Best Team Collaboration Tools in 2026

Rachel Abraham

With 28% of people in the UK workforce currently engaging in hybrid work in 2025, and 14% exclusively working remotely¹, team communication software and online collaboration tools have never been more important. The most useful tools will let you communicate in real-time, share documents, and manage projects with ease.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the pros and cons of the most popular project management tools for teams, so that you can decide which tool is best for you and your business.

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Comparison of the best team collaboration tools

SoftwareTrustpilot scoreFeaturesPricingBest for
Slack2.2 from +300 reviews⁴
  • Channels to organise work
  • Direct messaging
  • Audio and video chat
  • Connect securely with external organisations⁵
Free plan available⁶Teams who need to communicate quickly and want a social element in their conversations
Monday.com3.1 from +3k reviews⁷
  • Visual project view
  • Project management
  • Integrates with other software
  • Incorporate automations⁸
Free plan available⁹Teams who want something more powerful than a to-do list they can use immediately
Todoist3.1 from +60 reviews¹⁰
  • Easy task creation
  • Ability to assign tasks and share projects
  • Ability to set up recurring tasks
  • Integrates with other software¹¹
Free plan available¹²Small teams who need a lightweight, reliable task manager
ClickUp2.3 from +300 reviews¹³
  • In depth task management
  • Data visualisation
  • Automations including AI brain
  • Time tracking included
  • Fully customisable templates¹⁴
Free plan available¹⁵All-in-one workspace for teams needing structure and flexibility

Choosing a team collaboration tool, considerations

As hybrid working has become more common, the number of remote team collaboration options has also grown. The need to find software which works for your set up is essential, with 64% of employees claiming that poor collaboration is costing them at least 3 hours per week in productivity³. While each business will need a slightly different system, there are some key features to look out for.

1. Real-time communication

Real-time communication, whether through DMs, threads, or channels, lets your team communicate easily, removing potential friction caused by going back and forth on email. In particular, the asynchronous nature of this type of communication means that each team member can reply when it’s convenient to them, rather than having their flow interrupted by a phone call. Some software options include audio and video calls on the same platform, so you can keep everyone on the same page and make decisions quickly, benefitting both your employees and your clients.

2. Document sharing

By uploading files directly to the platform or integrating your other work tools, all the documents you need can be found quickly and easily, instead of getting lost in email chains. You can also edit documents collaboratively in real-time, giving everyone space to add their input in.

3. Task and project management

The most effective tools don’t just enable discussion, but action. Features like assigning tasks with due dates and statuses, time tracking, and workflow monitoring make it clear who is responsible for what. This will ensure accountability and avoid any breakdowns in communication.

4. Automations and integrations

No matter how good your project management tools are, this software alone isn’t enough to run a business. As a result, it’s important that your online collaboration platform syncs up and integrates with other essential business tools such as your customer relationship management programs, marketing tools, and accounting software. In addition, using automations strategically can speed up your workflow and save your team both time and headspace.

5. Dashboards and reporting

The ability to see the data that’s relevant to you at a glance helps you make smart decisions faster, without getting bogged down in irrelevant details. This ability also lets managers see what each team member is up to without needing to micromanage.

6. User roles and permissions

Not every team member needs access to everything. By choosing a tool with the ability to assign roles and permissions, you can avoid sharing data unnecessarily. When combined with two-factor authentication, you can keep your most sensitive information secure.

7. Ease of use

Investing in great tools is futile if none of your team uses them. A clean interface and helpful guides will get your team up and running in no time. This is particularly important if your team mostly works remotely, as you may not be on hand to help team members get to grips with the software.

8. Customisable

Your business is likely to grow and evolve, so it’s important that your team’s communication software can keep up with you. Customisable workflows, scalable pricing, and automations can ensure that you can build a system that best serves your team.

💡 You may also like: Best AI tools to automate your business

Best team collaboration tools providers

Slack

Features

  • Real-time messaging both publicly and privately
  • Ability to share files
  • Video and voice calls through the Huddle feature
  • Connect and share information securely with external organisations
  • Ability to search through your message history (limited to 90 days for free plans⁶)
  • Integrations with over 2600 apps¹⁶

Advantages

  • Instant communication
  • Easy to use
  • Integrates easily with other tools you use
  • Can split conversation by channel and only include relevant people

Limitations

  • Instant messaging could distract from deep work
  • No task management ability
  • Message history and integrations limited on free plan⁶

Pricing

Slack offers a free plan and then paid plans start at £5.75 per person, per month when billed annually⁶.

Best for: teams who need to communicate quickly and want a social element in their conversations

Monday.com

Features

  • A variety of visual project boards
  • Over 200 integrations¹⁷ including Slack, Gmail, Microsoft products, and Mailchimp
  • Easily build and include automations in your workflows without coding
  • Visualise data any way you want with more than 50 widgets¹⁸

Advantages

  • Visually intuitive, making data easier to interpret
  • Large template library
  • Automations are easy to build
  • Responsive support team

Limitations

  • Some advanced features are only available on more expensive tiers
  • Might not be suitable for designing extremely complex workflows

Pricing

Monday.com offers a free plan and then paid plans start at £8 per person, per month⁹.

