12 Best Remote Collaboration Tools For Remote Work
According to the research, in 2021, digital collaboration tools were used by 80% of workers worldwide. If you’re looking for collaboration tools to integrate in your work setup follow this guide. We’ll discover the top 12 remote collaboration tools in 2023. Any of these platforms offer free plans that you can take advantage of until such time you decide to subscribe to their paid services and benefits.
Slack
Best for: Businesses that require real-time communication and streamlined collaboration tools.
Slack is definitely one of the best collaboration tools for remote teams. GP Bullhound predicts that Slack’s monthly active users will increase to 79 million by 2025. Slack has an intuitive interface that enables team members to get things done within schedule through streamlined messaging. Moreover, it is equipped with a smart search tool that lets you find all the essential resources and information you need.
Features:
- • Instant messaging
- • Voice and video calls
- • Tracking and managing of files
- • Sophisticated search modifiers
- • Shared channels within multiple workspaces
- • Customizable sidebar menu
- • Fast and convenient navigation
- • Tool integration
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Pro ($7.25 per user per month)
- • Business+ ($12.50 per user per month)
Zoom
Best for: Any team or company that holds frequent video-based meetings, conferences, webinars, and product demonstrations.
Zoom can be considered revolutionary, especially in recent years. It was Zoom that took advantage of the video conferencing feature that many companies and organizations sought. According to the research, in 2020, Zoom Video Communications had a daily meeting participation of 300 million individuals across the globe. Its interface has been designed to be straightforward, allowing people to connect and collaborate with their customers and teams.
Features:
- • Virtual meetings
- • Team chat
- • VoIP Phone System
- • Online whiteboards
- • Calendar and email
Pricing:
- • Basic (free)
- • Pro ($149.90 per month)
- • Business ($219.90 per month)
- • Business Pro (custom pricing)
- • Enterprise (custom pricing)
Microsoft Teams
Best for: Remote teams that are familiar with different Microsoft tools and require constant communication and feedback.
Microsoft Teams is a streamlined remote collaboration tool that aggregates different Microsoft Office products.
Users of this remote collaboration software can chat, work together, and share files at the same pace. It also has an efficient search engine that enables users to find conversations, documents, and other essential information.
In 2022, Microsoft Teams had around 270 million daily users globally, which is a significant increase from the 2 million estimated users in 2017.
Features:
- • Real-time communication
- • Online video conferences and screen sharing
- • File storage
- • Audio conferencing and webinars
- • Integrated telephone
- • Integration of Microsoft Office tools
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4 per user per month)
- • Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6 per user per month)
- • Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50 per user per month)
- • Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22 per user per month)
- • Microsoft 365 E3 ($36 per user per month)
- • Microsoft 365 E5 ($57 per user per month)
- • Enterprise (customized pricing)
Trello
Best for: teams that require a simple, user-friendly project management tool and prioritize visual organization.
Trello is a project management tool that offers businesses and organizations a streamlined platform for organizing and managing projects. Currently, it is one of the most used remote collaboration tools for remote teams.
Features:
- • Project management using cards, boards, and lists
- • Creation of subtasks within project cards
- • Tasks can be assigned to various members
- • Activity logs
- • Uploading of attachments
- • Workflow automation
- • Tool integrations
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Standard ($5 per user per month)
- • Premium ($10 per user per month)
- • Enterprise ($17.50 per user per month)
Notion
Best for: Businesses that prioritize efficient knowledge management and require an all-in-one business solution for project management.
Those who are searching for collaboration tools for remote teams should try Notion. In a nutshell, Notion is an all-in-one virtual workplace. It has been introduced as a productivity platform that allows businesses and individuals to manage, assign, and organize projects.
As one of the best collaboration tools for remote teams, Notion offers organizations with a unified workspace for streamlining workflows. It comes with a user-friendly interface, as well, allowing users to learn and access its functions easily.
Features:
- • Project management
- • Team collaboration
- • Data organization
- • Information sharing
- • Tool integration
- • Workflow automation
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Plus ($8 per user per month)
- • Business ($15 per user per month)
- • Enterprise (custom pricing)
Invision
Best for: Business that require live design collaboration, design feedback, prototyping.
