10 Best Apps for Remote Team Collaboration
byWorking remotely has many advantages, like no daily commute and more productivity. However, it can also be a little lonely, and some companies find that their remote employees don’t form connections the way they would in the office. We’ve identified ten remote collaboration tools you can implement that encourage worker collaboration and morale in remote teams.
Table of Contents
Best remote collaboration tools in 2023
1. When I Work
When I Work is a comprehensive scheduling tool that allows managers to create a daily, weekly, or monthly employee schedule with the click of a few buttons. Rather than spending hours manually preparing your employee schedule, you can complete the task in just a few minutes.
When I Work contains features that allow you to onboard new employees in just a few minutes and approve PTO requests quickly. Workers can use the mobile app to clock in for their shifts or start a chat with their colleagues. All shift calendars are shareable with the team, so everyone knows their scheduled working hours.
Key features
- Quick employee scheduling
- Time tracking capability
- Embedded team messaging features
- Timesheets for easy payroll calculation
- Save up to 15 hours weekly in scheduling time
Pricing
When I Work offers two plans: Standard and Advanced. The Standard plan costs $2.50 per user and includes essential scheduling tools, task lists, overtime visibility, and shift notifications. You can upgrade the Standard plan to have time and attendance features for $4.00 per user.
The Advanced plan starts at $6.00 per user and includes advanced scheduling rules that can make the employee scheduling process even faster.
You can try When I Work for free with a 14-day trial.
2. Slack
Slack is an all-in-one communication tool that provides all the conversation features you need. With Slack, you can set up group channels for separate teams or departments as well as inclusive channels for major company announcements and virtual team-building games.
Slack provides one-on-one direct messaging tools and features for video calls, referred to as huddles. Users can customize their messages with emojis and GIFs, making collaboration with colleagues fun.
Key features
- Group and individual messaging
- Video calling capabilities
- Availability setting
- Audio clips for accessible communication
- End-to-end data encryption
Pricing
Slack offers a free solution with its basic features, including 1:1 audio and video conversations. The Pro version starts at $7.25 monthly, allowing for group meetings and screen sharing for up to 50 people. Business+ provides advanced security features and starts at $12.50 per month.
3. Google Meet
Google Meet is a secure video meeting tool that allows anyone to schedule a meeting and invite participants. Only people who receive the link can join the call, ensuring high security.
Advanced plans for Google Meet include additional features, such as longer group video calls and noise elimination. Scheduled meetings appear in the user’s calendar, which they can share with their colleagues.
Key features
- Video meetings
- Share meeting links with users inside and outside your organization
- Use captions during meetings
- Record meetings for future reference
- Use breakout rooms for a large conference
Pricing
Google Meet is free for all companies. The free plan includes one-hour meetings and up to 15GB of storage in Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. Organizations can upgrade to the premium plan for $9.99 monthly, which allows video calls up to 24 hours in length, background noise cancellation, and video recording.
4. ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management tool that allows employers to schedule critical tasks and assign them to workers with a due date. Employees can update the status as they complete their tasks.
ClickUp includes thousands of automation tools that make scheduling simple and easy. It also fully integrates with popular remote work tools, including Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive.
Key features
- Import work from other tools such as Jira, Excel, and Asana
- Access on any device
- Assign tasks with due dates and time tracking
- Create streamlined workflows among employees
- Integrate with other tools, like Microsoft Teams and Outlook
Pricing
ClickUp offers a free solution that is best for personal use. Small teams benefit from their unlimited plan, which starts at $5 monthly. Business Plus includes team sharing, priority support, and custom role creation for $19 monthly.
5. Asana
Asana is a project management tool that allows companies to create projects and assign tasks to the appropriate employee. Employers can set a due date for each job, ensuring workers are fully aware of their responsibilities.
Asana includes various display options that make it easy to follow projects from beginning to completion, including a list view and timeline. Administrators receive real-time reports that show progress made for each project.
