Team collaboration has changed in the past two decades and has changed even more since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With pandemic closures impacting everything from small businesses to large corporations, formerly on-site teams suddenly became remote teams, requiring businesses to change the way that they do business.

According to Forbes, leaders have to rely on business collaboration tools more than ever before and the choices will seem endless. Here are some of the best online collaboration tools to keep your team moving, no matter where they may be.

Business collaboration tools list:

 

Design and visual communication tools

Venngage

Who’s it for: Venngage is an infographic design solution that lets you create infographics, reports, business proposals, presentation decks, posters, signage, and a wide range of other graphics assets—no design skills required.

Features: Extensive graphics library, thousands of fully customizable templates, real-time team collaboration features, branding kit, drag-and-drop editor, and seamless sharing within teams or publicly on Venngage’s community page.

Businesses choosing Venngage can enjoy seamless team collaboration and communication features like:

Real-time collaboration:

Commenting:

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Venngage also offers thousands of fully customizable templates that can be used for any business communications and collaboration needs:

Project communication plan:

CREATE THIS TEMPLATE 

Pitch deck:

CREATE THIS TEMPLATE 

Job aid:

CREATE THIS TEMPLATE 

Pricing: Venngage offers a free plan for users that gives them unfettered access to over 1,400 templates and 3 million stock photos.

To create more infographics and have more storage available for graphics, you can upgrade to the Premium plan, which is $19/month or $16/month if you sign up for a yearly subscription. For businesses, Venngage also has a comprehensive Business plan for $49/month or $39/month if you sign up for a yearly subscription.

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Project and task management tools

Wrike

Who’s it for: Small to large organizations use Wrike to manage projects and break down organizational siloes.

Features: Pre-built and purpose-driven workflow templates, Kanban boards for Agile teams, Gantt charts to illustrate timelines and dependencies, team calendars, customizable dashboards and more.

Integrations: Microsoft Teams, Tableau, Salesforce, Google Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, SharePoint, OneDrive, Github, Jira, and more. Wrike integrates with over 400 different apps and programs.

Pricing: Wrike offers free plans for simple task tracking, or you can sign up for one of their paid plans. Their Professional plan is $9.80 per user/month, and their Business plan is $24.80 per user/month. They also offer specialized enterprise plans to meet the needs of individual organizations.

Basecamp

Who’s it for: Remote teams of all sizes can benefit from Basecamp’s comprehensive collaboration toolset.

Features: Document repository, group chat feature, calendar integrations, automatic check-ins, to-do lists, message boards, Gantt charts, project tracking, and more.

Integrations: Zapier, Field Trip, Slack, Google Hangouts, MangoBoard, Google Calendar, Trello, Jira, HubSpot, Asana, Microsoft Outlook, Evernote, OneNote, Tableau, and much more.

Pricing: Basecamp offers a free Personal plan and a paid Business plan.

The Personal plan gives you 1GB of storage space to support up to 20 users for 3 projects. The Business plan offers unlimited users and projects, as well as 500GB of storage space for a $99/month flat fee.

Asana

Who’s it for: Everyone from individuals to enterprise clients can use Asana to track projects and workflows.

Features: List view, timelines, project boards, goal tracking, automation, workflows, dashboards, internal messaging, file sharing, templates, and more.

Integrations: Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, Vimeo, Zendesk, Zoom, LucidChart, Zapier, and more.

Pricing: Asana offers a free Basic plan that is perfect for individuals or small teams, as well as Premium ($10.99 per user/month) and Business ($24.99 per user/month) plans with broader capabilities.

Trello

Who’s it for: Trello is flexible enough for entrepreneurs, medium-sized businesses and enterprise clients.

Features: Code-free automation, timeline view, Kanban boards, dashboard, table view, calendaring for time management, file sharing, project planning, instant messaging and more.

Integrations: Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and Confluence.

Pricing: Individuals and small teams can sign up for a Free Trello account. A Business Class account is $10 per user/month billed annually. Enterprise accounts are also available.

 

Business chat and messaging tools

Slack

Who’s it for: Slack is a tool suitable for teams of all sizes, supported by multi-channeled chats and video conferencing capabilities.

Features: Instant messaging, voice and video calls, workflow builder, channels, inter-organizational collaboration, file sharing, and project archives.

Integrations: Dropbox, Zoom, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Suite, Salesforce, Zendesk, Jira Cloud, Asana, Zapier, Trello, and more.

