8 best team communication tools and how to use them in 2024

Team chat tools

Slack

Slack is a popular team collaboration and messaging platform designed to enhance communication and productivity within organizations. It provides a centralized space for teams to collaborate and share information via direct messages. A McKinsey Group study reported that 72%² of businesses are using Slack, or platforms like it to facilitate team communication.

Features

• Easy real-time messaging
• File Sharing
• Video and voice calls
• Threaded conversations
• Custom emojis and reactions

Benefits

• Enhanced collaboration
• Organized and effective communication
• Simple to use
• Access to data on the go
• Improved productivity
• Great for remote teams
• Third-party integrations

Unpacking Slack's pricing structure

Slack offers 4 different pricing tiers: Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise Grid, each of which comes with unlimited user accounts. The Free plan is suitable for small-to-medium businesses. It provides unlimited public and private channels, seamless file sharing, and instant messaging. You can also integrate with up to 10 apps for added functionality.

Businesses seeking enhanced third-party integrations and group video calling capabilities should consider upgrading to the Pro plan. For larger organizations or those operating within heavily regulated industries, the more advanced Business+ and Enterprise Grid plans are available. These premium plans provide access to 24/7 customer support, data export options, and robust multi-layered security protocols.

Reviews

Here are what some customers have to say about their experience with Slack.

"I've been using Slack for my team's communication and collaboration needs for the past couple of years, and I must say it's been a game-changer. The platform offers a seamless way to stay connected, share files, and discuss projects in real-time." - Anthony Johnson

" Changing the way of communication. Ever since I started using it, I tend to think in a different way about workplace communication - asynchronous communication, reliable, personalized, communication as work basically. Overall, amazing and innovative product." - Giorgios Papadopaulos

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform developed by Microsoft. It is designed to facilitate communication and teamwork within organizations, whether they are small businesses or large enterprises.

Features

• Chat and messaging
• Video and audio calls
• Simple interface
• File sharing
• Integration with Microsoft 365

Benefits

• Enhanced communication
• Easy scalability
• Collaboration with external partners
• Highly affordable

Unpacking Microsoft Teams' pricing

Microsoft Teams offers a variety of pricing options to cater to different organizational needs. They offer both free and paid plans, making it accessible to a wide range of users. The Free plan is ideal for small teams and businesses looking to get started. It includes features like unlimited chat, file storage, and integrations with Office apps. For more advanced capabilities such as scheduled meetings, cloud storage, and enhanced security, the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan is suitable.

If you require advanced features, consider the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan. For larger enterprises and organizations with stringent compliance requirements, Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans offer comprehensive solutions. These plans include advanced security, compliance, and collaboration features along with 24/7 customer support to ensure a seamless and secure communication experience. Whether you're a small team or a large corporation, Microsoft Teams has a pricing tier to accommodate your needs and preferences.

Reviews

Here's what some users say about Microsoft Teams:

"I am extremely delighted to use this application. It has enabled me to collaborate within and outside the organization in terms of project management and sourcing activities. It saves my time through the file and data sharing feature which allows the relevant persons to update their figures. The instant messaging option is just fantastic. I can even arrange meetings with a large audience." - OffStyle

"I have been using Microsoft Teams at university. At the beginning it was a little difficult to get the hang of it because I was so used to Zoom and Hang outs but the features included are totally helpful. You can create groups of work, assign specific tasks, review content, it also has recording features and I have now started to love it." - Carlos

Project management tools

Project management tools help you manage, visualize and collaborate on projects. More than 85% of businesses use project management software.⁴ Here are the tools leading the way in 2023.

Asana

Whether it's used as a project management tool or a workplace management platform, Asana enables teams of all kinds to streamline their work.

Features

• Gantt project timeline view for easy visualization
• Board view for organizing scrums or sprints
• List view for organizing a simple task list by due date or assignee
• Reporting tools for evaluating project efficiency
• Workflow automation for greater efficiency

Benefits

• Streamline task, project and workflow management
• Delegate or stay on top of tasks
• Collaborate on complex team projects
• Visualize tasks and workflows with ease
• Reduce organizational silos

Unpacking Asana's pricing

Asana presents users with a selection of pricing tiers to cater to diverse organizational needs. Beginning with Asana Basic, this plan is free for teams of up to 15 users and includes unlimited file storage, tasks, and projects, along with standard views like list, board, and calendar. While integrations with workplace apps are complimentary, custom product dashboards are not available in this tier.

