Top Tools To Stay Productive & Organized While Working Remotely

Most of us have been working remotely since the beginning of the pandemic. We tried and tested several tools for calls and meetings, instant communication, shared notes and documents, and so on.

Multiple tools are launching every month, but here are a few of the current remote working tools that could help you work more efficiently and be productive. We have classified the tools broadly into five categories. If you do not feel like reading all the way through, feel free to skip to the most relevant category!

Categories for Remote Working Tools-

• Video Conferencing
• Instant Communication / Team Management
• Storage
• Productivity / Project Management / Collaboration
• Special Mentions

1. Video Conferencing

By far the most crucial remote working tool you must have if your job requires working in a team. May it be discussing a project, giving feedback, or even brainstorming – video conferencing is irreplaceable by chats or phone calls.

Governments, courts, schools, MNCs – everyone has been using some form of Video Conferencing Software in the past two years. Here are a few of them, with their Unique Selling Propositions-

Zoom

You have probably used this at least once in your professional career. A hit since the very beginning of the lockdowns, this one’s had (and still probably is having) its share of the limelight.

Zoom offers impeccable audio and video quality, a simultaneous screen sharing option for everyone, and even an on-device / on could recording option. In the paid version, Zoom offers a feature called ‘Breakout Rooms’ – that allows the host to divide participants into smaller groups for brainstorming sessions or team activities.

This remote working tool has been of great value – especially to educational institutions which have mainly relied on face-to-face interactions until now. You can visit zoom.us to know more about the pricing and detailed features.

Whereby

whereby.com is a relatively new remote working tool on the market. The video conferencing service started in 2013 as appear in and has since expanded. You need not download any app or software to use whereby. 

The meeting link is pretty short and easily memorable, making it easier to be shared. Whereby has made it easier to collaborate and not just video conference, by giving the users an option to integrate Google Drive, Trello Boards, Miro Whiteboards, and even YouTube!

Whereby has stepped up and given its users an option to switch to Mobile Mode, Reduce Visual Effects, and Automatically Launch picture-in-picture while scrolling through other tabs, helping users with a poor internet connection save data and attend calls for a longer time.

Even though it’s still improving and updating, we see a bright future for them! Do give whereby.com a visit to know more about the excellent service they are offering!

2. Instant Communication / Team Management

Messengers like WhatsApp or iMessage, used mainly as private messaging apps before the pandemic, became favored for work-related conversations, thereby blurring the line between personal and professional life and creating the necessity for Instant Communication / Remote Team Management apps and software. Here are a few of the remote working tools, best ones out there –

Slack

Most teams already use Slack as their primary instant communication software. Not only is Slack super user-friendly, but it also has a long list of integrations that makes the whole experience easier, faster, and more productive.

You can create public and private channels and invite others as members or even guests. Members have access to all channels while guests only to specific ones. Slack is available both on your computer and smartphone as an app.

The best part- you ask? Slack automatically mutes notifications at night to ensure that you have the private time you truly deserve. Drop-in at slack.com to try it yourself!

Google Hangouts

Yes, yes, this one’s here too. As silly as it may seem, Google Hangouts is one of the smoothest and easiest instant communication tools to have today. If you extensively use G-Suite services for your work, this is by far the most user-friendly and practical tool to use.

With Google Hangouts, you won’t have to worry about slow internet or low connectivity. This one is very light and makes instant messaging seamless. Plus, it’s free! Visit hangouts.google.com to get started.

Chanty

This one’s an all-rounder! Chanty offers various services – video conferencing, audio conferencing, instant messaging, and so much more! The best part of Chanty is that you can assign, discuss, and set deadlines to tasks within the app itself!

Although it’s not widespread yet, we see great potential here! Visit Chanty to have a look at the integrations and pricing.

3. Storage

Google Drive

This one’s so old and convenient even children use it. Google Drive is almost the king of cloud storage today!

Apart from securely storing your private files, it also poses as a managing tool for Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Forms, and so much more! Drive offers real-time editing making it instantly better than other storage services in the market. Plus, it’s Google. So you won’t have to think much. Simply write drive.google.com to get started!

Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the first remote working tools developed dedicated to storing and sharing files. It is effortless and user-friendly to use. Once you save a file in the Dropbox folder, it syncs almost immediately- MUCH faster than its competitors.

You must check this one out if you are looking for alternatives to Google Drive. Visit Dropbox to learn more!

OneDrive

I heard this one in a demo session for Teams – ‘Do you know Google Drive? OneDrive is that, but for Microsoft.’

This one’s not as famous as the others, but it is feature-packed in a way that just a subscription to OneDrive gives you access to the entire Office 365 suite and even 60 free minutes of international calling on Skype. Go to onedrive.live.com to know more!

MediaFire

Although not very well-known, MediaFire offers a pretty good deal. You can use up to 10GB of storage in the free plan, and it even lets you upload a file as big as 4GB at once.

Even better- it scans for malicious elements while uploading or downloading files. Mediafire.com will give you all the details you need!

4. Productivity / Project Management / Collaboration

Trello

This one’s our favorite. Trello is one of the best remote project management tools and offers various integrations on its free plan. Apart from being a very visual tool, it’s powerful and easy to use. 

On Trello, you can create Boards, which then have Lists, which have Cards. Each card can have a category, label, deadline, checklist, attachments, and so much more. You can automate the cards and lists, e.g., a card will go to the bottom of the list once the due date has been marked complete, or all cards on a list will be rearranged in ascending/descending order every Monday based on the due date.

You can have up to 10 Boards with unlimited lists in the free version of the subscription. Do drop in at Trello to know more about the integrations and features of this excellent remote working tool!

Todoist

One of the most fun and easy-to-use remote working tools out there, Todoist makes work easier and faster. The interface is minimal but powerful.

Todoist is not truly a project management app, but it does help in managing your tasks, reminders, and lists. You can comment, assign, and even prioritize tasks at hand.

This one will help you not just to keep track of your projects but also handle task management. Go to todoist.com to try it yourself!

Scoro

An all-in-one business management tool for remote working, Scoro lets you track progress and share results in real-time. Vital aspects of project management like budgeting, CRM, and resource allocation can all be handled seamlessly on the platform itself.

You can use Scoro with your existing systems, as it claims to integrate more than 1000 tools through Zapier. Do give Scoro a visit to know more and try it yourself!

4. Special Mentions!

A few remote working tools and services that don’t fit into any specific category or stand out are –

Yammer

Not only for remote workers, but Yammers is also an instant-communication tool for office goers.

It stands out from the crowd because of its social media-like interface. You can communicate work-related topics as well as casual topics in this app. Employees can like, share, and comment on posts that appear on their feeds.

This makes Yammers the perfect platform for your remote working employees and gets a spot in our special mentions list! Do check Yammer to know more about it.

Google Docs

Yes, we all know what it is. But it’s seriously underappreciated for the amount of time it saves us. You can collaborate and work with your colleagues or clients in real-time! That’s almost like being in the same room and suggesting changes.

Google Docs allows you to share the document with anyone as an Editor, Commentor, or Viewer. This feature has enabled thousands to come together and work on a project in a hassle-free yet engaging manner.

Apart from this, Google Docs have numerous fonts, offline saving mode, autosave, and much more! We encourage you to try and use this remote working tool from google once! Go to docs.google.com and get started!

We hope that your remote working experience gets a little easier and more productive with the help of these remote working tools and software.

Do you know any more apps or tools to help our fellow remote workers? Drop them in a comment below and share them with us!

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