Pricing: Slack offers three plans for users. The Standard plan offers basic functionality and 10 GB of storage per member for $6.67 per user/month. The Plus plan offers 20 GB of storage and supports the use of SSO for $12.50 per user/month. Enterprise plans are also available.

Connecteam

Who’s it for: Sole proprietors to enterprise organizations can benefit from Connecteam’s company chat and messaging tools, designed to keep stakeholders in touch and provide the means to share documents and other assets to facilitate collaboration.

Features: Mobile employee communication tools, task management, digital forms, employee scheduling and time clocks and training course development and delivery.

Integrations: QuickBooks and NextBee.

Pricing: Connecteam offers three plans for up to 50 users and an Enterprise plan.

Their Free plan offers their most basic tools. For $39/month, you can upgrade to a Basic plan, adding team chat and directory features.

Their Advanced plan offers even more features, such as live polling and chat channels, for $79/month.

Their Expert plan offers the full suite of features for $159/month. Teams larger than 50 users can contact Connecteam for an Enterprise plan quote.

 

Voice and video conferencing tools

Zoom

Who’s it for: Zoom is used by everyone from individuals to schools to enterprise clients.

Features: HD video and audio, multi-screenshare, reaction polls, instant messaging, customizable backgrounds and filters, and desktop and mobile apps.

Integrations: Google Workspaces, Panopto, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, Monday.com, Asana, LinkedIn, Flock, Zoho CRM, Zapier, Atlassian Jira and many more.

Pricing: Zoom offers a free Basic plan that lets you meet with up to 100 participants for up to 40 minutes at a time. Their Pro plan is $149.90 per license/year for up to 1,000 participants and group meetings up to 30 hours. The Business plan is $199.900 per license/year with additional benefits such as Single Sign-on and company branding.

Skype

Who’s it for: Skype is a video and instant messaging tool that works for individuals to enterprise clients.

Features: Audio and HD video calling, call recording, subtitles, smart messaging, screensharing and more.

Integrations: Microsoft Teams, AnswerConnect, Avaya, Cisco, Dialogflow, Outlook and more.

Pricing: Skype offers a Free version that allows for instant messaging and video calls, as well as subscription-based services to use Skype as a phone.

 

Document collaboration tools

Google Workspace

Who’s it for: Google Workspace is a business-oriented collaboration product for small to large businesses.

Features: Google Workspace is made up of a constellation of Google apps, including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and more.

Integrations: Adobe Creative Cloud, box, Dropbox, Evernote, LucidChart, Asana, DocuSign, Freshdesk, SurveyMonkey, SmartDraw and much more.

Pricing: Google Workspace is a suite of several Google tools, including Docs, Sheets, Meet and more. The Business Starter plan is $6 per user/month, the Business Standard plan is $12 per user/month, and the Business Plus plan is $18 per user/month, with each plan offering more storage and conferencing capabilities.

Microsoft Office 365

Who’s it for: Individuals, businesses, schools, and enterprise clients use Microsoft Office 365 for document creation, editing and management.

Features: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, Outlook, Publisher, SharePoint, Skype, Yammer, and more.

Integrations: Docusign, Zapier, DropBox, Salesforce, Ring Central, box, Clio, ActiveCampaign, Okta, Miro, and more.

Pricing: There are many plans for Microsoft 365, each with its own features and benefits. Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $5 per user/month and the Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan is $20 per user/month. Microsoft 365 Family is $99.99/year for up to six people.

Freshservice

Who’s it for: Small to large IT and non-IT organizations use Freshservice to track workflows and manage projects.

Features: Asset and inventory tracking, project management, task tracking, automation of tasks such as emails and responses, workflows and customizable dashboards.

Pricing: For a price quote, contact BMC Software directly.

 

File sharing and storage tools

Google Drive

Who’s it for: Google Drive is a cloud-based document storage solution for everyone from individuals to enterprise organizations.

Features: Cloud-based document storage, real-time collaboration, task assignment, deep integrations with other Google tools such as Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

Integrations: Slack, Dropbox, Airtable, Trello, YouTube, TypeForm, G Suite, Asana, Facebook Pages, Discord, HubSpot and thousands more.

Pricing: Google Drive is free to use, but organizations may choose to upgrade to Google Workspace to unlock all of this tool’s advanced capabilities. A Business Starter plan starts at $6 per user/month, with additional plans available at $12 per user/month for Business Standard and $18 per user/month for Business Plus. Enterprise plans are also available.

