Alexis Kestler
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to work from home. For some, this means switching to remote work with their existing job. For others who have lost their jobs, it means finding new work-from-home opportunities.
Working from home certainly has its perks. No more commute, comfortable clothes, flexible hours. But it also comes with unique challenges. Communicating and coordinating with colleagues can be difficult. Staying focused and productive without office oversight can be a struggle. And for parents, balancing childcare and household duties with a full-time job is no easy feat.
Luckily, technology has rapidly adapted to enable effective remote work. From video conferencing to project management, there are now great apps available to make working from home easier and more productive.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top 10 apps to simplify working from home. Whether you‘re an individual contributor or a manager overseeing a remote team, these apps provide solutions to common wfh struggles. Read on to boost your work-from-home productivity!
1. Slack
For team communication and collaboration, Slack is one of the best and most popular apps available. With Slack, you can create a shared digital workspace for your entire team.
Within your Slack workspace, you can make different channels to discuss projects, topics, teams, or anything else. You can also direct message with any teammate. Slack supports both text chats and video/voice calls.
File sharing is seamless in Slack. You can drag and drop files, share screens, integrate with cloud storage like Google Drive, and more.
Slack has a robust search function so you can easily find any past message, file, or conversation. Integrations with other apps like Trello, GitHub, Google Calendar, and Zoom make Slack a hub for all your work.
The basic features of Slack are free for any team. But larger teams may want to upgrade to a paid plan ($6-12 per user/month) for more message history, integrations, controls and support.
Key benefits:
- Whole team communication in one place
- Organized channels to segment conversations
- Excellent search to find past discussions
- Integrations with many other work apps
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux)
2. Zoom
For meetings and video conferencing, Zoom is the leading app for remote teams.
Zoom makes it easy to conduct team meetings, client calls, interviews, demos, trainings and more via video. Features like screen sharing, co-annotation, messaging, polls and breakout rooms make Zoom very functional for remote collaboration.
The free version of Zoom allows meetings of up to 100 people for up to 40 minutes each. Many remote teams can operate effectively with the free version. But paid plans remove the time limits on group meetings and add features like meeting transcripts and dedicated customer support.
Key benefits:
- Smooth video conferencing for teams of any size
- Useful features for interaction like screen share and annotations
- Reliable call quality and easy-to-use interface
- Flexible plans to meet the needs of any team
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux)
3. Trello
To manage projects and tasks, Trello is one of the top project management apps for remote teams.
Trello uses a simple board-and-card system to help teams track projects and break down big tasks. Each board contains lists of cards with tasks, notes, due dates, file attachments, comments and more. Trello makes it easy to map out what needs to get done and assign items to teammates.
The interface is flexible enough to plan projects of any size. Cards can be grouped into lists, labels can be used to categorize tasks, and due dates help keep everything on schedule. Members can discuss progress on cards directly in Trello.
Trello has excellent mobile apps so you can manage tasks on the go. It also integrates nicely with Slack, Google Drive, Twitter, Dropbox and more.
The free version of Trello provides ample functionality for most remote teams. Paid plans starting at $12.50 per user/month add features like timeline views and sophisticated automation.
Key benefits:
- Intuitive board system to map out projects
- Flexible cards for task management
- Great mobile experience
- Loads of integrations with other apps
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android)
4. Google Workspace
Formerly G Suite, Google Workspace brings together Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and more under one roof. For individuals and teams, Google Workspace delivers essential productivity, collaboration, and communication apps––all integrated seamlessly.
For working remotely, Google Docs delivers easy file sharing and collaboration through comments, version history, and live edits. No need to juggle multiple versions of a deliverable.
Google Drive provides unlimited cloud storage for all files accessible from any device. No more emailing files back and forth or keeping multiple copies in sync. Drive also enables easy file sharing.
For meetings and video calls, Google Meet rivals Zoom with easy-to-join video conferencing, screen sharing, call recording and more. Meet is integrated directly into Gmail and Calendar for simplified scheduling.
Most remote teams can work effectively with the free version of Google Workspace, limiting storage to 15GB per user. For unlimited Drive storage and advanced admin controls, Workspace Business plans start at $6 per user/month.
Key benefits:
- Seamless suite for email, docs, storage, video meetings and more
- Real-time collaboration through Google Docs
- Unlimited storage with Google Drive
- Easy video meetings with Google Meet
- Time-saving integrations between apps
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android)
5. Asana
For task and project management, Asana balances power with simplicity. Though not as flexible as Trello, Asana enables teams to quickly create tasks, organize projects, assign due dates, and track progress.
Asana makes it easy to set up projects, add tasks, make subtasks, and assign items to team members. You can specify due dates, add task dependencies, attach files and notes, and much more.
Asana has helpful calendar and timeline views so you can plan out what needs to happen when. You can also run custom reports to view progress and status across projects.
Asana integrates nicely with Slack, Google Drive, Trello, Dropbox, GitHub and more. The mobile apps make it easy to monitor and update tasks on the go.
The free version of Asana supports teams up to 15 members with basic project management features. Paid plans starting at $13.49 per user/month offer more controls, views, integrations and support.
Key benefits:
- Simple, flexible task management
- Views to map out timelines
- Ability to track progress and status
- Integrations with top apps
- Great mobile experience
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android)
6. Notion
For teams that want a centralized, all-in-one workspace, Notion is a top choice. Notion replaces separate apps for tasks, docs, wikis, and databases by combining those functions into a flexible workspace.
