10 Best Collaboration Tools for 2024

Collaboration software is a helpful tool that any small business owner can implement to improve co-working, finesse workflows, drive productivity, and streamline operations. Collaboration tools give managers an easier way to assign tasks, enhance team communication, store and share information, and allow employees to seek clarification on tasks, even when working with geographically distributed teams. There are many online team collaboration software options available, each with its own benefits. Explore the top 10 solutions available to help you find the right one for your business.

Table of Contents

• FreshBooks
• Slack
• Asana
• Miro
• Troop Messenger
• Trello
• ProofHub
• Airtable
• Monday.com
• Flock
• Collaborative Software Comparison Table

The following are the 10 best online collaboration tools currently available. As a small business owner, it’s worthwhile to research each tool to find the right option for your company. 

1. FreshBooks

Features 

FreshBooks is our top pick of all online collaboration tools. Its collaboration software can help manage projects, boost productivity, chat with coworkers, assign costs and billable hours to any project, and manage team labour across projects. You have control over what your team can and cannot access, and it’s easy to store and share files within FreshBooks for a user-friendly experience.

FreshBooks is a robust, useful software for your business that goes beyond team collaboration solutions. You can also use it for:

• Time Tracking – Keep track of all employee activity, including automatically tracking productivity down to the minute.
• Expense Tracking – Connect to your bank or credit card and let FreshBooks automatically track spending. You can also scan and save receipts to make client billing and HMRC tax time easier.

Pricing

FreshBooks is free to try, and then the Lite package is £15.00 per month, the Plus is £25.00 per month, and the Premium is £35.00. You may also opt for the customisable Select package, tailoring your package to your needs.

2. Slack

Advantages

Slack is one of the best online collaboration apps. It is a cloud-based tool that makes collaboration easy through efficient communication, easy integrations with other programs, file-sharing capabilities, and customisation options. It’s easy to use for audio and video calls, organising chats into groups, and more.

Drawbacks

Paid plans can be expensive when your organisation is large. There are also distracting and noisy notifications that can impede productivity. Some users have also reported issues with security.

Pricing

Slack is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. You can try the most basic version for free or opt to upgrade to Pro for $7.25 per month (per user) (£5.98), Business+ for $12.50 (£10.10), or the customisable Enterprise tier, which is priced based on what options you choose for your company.

3. Asana

Advantages

Asana makes it easy for leaders to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor projects from their computers. It’s easy to use with an intuitive interface, allowing all team members to communicate and send files with just a few clicks. Asana also integrates well with other project management tools and apps.

Drawbacks

There are no time-tracking features on this tool. It may require some time to learn how to use this software, and because you can only assign one person per task, it can get confusing if a group is working together on a project.

Pricing

Asana is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. There’s a free tier, but businesses will likely need to upgrade to the Premium Plan, costing $10.99 (£8.88) per member per month, the Business Plan at $24.99 (£20.19), or the tailored Enterprise plan.

4. Miro

Advantages

Miro is one of the top team collaboration tools, allowing users to plan and work together in real time with digital whiteboards, easy integration with other digital tools, and interactive, customisable templates. It’s excellent for remote-working teams, including a user-friendly visual interface everyone will appreciate during cross-team collaboration.

Drawbacks

You cannot save your customised templates to use again in the future. There is also a steep learning curve for new users, and some users have reported that their session expires suddenly, causing them to lose unsaved work.

Pricing

Miro is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. There is a limited free version, a $8 (£6.46) fee (per person per month) for the Starter tier, and a $16 (£12.93) Business tier. You can also opt for the Enterprise tier to create a customised plan for your business.

5. Troop Messenger

Advantages

Troop Messenger is one of the best real-time collaboration tools for business, with a secure instant messaging platform with group chats, one-on-one messaging, audio/video conferencing, file storage and sharing, and screen sharing, plus a search function to help you find the information you need quickly. The video calls run well, even in low-internet areas, and 24/7 support is available.

Drawbacks

Some Troop Messenger processes, like deleting chats, have multiple steps to complete, which can be time-consuming. Some customers also noted that the mobile app is slower than the desktop version.

Pricing

Troop Messenger is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. The Superior Package costs $9 (£7.27), Enterprise is $5 (£4.04), and Premium is $25 (£20.20). There are also add-ons, including FileDeck file storage and Monitor, a chat monitoring service, each for $2 per person per month.

6. Trello

Advantages

Trello uses the Kanban method of visualising work. It’s easy to use, with drag-and-drop functionality and a simple interface requiring almost no training. It can streamline workflows and boost collaboration.

Drawbacks

Teams may require more customizability, especially in larger companies, those on specialised projects, and those with projects that contain many steps. It also lacks time-tracking and expense-tracking features and could use better tools for users to communicate with one another.

Pricing

Trello has a free trial, but those looking to manage work and visualise multiple projects will want to upgrade. It is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. The Standard tier starts at $5 (£4.04), the Premium tier is $10 (£8.08), and the Enterprise tier is customisable based on the number of users and the functionalities you require.

7. ProofHub

Advantages

ProofHub is a cloud-based collaboration program and one of the best collaboration tools because it’s simple to use and allows users access from anywhere using the mobile app to stay on the same page. It controls tasks, teams, and projects, enables you to customise repetitive tasks, and makes collaboration easy.

Drawbacks

The template selection may be too small for some users, and the mobile app version doesn’t work as well as the desktop version, which can be frustrating for those on the go.

Pricing

ProofHub is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. The Essential tier is $45 (£36.36) per month, and the Ultimate Control package is $89 (£71.92) per month for a limited time, discounted from its original $150 (£121.21) monthly price.