Dropbox

Who’s it for: Businesses, professionals and individuals who need cloud storage for digital files use Dropbox to store their important files.

Features: File sharing, device syncing, desktop and mobile apps, security and back-ups, collaboration tools, file organization and document management tools.

Integrations: Canva, Autodesk, Trello, Slack, Okta, and Getty Images.

Pricing: Dropbox offers a Basic free plan with 2 GB of storage, a Plus plan for $9.99/month with 2 TB of storage and a Family plan for $16.99 per month for up to six users.

For business accounts, Dropbox offers a Standard plan with 5 TB of storage for $12.50 per user/month, a Professional plan with 3 TB of storage plus sharing tools for $16.58/month and an Advanced plan for $20 per user/month with unlimited storage.

Flock

Who’s it for: Remote and on-site teams use Flock to stay in contact.

Features: instant messaging, channel chats, video calling, file sharing, productivity tools, and personalized onboarding.

Integrations: Asana, Twitter, Trello, Github, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Todoist, Mailchimp, Bitbucket, and Jira.

Pricing: Flock has a free Starter plan for up to 20 team members. A pro plan costs $4.50 per user/mo. for up to 100 team members. Enterprise quotes are also available for larger teams.

 

Time tracking and scheduling tools

Nutcache

Who’s it for: Small to large organizations can use Nutcache for work and time tracking, task management, and automation.

Features: Collaboration workspace, work tracking, task management, automation, Gantt charts, project budgeting, time tracking, invoicing, and more.

Integrations: PayPal, Stripe, QuickBooks, Google Suite, Slack, GitHub, and Zapier.

Pricing: Nutcache offers a Free plan to get you started, as well as a Pro plan for $$6 per user/month and an Enterprise plan for $12 per user/month.

When I Work

Who’s it for: When I Work is a collaboration tool for small to large teams.

Features: Time tracking, internal communications, work scheduling, project tracking, 1:1 and group chats, time-off requests, clock-in/clock-out, onboarding, labor forecasting, auto-scheduling, payroll integration, labor reporting, cost tracking, and more.

Integrations: ADP, Gigwage, Onpay, Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex, Square, Crew, Zapier, and more.

Pricing: When I Work offers pricing that scales to meet your business needs. For organizations up to 100 employees, When I Work costs $2.00 per user. Enterprise plans for larger organizations are also available.

 

Business collaboration tools FAQ

What are collaboration tools for business?

Organizations rely on many tools to facilitate collaboration and communication among and within teams. Some of the most common collaboration tools for business include:

• Project management software
• Time tracking software
• Employee communication and networking
• Document repository
• Cloud-based document sharing and editing
• Visual communication tools

What are the benefits of collaboration tools?

Collaboration tools are essential for managing the flow of work in organizations, especially when our teams are separated due to remote work or geography.

When and where should I use business collaboration tools?

Business collaboration tools can be used to manage both onsite and remote teams, as well as to facilitate teamwork among geographically separated team members.

How do I choose the right business collaboration tools?

A worker is only as good as their tools, and business collaboration tools are no different. When considering the right tools for your organization consider the following questions:

• Does this business collaboration platform do everything I need, or will I need to invest in additional tools?
• What does my team like or not like about this tool?
• Is this tool hard to learn or implement?
• Is this tool secure?
• Can this tool grow with my business?
• Does this business communication tool offer adequate customer support?
• Does it have all the functions you need or those you expect to need in the future?
• Does this tool give you an adequate return on investment?

If you are looking for the best collaboration software for small businesses and enterprise organizations, you will find that there are many to choose from.

Team collaboration tools can help your team maximize its potential or drag it into chaos.

By carefully considering the best online collaboration tools for business, you can choose a business collaboration software that will deliver real results.

 

In summary: Invest in the right business collaboration tools for better teamwork and increases in productivity

Having the right collaboration tools in the workplace is vital to ensure seamless team collaboration and effective implementation of any team projects.

Besides being the perfect visual communication tool, Venngage offers many features that make collaboration among team members a breeze.

You can easily add team members to a design and work together in real time directly on the design dashboard. You can also add comments or share the design with everyone via a private link.

Our library of thousands of easy-to-edit templates and our drag-and-drop editor allow you to quickly and easily create business materials and other content with ease. Start creating and collaborating now—no design experience required.

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