21 Essential Tools for Remote Teams

Have you ever wondered how successful remote teams stay productive and connected despite being miles apart? The answer lies in having the right digital toolkit at your disposal.

Remote work isn’t just a temporary trend—it’s become a fundamental shift in how businesses operate globally. Whether your team is distributed by choice or necessity, having the right tools can transform your remote work experience from merely functional to exceptionally productive.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the 21 most essential tools for remote teams that can revolutionize your virtual workspace. Let’s dive in!

Why The Right Remote Tools Matter

Before we explore specific tools, let’s consider why investing in quality remote work solutions is critical:

• Remote workers are 13% more productive than their in-office counterparts, according to a Stanford study
• Companies that support remote work see 25% lower employee turnover on average
• 77% of remote workers report higher productivity when working from home

The right tools help you capitalize on these benefits while mitigating the challenges of distance.

Communication Tools: The Digital Heartbeat of Remote Teams

Communication is the foundation of any successful remote team. These tools help bridge the physical gap between team members:

1. Slack: Your Virtual Office Space

Slack has been one of the most popular communication tools for professional teams for years. It streamlines communication by consolidating multiple apps in a single view—you can send private messages, chat in groups, and even video chat. Its unique “channels” feature allows you to communicate about current projects without distracting uninvolved team members.

Pricing: Free for small teams with unlimited duration. For medium to larger teams, pricing ranges from $6–$12.50 per active user per month.

Pro Tip: Create dedicated channels for both work projects and casual conversation to maintain team culture.

2. Zoom: The Virtual Meeting Room Champion

Zoom has skyrocketed in popularity as businesses seek innovative video conferencing solutions for remote teams. It’s extremely flexible and easy to set up, allowing you to conduct full team meetings or break into smaller groups for focused discussions.

Pricing: Free for one-to-one meetings. Small teams pay $14.99/month/host, while Business and Enterprise plans cost $19.99/month/host.

Pro Tip: Use Zoom’s breakout rooms feature during large meetings to facilitate smaller group discussions before reconvening.

3. Nextiva: Comprehensive Business Communication

Nextiva is a telecom app with options for both small businesses and major enterprises. It provides a complete suite of tools designed to improve team communication efficiency, including VoIP, video conferencing, message-based collaboration, and analytics capabilities. It also integrates with several other popular business tools.

Pricing: Collaboration plans start at $19.95 per month per user.

4. Loom: Show, Don’t Just Tell

Loom enables you to create screen recordings with audio, allowing you to show your remote colleagues exactly what you want to demonstrate. It’s convenient and lets you share videos via URL that can be viewed in any web browser without downloads.

Expert Insight: “Video messages reduce the number of meetings by up to 30%,” notes remote work consultant Jennifer Wilson. “They allow asynchronous communication while preserving visual context.”

Collaboration Tools: Creating Together While Apart

When you can’t collaborate in person around a conference table, these tools become your virtual workspace:

5. Google Workspace (formerly G Suite): The All-in-One Solution

Google Workspace provides numerous collaborative tools within a single ecosystem. Every account comes with Gmail and access to collaboration software like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The suite also includes communication and analytics tools such as Google Hangouts and Forms for in-team surveys.

Pricing: Google Workspace pricing starts at $6.00 per month per user.

Pro Tip: Use Google Docs’ commenting feature for asynchronous feedback rather than scheduling meetings for simple document reviews.

6. Microsoft Office 365: The Familiar Powerhouse

Microsoft’s comparable package is Office 365, which includes access to a Microsoft Outlook account and both desktop and cloud-based versions of apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Office 365 and Google Workspace are highly similar, so you’ll likely only need one or the other.

Pricing: Office 365 costs either $6.99 monthly for one person or $9.99 monthly for up to six people. Annual options are available at $69.99 or $99.99 respectively.

7. Markup Hero: Visual Communication Made Easy

Markup Hero is a screenshot and file annotation tool that serves multiple purposes. It’s excellent for capturing ideas and communicating with your team through annotations like arrows, text callouts, highlights, and shapes. Product managers use it for QA feedback and product ideas, customer support teams create quick notes for support tickets, and marketing teams use it to create content visuals or provide feedback on campaigns.

