Inefficient workflows? Scattered information? Finding it challenging to keep everyone on the same page? If these are your current challenges, then it’s time to discover the best team productivity tools.

They’ll revolutionize your workflow, redefine how your team collaborates, and make achieving project success a breeze.

Don’t worry; we’ve scoured the market, evaluating the top 16 contenders. From features to pricing, pros to cons, we have the inside scoop to help you find the right ones for your team.

Get ready to unleash a new era of teamwork and productivity. Let’s dive in!

I. What are the differences between team productivity tools and regular productivity tools?

While both aim to enhance efficiency and output, they differ in their focus and key features.

Regular productivity tools are single-user oriented, aiming to help individuals enhance personal efficiency and organization. These tools focus on:

• Personal task management
• Time tracking
• Note-taking
• Organization

Team productivity tools, on the other hand, are multi-user-oriented, aiming to help teams enhance collaboration, communication, and overall efficiency. They focus on:

• Project management
• Workflow automation
• Centralized knowledge management
• Real-time collaboration and communication

	Team productivity apps	Regular productivity apps
Focus	Team	Individual
Orientation	Multi-user	Single-user
Primary Goal	Help teams work together more effectively	Help individuals work more effectively

So, when it comes to picking the right tools, what you look for in team productivity tools is a whole different ball game compared to regular productivity tools.

II. How to choose the best productivity tools for your team?

Here are the 4 steps to help you make an informed decision:

1. Understand your team

Ensure you understand these aspects of your team:

• Needs, challenges, and goals. How do you do that? Ask your team members. They know what they need.
• Collaboration requirements. Consider your team’s size. Larger teams may require more advanced collaboration features.

(If you work with remote teams or have remote workers, prioritize tools that support remote collaboration.)

• Potential growth. Assess factors related to your team’s dynamics, performance, and capabilities.

2. Define key features:

Think about the features your team can’t live without. Sort out the must-haves from the nice-to-haves.

Pro Tips:

• Opt for tools that have an intuitive interface. A tool that is easy to use will likely be adopted more readily by your team.
• Prioritize tools that can scale with the increase in the number of users and tasks of your team.

3. Flexibility:

Your team’s workflow is like a fingerprint—unique. So, choose tools with useful customization options to flex and adapt.

4. Cost considerations:

Check your budget. Some tools charge per person, so count your team heads.

Look at the big picture too. Consider everything—subscriptions, training, maybe even hooking up with other apps.

And here’s a golden nugget: Lots of productivity apps give free trials. So, try before you buy. See if the tool clicks with your team before committing.

III. 16+ Best Team Productivity Tools

All-in-one solutions

Why bother juggling between apps and dealing with password chaos? Choose an all-in-one solution instead.

It’ll turn your team’s life into a breeze: easy access, everything neatly organized, and no need for multiple logins.

1. Basecamp

Availability: Web, Android, iOS, macOS, Windows

Compared to other all-in-one solutions, Basecamp is a more streamlined and focused option.

It offers the essentials to help team members with various tasks. Things like project planning, progress tracking, task management, file sharing, and communication.

The interface is clean and understandable, making it a breeze to create to-do lists, manage tasks, track projects, and more.

Read Full Review: Basecamp Review.

Overall, Basecamp is well-suited for teams that need a simple solution to manage projects.

Key features

• Project activity log
• Hill Chart—to visually track project progress in a hill chart
• Message Board—for team discussion or brainstorming.
• Ping and Chat—for instant messaging. Ping for 1:1 chats and Chat for group chats.
• Docs & Files—to store, share, and discuss files

Limitations

Basecamp lacks a left sidebar, making it clunky to juggle between modules within a project or between multiple projects.

Besides, it lacks some advanced features commonly found in other project management tools.

For example, its Schedule module is simply a monthly calendar with daily to-do lists; there’s no daily or weekly calendar view. Or, the Card Table module is a basic Kanban board with limited customization.

