“A symphony cannot be whistled alone. It requires an entire orchestra to perform it.”
These insightful words come from Halford E. Luccock, a distinguished educator at Yale Divinity School. While they sound nice, they essentially express a fundamental truth: teamwork is essential. Indeed, while the performance of a solo violinist can be admired, nothing compares to the profound and emotional resonance of a full orchestra.
When you work solo—whether you’re launching a startup or climbing the corporate hierarchy—you stand as that solo violinist: skilled, driven, and commendable. Yet, to achieve something that leaves a lasting impact, you will likely require the collective effort of a full ensemble.
Once you have that full orchestra in place, finding effective ways to collaborate becomes paramount. This was evident a few years back, but today, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote working—where collaboration tool usage surged by 44% in just two years—having dependable collaboration tools is more crucial than ever.
Continue reading to uncover ten of the finest collaboration tools that will help you realize your next brilliant idea in 2022.
1. Google Docs
If you rolled your eyes at the sight of Google Docs topping this collaboration tool list, that’s a good sign. It likely indicates you’re already a user.
For those unfamiliar, Google Docs serves as Google’s alternative to the Microsoft Office suite, but its cloud-based nature makes it inherently collaborative. Numerous users can be editing a document or spreadsheet, leaving comments simultaneously. The Google suite mirrors nearly all features of its Microsoft counterpart, but it’s offered free of charge.
2. Mural
Virtual collaboration for ideation can be quite frustrating, particularly during the initial, energetic, and often chaotic brainstorming phases. This becomes even more challenging for designers and visual learners.
Mural addresses this by operating as an interactive whiteboard combined with Post-it notes, and its drag-and-drop functionality makes the process of capturing and organizing ideas intuitive. Notably, one of Mural’s standout features is its spatial idea sorting, which enables you to create visual hierarchies to evaluate ideas post-brainstorm.
Additionally, real-time collaboration is a core aspect, as the platform was designed based on the founder’s experiences with his team’s requirement for an “open” idea hub.
The base package for Mural starts at about $9.99 per user each month.
3. LiquidPlanner
If you’re ready to embrace the influence of AI and machine learning technologies that may one day dictate our paychecks, LiquidPlanner will appeal to you. Jokes aside, this is a robust collaboration platform that integrates AI and predictive modeling to help you grasp not only your colleagues’ tasks for the day but also when they are expected to complete them and how their priorities may shift.
LiquidPlanner offers dynamic workload management, allowing you to redistribute tasks and responsibilities among team members to ensure no one is overwhelmed, thus fostering effective collaboration.
The basic tier of LiquidPlanner costs $15 per user each month.
4. Slack
In 2022, Slack hardly requires an introduction, but allow me to provide a brief one: Slack is a user-friendly communication platform characterized by rapid messaging and numerous integrations with a variety of productivity applications.
Moreover, Slack supports video conferencing with screen sharing capabilities and allows for interaction with outside organizations via a feature called Slack Connect.
The Pro version of Slack, promoted as suitable for small teams, is priced at $6.67 per user per month.
5. BinFire
Thus far, we’ve highlighted tools for internal teamwork. But what if you need to share project updates and gather input from external stakeholders such as clients?
BinFire provides a platform tailored for that purpose.
In addition to various features and routine workflow tools, BinFire allows you to create client-specific displays, eliminating the hassle of lengthy email updates or dreaded meetings regarding project statuses.
For feedback, BinFire also includes a collaborative whiteboard and PDF annotation tool, streamlining the processes of proofing, reviewing, and approval. These features enable you to visually present ideas to clients and adjust direction when necessary.
A free version of BinFire is available but limited to three users. For larger teams, the cost is $6.50 per user per month.
6. Miro
Those who have worked in an office setting recognize the whiteboard as the original collaboration tool. However, whiteboards don’t lend themselves well to remote teams—unless Miro is introduced.
At its core, Miro is an online whiteboard. Unlike traditional whiteboards, it offers an infinite canvas and is bursting with tools beyond basic dry-erase markers. Tools for quarterly planning, course instruction, meeting documentation, brainstorming, or simply convening with team members are included in the package.
Basic team functionalities for Miro start at $8 per user monthly.
7. Flock
Flock and Slack have more in common than just the last two letters of their names. Flock closely resembles Slack and is happily positioned as a “Slack alternative.”
Similar to Slack, Flock provides direct and group messaging, public and private channels, video conferencing, screen sharing, and all necessary chat functionalities for work discussions. However, the primary difference lies in pricing. Flock is complimentary for teams of up to 20 users, priced at $4.50 per user per month for teams of up to 100 users.
8. Podio
Navigating through the top collaboration platforms can be challenging when trying to find one that caters specifically to your team’s unique needs. They’re designed for typical teams, but may not align with yours exactly.
Podio aims to tackle this issue. While you can access all standard collaborative tools—task management, messaging, file sharing, and so forth—you can also develop custom apps within Podio to perfectly suit your team’s requirements. You don’t need to be a developer, either. The platform allows you to modify existing apps according to your needs.
If your collaboration efforts are serious, the free version won’t suffice. The basic Podio package starts at $7.20 monthly.
9. Ryver
Ryver aims to eliminate the necessity for scattered emails, phone calls, video conferences, and project management systems by consolidating everything into a straightforward interface. The outcome is impressive.
Featuring a Trello-esque Kanban task flow, straightforward task management within Slack-like chats and channels, along with Zoom-like voice and video call capabilities, Ryver integrates all the essentials for efficient team collaboration.
You can subscribe to Ryver for $69 per month for up to 12 users and $129 for up to 30 users.
10. Flowdock
Flowdock breaks down workplace collaboration into continuous streams resembling chat threads, where each stream contains messages, tasks, and the option to execute simple commands for instant screen sharing and video calls.
Additionally, Flowdock boasts an extensive list of integrations, allowing for customization to meet your team’s specific requirements.
Post a free trial, Flowdock’s entry-level pricing begins at $3 per user monthly.
Be an ocean, not a drop
This collection of tools can assist you in sourcing ideas effectively, not from disjointed information pools, but from real individuals eager to connect, share, innovate, and inspire ideas. Essentially, it will transform your organization from a single drop into an ocean. Remember, a drop is insignificant, but an ocean has the power to transform the world.
Individually, you possess great capabilities, but with a united and collaborative team, you can achieve extraordinary outcomes. These tools will pave your way toward that success.
