The Best Online Collaboration Tools for 2024

Unlike before, businesses are no longer limited to working onsite. Alternative options like hybrid and remote work setups have been on the rise due to their promise of increased flexibility and productivity. This is reflected in the EY survey where 42% of companies have said they are working on a hybrid model, while 31% have said they work remotely.

While these shifts from the traditional work setup could mean a continuous workflow for businesses, collaboration among employees may become a problem due to the differences in location and time. Thankfully, team collaboration tools can solve this problem by streamlining tasks and projects in one system. However, selecting the right one for your business can be difficult. To help you narrow down your options, this article will discuss the best team collaboration tools for 2024.

Top Collaboration Tools for Businesses

1. Slack

Slack is an app that enables a software development company or any small or medium-sized business to communicate seamlessly and work productively. Its unified system helps enable collaboration in a more connected, adaptable, and inclusive manner. Users can access the app on their desktop running macOS or Windows, on mobile devices running iOS or Android, and through web browsers.

The tool can be used for free, and it has a Pro plan for $4.38 a month or a Business+ plan for $15.00 a month. Additionally, companies can opt for the Enterprise Grid subscription, for which they need to contact Slack’s sales group for pricing information.

Currently, Slack has 38.8 million daily active users worldwide.

Key Features of Slack

• Channels: Slack Channels are flexible, open spaces where employees can easily share files, talk about projects, and automate processes. Users can create single or multiple channels, depending on the complexity of their tasks.
• Messaging: Allows employees to contact each other through text, video, audio, and more.
• Huddles: Enables employees to work side-by-side through audio and video.
• Slack Connect: Lets your business contact partners, vendors, or customers in a single channel.
• Clips: Allows you to record a video or clip of yourself and send it directly to your teammates.

2. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is an application that allows remote and hybrid workers to collaborate through the web efficiently. It is recommended for companies that use Windows devices as the app works seamlessly with other Microsoft applications like PowerPoint, Exchange, and SharePoint. However, the app can also be used on mobile devices, macOS devices, and web browsers.

Microsoft Teams has two subscription plans: Business and Home. For Business, plans include Teams Essentials at $4.00 a month, Business Basic at $6.00 a month, and Business Standard at $12.50 a month. For Home, users can either use the app for free or subscribe to the Personal and Family plans, which are priced at $6.99 and $9.99 a month, respectively.

In 2023, Microsoft Teams had 320 million daily active users worldwide.

Key Features of Microsoft Teams

• Instant Chats: Allows team members to quickly message each other, allowing them to discuss projects and receive feedback.
• Video or Audio Calls: Individual or group calls can be quickly initiated to relay important information within teams, either through audio or video.
• Unified Search Field: Users can search for people, messages, or files in the app, which can help employees easily retrieve relevant project information and rapidly contact teammates for any concerns.
• Top-notch Security: Microsoft Teams complies with security standards like ISO 27001 and SSAE16 SOC, which are essential for businesses that handle sensitive data, such as those using an enterprise data management system.

Zoom

Zoom is an online application that allows individuals and teams of all sizes to communicate with each other through a video call, chat, or audio call. This allows them to share ideas, ask for clarifications on various projects, and send files. The application can be installed on desktops and mobile devices.

Zoom offers three subscription plans: Basic, Pro, and Business. The Basic plan is free but limited to a single user, has fewer functionalities, and does not offer AI features. On the other hand, the Pro plan is priced at $13.32 a month for 1-9 users, and the Business plan is priced at $18.32 for 10-250 users. Both these subscriptions offer more features and AI functionalities.

As of 2024, Zoom has over 300 million daily active users globally.

Key Features of Zoom

• Meetings: This allows teams to connect and collaborate whenever and wherever to accomplish projects and tasks.
• Whiteboard: This enables team members to write or draw their ideas and share them with the rest of their team during brainstorming sessions.
• Team Chat: This is a section where a team member can send messages to all of their teammates.
• Collaborative Docs: This allows team members to edit, co-edit, or follow along with documents that are being written or discussed during Zoom meetings.

Asana

Asana is a web-based tool that helps teams plan, organize, and collaborate effectively to accomplish tasks. It can be downloaded on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android devices. It is a great option for small companies because it is scalable, affordable, and intuitive.

Asana offers two pricing tiers: one for Individuals and Small Teams, and another for Businesses and Enterprises.

For Individuals and Small Teams, the Basic plan is free for up to 10 teammates, the Starter plan is $10.99 a month for up to 500 teammates, and the Advanced plan is $24.99 a month for up to 500 teammates.

For Businesses and Enterprises, both the Enterprise and Enterprise+ plans require contacting the sales team for pricing.

Currently, Asana has over 2.5 million active users each week worldwide.

Key Features of Asana

• Timeline View: Tasks are broken down into workable sessions and coordinated to ensure timely project completion. This feature is particularly useful for companies focused on enterprise project engineering services, where adhering to timelines is critical.
• Automate Workflows: Easily create and automate custom workflows to make sure that your business is continuously running.
• Asana AI: This allows you to generate workflows, organize projects, and create more effective objectives for you and your company through AI.

Choose the Right Collaboration Tool

There are many online collaboration tools out there that claim to improve your employees’ teamwork and make project management easy. However, not all tools will be appropriate for your business. Some will focus purely on communication, while others focus only on project management.

The best collaboration tool is the one that meets your budget and business needs, strikes the right balance between an application for team communication and an effective project management system, and ensures that your company will work efficiently and achieve success.