management, used by teams of all types and sizes worldwide.
With ClickUp’s combination of content creation and project management features, it’s the ultimate software for all your business needs.
Here are some ClickUp features to look out for.
How ClickUp helps in the proofing process
Much like everything else in ClickUp, the Proofing feature is also geared for efficient collaboration.
You can use it to clearly mark changes on an artwork file or streamlining the review for your marketing creatives. Whenever you need to communicate something on a file , just use ClickUp’s proofing tool for the job.
You’ll find ample support for various file types (PNG, JPEG, PDF, etc.).
Here’s how easy it is to proof task attachments in ClickUp:
- Open the attachment within a task
- Click “Add comments” towards the upper right of the preview window
- Click on the attachment preview where you want to add a comment
- Add your comment and assign it within your Workspace for various business functions like marketing or HR.
And within these Spaces, Folders can store all your writing neatly, along with Lists and Tasks .
Other key ClickUp features
Marketing teams or a freelancer. Designer or CEO.
There’s a ClickUp feature for everyone .
Want to learn how ClickUp caters to remote teams ?
Check out these articles:
- 14 Ways to Optimize Your Project Management for Remote Teams
- Remote Project Management 2021: Processes & Tools
Here are some other ClickUp features that’ll help streamline your proofing workflow:
1. Create documents with Docs If you want your text to be easy to read and draft, check out ClickUp Docs.
Here, you can collaborate with others to create richly formatted documents and organize them within the relevant project tasks.
2. Create Tasks for all proofing-related work
Deadlines or not, ClickUp can always keep pace with your creativity.
You can untangle your projects by creating:
- Tasks and Subtasks to simplify your proofing workflow
No two projects (or teams, or clients) will ever be alike.
That’s why ClickUp lets you set Custom Statuses for each new task workflow.
So while the creative team can add steps like “Drafting,” “Reviewing,” “Proofing,” the engineers in your team can set completely different statuses.
Use Custom Statuses to run a tight ship and reassure your client of your progress.
After all, knowledge is power!
4. Communicate easily with Comments Section and Chat view Access all your messages (and their context) easily with ClickUp’s Comments Section.
You can even Assign Comments to a specific team member to ensure that they immediately take action on it.
And when you want to have unrelated discussions, unscheduled brainstorms, or share adorable pet pictures, go over to the Chat view.
5. Plan intuitively with Mind Maps Bitten by the creative bug? Or simply can’t get an idea out of your brain? Draw your thoughts in a Mind Map and share the scheme with your team.
While ClickUp gives you templates to get started quickly, you can just as easily start sketching on a blank page too.
6. Use Home to stay on top of your tasks
When the days are long and you’re drowning in project deliveries, go to Home and organize all your tasks. Here, you can also access your personal Inbox that lets you set personalized reminders for yourself.
ClickUp Pros
- Comprehensive set of project management and content creation and proofreading features
- An ideal fit for Scrum
ClickUp pricing The Free Forever Plan lets you add unlimited members and projects and gives you 100MB cloud storage. Paid plans start at as low as $5/user per month.
ClickUp user ratings
- G2: 4.7/5 (1100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2000+ reviews)
2. Filestage
Filestage is an ‘all-in-one’ online proofing and creative team management software that helps you review and approve content, and streamline your creative workflow. It aims to contain your whole proofing process on a single software.
Filestage key features
Project dashboard and alternatives to Smartsheet .
Smartsheet key features
- Project sheet to oversee progress
- Version control with automatic document locking
- Wide range of integrations for seamless connectivity
- Gantt charts to visualize project planning
- High-level team planning view of your projects
- Automate your proofing workflow by combining multiple actions and conditional paths
Smartsheet Pros
- Easy to adapt for those who’re comfortable with the Excel format
- Live on-demand reports on the dashboard
Well suited for Agile
Smartsheet Cons
- Spreadsheets are inadequate for modern project management
- No real-time collaboration support
- No desktop app available
- No free plan
Smartsheet pricing
Smartsheet doesn’t have a free version, and its paid plan starts at $14 per month.
Smartsheet user ratings
- G2: 4.2/5 (2000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (1500+ reviews)
6. Ziflow
Ziflow is an online proofing software specifically designed with creative agencies and brands in mind. It caters to their content sharing, review, and approval requirements.
Ziflow key features
- Collaborative review in which creative team members can add comments and respond to them in real-time
- Flexible sharing with different permission settings for each proofer
- Version tracking and comparison with audit trail features
- Built-in file organizer
- Integrations with a wide range of third-party tools
Ziflow Pros
- Document lock to prevent further comments once it’s been finalized
- Support for a wide range of file types
- Enterprise-ready security features
- Review groups for easy file sharing and reviews
Ziflow Cons
- No desktop app platform
- No task management features
- Limited set of integrations compared to similar software
- Steep pricing for small teams
Ziflow pricing
Ziflow offers no free plan, and its paid plan begins at $10/user per month.
Ziflow user ratings
- G2: 4.7/5 (59 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (102 reviews)
Conclusion
When we were all much younger, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and the whole Microsoft Office suite were the greatest things ever.
I mean, the creative possibilities were endless (WordArt ftw)!
However, we’re older and (hopefully) much smarter now.
And that means recognizing the limitations of those tools.
If creative work and writing skills are the essence of your business or agency, then it’s time to move on to an online proofing tool. You can’t afford to compromise anymore.
And while tools like Filestage and Ziflow can weed out grammar errors, you need to think bigger. You need to think ClickUp.
With advanced features like proofing, Docs, and Mindmaps, it’s going to make creative work and the approval process a cakewalk. And with tons of other project management features, it ticks all the boxes you could ever need!
Need more convincing?
No need to contact our sales rep.
Just open your ClickUp account for FREE , and try it for yourself.
We guarantee it’ll help you become a content king in no time!
