The best workplace collaboration tools for distributed teams

Social distancing may have ended years ago, but one in four full-time employees still work in remote or hybrid environments. And they like it that way: Nearly half say a return-to-office mandate would put them on the hunt for a new job.

Remote work may not be new. But the art of managing distributed teams is still evolving, and collaboration remains one of the biggest challenges. Without a good system for helping employees work together, teams risk misalignment, missed deadlines, and communication breakdowns.

That’s why choosing a reliable workplace collaboration tool that aligns with your organization's needs is a must. We’ve rounded up 10 top-rated platforms built to keep distributed teams productive and in sync. 

What are team collaboration tools? 

Team collaboration tools do just what the name suggests: help team members coordinate work and remain aligned on shared goals. They also help HR and management keep their finger on the pulse of employee performance and team dynamics. These tools can be helpful even for on-site workers, but in remote and hybrid environments, they’re operationally essential.

Some business collaboration tools offer all-in-one functionality, including features like task management, analytics, real-time messaging, document collaboration, and video conferencing. Others focus on project tracking, team communication, collaborative whiteboarding, or other specific needs.

10 online tools for collaboration for modern teams

The right workplace collaboration tool depends on your team’s goals, workflows, and preferred ways of working. Here’s a look at 10 of the best platforms for distributed teams. 

Workleap

Workleap is a people-first collaboration platform that transforms the employee experience into a team sport. From peer recognition to 360-degree feedback to engagement surveys, every feature is designed to spark meaningful conversations and shared ownership. The result? Performance and engagement become active, everyday habits owned by teams — not just HR.

Best for: HR teams that want to turn employee experience into a collaborative, everyday practice

Pros

• Encourages teamwide participation in performance and engagement
• Modular tools tailored to real HR workflows
• Seamless integrations with collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams

Cons

• Designed for people-first teams — less relevant for companies with top-down cultures

Integrations

Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Outlook, and more

Pricing

Free trial available. Full suite at $12 per team member per month. Individual tools range from $2 to $5.

Slack

Slack boosts collaboration by keeping teams connected through shared channels, direct messages, and quick huddles for voice or video calls. It also indexes every message and file for easy search and retrieval.

Best for: Real-time communication and fast team messaging

Pros

• Real-time messaging with robust search
• Strong app ecosystem and integrations
• User-friendly interface

Cons

• Limited message history and integrations on free plan
• Can get noisy without good channel management

Integrations

Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Trello, Zoom, Salesforce, and more

Pricing

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $8.75 per team member per month.

Trello

Trello uses boards, lists, and task-specific cards for project management. Each card can include due dates, attachments, checklists, labels, and comments. Add-ons known as Power-Ups are also available to integrate the platform with other apps and collaboration tools.

Best for: Simple, visual task management

Pros

• Easy to use and quick to set up
• Highly visual and intuitive layout
• Good for small teams and simple projects

Cons

• Lacks advanced features like time tracking or Gantt charts
• “Power-Up” add-ons required for deeper functionality

Integrations

Slack, Google Drive, Jira, Confluence, and more

Pricing

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $5 per team member per month.

Asana

Asana offers multiple project views, including list, Kanban, calendar, and Gantt-style timelines. Users can assign tasks, set due dates and dependencies, and automate processes with custom rules.

Best for: Teams managing complex projects and workflows

Pros

• Flexible views for different work styles
• Strong automation features
• Helpful for cross-functional team visibility

Cons

• Only one assignee allowed per task, which may require workarounds for collaborative projects
• May be too feature-heavy for small teams

Integrations

Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Zoom, and more

Pricing

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $10.99 per team member per month.‍

Miro

Miro is an online whiteboard tool with an infinite canvas for idea sharing and real-time team collaboration. Remote teams often use it for brainstorming and digital whiteboarding, mapping, and planning. The platform includes more than 5,000 templates and integrates with Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive.

Best for: Visual brainstorming, whiteboarding, and remote workshops

Pros

• Highly interactive and visual
• Great for creative, non-linear workflows
• Extensive template and integration library

Cons

• Free plan limits users to three editable boards
• May feel overwhelming to non-designers

Integrations

Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, and more

Price

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $8 per team member per month, with Enterprise pricing available for teams of 30 or more.

Google Workspace

A popular choice for modern teams, Google Workspace includes tools like Gmail, Google Chat, Calendar, and Meet, plus Docs, Sheets, and Slides for real-time collaboration.