Among all the best collaboration tools for remote teams, Invision is arguably the most unique. After all, this is among the few remote collaboration software that was built to cater to the creative markets. Specifically, Invision is ideal for remote teams who are in the design industry. It enables them to produce interactive, high-fidelity prototypes of websites and products.
Features:
- • All-in-one platform for designing, prototyping, animation, and wireframes
- • Vector-based outputs and designs
- • Automation of design process
- • Sharing libraries and design inputs
- • Live collaboration through freehand tool
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Starter ($15 per user per month)
- • Professional ($25 per user per month)
- • Team plan ($99 1 owner and 4 additional team members)
Monday
Best for: Teams that require powerful project management software and want an optimized collaboration interface for usability.
Monday is arguably one of the more popular remote collaboration tools that you can try for free. It has a straightforward interface, allowing users to work together efficiently.
It has strong features to boast; it comes with real-time task tracking and workflow automation – similar to Zapier. Moreover, Monday offers integration of specific apps, such as DropBox, Outlook, and even Zoom. Monday is a recommended remote collaboration software for both large and small companies.
Features:
- • Project data dashboards and visualizations
- • Project/tasks automation
- • Extensive integrations of tools
- • Apps marketplace
- • Drag-and-drop interface
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Standard ($9 per user per month)
- • Basic ($12 per user per month)
- • Pro ($19 per user per month)
Asana
Best for: Organizations that need a simple yet powerful project management tool.
Asana is a cloud-based project management tool that allows remote team collaboration. Its main selling point is that it can help companies and businesses stay track of their projects without having to deal with clutter and hard-to-navigate features.
Most of the features of Asana are straightforward. They let you organize projects, assign tasks, and create working schedules. Furthermore, Asana has been optimized for customized workflows. Adding comments to each project is possible. File attachments are also a breeze.
Features:
- • Project and task management
- • Real-time communication
- • Real-time collaboration
- • Team management
- • Integrations
Pricing:
- • Personal (free)
- • Starter ($13.49 per user per month)
- • Advanced ($30.49 per user per month)
Toggl
Best for: Teams that need accurate time tracking and employee management tools.
Toggl is one of the most output-oriented free collaboration tools for remote teams. It is a versatile platform used for tracking task schedules and workers’ progress. It helps businesses and companies organize their workflow and improve their overall productivity.
This platform is excellent for managing tasks, assessing team performance, and analyzing productivity rates. Toggl offers an intuitive style of reporting analytics so that users can identify trends and areas that need to be improved. With its simple and practical functions, Toggl remains one of the best free remote collaboration tools.
Features:
- • Project management
- • Data and team management
- • Analytics and reporting
- • Time tracking
- • Tool integrations
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Starter ($9 per user per month)
- • Premium ($18 per user per month)
- • Enterprise (custom pricing, unlimited users)
Zapier
Best for: Teams that are looking for automation tools for repetitive tasks.
Zapier is one of the best collaboration tools for remote teams when it comes to automating the workflow. It helps to connect all the apps you use to collaborate with your colleagues. It is also an innovative platform that enables its users to integrate their services, apps, and procedures in a streamlined manner.
Because of this seamless integration, Zapier creates an environment where tedious tasks are automated. As a result, users can complete tasks within or ahead of schedule.
Features:
- • Work/task integrations
- • Workflow automation
- • Marketing automation
- • Integration of tools
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Starter ($19.99 per month)
- • Professional ($49 per month)
- • Team ($49 per month)
- • Company (custom pricing)
Dropbox
Best for: remote teams who frequently utilize file sharing setups and that share sensitive documents or large files.
Dropbox isn’t the first option you will think of when it comes to the best collaboration tools for remote teams. After all, it is primarily a strategic, cloud-based file-sharing service. Users of this software are given the ability to upload, store, and share their files.
However, Dropbox is relatively powerful. Not only is it compatible with simple documents, videos, and images, but it can also host a number of files on its storage system. It offers advanced encryption so that your files won’t be stolen or accessed without authorization.
