What are the best online collaboration tools for IT systems?

In the modern age, post-COVID, many people now work from home. According to data, 44% of UK workers now work remotely – 16% full-time and 28% hybrid – which opens up more possibilities for people to find the right role, and for companies to hire from a wider scope of talent.

With just under half of all workers away from the office, this creates a problem for companies.

How do they keep in touch with remote workers and ensure productivity can continue efficiently? Fortunately, team collaboration software is widely available for almost any requirement, be it project management tools, software to keep in touch with one another, file sharing and much more.

Read on to find out the best collaboration tools that can improve the productivity and efficiency of your business, and how campus networks can benefit your business.

The best online collaboration software tools to connect remote workers

For businesses in any industry, there are a magnitude of collaboration tools available to choose from. Depending on what you’re looking for out of the software, there are a variety of options.

Whether you need project management tools for easy task management or messenger software, we’ve compiled a complete list of the best team collaboration tools for you to choose from.

Google Docs

Google Docs is one of the most powerful business collaboration tools for multiple colleagues to work together to create and edit documents. Sharing and providing access to different people is easy, with changes and comments able to be made and amended live, allowing for real-time collaboration.

If your team has ever used Microsoft Word or Excel, Google Docs provides many of the same functions but sharing access is incredibly seamless.

Pros

• Free to use
• User-friendly interface
• Automatically saves
• Seamless integration with other Google collaboration tools

Cons

• Some security concerns
• Limited offline access
• Limited formatting options

Todoist

Todoist is a fantastic piece of software with excellent collaborative features that allow teams to work together by following to-do lists.

Lists can be separated by category and urgency while the easy-to-use drag-and-drop feature provides seamless use.

Todoist is perfect for assigning tasks to specific people for completion on set days. Plus, once a task is completed, they can be satisfyingly ticked off.

Pros

• Intuitive interface
• Collaboration features
• Cross-platform support (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.)

Cons

• Some key features blocked for free users
• Prices have increased

Asana

If you’re keen on project management tools, then Asana is a fantastic option.

Asana is one of the best remote collaboration tools available to businesses with in-depth planning and organisation features, with the ability to easily track the progress of work.

Managers can easily assign tasks to colleagues – remote or on-site – and follow progress to ensure everything is on track. One of their most powerful collaboration tools allows project managers to organise and prioritise different tasks for everyone to see.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Timeline view allows managers to track progress
• Over 100 app integrations

Cons

• Not great for graphical work
• Slightly high prices

Microsoft Teams

While some collaboration tools on this list may seem alien to you, Microsoft Teams is arguably one of the more well-known programs on the internet.

Microsoft Teams is a video conferencing and screen-sharing communication and collaboration platform that brings colleagues together from multiple locations.

Basic collaboration features allow remote and on-site colleagues to communicate via live messenger, video or phone call. This means productivity levels can remain the same no matter where your staff are working.

Pros

• Ability to create channels and tabs for a bespoke experience
• Integrates seamlessly with other online collaboration tools
• Enhanced security features with data encryption and secure guest access

Cons

• Can require significant bandwidth and processing power
• Limited integrations with non-Microsoft collaboration tools
• Pricing options are limited for small companies

Slack

Slack is another fantastic communication and collaboration platform for remote teams with plenty of call features.

With an estimated 32 million daily users, Slack is one of the most popular online collaboration tools for businesses all over the world. It’s ideal for companies of all sizes, as Slack allows users to create multiple channels – public and private – for easy collaboration.

As well as group messaging, users can also private message everybody within their organisation. Video conferencing and calls are easy to use, too.

Pros

• Excellent integration with other team collaboration tools, such as Google Docs, Google Meet, etc.
• Mobile app allows users to stay connected
• Channels and direct messaging are organised and simple to understand
• Highly customisable

Cons

• Pricing can be expensive for large organisations
• Privacy concerns

GanttPro

For beginner project managers, GanttPro is a useful collaboration software with an easy-to-use interface and a good range of features. It also offers custom fields for tasks, a critical path feature, a Kanban board view and an intuitive save history.

Pros

• Competitively priced
• Good for beginners in the field
• Mistakes are easy to undo with ‘save history’

Cons

• Not as many integrations as competitors
• No customisable reporting tools
• No billing or invoicing

Miro

Miro is one of the most popular cloud-based online project management tools that offer teams the ability to collaborate in real-time from anywhere – ideal for companies with a hybrid workforce.

It features an intuitive interface with a huge selection of online collaboration tools and integrations with other apps like Slack, Jira, Trello, and Google Drive.

Users can create and edit boards and include sticky notes, images and videos for everyone else attached to the board/task to see.

Miro makes it easy for teams to work together – no matter their location.

Pros

• Seamless workplace collaboration
• Excellent customisation options
• Fantastic integration with popular apps

Cons

• Premium features may be expensive for small teams
• Mobile app doesn’t have the same features as the desktop version
• Large boards can be slow to load at times

Teamwork

Teamwork is a fantastic project management software and is one of the best online collaboration tools for task management. Easily and quickly create tasks within different groups, assign them to a colleague, and set a deadline date.

Everyone within the business can access the system from any location, updating their progress.

