Best cloud collaboration tools for remote and hybrid work

Discover some of the best cloud collaboration tools on the market to help your teams collaborate remotely.

There’s nothing quite like a brainstorming session to spark creativity, sketch out ideas, and map a project. But hybrid work has changed the way we collaborate. While remote and hybrid teams bring a host of benefits to a business and its people, keeping the lines of communication open can be a challenge. That's where collaboration tools come in.

The good news is that collaboration software tools can do all the face-to-face stuff – and more. It's all about finding the right match. These handy platforms help teams stay connected, whether it's through real-time chats (synchronous communication) or by sharing files and updates that can be accessed anytime (asynchronous communication).

Whether you're in it for a quick sprint or long-term journey, have money to spend or are on a tight budget, there’s a cloud collaboration tool for you. We’ll look at some of our top collaboration tools to help your teams work seamlessly.

What is a collaboration tool?

Collaboration tools are digital workspaces that help teams connect and work together more effectively. Think of them as a virtual office where everyone can brainstorm, share files, work on projects, and track progress - no matter where they are.

What are the applications of cloud collaboration?

The tech world is brimming with collaboration tools, each enhancing teamwork in its own way. From quick chats to complex project management, there's a perfect fit for your business and team. Some of the most common tools include:

Project and task management solutions

Cloud team collaboration platforms are designed to help you and your team allocate tasks, manage projects, and stay organised – all in one place. They’re also ideal for keeping tabs on every detail, so everyone knows who's doing what, and when.

Set deadlines, mark start dates, and watch your project take shape on visual timelines, charts, or other formats. They also sync smoothly with popular workplace collaboration software tools and apps like Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Office365, so you get all the enhanced teamwork without the IT hassle.

Unified communication solutions 

Unified Communications are designed to consolidate your communication needs into a single, cloud-based solution including video, phone, messaging, and analytics. They make it easy for your people to remain productive while working anywhere, any time, and on any internet-enabled device.  

Extensive user, device, and platform analytics, plus greater administrator control, permit you to boost efficiency and spend more time on your priorities. You can also continue using the business applications you already have by integrating solutions with your current infrastructure. 

Virtual whiteboards

If your team's all about brainstorming, consider diving into the world of virtual whiteboards.

These platforms give your team the freedom to fill up blank canvases or templates using virtual sticky notes or sketches. They're perfect for ensuring every team member gets heard, breaking down barriers that can sometimes hold back your quieter voices.

A 'live' version lets you see real-time changes and contributions for smooth collaboration. Features like video conferencing and instant chat can also bring that meeting room vibe and enhance teamwork. Remember to choose a virtual whiteboard that lets you easily share your creations on your collaboration platform, or save them as files like PowerPoint , so you can build on your ideas later.

Instant messaging and video conferencing

Stay connected with your team in real time for quick questions, updates, and informal chats.

Need something more? Host virtual meetings for brainstorming, presentations, or simply connecting face-to-face.

What are the benefits of cloud collaboration?

Choosing the right tool for collaboration can be a bit of a process. Our handy table below gives you a brief, at-a-glance look at what you can expect from a few popular options.

For full details on each, click on the link.

Project and task management

Microsoft 365 

A cloud-powered productivity platform including well-known Mircrosoft apps.

Paid-For Cost - From £4.90 per user, per month. 

Paid For Features - Includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, Outlook, Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint. 1TB of OneDrive file storage and sharing. 

Great for: Access to Microsoft’s suite of cutting-edge tools, all with advanced security features to streamlines workflows, boost productivity, and enhances performance.

Asana

A comprehensive work management tool designed to help teams organise, track and manage their work.

Free Version Features - Up to 15 people, unlimited tasks and projects, file storage up to 100MB per file), list, board and calendar views, time tracking etc.

Paid-For Cost - £9.49-£20.99 per user, per month if billed annually ($12-$26 approx)

Paid-For Features - Advanced reporting, unlimited free guests, task templates, advanced integrations like Salesforce etc.

Great for - Keeping track of tasks, delegating responsibilities, monitoring progress, and communicating in real-time.


ClickUp

An advanced project management tool beyond basic task lists.

Free Version Features - Unlimited free plan members, unlimited tasks, calendar view, 100MB storage etc.

Paid-For Cost - $7-$12+ per member, per month.

Paid-For Features - Unlimited teams, unlimited dashboards, unlimited storage, advanced time tracking, custom exporting etc.

Great for: Comprehensive project management with automated capabilities. AI-powered features for streamlining workflows, boosting team efficiency with real-time collaboration like time tracking, whiteboarding, document sharing, and built-in chat.


Monday.com

A work management system designed to streamline workflows for clear visibility across teams.

Free Version Features - Up to 2 people, up to 3 boards, unlimited docs, 200+ templates, 500 MB storage

Paid-For Cost - £7-£17+ per person, per month if billed annually ($9 to $22+ approx)

Paid-For Features - Unlimited free viewers, unlimited items, up to 1000 GB file storage, guest access, calendar and chart view, advanced reporting & analytics

Great for – A slick interface that can be used across multiple teams and going beyond project management inter areas such CRM.