For those seeking more comprehensive features, Asana Premium is the next step up. In addition to the offerings in the Basic plan, Premium introduces the timeline view, automated workflows, and unlimited reporting dashboards, it also extends user access without limitations.

Stepping up further, the Asana Business plan brings advanced capabilities to the table. It includes project portfolios and goal features, advanced workflows, time tracking, custom fields, and extends user access to unlimited users and free guests.

Finally, for large-scale enterprises with specific requirements, Asana Enterprise offers custom pricing. This top-tier plan encompasses all the features from previous tiers and allows for platform branding, data export, cross-regional backups, and dedicated 24/7 support.

Reviews

Here's what customers are saying about Asana:

"I love that Asana is free for small companies like mine. I'm a solo freelancer and don't need a lot of features. But Asana offers a ton of features and I love the UI." - Matthew Gregory

"I've used Trello and Basecamp in the past, but Asana feels like the best fit for me. I like the flexibility of the My Tasks view, which you can set up as a list or board with your own section headers. It integrates with Filestage too, which is great, so I can auto-assign content review tasks with due dates, instead of chasing reviewers manually." - Ethan Lott

Trello

Launched in 2011, Trello is a project management and collaboration tool renowned for its intuitive, drag-and-drop interface. This highly visual platform leverages the Kanban methodology to categorize projects into boards, each representing a specific stage in the workflow. It's designed to feel like working on a team board with post-it notes, only digital.

Features

• Break down projects into lists, cards or checklists
• Zoom out and see projects as a whole with the timeline feature
• Templates for different project types
• Clean interface
• Integrations with other tools and platforms
• Automate and streamline custom workflows

Benefits

• Flexible list customization
• Task breakdown with checklists
• Real-time updates and notifications
• Extended functionality with power-ups
• Color-coded labels for categorization
• Highly scalable

Unpacking Trello's pricing

Trello's adaptable pricing model operates on a per-user basis, providing scalable options for organizations.

In the Trello Free plan, users enjoy essential features such as unlimited cards, tasks, and the capacity to manage up to 10 boards per workspace. It's an excellent choice for individuals or small teams who need to streamline simple projects.

Stepping up to the Trello Standard unlocks additional capabilities, including unlimited boards, expanded storage, advanced checklists, custom fields, and access for single-board guests. This tier caters to small, remote teams, such as agency teams launching campaigns.

For larger teams and organizations, Trello Premium offers a range of features, including various views (timeline, table, dashboard, map, and calendar views), workspace-level board templates, collections, observers, unlimited workspace command runs, and priority support.

At the enterprise level, Trello Enterprise delivers all Premium features along with benefits like unlimited workspaces, organization-wide boards, permissions, public board management, multi-board guests, and free SSO and user provisioning. This top-tier plan is tailored for large organizations with heightened security needs, such as global corporations.

Reviews

" Love Trello. It's very useful for keeping track of ideas. Their support is also amazing too. They respond quickly and it feels very genuine. No canned messages like a lot of companies do. I appreciate the effort made into a good customer experience, it means a lot!" - William Nelson

"Been in tech for more than 15 years and using Trello since 2016, still my favorite all-round project and team management tool. Gets stronger with each iteration and the gamification adds some fun to work days of endless slack + trello workflow. What's there not to like?" -Thomas Seet

Monday

Monday.com, commonly referred to as Monday, is a cloud-based work operating system that serves as a visual work management platform for teams and organizations. It's designed to help teams plan, track, and manage work processes and projects effectively.

Features

• Customizable boards for different workflows and project types
• Time tracking features
• Collaboration features including real-time updates, file sharing and commenting
• Workflow automation
• Ready-made templates for a quick start

Benefits

• Simplified workflows
• Easily comment, collaborate and delegate tasks
• Improve efficiency and productivity

Unpacking Monday's pricing

Monday offers a range of pricing tiers designed to cater to various business needs, ensuring its suitability for both individuals and large organizations.

The Individual Plan is a cost-free option, providing limited features like task management, communication, file sharing, and up to 2GB of storage capacity. It's a great starting point for small teams or individuals seeking basic project management functionality.

Stepping up, the Basic Plan offers unlimited boards, 5GB of storage, and basic integrations, making it an excellent choice for small to medium-sized teams requiring enhanced functionality and integration options.

The Standard Plan builds on the Basic Plan by adding more features such as time tracking, calendar view, and integrations with Google Drive and Dropbox. This plan caters to teams seeking expanded functionality and integration capabilities.