Pricing

2. Upbase

Availability: web and mobile apps (iOS, Android)

Upbase stands out as the ultimate choice for small teams aiming to revolutionize their productivity game.

Why? Because it strikes the perfect balance between powerful features and a user-friendly experience, setting it apart from the rest.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by other all-in-one tools or found them disappointingly basic, Upbase is here to change the game.

No frills, it offers just the right features to elevate your team’s productivity, plus rich customization and an intuitively structured interface that’s a breeze to navigate.

Just look at what many users think about Upbase:

So, how exactly can Upbase transform your team’s productivity?

First off, it revolutionizes the way you manage project data with its unique Lists feature.

Think of each list as a project hub where you’ve got all the tools needed to organize different relevant pieces, like tasks, files, documents, schedules, etc.

They all are accessible to both leaders and team members alike, keeping everyone on the same page.

Notably, lists keep projects separate from each other, ensuring collaboration is not just efficient but secure.

Secondly, Upbase offers rich and robust real-time collaboration and communication capabilities.

From watchers, assignees, comments, and file attachments to a global chat and message boards, making it ideal for remote teams.

But that’s not all.

Upbase also simplifies collaboration with clients or external partners.

You can invite guests with granular control over their access.

Or, you can share public links of files or documents with external people.

Last but not least, Upbase pays attention to personal productivity.

It offers a robust toolset to help individual team members manage their assigned work, boost focus, and actually get things done, which also contributes to overall productivity.

Features like Pomo timers, ambient sounds, My Tasks, Notepad, and time-blocking. (You barely find these on other all-in-one solutions!!)

Key features

Lists, with 7 customizable modules:

• Tasks—sections; List and Board views; sorting and filtering options; search bar; emails to tasks.
• Docs—pages, folders, and subfolders; collaborative editing; comments; watchers; sharing public links; embedding Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Files—files and folders; Grid and List views; version control; comments; watchers; sharing public links; embedding Google Drive folders.
• Links—sections; descriptions; comments; watchers; notifying others.
• Calendar—3 views: Weekly Planner, Weekly Calendar, and Monthly Calendar; time-blocking; sorting.
• Messages—List and Sidebar views; categories; comments; watchers.
• Chat—instant messaging and channels; replying to messages; ability to quickly access old links/files in a chat.

Schedule Page, which visualizes task deadlines from all lists by day, week, and month.

Two-way Google Calendar sync. Note: Unlike other tools, Upbase preserves and shows the original color codes of imported events.

Personal productivity features: My Tasks, Pomo timers, daily planners with time-blocking, Notepad, Daily Notes.

Task management: descriptions, start dates and times, due dates and times, priorities, subtasks, and recurrence to automate repetitive tasks.

Color tags, to add more context to tasks. Note: You can filter tasks within a list or from all lists by one or multiple tags.

Filters, to filter tasks within the selected lists by multiple attributes for a personalized experience.

Limitations

• No Gantt chart view (yet)
• Lacks of some features in the mobile apps

Pricing

Upbase offers straightforward pricing, including a generous free-forever plan and a Premium plan, costing $5-9 per user/month. Sign up now!

3. ClickUp

Availability: web, desktop, and mobile apps

ClickUp is renowned for its versatility.

This project management tool offers a vast array of functionalities to cater to diverse needs, including:

• Goal setting
• Task management
• Time tracking
• File-sharing
• Team collaboration
• …

But that’s not all. With customizable views and extensive customization options, ClickUp enables team members to tailor the app to their specific workflows and preferences.

It’s also a favorite of sales, software development, and creative teams.

Key features

• Task management: customizable views, due dates, priorities, subtasks, etc.
• Communication tools: real-time chat, threaded discussions, and docs.
• Time tracking tools: timer, manual, and range.
• Customization: filters, search, text editing, tags, white label, etc.

Limitations

The extensive customization options in ClickUp may be overwhelming for some users. Teams that prefer a simpler interface might find the learning curve challenging.

Pricing

ClickUp offers a free plan with essential features, making it accessible to smaller teams. The paid plans cater to larger organizations with more advanced needs, offering a scalable pricing model.

