11 Best Online Collaboration Tools for the Virtual Team

We’ve used our 150 years of experience, as well as hours of research, customer feedback, reviews, industry forums, case studies, and more to collate this list of collaboration tools for your business.

Whether you need constant clear lines of communication, a place to collaborate on your social media plans, or a hand managing your database - there’s an app for that. And we’ll tell you which one is perfect for you.

But what about security? If you’re using this platform to share various data points, then you need to know it’s air-tight, right?

Slack features a multi-layered security approach which includes (among other features):

• Sign on: Single sign-on and multi-factor authentication improve login security.
• Encryption: Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 encrypt data in transit and at rest.
• Network security: Access from public networks is restricted.
• External audits: Third-party audits, penetration tests, and audit logs regularly assess, track, and improve Slack’s security posture.
• System monitoring: Continuous monitoring and logging for suspicious activity.

While Slack’s free plan only stores messages from the last 90 days, most teams find that this is plenty for everyday conversations. For long-term archive needs, consider integrating with Google Drive or Notion.

Why Slack?

• Fully customizable chat channels
• Third-party integrations
• Direct messaging
• Robust security
• File sharing
• Video and voice calling
• Archive search

Switch between Timeline, Calendar, or Table view and leverage boards, cards, and lists to create workflows. Inside each card, you can add colorful labels, assign work to team members, set deadlines, create checklists, and more.

Plus, with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integrations, Trello emails project members whenever changes occur on the board, such as deadline notifications and task attribution. You can even link it to Slack to grab notifications in the project chat.

Top tip: Don’t let the 10-members-per-board limit stop your collaboration. Instead, create a new workspace, then copy & paste your project board there - giving you the opportunity to add another 10 members to that board. Or get everyone together on a Slack channel, and they’ll all catch the updates in the chat.

Ben Goodey, CEO at Spicy Margarita, explains that ClickUp also offers attributes through smart integrations to increase time-savings.

"As my team grew, ClickUp really helped improve our online collaboration. We went from managing multiple spreadsheets and sending daily email updates, to it all being kept neatly in one place. We also later discovered ClickUp has a time tracking Google Chrome Extension, which meant we could streamline two tools that were key for our virtual team into one."

ClickUp is packed with features, which means there’s a slight learning curve at first. To simplify your experience, start with the core features you need and gradually explore the more advanced functionalities.

Why ClickUp?

• Manage multiple projects and tasks through one platform
• Powerful third-party app integration
• In-app chat function to improve project comms
• Use AI to further automate mundane tasks
• Scale quickly with a readymade time management platform

As an all-in-one social marketing solution, Hootsuite can help with posting (of course) and also assist with the tasks associated with social channels. For example, you can use it to manage multiple inboxes, run ad campaigns, track analytics, and boost engagement through comment management.

But where Hootsuite really excels is it’s still one of the only tools of its kind to support Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, WhatsApp Business, Pinterest, and X.

Many solutions still lack access to the account formerly known as Twitter—and, to be fair, Hootsuite still calls it that—but at least you have it available.

This software is perfect for design beginners or as an all-in-one creative solution for most of us. However, if you want to get more technical and in-depth with your creations, then you may run into a couple of limitations.

The inability to save favorite fonts and easily change the styling of one word in a line does cause some frustration. Additionally, some users on Reddit have commented about the clunkiness of adding more than one effect on imagery:

“Not being able to add more than one effect on text or images. For example, I usually like to add a drop shadow and outline to it, so I need to re-download the text box as an image and then add the second effect. It gets tedious.”

If you need additional functionality like this, a more specialist platform like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator could be a better alternative. One other frustration is that the platform has a storage limit of just 5GB.

However, Canva more than suffices for the rest of us who need a simple solution to create striking designs.

Why Canva?

• Super simple usability
• Drag-and-drop design functionality
• Create a number of design styles
• Thousands of templates and designs to choose from for free
• Collaborate on designs with multiple team members
• Upgrade for powerful AI tools

GitHub also features some pretty useful integrations. With the likes of Slack, Trello, Office 365, Gmail, and Discord to name just a few, it’s super simple to plan, manage, and track any changes to the codebase. Team members can be notified of alterations via email or direct message.

If, like me, you think anything to do with coding is terrifying, GitHub offers the perfect solution. Trackable changes allow you to develop your knowledge without being scared of wrecking your website in the meantime.

However, if you’re new to GitHub, its interface may seem complex at first. To get comfortable, start with the beginner tutorials before exploring advanced features.

Why GitHub?

• Allows collaboration with numerous team members
• Version control allows developers to track changes to base code
• Powerful integrations to keep the whole team updated
• Community-building function inspires collaboration

One common feedback to note is that it may not be the easiest tool to navigate for database novices.

One user on Reddit commented:

“Airtable is a hard sell for anyone not willing to put in the time. I love it. I love the fact that I can add almost any feature I want the moment after I realize I want it. It’s perfect for someone who wants a fully custom, tailored solution and finds enjoyment in executing it themselves. But if you are not the DIY type, or you simply don’t have time, you’re going to need a likely more expensive, but turnkey solution.”

Airtable offers incredible customization, but it might take some trial and error to set up the perfect workspace. Use pre-made templates to speed up the process.

Why Airtable?

• Completely customizable databases
• Freedom to manage any database
• Leverage database management techniques in project management
• Generous free version
• Hundreds of powerful integrations
• Collaborate with unlimited team members

Collaboratively, Notion is a winner too. Offering you the functionality to engage with your workspace as part of a team in real-time. Then, when you need to share your creation, you can publish any note to the open web. Meaning anyone can access the read-only version of your note whether they have a Notion account or not.

The customizations aren’t just limited to Notion’s functionality, though. Powerful integrations with other leading apps like Asana, 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Trello, and more open up the collaborative and project management potential even further.

Finding the right virtual collaboration software starts with understanding what you need most help with. Are you looking to streamline project workflows, improve team communication, or collaborate on documents in real time?

Here’s a quick checklist to guide your decision:

• Define Your Needs – Identify whether your top priority is project management, messaging, document collaboration, or all of the above.
• Check Key Features – Look for essentials like chat, file sharing, task tracking, whiteboarding, and app integrations.
• Consider Usability – Choose tools that are easy to onboard, intuitive for your team, and optimized for mobile use.
• Review Security – Ensure the platform offers data encryption, compliance certifications, and granular access control.
• Compare Pricing – Weigh the cost against features, explore free trials, and check how well it scales with your team.
• Read Reviews – Look for feedback on reliability, support quality, and real-world user experiences.

And when it comes to bringing remote and hybrid teams together in virtual meetings, there’s no substitute for hardware that supports rich, seamless collaboration. That’s where Jabra’s PanaCast lineup stands out — offering crystal-clear video, intelligent audio, and collaborative features like whiteboard streaming to keep everyone aligned and engaged.

PanaCast 50 – Perfect for transforming your office meeting room into a fully-equipped video collaboration space.

PanaCast 20 – Compact, powerful, and ideal for distraction-free meetings from home or shared spaces.

With plug-and-play simplicity, professional-grade quality, and intelligent features, choosing the right Jabra camera ensures your team stays productive — no matter where they’re working from.