Key features
- Streamline workflows
- Schedule tasks and due dates
- Display open projects in a timeline or list
- Automate specific workflows for easy scheduling
- Real-time reports on project completion
Pricing
Asana’s Basic Plan is free and allows collaboration on projects for teams of up to 15 people. The Premium Plan includes unlimited dashboards and a workflow builder for $10.99 monthly. Upgrading to the Business Plan is best for companies with multiple departments with different initiatives; it costs $24.99 monthly.
6. Figma
Figma is a collaborative design platform that’s best for UI, UX, or graphic design companies. It allows workers to brainstorm new creative ideas for their customers in one single system.
Users can create diagrams and whiteboards for their creative sessions. Once design begins, they can move the project from an idea to completion through live collaboration.
Key features
- Modern pen tools incorporate Vector Networks
- Advanced font features
- Resize text and buttons automatically
- Keep libraries of past designs for creative inspiration
- Develop plugins or widgets to assist in the design process
Pricing
Figma offers four plans: Starter, Professional, Organization, and Enterprise. The Starter plan is free and includes up to three users. Professional costs $12 monthly and includes sharing and team libraries.
7. Flock
Flock is a comprehensive communication and project management tool that aims to combine features similar to Slack and ClickUp in one platform. With Flock, employers can create channels for the entire organization, individual groups, and departments.
Flock includes video conferencing, allowing employees to get on a call to discuss important tasks and initiatives. You’ll also find it easy to schedule tasks and projects, ensuring everyone is in the loop on progress.
Key features
- Direct one-on-one and group chats
- Video calls, including screen sharing
- Share important files with team members
- Robust search feature to find prior chats and files
- Create tasks lists and establish due dates
Pricing
Flock’s Starter package is free and supports teams of up to 20 individuals. Upgrading to Pro suits teams of 100 people or less and includes unlimited messages, channels, and group video calls. The Pro plan is $4.50 per user monthly.
8. Miro
Miro is an effective tool for employees who regularly collaborate on projects, such as UX and design or marketing teams. It’s ideal for creating flowcharts, brainstorming, and creating product roadmaps.
With Miro, you can track essential tasks and diagram your work. It fully integrates with numerous other platforms.
Key features
- Create low-fi wireframes for design projects
- Develop customer journey maps
- Diagram complex tasks
- ISO-27001 security
- Over 100 integrations
Pricing
A free plan is available for unlimited users. Upgrading to the Starter, Business, or Enterprise plan provides additional functionality beginning at $8 monthly.
9. Notion
Notion provides an all-in-one workspace for teams to collaborate in. Organizations can store general knowledge in Wikis accessible to all employees.
Notion makes creating meeting notes and agendas easy, ensuring you cover all relevant topics during discussions. Users can manage projects and signal their completion.
Key features
- Create company-wide Wiki guides
- Track projects from beginning to end
- View tasks in a table or calendar
- Prepare meeting notes and agendas
- Downloadable templates
Pricing
Notion offers a free solution for groups of ten people. Plus plans are $8 per user monthly, and Business plans are $15 per user monthly.
10. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a workspace that combines numerous tools in one platform. You can use Bitrix24 for communication and video calls. It also acts as a CRM and HR tool, allowing you to manage clients and employees in one interface. Bitrix24 includes a free website builder with numerous templates.
Key features
- Direct messages and video calls
- Website builder with Google Analytics integration
- Manage customer relationships, including invoicing
- Track employee time and automate PTO requests
- Maintain oversight of projects
Pricing
Bitrix24 offers a free plan for fundamental features like individual chats and video calls. Upgrading to the Basic Plan is $49 monthly for five users, while the Standard Plan is $99 monthly for up to 50 users.
Conclusion
There are many remote work collaboration tools available. Use this guide as a starting point for identifying potential solutions for your organization. Remember to factor in your company’s needs and budget when deciding.
If you’re looking for a shift-based employee scheduling, time tracking, and team messaging solution, When I Work is trusted by over 200,000 workplaces for their scheduling needs. Start your free 14-day trial of When I Work today!