Features:
- • Cloud storage
- • File sharing
- • Productivity tools
- • Content collaboration
Pricing:
- • Basic (free)
- • Plus ($9.99 per user per month)
- • Essentials ($18 per user per month)
- • Business ($20 per user per month)
- • Business Plus ($26 per user per month)
- • Enterprise (custom pricing)
Google Drive
Similar to Dropbox, Google Drive is one of those cloud-based collaboration tools for remote teams. But it offers more sophisticated yet practical features that can be used with its free plan.
Google Drive offers efficiency and convenience for remote working groups. It has a seamless file-sharing system, after all. At the same time, real-time collaboration could take place on any of its integrated products, such as Google Docs and Google Sheets.
Features:
- • Team collaboration
- • File sharing for individuals outside your company or organization
- • Extensive search features
- • Drag-and-drop interface
- • Seamless transition from computer to mobile interfaces
- • Project and document organization
- • Integration of Google apps
- • Automated file conversions
- • Extensive file compatibility
Best for: Businesses with high file storage capacity demands that are looking for a one-size-fits-all collaboration tool.
Pricing:
- • Free
- • Google One ($1.99 to $299.99 per month)
Comparison Table of the Best Free Remote Collaboration Tools in 2023
The following are the best collaboration tools for remote teams this 2023. All of these remote collaboration software can be used for free, but to maximize their full capabilities, subscriptions are required.
Collaboration Tool | Main Features | Pricing Plans | Pros | Cons | Best For |
Slack | Instant messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing, integrations | Free, Pro ($7.25 per user per month), Business + ($12.50 per user per month) | Easy to use, flexible, customizable, integrates with many tools | Limited functionality on the free plan, can become cluttered and difficult to manage | Best for teams that prioritize real-time communication and need to integrate with many different tools |
Zoom | Video conferencing, screen sharing, recording, virtual backgrounds | Basic, Pro ($149.90 per year), Business ($199.90 per year), Business Pro (custom pricing), Enterprise (custom pricing) | High-quality video and audio, easy to join meetings, user-friendly interface | Limited functionality on the free plan, can experience technical difficulties with large groups or poor internet connection | Best for teams that need to hold frequent meetings or webinars and prioritize video communication |
Microsoft Teams | Team messaging, channels, direct messaging, video and audio calls, file sharing, integrations, productivity apps | Free, Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4 per user per month), Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6 per user per month), Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50 per user per month), Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22 per user per month), Microsoft 365 E3 ($36 per user per month), Microsoft 365 E5 ($57 per user per month), Enterprise (customized pricing) | Excellent for team communication and collaboration, integrates with Microsoft Office apps, customizable | Limited functionality in the free plan, can be overwhelming, not suitable for non-Microsoft users | Small to large-sized teams, remote teams, knowledge workers, project managers |
Trello | Project management, task tracking, collaboration, visual organization | Free, Standard ($5 per user per month), Premium ($10 per user per month), Enterprise ($17.50 per user per month) | Simple and intuitive, visually appealing, easy to customize | Limited features on the free plan, may not be suitable for complex projects or large teams | Best for teams that prioritize visual organization and need a simple, user-friendly project management tool |
Notion | Knowledge management, project management, collaboration, note-taking | Free, Plus ($8 per user per month), Business ($15 per user per month), Enterprise (custom pricing) | Highly customizable, offers a variety of templates, integrates with many tools | Can be overwhelming with too many features, lacks some advanced project management tools | Best for teams that prioritize knowledge management and need a highly customizable, all-in-one tool |
Invision | Prototyping, design collaboration, feedback management | Free, Starter ($15 per user per month), Professional ($25 per user per month), Team plan ($99 1 owner and 4 additional team members) | Streamlines design feedback, integrates with many design tools, offers advanced prototyping features | Limited functionality on the free plan, may not be suitable for teams without a dedicated designer | Best for teams that prioritize design collaboration and need a tool specifically for design feedback and prototyping |
Monday | Project management, task tracking, collaboration, automation | Free, Standard ($9 per user per month), Basic ($12 per user per month), Pro ($19 per user per month) | Customizable, offers extensive automation options, integrates with many tools | Steep learning curve for new users, can be overwhelming with too many features | Best for teams that prioritize automation and need a powerful project management tool |
