Which tool for code review of outsourced work?

I would use github to maintain the code repository and use the codereview feature they offer.

Have a look at CRUCIBLE - it is a specialized tool that we used for some time, but it was not enforded by management so it fell out of use.

It allow s you to:

• Deploy change sets via source control (multiple check ins can be bundled).
• Create a Review then, that people can naivage (see changesi ncode, commend and discuss IN THE CODE without changing the source files).
• Track what ws read and approved and provide statistics.

Without a tool like that it is impossible to do proper reviews - using something like Google docs is an exercise in sadism (as you force people to endure pain).

Take a look at this site. http://smartbear.com/

Three tools you will need - source code management and bug tracking use free service - Bitbucket.org , second use google docs for document management and sharing and finally dropbox for release package developer does for you (all three are free).

with bitbucket you can add plugins such as bamboo, greenhopper etc.. to expand and create reports on every nightly build extra plugins are not much and quite cheap.

Code review tool. http://www.atlassian.com/software/crucible/overview or http://emma.sourceforge.net/

Do note if you are using outsource company and developers should give you nightly report of code coverage easily generated by using one of the tools above (dependent on language).

what languages are you using for development?

For strict code review I would strongly suggest, as others have mentioned, using a service that integrates with your code repository, such as github or perhaps even trac.

However there are often documents that you don't want to keep in your code repository but still want to peer-review. I've successfully used Google Docs over the past three years to handle reviews of user's guides, requirements documents, and high-level technical documentation. Google also allows you to upload any kind of file (diagrams or pdfs created in another tool, for example), and even upload new versions of the file as you work on it. When used properly, I've found it a very decent method to handle reviews from people around the globe.

Keep in mind the Google Docs Documents and spreadsheets are not as powerful as their Microsoft siblings, however over the past year they've made huge strides to nail down most of the main functionality you'll need. Give it a test run to make sure there's no key feature without-which you can't live. If it looks good, check out Google Apps for Business to even get your own docs.yoursite.com domain and 'private' service.

Review Board may work for you, in the sense that the tool is open-sourced, meaning that you can host it yourself. This is probably not the easiest way to achieve this, but it is probably one of more secured manner. Furthermore, it is free.

I am going to share with you an experience instead of an answer.

Last year a colleague of mine who referred me to someone for some work. The person was paying an offshore company in india to build a website for him. The build was late, and the company was asking for concessions for the first build. All he wanted me to do was review code and give him an assessment of the situation. I took the job, and was introduced to the lead developer of the project. Who failed to return any of my emails. I cc'ed the person who hired me on everything so he was aware that I was doing what he was paying me for. At the end of the first week with no real response from the developers, my client contacted the project manager in india and CC'ed the CEO of said development firm. Who said they were not willing to give me access to any of he code base due to the fact that it hadn't been paid for.

My point is you may expect to be able to review code on a daily basis, but if you don't have that anywhere in your contract, don't expect them to reciprocate until you've paid for the code.