Pricing: Markup Hero offers a completely free version limited to 30 markups per month with no credit card required. Power users can upgrade to the Superhero plan at $4.00 per month (billed annually), which includes unlimited screenshots and markups, unlimited storage, and enhanced security features like private or public share links.

8. Asana: Project Management Simplified

Asana makes it easy for team members to manage their individual task lists. You can break projects down by category and assign different user permissions to effectively segment projects by department while maintaining organization. Check out our Asana guide!

Pricing: Asana’s free version accommodates teams of up to 15 people. Asana Premium costs $10.99 per user monthly (billed annually) or $13.49 (billed monthly). Asana Business is $24.99 per user monthly (billed annually) or $30.49 (billed monthly).

9. Dropbox: Cloud Storage That Connects

If your team frequently shares files, Dropbox is an essential collaboration tool. Its primary function is cloud storage, backing up your files and making them accessible anywhere. It also excels at managing different versions of collaborative files and simplifying work sharing.

Pricing: Dropbox offers 2GB of storage for free or a full terabyte for $9.99. You can also earn additional free storage through referrals.

10. Evernote: The Digital Notebook

Evernote remains one of the best note-taking apps available despite its longevity. You can take notes, create task lists, and share content with others using any internet-connected device. It also allows you to save web content, and team members can use it to organize their own files and tasks.

Pricing: Evernote offers three pricing tiers: Free, Premium at $7.99 monthly (nearly $100 annually), and Business at $14.99 monthly.

11. Lucidchart: Visual Collaboration

Lucidchart is an online collaboration tool specializing in visual representation. You can create diagrams, collaborate on shared whiteboards, and produce graphs and charts to visualize data. For brainstorming sessions, it creates the feeling of being in the same room despite physical distance.

Pricing: Lucidchart pricing starts at $7.95 per month per user, with a free version also available.

Team Management Tools: Leading From a Distance

Managing remote employees requires specialized tools to track productivity and engagement:

12. EmailAnalytics: Email Productivity Insights

EmailAnalytics helps monitor and manage remote employees’ email activity. You can track the number of emails sent and received daily, average email thread lengths, response times, and more. This information helps improve communication efficiency, balance workloads among team members, and optimize workflows.

Pricing: $15 per mailbox monthly, with bulk user discounts ranging from $5-$12 per mailbox monthly.

13. Time Doctor: Remote Work Accountability

Time Doctor addresses the challenge of monitoring remote employees by providing comprehensive time tracking. Employees can record how much time they’re spending and on what activities. It also features analytics tools that help analyze project costs and team efficiency.

Be sure to check out our complete list of the best time tracking apps. And don’t miss our in-depth overview of Time Doctor vs. RescueTime.

Pricing: Time Doctor pricing starts at $5.00 per month per user, with both free trial and free version options.

14. ZoomShift: Scheduling for Hourly Teams

ZoomShift is scheduling software designed specifically for hourly employees. It helps businesses create work schedules faster, reduce payroll costs, and enable employees to clock in and view their hours easily. The software centralizes all employee scheduling information and improves staff accountability.

Pricing:

• Starter: $2 per active team member monthly
• Premium: $4 per active team member monthly
• Enterprise: Custom pricing based on added features

15. Toggl: Streamlined Time Tracking

Toggl is another time tracking tool focused on user-friendliness for both employees and managers. It includes several tools for managing remote teams and features automated reporting to keep you informed of employee progress.

Pricing: Toggl pricing starts at $9.00 per month per user. A free version including all basic time tracking features is available for up to 5 members.

16. Chimp or Champ: Employee Happiness Meter

Employee morale can decline when transitioning to remote work, but Chimp or Champ helps gauge how employees are adapting. It functions as an employee happiness meter, asking staff to check in with their progress, feedback, and overall sentiments, allowing you to make adaptive changes to your remote work setup to maximize productivity.