Best for: Cloud-based document collaboration and communication

Pros

• Seamless, real-time document collaboration
• Simple sharing and access controls
• Cloud-native and accessible across devices

Cons

• Lacks some advanced formatting and analytics features
• Offline access may be inconsistent

Integrations

Thousands of third-party apps via Google Workspace Marketplace

Price

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $7 per team member per month, with an Enterprise tier available for a custom price.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based team collaboration platform that combines chat, video conferencing, and file sharing in one interface. It’s popular with organizations around the world thanks to its seamless integration with tools like Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Best for: Teams already using Microsoft 365

Pros

• Deep integration with Microsoft 365
• Strong video and audio quality
• Secure and scalable for large organizations

Cons

• Interface can feel unintuitive to new users
• Overlapping features with Outlook may cause confusion

Integrations

Microsoft 365 suite, Trello, Adobe, Zoom, and more

Price

Free trial available. Teams Essentials starts at $4 per team member per month. Platform also included in Microsoft 365 plans, starting at $6 per seat.

Zoom

Zoom is a popular video conferencing platform known for HD video, screen sharing, breakout rooms, and built-in meeting recording.

Best for: Reliable video conferencing for meetings, webinars, and remote collaboration

Pros

• High-quality video and audio
• Easy to use and widely adopted
• Strong host controls and recording options

Cons

• Free plan limits group meetings to 40 minutes
• Advanced webinar features cost extra

Integrations

Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Calendly, and more

Price

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $13.33 per team member per month.

Notion

Notion is a project management tool that uses a flexible page-and-block system to organize content. Users can create notes, databases, Kanban boards, and calendars within a single digital workspace.

Best for: Knowledge sharing, team documentation, and light project management

Pros

• Great for documentation and internal knowledge bases
• Combines note-taking, databases, and project views
• Highly flexible and customizable

Cons

• Steeper learning curve for new users
• Can become cluttered without structure

Integrations

Slack, Google Drive, Figma, GitHub, and more via third-party tools

Price

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $10 per team member per month. ‍

ClickUp

ClickUp is a project and task management platform with multiple views, including lists, boards, and calendars. It also offers built-in time tracking, real-time document collaboration, and customizable automation rules.

Best for: All-in-one task and project management with deep customization.

Pros

• Highly customizable and feature-rich
• Supports multiple project views
• Built-in time tracking and automation

Cons

• Complex interface can feel overwhelming
• May require significant onboarding time for new users

Integrations

Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and more

Price

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $7 per team member per month.

How to choose the right software for collaboration

Online collaboration tools only work if they meet your team’s real needs. Here are three things to evaluate before you commit:

• Functionality: Think about how your team works, not just what the tools can do. Most organizations benefit from adopting a few collaboration tools that fit together well. A free trial is a great way to test the fit before you invest.

• Price: Look beyond the monthly fee. Consider setup costs, add-ons, and the value delivered — higher prices don’t always mean better results.
• Social proof: Check product reviews for the collaboration software, ideally from similar-sized companies within your industry. Testimonials can give you a feel for how well a tool works before you spend time and money on implementation. 

From daily tasks to big goals: Work better with Workleap

Most remote workforces share similar goals for their collaboration tools: removing siloes, improving employee experiences, and making enhanced teamwork easy. 

Workleap helps teams do exactly that. Our all-in-one platform simplifies performance management, engagement, onboarding, and skills development, giving HR the tools to lead with impact.

Make remote work simpler. Book a demo with Workleap to explore the platform built for people-first teams.

FAQs

What are the five essential features of an online collaborative tool?

While every organization’s needs are different, most remote teams rely on online collaboration tools for a mix of the following functions:

• Feedback and recognition tools: To encourage two-way communication, peer appreciation, and a shared sense of progress.
• Real-time messaging: For quick check-ins, clarifications, and keeping momentum.
• Collaborative document editing: So teams can co-create content without version control headaches.
• File sharing: To centralize assets and reduce back-and-forth communication.
• Task and project tracking: To keep work visible, organized, and on schedule.
• Video conferencing: For face-to-face moments that build trust and alignment.

No single platform needs to do it all. Most teams use a combination of tools that integrate smoothly to support different types of collaboration. The key is finding the right fit for how your team communicates, shares, and grows together.

Which collaboration tools do remote teams widely adopt?

Workleap, Asana, and Slack are among the most widely used collaboration solutions for distributed teams. Together, these platforms help millions of remote workers boost productivity and collaborate with ease.

How much does a business collaboration tool cost? 

Most business collaboration tools range from $4 to $25 per user per month. Since you’ll likely combine a few different solutions, expect to spend approximately $8–$12 for each employee (or more for additional features).