Best for: teams who want something more powerful than a to-do list they can use immediately

Todoist

Features¹¹

  • Task creation including due dates, priorities, labels, and subtasks
  • Ability to create recurring tasks
  • Ability to assign tasks and share projects
  • Reminders, filters and calendar view available on paid plan¹²
  • Integrate with more than 1000 apps¹⁹ or you can build your own extensions and automations

Advantages

  • Simple and easy to use
  • Fast and reliable sync between devices
  • Affordable
  • Excellent “second brain” for individuals and small teams

Limitations

  • Some features locked behind paid plans
  • Might not be suitable for very complex workflows
  • Designed for basic collaboration which might not suit larger enterprises

Pricing

Todoist offers a free plan and then paid plans start at £6 per person, per month for teams¹².

Best for: small teams who need a lightweight, reliable task manager

ClickUp

Features¹⁴

  • In-depth task management system with various views
  • Customisation, automation and templates available
  • Easy to collaborate
  • Time tracking included
  • Integrates with over 1000 tools²⁰

Advantages

  • Multiple features designed for a variety of workflows
  • Flexible and customisable to suit your working style
  • Combines collaboration with structure and process
  • Lots of different ways to view and visualise work

Limitations

  • Steep learning curve as you get to grips with all the features
  • Could be time-consuming to decide which process is right for you

Pricing

ClickUp offers a free plan and then paid plans start at $7 per person (only available in USD), per month for teams¹⁵. Wise Business can help reduce fees for subscriptions that are outside of your local currency, which is something to keep in mind.

Best for: all-in-one workspace for teams needing structure and flexibility

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How to choose the best team collaboration tools for your business

In reality, there is no definitive answer when it comes to answering this question. In fact, you could spend your whole time searching for the right remote team collaboration software, rather than choosing one and making it work for your team. In order to make the decision process a little easier, here are some factors to consider:

  • Assess your team’s specific needs and size: By knowing what your team needs and which features are irrelevant to you, you can find the right combination of features, without overwhelming your team or cutting out key tools that you need. In addition, the size of your team can influence your decision as some software is designed for larger companies while others have smaller teams in mind.
  • Consider your budget: With many project management tools priced per team member, it’s easy for costs to mount up fast. Before you invest in a tool, take advantage of a free plan or trial to test drive and see if it's the right fit for your team.
  • Evaluate user-friendliness and adoption: If nobody uses your team communication software tool, it won’t be able to increase productivity and organisation. To make the transition to a new way of working easier, make sure you choose a tool which is easy to use and naturally integrates with your company rhythm.
  • Look for scalability: As your business grows, you want a tool that grows with you, instead of stifling growth or requiring you to migrate to a new tool. The best team collaboration tools will allow you to add features as you grow.
  • Read reviews and case studies: It’s easy to look good on paper, but the real proof comes from customers who have put the product through its paces. Before you make a final decision, make sure you spend time reading reviews and case studies so you can see what real people think.

Manage subscriptions with Wise Business

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With no monthly fees, the ability to manage multiple currencies in one place and connect to accounting software, a Wise Business account can make your life easier.

You can also use your Wise Business account to pay for your team collaboration tools. This is particularly helpful if you're purchasing a subscription in an international currency, rather than British pounds, as a Wise Business account allows you to receive and make payments with local account details (only with Wise Business Advanced).

*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

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There’s no single answer to the question: “what are the best team collaboration tools?” Instead, it’s important to take stock of your own business, your team’s needs, and the problems you’re looking to solve. And don't forget to consider how easy it is going to be for team members to use: widespread adoption from your team is going to be crucial for any of these tools to be successful for your business.

FAQs

What’s the best free team collaboration tool?

Most tools offer a free plan or trial you can use to test them out. However, the question of “best” depends on what your needs are. Make sure it’s easy to use, genuinely solves the problems your team is facing, and works with your existing systems.

What are the challenges of using these tools?

The biggest challenge is getting your team to adopt your project management software. For this to be successful, the tool needs to be genuinely useful, easy to use, and make your team’s life easier, rather than creating extra work for them.

Are team collaboration tools secure?

Yes, these tools are very secure thanks to two-factor authentication and the ability to assign roles and permissions to team members, so not everyone has access to everything.

Sources used:

  1. UK Office for National Statistics, Who has access to hybrid work in Great Britain?
  2. Wise Business
  3. Corel, State of Collaboration Survey: Companies are not doing enough and it’s costing them, p4
  4. Slack Trustpilot page
  5. Slack features
  6. Slack pricing
  7. Monday.com Trustpilot page
  8. Monday.com features
  9. Monday.com pricing
  10. Todoist Trustpilot page
  11. Todoist features
  12. Todoist pricing
  13. ClickUp Trustpilot page
  14. ClickUp features
  15. ClickUp pricing
  16. Slack integrations
  17. Monday.com integrations
  18. Monday.com dashboards
  19. Todoist integrations
  20. ClickUp integrations

Sources last checked on 14-Oct 2025


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We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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