Working remotely doesn’t mean you have to feel like you’re working alone. While it can be a challenge for teams to feel like they’re working together when they’re physically so far apart, there has never before been such an abundance of tools specifically designed to help remote work teams bridge the distance gap.
Whether you’re trying to build an app or design an immersive cinematic world, we’ve compiled our top 20 favorite remote collaboration tools that can help your team work better together.
Project Management
Project management software is crucial for almost every team. Whether you’re all working on one big project or you’re juggling multiple projects at once, these project management platforms will help you keep everything organized and everyone on task.
Trello
Trello is a fantastic minimalist project management platform that can be completely customized to the needs of your remote employees and projects.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Can be used on desktop, iOS, and Android
- Includes 2-factor authentication and mobile device management for secure access
- Built-in automation tools
Cons:
- Can take some time to learn how to use it effectively
- A bit lean on features, especially direct communication features
Rating on G2
- 4.5/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $10 per user/per month
Asana
Asana is a powerful project management platform that allows project managers to assign tasks, track project timelines, and make sure every team member can independently manage their assigned work.
Pros:
- Easy to understand visual UI
- Task prioritization
- Individual to-do lists for each team member
- Timeline view to see which tasks will be completed when on each project
Cons:
- Requires internet connectivity to use
Rating on G2
- 4.5/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $10.99 per user/per month
Click Up
Click Up is a platform seeking to be an all-in-one hub for teams to collaborate within, including doc review, scheduling, and messaging.
Pros:
- Removes the need for additional productivity software
- Built-in automation tools
- Drag & drop interface
- Calendar, task, and to-do list views
- Integrations that allow you to expand the platform functionality
Cons:
- More complex than some other platforms
Rating on G2
- 4.7/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $5 per user/per month
Basecamp
Basecamp is a web-based productivity platform that allows for file exchange, task assignments, messaging, and scheduling.
Pros:
- Can be used on desktop, iOS, and Android
- Allows documents to be organized by project and shared between team members
- Customizable interface
Cons:
- Some issues with connectivity on the mobile interface
- More expensive than some other programs
Rating on G2
- 4.1/5 Stars
Pricing
- Starts at $29 per month for a basic plan, with their professional plan clocking in a $3000 annually.
Monday
Monday is a popular project management platform that pairs a bright, user-friendly UI with powerful features and integrations.
Pros:
- Highly customizable interface
- 14-day free trial available so you can see if it works for your team
- Over 200 pre-loaded templates that you can try
- Built-in automation tools
Cons:
- Best features reserved for paid plans
- Steep learning curve
Rating on G2
- 4.7/5 Stars
Pricing
- Basic plans start at $8 per month/per user
Video Conferencing/Streaming
It’s hard to feel like a team when you can’t talk face-to-face, so integrating a video conferencing platform into your workflow can make a huge difference in team morale and productivity.
Evercast
Evercast is a video streaming and communication platform that is specifically built for creative teams that need to stream professional editing tools while chatting with their team.
Pros:
- Ultra-low latency (less than 150ms)
- On-screen annotation and timestamped notes to keep project notes organized and accurate
- Simultaneous video chatting and workstation streaming
- No additional software is required for participants who are just joining a meeting
Cons:
- Requires a small amount of setup time for editors who want to stream their workstations.
Rating on G2
- 4.5/5 Stars
Pricing
- Our flagship product for all your real-time collaboration needs, starts at $749 per month (per virtual room). Special pricing packages are available for larger studios or teams.
Zoom
For people who only have basic video conferencing needs, there’s Zoom. This pandemic-era darling is popular among teams in nearly every industry thanks to its affordable price point and ease of use.
Pros:
- Unlimited free 1-on-1 calls on all plans
- Voice and video call options
- Available on desktop and mobile
- Built-in chat and screen sharing features
Cons:
- Requires a lot of bandwidth to deliver high-quality audio and video
- Limited chat and note-taking functionality
Rating on G2
- 4.5/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $14.99 per host/per month
File Sharing
If you want to get a project done, you’re going to need to be able to share files between your team members. Here are our favorite file-sharing platforms to keep everyone up-to-date:
Dropbox
Dropbox has been around since the earliest days of cloud file storage and continues to be a contender thanks to its robust storage sizes and top-notch security.
Pros:
- Auto-sync features to keep selected folders continuously updated
- 30-day file recovery for documents that are accidentally deleted
- 30-day version history to track older versions of documents
- Desktop and mobile support
Cons:
- Can be difficult to organize files
- Free version is limited to just 2GB of storage which isn’t sufficient for most users
Rating on G2
- 4.4/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, paid versions starting at $9.99 per month for 1TB of storage and additional features
Google Drive
Google’s answer to cloud storage comes pre-loaded with any Gmail account and includes tons of features that project managers love.
Pros:
- Nearly everyone already has it
- One of the most affordable cloud storage options
- Includes 2-factor authentication and mobile device management for secure access
- Can sync with Google Docs for collaborative document editing
Cons:
- Offline features are extremely limited
Rating on G2
- 4.7/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan of 15 GB, upgraded storage starts at $1.99 per month for 100 GB, enterprise plans are available.
Create together remotely, in real time
Box
Box seeks to go beyond just file sharing and storage and wants to be the home of content through its entire lifecycle. From co-editing to signature features, this is file sharing elevated.