Trello

A popular visual project management tool.

Free Version Features - Up to 10 boards, unlimited storage up to 10MB per file, assignee and due dates.

Paid-For Cost - $5-$17.50 per user, per month, if billed annually

Paid-For Features - Unlimited boards, multiple guests, calendar, table and map views, up to 250MB per file.

Great for - Flexibility and adaptability to different project management styles. Simple board-based system for organising tasks, tracking progress, and collaborating. Create project boards, add task cards, and move them through stages like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done."

Unified communications solutions

Vodafone Business & RingCentral Unified Communications

A messaging, video, and phone platform that helps users talk and work together. With the option of a license add-on that brings contact centre capabilities to the party.

Paid-For Cost – From £10.39 per user, per month. 

Paid For Features - Provides you with calling, messaging, meetings, video and file sharing in the office or on the go. 

Great for - A flexible Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) or all-in-one UCaaS and Contact Centre-as-a-Service (CCaaS) platform. =Out-the-box integrations into hundreds of business apps means you have a comms platform that works with the tools you use. And for those dealing with customer contact, RingCX helps agents manage customer interactions from one place.

Vodafone Business Operator Connect

Turning Microsoft Teams into an all-purpose collaboration and communication platform to stay connected anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Paid-For Cost – From £3.50 per user, per month.

Paid For Features - Operator Connect lets you keep your number, and make and receive calls, all from within Microsoft Teams.

Great for – Scaling up. The more you buy, the less you pay with plans designed to give you a bigger discount, the more users you add.

Virtual Whiteboards

Figma

A collaborative design tool with a range of uses from UX, interface design and prototyping.

Free Version Features - Unlimited people, unlimited personal files, 3 FigJam files, plug-ins and templates etc.

Paid-For Cost - £3-£5 per person, per month billed annually ($4-$6 approx)

Paid-For Features - Unlimited FigJam files, team libraries, advanced design, custom templates etc.

Great for – Team collaboration. It can be used on any operating system, bringing Macs and PC users together in easily editable browser-based pages.


Lucidspark

A virtual whiteboard with brainstorming functionality.

Free Version Features - 3 Lucidspark boards. Freehand drawing, presentation mode etc.

Paid-For Cost - £8-£9+ per person, per month billed annually ($10 to $12+ approx)

Paid-For Features - Unlimited editable boards, up to 1GB file storage, team folders, customisable document status etc.

Great for – Idea generation. Get teams commenting in real time to spark ideas and organise thoughts with colour coded shapes, notes, and even freehand drawing.


Miro

A digital whiteboard platform for sparking creativity and collaboration.


Free Version Features - 3 editable Miro boards, unlimited members, 2,500 templates etc.

Paid-For Cost - $8-$16+ per person, per month billed annually

Paid-For Features - Unlimited boards, unlimited visitors, custom templates, breakout and voting facilities etc.

Great for - Visual collaboration and fostering creative thinking. Infinite canvas, sticky notes, real-time editing for brainstorming, mapping projects, and visualising ideas dynamically.


Stormboard

A data-first collaborative workflow platform and whiteboard.


Free Version Features - 5 Storm boards, 5 users per board, 260 custom templates etc.

Paid-For Cost -$8.33+ per user, per month billed annually

Paid-For Features - Unlimited boards, unlimited users, 10+ guests, training tools etc

Great for – Turning unstructured interactions into data-rich collaborative workspaces.

Instant messaging and video conferencing

Loom

Screen and webcam recording tool with voice narration for creating short, informative videos.

Free Version Features – Screen recording, transcription in 50+ languages, comments and emoji reactions

Paid-For Cost - to $20.00+ per user per month.

Paid-For Features - AI and advanced editing, unlimited time recording, advanced content privacy

Great for - Efficient knowledge-sharing through video communication. Easy creation of videos, tutorials, and quick updates, perfect for visual learners.

Notion

A versatile platform combining note-taking, task management, and databases.

Free Version Features – Collaborative workspace, integration with tools such as Slack, basic page history

Paid-For Cost – From £8.50

Paid-For Features - Unlimited uploads, charts and dashboards, bulk PDF export.

Great for - All-in-one tool for knowledge organisation. Create wiki documents (collaborative editing), kanban boards (visual to-do lists), and customised databases to keep everyone informed and in sync.

Microsoft Teams

A well-established platform with chat, video meetings, and file sharing.

Paid-For Cost – From £3.50 per user per month

Paid-For Features - 10 GB of cloud storage, real-time collaboration with file sharing, tasks, and polling, team meeting recordings with transcripts and live captions (English

Great for - Comprehensive communication and collaboration suite with familiar Microsoft applications.Seamless integration with globally used tools like Word, Excel, and OneDrive for easy collaboration.

Do your research into the right kind of tool before investing in one, as your team might also need to adjust. Cloud-based collaboration tools are your go-to companions for effective remote teamwork. Whether it's streamlining project management, elevating your business communications with a unified solution or fostering creativity through virtual brainstorming, let your remote teams’ productivity soar.

For more support about the best collaboration tools, speak to one of our V-Hub Digital Advisers today.