Asana | Project management, task management, team collaboration, customizable dashboards, workload management | Personal (free), Starter ($13.49 per user per month), Advanced ($30.49 per user per month) | Easy to use, highly customizable, excellent for project management, integrates with many other tools | Limited functionality in the free plan, can become overwhelming, high pricing for teams | Small to large-sized teams, remote teams, project managers |
Toggl | Project management, time tracking, billing and invoicing, project budgeting, payroll | Free, Starter ($9/user/month), Premium ($18/user/month), Enterprise (custom pricing, unlimited users) | Simple and easy to use; real-time collaboration, safe storage of files and information | Limited functionality on free plan, can be difficult to navigate for starters | Best for teams who require streamlined processes in budgeting and financial allocations |
Zapier | Automation, workflow management, integration | Free, Starter ($19.99 per month), Professional ($49 per month), Team ($49 per month), Company (custom pricing) | Offers extensive integration options, simplifies workflow management, automates repetitive tasks | Limited functionality on the free plan, can become expensive for larger teams | Best for teams that need to automate repetitive tasks and manage complex workflows |
Dropbox | File storage, file sharing, collaboration | Basic (free), Plus ($9.99 per user per month), Essentials ($18 per user per month), Business ($20 per user per month), Business Plus ($26 per user per month), Enterprise (custom pricing) | Simple and easy to use, offers extensive file syncing and sharing options | Limited features on the free plan, can become expensive for larger teams | Best for teams who frequently require file-sharing services |
Google Drive | File storage, document collaboration, real-time editing | Free, Google One ($1.99 to $299.99 per month) | Simple and easy to use, offers real-time collaboration, integrates with other Google tools | Limited storage on the free plan, lacks advanced features of other collaboration | Small to large-sized teams, remote teams, knowledge workers |
5 Techniques For Effective Collaboration Within Remote Team Working Environments
Remote team working environments function better if they are structured and detail-oriented. As such, it is essential that they have tangible principles to adopt to ensure that all of their objectives are met, despite the physical distance of the team members.
But what are the five principles of effective collaboration, anyway? Here they are.
1. Establish clear goals and expectations
Remote working is difficult if everyone is not on the same page. A working environment is much more efficient if your team members know their responsibilities, deadlines, and accountabilities. Establish objectives that are achievable and measurable so that your organization can keep track of them.
2. Leverage technology to enhance collaboration
Technology is essential for maximizing the performance and productivity of businesses and companies. In the context of remote working, key technologies such as collaboration tools are valuable. But it is more important that you can orient your team members on how to use these platforms. At the same time, find a remote collaboration software that matches the needs of your organization.
3. Encourage open communication and feedback
One vital aspect that should be established in a remote work setup is seamless communication. Team members should be able to talk with one another in real-time. Moreover, business owners, project managers, and team leaders should have scheduled video conferences where everyone can talk and share their thoughts.
With an open line of communication, it is easy to build an atmosphere of trust. In turn, it fosters collaboration between employees and management. Feedback should be taken seriously. If there are pressing matters raised by someone, they should be addressed properly and timely.
4. Facilitate team-building activities
One might think that team-building activities are no longer feasible for a remote work environment. But that’s not entirely the case. Through the use of video conferencing, teams can actually interface simultaneously.
When planning activities, consider the interests, abilities, and backgrounds of your members. At the same time, make sure that the activities are oriented toward problem-solving, creativity, cooperation, and productivity.
5. Promote a sense of shared ownership and accountability
Remote working should not be contrasted differently from traditional working setups. Hence, it is crucial that healthy business values and cultures should be integrated within the organization. In fact, remote working will foster productivity if all of the involved entities have shared ownership and accountability.
As mentioned, everyone should be held to the standards that the company has set for them. Moreover, people should be duty-bound and rewarded accordingly. Managers should establish clear and measurable goals for each team member and provide feedback and support to help them reach those goals.
Conclusion:
Collaboration tools are crucial for remote working, given that they allow people to work in a virtual environment. Despite the physical distance, these technologies allow remote workers to remain connected and productive. Specifically, these tools allow teams to share information, create projects, and edit files without gaps and clutter.