10 Tools for Remote Teams

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to temporarily or permanently transition to remote work models. While there are benefits to this arrangement, such as increased flexibility and decreased overhead costs, there are also challenges, chief among them being a lack of face-to-face interaction and collaboration.

Fortunately, many tools are available to help remote teams overcome these challenges and work together effectively.

In this blog post, we'll share 10 tools for remote teams that are the best.

Let's get started.

1. Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing tool that enables users to meet virtually face-to-face. It's perfect for team meetings, one-on-ones, happy hours, and more. Zoom also offers a number of features that make it ideal for remote teams.

Features

-Video conferencing

-Screen sharing

-Group chat

-File sharing

Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans start at $14.99/month per host

Pros

Zoom is user-friendly and offers a free plan with basic features. It's also packed with features that are ideal for remote teams, such as video conferencing, screen sharing, and group chat.

Cons

Some users have reported experiencing technical difficulties, such as audio issues and dropped calls.

2. Slack

Slack is a team messaging tool that's great for real-time communication. It's perfect for small group chats or discussion threads on specific topics. Plus, it integrates with several other tools (like Workast) to make information sharing easy.

Features

-Team messaging

-Real-time communication

-Integrations

Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans start at $6.67/month per user

Pros

Slack is easy to use and offers a free plan with basic features. It's also great for real-time communication and integrates with other tools for easy information sharing.

Cons

Slack can be difficult to keep organized, and some users have reported experiencing technical difficulties, such as glitches and slow loading times.

3. Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts is a video conferencing tool that's built into Google's suite of productivity tools. It's great for team meetings, one-on-ones, and small group chats.

Features

-Video conferencing

-Screen sharing

-Integrations

Pricing: Free

Pros

Google Hangouts is free to use and integrates with other Google tools, such as Gmail and Calendar. It's also relatively easy to use.

Cons

It is only for texting and calling, so it may not be the best tool for more in-depth conversations or projects.

4. Trello

Trello is a project management tool that organizes tasks and keeps track of progress. It's perfect for remote teams that need to stay on top of deadlines and deliverables.

Features

-Project management

-Task management

-Collaboration

Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans start at $9.99/month per user

Pros

Trello is free to use and offers various features ideal for remote teams, such as project management, task management, and collaboration.

Cons

It depends on data availability, which means it may not be the best tool for teams with members in different time zones.

5. Asana

Asana is a project management tool that's similar to Trello. It's great for tracking progress on deadlines and deliverables.

Features

-Project management

-Task management

-Collaboration

Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans start at $10.99/month per user

Pros

Asana is free to use and offers various features that are ideal for remote teams, such as project management, task management, and collaboration.

Cons

As with Trello, Asana depends on data availability, which means it may not be the best tool for teams with members in different time zones.

6. Basecamp

Basecamp is a project management tool that organizes tasks, files, and discussions in one place. It's perfect for remote teams that need to stay on top of deadlines and deliverables.

Features

-Project management

-File sharing

-Discussion forums

Pricing: Starts at $99/month for unlimited users

Pros

Basecamp offers various features ideal for remote teams, such as project management, task management, file sharing, and discussion forums. Plus, it's easy to use.

Cons

There are some difficulties in transferring and maintaining documents through basecamp.

7. Evernote

Evernote is a note-taking app that helps you capture ideas, thoughts, and information quickly and easily. It's perfect for jotting down ideas on the go or taking detailed notes during meetings or calls. 

Features

-Note-taking

-Task management

-File sharing

Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans start at $7.99/month per user

Pros

Evernote is free to use and offers various features ideal for remote teams, such as note-taking, task management, and file sharing. Plus, it's available on multiple platforms.

Cons

The free version of Evernote is fairly limited, so you may need to upgrade to the paid plan to get the most out of it.

8. Microsoft Team

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool part of the Microsoft Office suite. It's great for team chat, video conferencing, and file sharing.

Features

-Team chat

-Video conferencing

-File sharing

Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans start at $5/user per month

Pros

Microsoft Teams is free to use and offers various features ideal for remote teams, such as team chat, video conferencing, and file sharing. It integrates with other Microsoft Office tools.

Cons

The interface can be confusing to navigate, and some features are only available in the paid version.

9. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a video conferencing tool that lets you meet with team members and clients remotely. It's perfect for meetings, presentations, and training sessions.

Features

-Video conferencing

-Screen sharing

-Recording

Pricing: Starts at $14/month per host

Pros

GoToMeeting offers various features that are ideal for remote teams, such as video conferencing, screen sharing, and recording. Plus, it's easy to use.

Cons

The price can be a bit expensive for small businesses.

10. Free Conference Call

Free Conference Call is a video conferencing tool that lets you meet with team members and clients remotely. It's perfect for meetings, presentations, and training sessions.

Features

-Video conferencing

-Screen sharing

-Recording

Pricing: Free for up to 1000 participants; paid plans start at $49

.95/month

Pros

Free Conference Call is free to use for up to 1000 participants. It offers various features that are ideal for remote teams, such as video conferencing, screen sharing, and recording.

Cons

There are some reports of poor audio quality and connection issues.

Coworking Spaces - A Tool for Remote Team

Although not strictly a "tool" in the same sense as the others on this list, coworking spaces can be incredibly helpful for remote teams who need a place to gather outside the home office (or coffee shop). Coworking spaces offer amenities like meeting rooms, private offices, common areas, and event space—all of which can be rented on an as-needed basis. Shared offices have become more popular recently as employees' work-life balance has become a higher priority. If your team is dispersed across different cities or countries, you can use coworking spaces to create a "home base" where everyone can feel connected to the company and each other.

You can get shared offices by searching on google "Shared office [city name]. For example, "Shared office London".

Whether you're just starting remote work or doing it for years, there's always room for improvement. And with the right tools

Conclusion

There you have it—essential tools for remote teams. Staying connected and productive when working remotely can be a challenge but with the right tools, it doesn't have to be.

Utilizing these tools can overcome the challenges associated with working remotely, stay organized, and stay connected with your team.

Do you have any favorite remote working tools that we didn't mention? Let us know in the comments.