4. Asana

Availability: web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

Asana is celebrated for two things: 1) robust project management features and 2) rich team collaboration tools.

Combined with a sleek interface, it enables teams to create tasks, add assignees, share files, and track progress with no difficulty.

Notably, Asana can tackle complex projects thanks to its advanced features, such as task dependencies, Gantt views, and timelines.

Read Full Review: Asana Review.

And oh, as a bonus, you can access this app from everywhere, from web browsers to desktops to mobile devices.

Key features

• Dependencies, Gantt views, and timelines
• Automations—to automate repetitive tasks
• Goals and portfolios
• Time tracking
• Workload views

Limitations

While Asana offers a robust set of features, some users may find the advanced functionalities limited in comparison to more specialized tools.

Besides, the project management app limits assigning a task to one team member at a time.

Pricing

Asana offers a free forever plan and four paid plans, starting at $10.99 per user per month.

With the Enterprise and Enterprise+ plans, you need to contact Asana’s sales team for details.

5. Microsoft 365

Availability: web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

Microsoft 365 is among the most popular project management tools, thanks to its comprehensive suite of tools to enhance team performance.

You’ve got your classic Office apps—Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—the industry standards for document creation, spreadsheet analysis, and presentation design.

Then, there are the robust cloud-based collaboration tools—Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. They let you manage projects, and assign tasks to team members in a secure, teamwork-friendly space.

If your business heavily relies on desktop apps, Microsoft 365 might be the better choice.

Key features

• Office apps: Access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other essential productivity apps.
• Cloud-based collaboration tools: Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
• Security protocols and compliance tools

Limitations

Some users may find the interface overwhelming, especially if they are not accustomed to the Microsoft environment.

Additionally, the robust features may come with a steeper learning curve for some users.

Pricing

The project management software operates on a subscription-based model with different plans catering to various needs.

For business, there are 4 paid options, starting at $6 per user/month

Note: Microsoft 365 for the web is a free version of Microsoft 365.

6. Google Workspace

Availability: web, iOS, Android

Google Workspace offers a suite of apps designed to enhance team’s productivity. However, unlike Microsoft 365, it stands out for two things:

1) A user-friendly interface with a consistent experience across apps.

2) A cloud-based nature, making it easy for remote teams to access and collaborate.

Now, inside Google Workspace, you’ve got Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. They’re popular cloud-based apps designed for team members to collaboratively edit and comment on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

And that’s not all – there’s also Google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Drive, all working seamlessly together.

Key features

• Google Chat and Gmail for communication
• Real-time collaboration: Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive
• AI-powered features: Smart Compose and Smart Fill, to improve productivity
• Mobile-optimized apps

Limitations

• High learning curve for users unfamiliar with cloud-based productivity tools.
• Limited storage capacity, which may be insufficient for teams with extensive data storage needs.

Pricing

The project management tool doesn’t come with a free plan. Instead, it offers a 14-day free trial for each paid option.

Team communication & video conferencing tools

1. Slack

Availability: web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux

Slack is a popular real-time communication tool for remote teams to chat it up. It keeps things simple with a streamlined interface, making it easy to navigate and find the features you need.

With Slack, you can send direct messages to team members or create group chats, make audio/video calls, create threaded discussions, and share files.

But take note that Slack is primarily designed as a team communication tool. When it comes to managing tasks and collaborating on projects, it’s very limited.

Key features

• 1:1 messages and channels
• Threaded discussions
• Audio and video calls
• Message history
• File-sharing

Limitations

Slack’s customization and storage capacity are limited, compared to other team collaboration tools.

Pricing

2. Microsoft Teams

Availability: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

Microsoft Teams is considered a good productivity tool for distributed teams.

Packed with an array of features, it lets remote team members chat in real-time, make video meetings, share files, manage tasks, and even collaborate on projects.

Sound similar to Slack, right? But when compared side-by-side, Microsoft Teams is more robust, especially in terms of task management and project collaboration capabilities.

