Collaborator
Peer code review software
DevOps software
Source code management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$755 per year
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Energy and utilities
- Banking and insurance
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is Collaborator
Collaborator is a peer code review tool used to manage and document reviews of source code changes before they are merged or released. It supports structured review workflows (comments, approvals, defect tracking) and is commonly used by development teams that need auditability and consistent review practices across repositories. The product is typically deployed in enterprise environments and integrates with common version control systems and IDEs to bring review activity closer to developers’ daily tools.
Structured review workflow controls
Collaborator provides formal review steps such as invitations, threaded discussions, defect/issue logging, and explicit approvals. This supports consistent peer review practices across teams and helps reduce ad-hoc review via email or chat. The workflow focus aligns well with organizations that require repeatable processes and sign-off before merge or release.
Audit trail and reporting
The product maintains a record of review activity, including who reviewed what, when approvals occurred, and what issues were raised. This can support compliance-oriented teams that need evidence of review and traceability for changes. Reporting and review history can also help managers monitor review throughput and bottlenecks.
Broad VCS and IDE integration
Collaborator is designed to work alongside existing source control systems rather than replacing them. Integrations with common version control tools and developer environments can reduce context switching and encourage adoption. This approach can be useful for teams with heterogeneous repositories or multiple VCS platforms.
Not a full DevOps suite
While it integrates into development workflows, Collaborator primarily addresses code review rather than end-to-end DevOps needs. Teams typically still require separate systems for CI/CD pipelines, artifact management, and broader planning/tracking. Organizations seeking a single platform for the entire software delivery lifecycle may find it incomplete on its own.
Limited native SCM capabilities
Collaborator is not primarily a source code management system and generally relies on external repositories for branching, permissions, and repository administration. This can add integration and administration overhead compared with platforms that bundle SCM and review in one place. It also means repository-level governance remains dependent on the underlying VCS tool.
Enterprise setup and licensing overhead
Deploying and operating a dedicated review server can require infrastructure, upgrades, and administrative effort, especially in regulated environments. Licensing and user management may be more involved than lightweight or fully hosted alternatives. Smaller teams may find the operational footprint disproportionate to their needs.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Community | Free | Lightweight edition for small development groups; basic code-review features; offered free of charge (see SmartBear documentation). |
| Team | $755 per year (5-user pack) | 5-user pack (purchase up to 5 packs to support up to 25 users); configurable peer code review for teams; supports Subversion, Git, GitHub, CVS, Mercurial, Perforce and TFS; MySQL DB support; customizable workflows and reporting. |
| Enterprise (Subscription) | $1,349 per year per concurrent license | Full-featured peer code & document review for entire organization; supports GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket/Azure DevOps and many SCMs; supports review of documents, spreadsheets, images, and Simulink models; subscription or perpetual options available. |
| Enterprise (Fixed-seat) | $440 (fixed license) | Fixed-seat (perpetual) license option listed on SmartBear pricing page; see licensing docs for fixed vs floating-seat details. |
Seller details
SmartBear Software, Inc.
Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
2009
Private
https://smartbear.com/
https://x.com/smartbear
https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartbear/