Pros:
- Designed to meet the needs of enterprise-level users
- Various collaboration features for in-program file editing and revisions
- Auto-syncing
- State-of-the-art security tools
Cons:
- More of a learning curve to use than its competitors
- Has file upload size limits for larger files (like video)
Rating on G2
- 4.2/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for a single-user plan, paid plans starting at $5 per month for up to 3 users.
Messaging
Teams need to talk, but no one wants to wade through a flood of emails just to keep everyone in the loop. Thankfully, easy-to-use messaging platforms are here to keep your inbox in check and make communicating with co-workers as easy as stopping by their desk used to be.
Slack
Slack is one of the most popular messaging apps thanks to its easy-to-use interface, industry-leading security, and fun features that make engaging with co-workers feel less stuffy.
Pros:
- Call and chat features
- Customizable “channels” that allow you to separate people into different messaging groups, so the right information goes to the right people
- Controlled, secure access
- Emojis to eliminate long strings of “I got it!” replies
Cons:
- Can be a bit expensive for smaller teams that want full features
Rating on G2
- 4.5/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $6.67 per user/per month
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft has thrown its hat into the ring with its own team communication platform meant to integrate directly with Office 365.
Pros:
- Office 365 integration
- Can initiate calls directly without an invite link
- Indicators showing which team members are available and online
- Screen and file sharing
Cons:
- Limited customizations
- Some users find the interface difficult to navigate
Rating on G2
- 4.3/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, also included in Microsoft 365 plans starting at $5 per user, per month
Google Hangouts
When it comes to productivity tools, Google will leave no stone unturned. Originally designed to compete with platforms like Skype, Google Hangouts has now transformed into a favorite productivity tool.
Pros:
- Included with Gmail
- Very user-friendly interface
- Easy invite generation that syncs with Google Calendars
- Screen sharing capability
Cons:
- Some users experience lag or lower call qualities when they don’t have excellent bandwidth
Rating on G2
- 4.4/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free
Discord
While Discord is most commonly used among the gaming community, it can also be used as an effective team communication platform.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Customizable notifications
- Unlimited admins, so you can delegate management responsibilities to multiple people
- Voice, video, and text chat features
- Multiple channel creation to organize chats by topic
Cons:
- Strictly limited to communication without many additional productivity features
Rating on G2
- N/A
Pricing
- Free
Scheduling
No project can succeed without a good schedule, but calendar management can be an absolute beast. Simplify this dreaded task by utilizing state-of-the-art scheduling apps that keep your calendar organized, even if nothing else is.
Calendly
Calendly is one of the most popular scheduling apps because it makes calendar management nearly automatic.
Pros:
- Integrates with Zoom, Salesforce, and a whole host of other productivity apps
- Automatic meeting assignment
- Automatic meeting reminders
- Ability to let people choose their desired meeting time from your open slots
Cons:
- Still requires some hands-on management
- Some users find the scheduling interface cumbersome
Rating on G2
- 4.7/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $8 per user/per month
Chili Piper
Specifically designed for B2B revenue teams, Chili Piper is designed to integrate seamlessly into your sales funnel for easy client consultation scheduling and communication.
Pros:
- Can create different types of meetings that clients can schedule
- Reduces the time between a client expressing interest and meeting with a live salesperson
- Concierge matches form answers to route the right clients to the right salespeople
Cons:
- The flexible interface means a slightly steeper learning curve to get started
Rating on G2
- 4.7/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $10 per user/per month
Savvy Cal
Savvy Cal looks to make automated meeting scheduling more user-friendly and collaborative than its competitors, with a bright UI and co-scheduling features.
Pros:
- Recipients can overlay their personal calendars in the Savvy Cal scheduler to find a time that works for them
- You can easily adjust availability with a few clicks
- Ability to present availability slots in a particular order to encourage recipients to pick optimal times
Cons:
- More expensive than other solutions
Rating on G2
- N/A
Pricing
- Plans starting at $12 per user/per month
Online Whiteboards
With many projects, if you can’t see all the pieces laid out in front of you, it’s hard to “get it.” Virtual whiteboards are a great option for teams that want to recreate the benefits of visual collaboration in a digital space.
Miro
Miro is one of the most popular virtual whiteboard programs, thanks to its beautiful interface and powerful collaboration features.
Pros:
- Intuitive and easy to learn
- Lots of templates to get you started
- Colorful and fun to use
- Integrates with lots of other productivity applications
Cons:
- Free option is limited to just three boards
- Some features don’t perform perfectly
Rating on G2
- 4.9/5 Stars
Pricing
- Free for basic plan, professional plans starting at $8 per user/per month
Stormboard
Stormboard is part virtual whiteboard, part productivity platform, making it a great hybrid option for visually-inclined teams.
Pros:
- Works on almost any device
- Built-in templates for Agile, Project Management, and other development platforms
- Good for real-time discussion while working
- Task assignment tools to make sure every angle is covered
Cons:
- Navigating the platform can be challenging
Rating on G2
- 4.2/5 Stars
Pricing
- Plans starting at $5 per user/per month
MURAL
MURAL is a virtual whiteboard designed with the needs of enterprise companies in mind, and it delivers tons of features that work for designers and non-designers alike.
Pros:
- Drawing feature available for mobile users
- Easy sharing options
- Built-in idea management, mind mapping, and presentation tools
- Enterprise-level security
Cons:
- More expensive than competitors
Rating on G2
- 4.7/5 Stars
Pricing
- Plans starting at $12 per user/per month
The right online collaboration tools can make all the difference when you want to work smarter, not harder. Hopefully, this guide will help you equip your remote team with the tools they need to unlock their creative potential and get projects out the door faster than ever before.