And, let’s not forget that Microsoft Teams is part of Microsoft 365. This means team members can integrate it with other apps in the suite, such as OneDrive, Word, and PowerPoint, for a unified experience.

Key features

• Real-time chat and channels
• Threaded discussions
• Video conferencing
• To-do lists and Kanban boards
• File-sharing and storage
• Integration with Microsoft 365

Limitations

Microsoft Teams offers limited customization options, and its interface is not as intuitive as many other collaboration platforms.

Pricing

3. Google Meet

Availability: web and mobile apps (Android and iOS)

Meet is a popular cloud-based video conferencing tool that many businesses, schools, and individuals love. Why? Because it’s got a generous free plan and user-friendly interface.

With Meet, you can easily make video/audio calls with a team member or a group, share screen during the call, or even livestream it to a wider audience.

And oh, as a bonus, Meet integrates with Gmail and Google Calendar.

That means team leaders can easily set up meetings and give everyone the lowdown on who’s in. It’s like Meet just knows how to make your meeting life a whole lot easier.

Key features

• Video and voice conferencing
• Meeting recordings
• Noise cancellation, hand raising, breakout rooms, and attendance tracking
• Live streaming
• Integration with Google Calendar and Gmail

Limitations

• Only permits sharing one screen at a time.
• Limited control over the interface and branding

Pricing

The collaboration tool offers a free plan and four pair plans for more advanced features, starting at $ per user/month.

Password Management Tools

1. LastPass

Availability: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android

While most password management tools are paid, LastPass stands out as a freemium option. It offers a free plan with basic features, making it accessible to a wide range of users and teams on a tight budget.

What can this productivity app do for you?

It’s like a secure vault where you can store and manage all user passwords for easy access and collaboration with other team members.

LastPass employs advanced encryption algorithms and security protocols to protect your data from unauthorized access.

It also offers a wide range of features, including password generation, auto-fill, 2FA integration, and secure password sharing.

Key features

• Save and autofill passwords
• Shared folders
• Password generator
• Passwordless login
• Dark web monitoring
• Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Limitations

The free plan offers limited user management and contains ads.

Pricing

For teams and businesses, the productivity tool offers two paid options, starting at $2.8 per user/month.

2. 1Password

Availability: iOS, macOS, Windows, Android, Linux, browser extensions.

1Password is a paid productivity app, but you get what you pay for.

It’s compatible with more devices and offers additional features like reports, custom groups, and dedicated tools for developers.

Additionally, its interface is slightly more intuitive.

Key features

• Developer tools (Visual Studio Code extension, SSH key management, and more)
• Temporarily sharing passwords with the selected team members
• Tags, categories, and collections
• SOC II Type 2 certified, GDPR compliant, etc.
• Risk detection

Limitations

• No free plan
• Limited sharing options

Pricing

1Password offers 4 paid options. In there, the Teams Starter Pack costs $19.95/month for up to 10 team members, while the Business costs $7.99 per user/month.

Other team productivity software

1. Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud – for Collaborative Design

A robust graphic design tool with collaborative features is a must-have for any design team, especially when some team members work remotely.

Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud are two potential candidates.

Both are well-known for their popularity and various useful features catering to different types of design.

Moreover, they allow multiple team members to collaborate on the same design project simultaneously, making them ideal for remote teams.

While both tools are considered the best productivity tools for graphic designers, they target different user groups.

Canva is specifically designed for beginners and non-designers, offering an intuitive interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and user-friendly tools.

On the other hand, Adobe Creative Cloud is better suited for professional designers, providing more robust features and customization options to meet a wide range of complex graphic design needs.

2. Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides – for presentation

Next, let’s talk about these productivity apps.

Both of them are known for their robust real-time collaboration features – you can have multiple team members working on the same slides at the same time.

Changes made by one team member are reflected in real-time for others, and everyone can see who is currently editing the document.

Now, which one suits your team?

If you’re already familiar with Microsoft Office apps, go for PowerPoint. But if you heavily rely on the Google ecosystem, then Slides is your match.