Pros

• Provides accountability within a business
• Customisation options
• Billing and invoicing included
• Easily manage projects and colleague workload
• Features a time-tracker to measure how long certain tasks take – good for budgeting

Cons

• No image markup tools
• Can be clunky for some

Basecamp

Basecamp is widely used by teams to organise and collaborate on projects and communications.

Teams can create and share files, update to-do lists, send messages and, of course, track the progress of key tasks and projects.

With a user-friendly interface, it’s favoured by many companies, especially for ensuring accountability. Know exactly who assigned who to a task and whether it’s on track in one, easy place.

Pros

• Easy to use and navigate
• Makes project management easier
• Allows teams to communicate and collaborate in real-time
• Companies can give clients access to a specific board for improved collaboration

Cons

• Limited customisation
• Limited reports
• Pricing can be expensive for small teams

Trello

Trello, much like Basecamp, is a project management team collaboration software that makes it easy for companies to track the progress of tasks and to-do lists. Arguably their biggest selling point is the visual appeal of the app and how easy it is to navigate.

Due dates, comments, attachments and checklists help staff stay organised and collaborate effectively from any location.

Pros

• Intuitive visual system
• Teams can easily collaborate in real time to follow project progress
• High level of customisation
• Easy to connect with other popular workplace apps
• Handy mobile app to quickly access and edit tasks

Cons

• No built-in time tracking feature
• Some privacy and security concerns

Zoom

Zoom is essential for keeping in touch with staff from remote locations. This has been one of the best online collaboration tools since the COVID-19 pandemic when workers stayed in touch while at home.

Easily set up video calls with colleagues and enjoy excellent screen sharing. It also features handy additions like virtual backgrounds and video recording that make it a hugely popular team collaboration software for businesses of all sizes.

Pros

• Requires minimal set-up
• Can accommodate meetings and webinars with multiple participants involved – ideal for larger companies
• Excellent security features – waiting rooms, end-to-end encryption, etc.
• Superb integration with other online collaboration tools such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams and Slack

Cons

• May lack some advanced features that huge companies may require
• Pricing plans can be expensive for large teams

Dropbox

For companies regularly file sharing across multiple locations, Dropbox is a fine choice for cloud-based data storage. Their cloud storage services make it easy for colleagues with access to find, edit and download documents, images and more.

With more than 700 million users, it’s an excellent option for creative teams to store their data. It includes features like file syncing and automatic backup as well as the ability to login and access documents from other devices, like tablets and phones.

Pros

• Compatible with multiple operating systems and devices, like Windows, iOS, Android and Linux
• Automatic file backup
• Users can work on files together at the same time and can leave comments, improving team communication
• Integrates with a wide range of third-party apps

Cons

• Storage on a free account is low (2GB)
• Paid plans are quite expensive compared to similar cloud storage services
• File size limits of 50GB – even for paid users

GitHub

GitHub is a web-based platform used by software developers to collaborate and share code. It provides features for version control, code review, team collaboration, and project management.

Users can work on their code locally and then easily upload it to share with colleagues. Features include issue tracking, pull requests and code reviews.

Pros

• Streamlines coding workflow
• Easily collaborate with others, whatever location
• Collaborative review feature improves the quality of coding
• Integrates with several other online collaboration tools

Cons

• Possibility of data breaches
• Limited options for private repositories in free plans
• Paid plans can be expensive

Figma

Figma is a fantastic cloud-based collaboration tool for designers. The software allows designers to work together and collaborate in real time on all projects. Thanks to its flexibility and ease of use, as well as its many features, Figma is a popular choice for designers.

Staff can leave comments, live edit and track version history. It’s also highly customisable and allows users to create and share designs seamlessly.

Pros

• Live editing side-by-side with colleagues
• Interactive prototypes for client testing and feedback
• Design version control allows you to track changes and different edit versions

Cons

• Paid plans can be expensive for small teams

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks and project management. This online collaboration platform is favoured by many workers because of its simplicity.

Several team members can customise the layout to their liking and easily manage project planning and tracking with colleagues.

Pros

• Combines the functionality of many other popular productivity apps and tools
• Customisable interface
• Real-time collaboration allows team members to work together on the same projects

Cons

• Paid plans for large teams can be expensive
• Limited options for formatting text and visuals
• Mobile app can be a tad laggy
• Limited storage for free plans

Monday

The final entry on our list of the best online collaboration tools is Monday. This is similar to Teamwork and Basecamp in that it allows team members to assign tasks to colleagues, set deadlines, track progress and even invite clients to collaborate.

It’s an ideal solution for marketing teams to work together, especially with clients, as users can communicate on different boards.

Pros

• User-friendly interface is easy to understand
• Customisation is available
• In-depth collaboration with team members and external clients
• Huge range of automations

Cons

• Paid plans can be expensive for small teams
• Limited options for formatting text
• Some concerns about privacy and security

Is a campus network right for you?

At Opticore IT, we’re experts in network connections and security, so have a wealth of experience working with businesses just like you.

If you have staff members working remotely and some working in the office, we can help you connect them with a campus network.

There are many challenges in delivering a campus network, such as security, availability and scalability. But with our experience, we can ensure a high-quality and reliable connection for all of your team.

Interested? Contact us today and a member of the Opticore team will be happy to discuss your requirements.