Within a Notion workspace, you can write notes, manage task lists, author wiki docs, build calendars, and more. By centrally storing all this content and data in Notion, teams minimize context switching between apps.
Notion makes it simple to organize information however you want. You can connect pages through inline links, track tasks on Tables or Kanban boards, and filter views. The permissions settings allow you to share access down to the individual page level.
Power users can even build their own customized Tables, Kanban boards, calendars and more from scratch. But Notion‘s templates make it easy to get started for most use cases.
Notion offers a free personal plan with unlimited members per workspace but file storage capped at 1GB. Paid team plans remove the storage cap and start at $4 per user/month.
Key benefits:
- All-in-one workspace replacing separate apps
- Flexible framework to organize notes, tasks, docs and data
- Customizable Tables, boards, wikis, calendars and more
- Granular permission settings
- Great balance of power and simplicity
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), Desktop (Mac, Windows)
7. Hubstaff
For managers overseeing remote teams, Hubstaff delivers robust team management features. Hubstaff provides visibility into where remote teams are spending their time and how productive they are.
Hubstaff offers automated time tracking of tasks. Screenshots, app usage, and keyboard/mouse activity are captured to provide timeline data. This gives managers clear insight into how remote teams utilize their time.
Project budgets and schedules can be set within Hubstaff. Notifications will trigger if team members exceed allotted time or go over budget. The schedule tool allows setting different hours and shift times for each team member.
Detailed individual and team productivity reports are available in Hubstaff. The reports summarize activity levels, time spent on tasks and projects, app usage, screenshots and more.
For managers with remote contractors, Hubstaff also tracks hourly billing rates and invoicing based on the task timelines. Payments can be sent directly through Hubstaff as well.
Plans for solopreneurs start at $7.50 per month. Teams can access Hubstaff starting at $5 per user/month.
Key benefits:
- Automated team activity and productivity tracking
- Data-driven visibility into time utilization
- Budgeting and hourly payment processing
- Customizable scheduling for remote teams
- Robust reporting
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android), Chrome Add-on
8. Focus@Will
Working from home means more potential distractions. Kids, pets, chores, and leisure activities are all within reach. Focus@Will providesaudio playlists scientifically designed to boost concentration while you work.
Based on neuroscience research, Focus@Will selects melody, rhythm, instrumentation, and more to play music optimized for tasks like writing or problem-solving. By dialing into your brain functionality, it helps zone out distractions.
The playlists also adapt in real-time based on your focus level, switching musical components to grab your attention if you get distracted.
In addition to scientifically created playlists, Focus@Will lets you block distracting sites like social media, customize focus levels, and track your time on tasks. A "Zone" feature eliminates interruptions by blocking notifications.
A free trial of Focus@Will is available. After that, premium access costs $7.99 per month. Discounted annual plans are also available.
Key benefits:
- Playlists powered by neuroscience to boost focus
- Adaptive music changes based on your concentration
- Site blocking and other focus features
- Data-driven tracking of time on tasks
- "Zone" feature eliminates notifications
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android)
9. Otter.ai
For remote teams conducting lots of meetings, Otter.ai automates meeting notes through artificial intelligence. Otter‘s AI-powered software listens in to meetings and generates shareable transcripts and notes.
Connect Otter to calendar apps like Google and Outlook to capture scheduled meetings. Or open the Otter app during any audio call to transcribe the conversation.
The advanced speech recognition can identify different speakers and create an annotated transcript differentiating what was said. Otter will also extract key follow-ups, decisions, and action items so you don‘t have to comb through a long transcript.
Generated transcripts can be shared via web link or emailed out. You can also export the text to use in notes or summarize takeaways. Otter integrates with apps like Google Drive, Slack, Trello, Twitter and more.
For individuals, Otter offers a free basic plan. Business plans start at $20 per user/month with features like user management and centralized billing.
Key benefits:
- Automated AI meeting transcriptions
- Annotated transcripts identifying speakers
- Automatic summaries with follow-ups and action items
- Shareable meeting notes
- Integration with top productivity apps
Platforms: Web, Mobile (iOS, Android)
10. FocusMe
Like Focus@Will, FocusMe aims to eliminate digital distractions. But rather than provide audio, FocusMe blocks distracting apps and sites so you can stay on task.
FocusMe lets you make customizable block lists – for example, social media sites during work hours. Blocks can be set for certain times and days or continuously.
For distraction emergencies, you can set a nuclear option to block all apps except a small whitelist. This ensures you only have work tools accessible during heads-down time.
Usage reports provide insight into time spent on distracting apps versus productive apps. Goals can be set to reduce distracting app usage over time.
FocusMe supports block lists across devices, meaning you can block Facebook on your work computer, home laptop, and mobile phone all in one place.
A free version of FocusMe allows blocking on one desktop device. Premium access starts at $5.99 per month for access across unlimited devices and usage analytics.
Key benefits:
- Custom site and app blocking
- Temporary nuclear option for distraction emergencies
- Analytics on how much time you waste
- Consistent blocks across all devices
- Simple goal setting
Platforms: Apps for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Chromebook + Browser Extensions
Transform Your Work-From-Home Experience
Working remotely brings great advantages like flexibility and comfort. But it also poses new challenges from communication struggles to distraction frustrations.
Luckily, technology has enabled some powerful solutions. The apps above help simplify and enhance remote work across communication, collaboration, productivity, and focus.
Don‘t let working from home hamstring your performance. With platforms like Slack, Asana, Zoom and Focus@Will, you can work efficiently and succeed in your career from anywhere.