Here’s the deal: PowerPoint offers more advanced animation and transition effects. You can make your slides dance and sing, and it works even when your internet decides to take a coffee break.

Google Slides, on the other hand, stands out for its free plan, ease of use, and cross-platform compatibility.

3. Hootsuite or Buffer – for Social Media Management

Hootsuite and Buffer help teams save time by providing a centralized platform for social media management.

Both apps let team members work together to create, review, and schedule posts on different social media platforms. Plus, they come with features to show how well your posts are doing, so your team can make smart choices for future social media plans.

While Hootsuite and Buffer offer similar core functionalities, there are some nuanced differences.

Hootsuite is like the big toolbox with lots of features and customization, great for larger teams with diverse needs.

Buffer keeps things simple and easy. People love it because it’s so easy to use, especially if you’re just getting started.

4. Salesforce or HubSpot CRM – for Customer Relationship Management

Both are considered great productivity apps for sales and marketing teams, but each comes with its unique strengths and limitations.

Salesforce is known for its high level of customization, scalability, and advanced analytics.

On the other hand, HubSpot CRM is distinguished for its user-friendly interface and robust automation features.

So, if you’re a large enterprise with complex needs, Salesforce is the better choice. If you’re a small to mid-sized team looking for a user-friendly, all-in-one solution, choose HubSpot CRM.

5. GitHub or Bitbucket – for Software Development

They both are widely used version control and collaboration platforms.

GitHub is preferred for public/open-source projects due to its flexible branch permissions.

Bitbucket, on the other hand, stands out for its user-friendly interface and social coding features, making it a favorite for private repositories, especially for smaller teams with free private repository options.

Ready to boost your team productivity?

In the dynamic landscape of team productivity apps, Upbase emerges as the standout choice for those seeking a transformative shift in efficiency and collaboration.

With its intentional blend of user-friendly features, customization options, and seamless organization, Upbase promises not just a solution but a revolution in how your team works.

Say goodbye to scattered workflows and hello to synchronized success. Choose Upbase to elevate team collaboration, streamline workflows, and lead your team into a future of unparalleled productivity.

Sign up for a free Upbase account now and experience it for yourselves.

FAQs

1. What are the types of team productivity apps?

They are commonly divided into these types:

• Project management and collaboration tools – to plan, manage, and collaborate on tasks and projects.
• Communication tools – for instant messaging, group chatting, video conferencing, and virtual meetings within teams.
• Note-taking and knowledge management tools – to capture and organize notes, documents, wikis, and ideas.
• Cloud storage tools – to facilitate file sharing and collaboration.
• Time tracking tools – to track time spent on tasks and analyze productivity.
• Password management tools – to manage and share passwords.

Besides, there are dedicated productivity tools for specific industries and team requirements.

2. What are the best productivity tools for teams?

The choice depends on your team’s needs, preferences, and workflows.

Often, a combination of productivity tools is used to create a customized productivity stack that suits the team’s requirements. Here are our suggestions:

• Upbase – an all-in-one solution for managing projects, tasks, files, documents, links, schedules, plans, emails, and chats.
• Google Meet – for video conferencing.
• LastPass – for password management.

3. What are the benefits of team productivity software?

A team productivity tool makes working together easier by helping everyone communicate, stay organized, and manage projects efficiently.

It lets teams collaborate in real time, keeps tasks in order, and makes things transparent, so decisions happen faster.

4. Is Upbase a great productivity tool for teams?

Yes, Upbase is considered a great productivity tool for teams.

The reason is that Upbase effectively manages everything in one place. Things like projects, tasks, files, documents, links, schedules, and more.

Hence, team members can easily access, manage, and collaborate together without juggling between multiple apps.

5. What are team productivity apps?

Productivity apps for teams are software solutions designed to enhance collaboration, improve time management, and improve overall team efficiency.

They often provide a centralized platform for tasks like communication, project planning, file sharing, and task management.

Some examples are Slack, Upbase, and Asana.