For those who need advanced project management capabilities, the Pro Plan is the next step. It includes advanced automation, chart view, and time-tracking reports, making it ideal for larger teams and those with more complex project management needs.

For large organizations with specific requirements, the Enterprise Plan offers tailored solutions.  To obtain a quote for this customized plan, you'll need to contact Monday.com directly.

Reviews

Here's what users are saying about Monday:

"I was looking for a fully flexible interface where we can manage all our different brands: B2B and D2C. The self-learning sessions and tutorials were very helpful so that even non tech-savvy users could easily manage everything within just a few clicks. It was a big step in terms of marketing and sales automation. The staff was very helpful, patient and a great strategic sparring partner. With the usage of Monday we were able to build a strong base so that we can now create scalable results." - Vanessa

"Monday.com has made things so smooth in our office. Client follow up is a breeze. It has also allowed our team to work remotely when needed. It also makes team communication so easy. In addition Monday.com has helped us solidify responsibilities. Automations, set and forget." - Joy Heldt

Video conferencing tools

Zoom

Zoom is a widely used cloud-based video conferencing and communication platform that offers a range of tools and features for virtual meetings, webinars, and collaboration. It rose to prominence in the early months of the pandemic and has become ubiquitous for both personal and business use ever since.

Features

• Video meetings
• Screen sharing
• Virtual backgrounds
• Breakout rooms
• Integration opportunities (Check out F4S for Zoom)
• Chat and messaging
• Ability to record meetings
• Mobile app

Benefits

• Easy dashboard to navigate
• Robust free version
• Collaborate with multiple team members and clients with ease
• High-quality video

Pricing

The Free plan is the entry-level option that provides essential video chat features at no cost. Users can host meetings for up to 40 minutes, with 100 attendees and can use features like HD video and screen sharing. This plan is suitable for individuals and small groups looking for basic video conferencing capabilities.

Stepping up to the Pro plan, means meeting time is essentially unlimited, and you now have a basic whiteboard, and an AI companion. The Pro plan is ideal for small to medium-sized teams and businesses requiring enhanced collaboration tools.

Zoom's Business plan is designed for larger teams and organizations. It introduces features like company branding, dedicated customer support, and single sign-on capabilities.

For enterprises with extensive communication and collaboration requirements, Zoom Enterprise offers custom pricing tailored to individual organizational needs. It includes all the features from the Business plan and adds advanced security, compliance, and deployment options.

Reviews

Here's what people are saying about Zoom:

"I have conducted over 300 hours worth of webinars with an average attendance rate of about 50 people and have had individual meetings with ZOOM and have been using it since the beginning of 2020. I have also tried Webinar Jam, Google Meeting, Streamyard and a range of others...For me ZOOM is incredible. It is the only one that allows screen sharing AND chat on the same screen." - Kevin

"I've been hosting a couple of recent online meetings (circa 85 people) lately and the software experience was good. I didn't need the subscription this month, but forgot to cancel it. Contacted support and they have refunded within a few hours." - Ian

Tools for collaboration and communication

With the rise of remote and hybrid teams, real-time collaboration became a major challenge. That's where tools that enhance collaboration come in. These platforms facilitate visual communication, assist in brainstorming as well as understanding, and make it easier for people to work with each other.

Fingerprint for Success

Fingerprint for Success is an innovative performance and collaboration technology. Based on more than 20 years of rigorous research, F4S has developed a proprietary measurement of employee workplace motivations that helps individuals and organizations understand team dynamics, and enhance collaboration.

Features

• Coaching programs with AI Coach Marlee
• Team culture and affinities analysis
• Personalized insights on motivational traits
• Goal setting tools
• Benchmarking tool

Benefits

• Understand yourself, and your team better
• Enhance team collaboration and cohesion
• Prevent and solve team conflicts
• Remove blind spots and build on strengths
• Elevate your career through targeted insights and coaching

Unpacking F4S’s pricing

F4S caters to both teams, and individuals and has different pricing tiers to suit your needs.

There is a Free plan for teams and individuals that includes the free motivational traits quiz, followed by a personalized report of your results with a breakdown of your score on each of the 48 motivational traits, and what each trait means. It includes one complete 8-week AI coaching program and the ability to connect with 3 people.

Moving up to the paid plans, the Team plan offers unlimited personal insights and AI coaching programs and the ability to analyze team culture in terms of motivational affinities, and differences. For the Personal Boost Pack, there are unlimited personal insights and coaching programs to help you reach your goals.

It all starts with a short assessment. It's fun, (and it's free!).