8. Airtable

Advantages

Airtable is a customisable management tool with collaboration features and a user-friendly interface with grid, list, form, Kanban and gallery views, and it can send and receive documents, and much more. Airtable also offers an excellent free plan, perfect for small businesses to try out.

Drawbacks

It may not have enough features to support complex project management needs, and some users have found that its formulas are not intuitive and are difficult to learn. You must also purchase the most expensive plan for advanced admin and security features.

Pricing

Airtable is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates, charged per seat per month when billed annually. There is a basic Free tier, then next is the Team tier, which costs $20 (£16.16), and then is the Business tier, which is $45 (£36.36). The top scalable tier is Enterprise, tailored to your business needs.

9. Monday.com

Advantages

Monday.com first started as another of the work collaboration tools to help teams work together and has since expanded, easily integrating with other project management software, with staff connection tools and employee time tracking available. It is highly customisable, with an excellent desktop app and an intuitive visual dashboard.

Drawbacks

Customers have complained about support being slow to reply, leading to a frustrating experience, and some services are only available at the more expensive tiers.

Pricing

Monday.com is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. All prices are per seat per month when billed annually. Businesses with 2 users can try Monday.com for free. The Basic tier costs $11 (£8.89), the Standard tier costs $14 (£11.31), the Pro tier costs $22 (£17.78), and the Enterprise tier is customisable.

10. Flock

Advantages

Flock is a robust collaboration tool, offering excellent communication options to allow teams to work together wherever they are in the world. You can chat online, send voice notes, share files, and do video conferencing with Flock. It offers excellent customer support and is easily integrated with numerous other programs.

Drawbacks

Customisation options are fairly limited beyond your notification options, and overall, the program may feel a little clunky and dated.

Pricing

Flock is priced in USD, so the following pound rates are current estimates. The Starter tier is free, the Pro tier costs $4.50 (£3.64) per month per member, and organisations over 100 people can get a custom quote for the Enterprise tier.

Collaborative Software Comparison Table

The following table features popular project collaboration tools, their starting prices, and what they’re best for to help you decide which will be ideal for your business.

Company	Best For	Starting Price
FreshBooks	Best for Small Businesses	Free Trial – Sign Up Now!
Slack	Best for Features and Integrations	£5.98/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $7.25)
Asana	Best for Workflow Management	£8.88/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $10.99)
Miro	Best for Whiteboard Collaboration	£6.46/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $8)
Troop Messenger	Best for Team Communication and Collaboration	£4.04/mo (in USD it is $5)
Trello	Best for Kanban-Style Collaboration	£4.04/mo(billed annually) (in USD it is $5)
ProofHub	Best for Project Management and Team Collaboration	A flat rate of £36.36/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $45)
Airtable	Best for Database-Driven Collaboration	£16.16/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $20)
Monday.com	Best for Startups on a Tight Budget	£8.89/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $11)
Flock	Best for Sales and Marketing Teams	£4.50/mo (billed annually) (in USD it is $3.64)

What Is Collaboration Software?

Digital collaboration tools keep managers and employees connected when working across time zones and long distances, sharing files, instant messaging, and collaborating in real time. They are important in many ways, increasing worker participation, streamlining processes, and reducing the communication and file-sharing tools needed in your business practice.

Using this type of software, you can keep everything in one place, instantly assign tasks, collaborate with clients and contractors, and enhance overall productivity. When you use a tool like FreshBooks, many other functionalities are also available, like easy timekeeping and expense tracking integration for efficient project management.

If you are a small business owner looking for new tools for teams to streamline workflow and improve production, the following questions may help make your decision easier.

When should I use a collaboration tool?

You should use a collaboration tool when your business has remote workers to increase worker participation and productivity and collaborate on documents in real-time. If you are simply looking to reduce the number of tools your team has to use daily, then collaboration tools may be what you are looking for.

What is the most popular workplace collaboration tool?

The most popular collaboration tool depends on what type you want. Many options are available, each with unique benefits. FreshBooks is the most popular for small businesses that like a simple, streamlined solution that connects team members, helps them stay organised, and seamlessly integrates with other apps and platforms.

What are the 4 types of collaboration tools?

The 4 types of collaboration tools are file-sharing (also known as document management) tools, instant messaging tools, calendar-sharing tools, and task-management tools. All these options, along with the ability to monitor staff productivity, manage projects, and assign costs, are available with FreshBooks.

What is the best online collaborative tool?

FreshBooks is the best online collaboration tool for small businesses, offering easy access to files, client collaboration options, simple project tracking, and uncomplicated communication between coworkers, managers, and contractors. With FreshBooks, you can manage deliverables, even when working with a remote team, and track progress every step of the way.

What are team collaboration tools?

Team collaboration tools are types of software that help teams to connect, share documents, and communicate quickly in an online environment. The FreshBooks Projects software allows task assignment, chats, sharing, and project management functionality for a more productive workplace.

Effortless Collaboration with FreshBooks

FreshBooks’ business collaboration tools are what your small business needs to enhance teamwork and productivity through better collaboration, organisation, and communication. Bring teams together cross-country, through various time zones, and across functionalities with seamless file sharing, chat, duplicate projects, and cost out assignments as you maintain control using team permissions. FreshBooks makes it easier to manage your team members, track productivity, and assign tasks from anywhere.

To learn more about how FreshBooks can help your business, try FreshBooks free today. Sign up for the free trial without commitment, and find out what FreshBooks can do for you.

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