Pricing: Free to start. The premium version costs $2 USD per user monthly, with tailored pricing for enterprise customers.

17. Kickidler: Advanced Employee Monitoring

Kickidler is employee monitoring software that tracks time, monitors employee screens, and provides automatic notifications for certain events like extended idle periods. While remote work typically offers more autonomy, this tool provides oversight that some managers may find valuable.

Pricing: Kickidler pricing starts at $9.99 per month per user, with a more limited free version available.

18. WooBoard: Remote Recognition and Rewards

If you regularly celebrate achievements and reward employee successes, WooBoard is worth considering. It enables peer-to-peer recognition, sets up gamified rewards systems, and allows distribution of rewards to top performers, helping maintain morale and increase team engagement.

Pricing: WooBoard pricing starts at $20.00 monthly, with both free version and free trial options.

For more team management software, click that link! We’ve got a whole list of ’em 😁

Productivity and Work-Life Balance Tools: The Human Element

Remote work brings unique challenges for maintaining focus and separating work from personal life:

19. Siddhify – Smart Project Management for Small Businesses and Teams

Siddhify is an AI-powered project management tool designed to streamline your work and life, balance personal and professional tasks, and improve productivity. Perfect for small businesses and teams, Siddhify helps teams stay organized and focused.

Pricing: Starts from 6.99/mo, a free forever plan is available.

20. Brain.fm: Productivity-Enhancing Music

The right music can significantly boost productivity, with emphasis on “right.” Music that’s too loud, soft, lyrical, or aggressive can hinder focus. Brain.fm plays music specifically designed to enhance productivity, providing the perfect background audio for remote work.

Pricing: A Brain.fm subscription costs $6.95 monthly, $48 annually, or $150 for lifetime access.

21. Headspace: Mental Wellbeing for Remote Workers

Headspace is a mindfulness app with substantial benefits when used consistently. Regular mindfulness meditation improves emotional control, reduces stress, and enhances focus. It also promotes better sleep quality and consistency, supporting both mental and physical health. For those struggling to maintain good habits while working remotely, it’s essential.

Pricing: $12.99 monthly for access beyond introductory sessions, or $95 for an annual subscription.

Bonus Tool: Field Service Management

22. FieldServicely: Mobile Workforce Management

FieldServicely is a user-friendly platform designed to help businesses manage field technicians and contractors. It provides tools for job management, GPS tracking, scheduling, and real-time notifications. Additional features include geofenced attendance, timesheet management, customer invoicing, payroll calculations, and performance dashboards.

With mobile apps for both iOS and Android, FieldServicely aims to streamline field operations and improve both productivity and customer satisfaction.

Making the Transition to Remote Work

Adopting remote work as a team for the first time represents a significant adjustment, even for those who have previously experimented with remote arrangements. However, these tools make it considerably easier to communicate, collaborate, and monitor your team effectively.

Remote work has been a growing trend for some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated adoption, pushing many hesitant organizations to make the switch and forcing traditional businesses to reconsider their stance on remote work.

Remote work offers numerous advantages. Employees gain more autonomy, flexibility, higher job satisfaction, and reduce commuting time and expenses. Employers benefit from increased employee productivity and lower office costs.

Final Thoughts: Building Your Remote Work Tech Stack

Remember that the perfect remote work toolkit looks different for every team. Consider these questions when selecting your tools:

1. What are your team’s primary communication needs? (Synchronous vs. asynchronous)
2. How complex are your collaboration requirements? (Simple file sharing vs. complex project management)
3. What level of oversight do you need as a manager? (Minimal tracking vs. comprehensive monitoring)
4. What productivity challenges do your team members face? (Focus issues, time management, etc.)

The most successful remote teams don’t necessarily use every tool available—they strategically select the ones that address their specific challenges.

Expert Recommendation: “Start with the fundamentals—a reliable communication platform, a collaborative workspace, and a project management system,” suggests Lisa Rangel, remote work consultant. “Then add specialized tools based on your team’s unique pain points.”

What tools has your remote team found most valuable? Are there any challenges you’re still looking to solve? Share your experiences in the comments below!