85% of Fortune 100 companies choose Asana¹

The 12 best team collaboration tools, compared
What counts as a team collaboration tool
How we compared these tools
1. Asana
2. Trello
3. monday.com
4. ClickUp
5. Smartsheet
6. Slack
7. Microsoft Teams
8. Zoom
9. Google Workspace
10. Notion
11. Miro
12. Figma
How to choose the right team collaboration tools
Build the stack, not the pile
Team collaboration tools FAQs

Key takeaways:

There’s no single best team collaboration tool. The trick is choosing one strong tool per job, not five that overlap. Here’s where to start: Slack is best for team chat, and Microsoft Teams is best for Microsoft shops. The best tool for video is Zoom, and Google Workspace is best for docs. Miro is best for whiteboarding, and Asana is best for coordinating cross-functional work.

Your team probably already chats in one app and meets in another, yet tracking down a simple status update can still take three messages and a meeting. The best team collaboration tools end that scramble by giving each kind of work a clear home, from quick questions to cross-team launches.

Below, we compare 12 team collaboration software options by category, with current pricing, AI features, honest limitations, and advice on which ones pair well.

Asana wrote this guide. We last reviewed every tool in October 2026 and held Asana to the same criteria as the rest, including the areas where another type of tool does better.

From security risks to productivity loss, app sprawl may be costing you more than you think. Our latest guide reveals the true impact of an oversized tech stack and provides strategies to optimize your IT spend. Don't let hidden costs hold you back:

The 12 best team collaboration tools, compared

Here’s every tool side by side, sorted by the job each one does best, from team chat to work management. Use it to pick a leader for every job your team needs covered and to catch duplicate tools before both land on an invoice.

Tool

What counts as a team collaboration tool

Team collaboration tools are the software your team uses to share information and move work forward, whether everyone is online at once or working on their own time. This software falls into five categories, and most teams pick one tool from each.

Communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams make it easier to communicate with teams in real time.

Communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams make it easier to communicate with teams in real time.

Video meeting tools like Zoom and Google Meet cover live calls with teammates and clients.

Video meeting tools like Zoom and Google Meet cover live calls with teammates and clients.

Document and knowledge tools like Google Workspace and Notion hold the docs and wikis your team writes together.

Document and knowledge tools like Google Workspace and Notion hold the docs and wikis your team writes together.

Whiteboard tools like Miro and FigJam give you a shared canvas for brainstorming and sketching ideas.

Whiteboard tools like Miro and FigJam give you a shared canvas for brainstorming and sketching ideas.

Work management tools like Asana help you organize action items with internal teams and external partners.

Work management tools like Asana help you organize action items with internal teams and external partners.

How we compared these tools

For a tool to make this list, it had to be widely used by US teams and handle a clear collaboration job well enough to represent its category. That job could be chat, video, documents, whiteboarding, or work management. Focused tools like Slack and Zoom qualified alongside broader platforms like Asana and ClickUp.

Each tool sits in one of those five categories, even when it reaches into a second one. ClickUp has built-in chat, for example, but we place it in work management because that’s the job most teams buy it for.

We looked at every tool through six lenses:

Core job: How well the tool handles the one thing teams buy it for, whether that’s a quick message or a cross-team launch.

Core job: How well the tool handles the one thing teams buy it for, whether that’s a quick message or a cross-team launch.

Real-time or async fit: Some teams need instant answers, while others work across time zones and need updates that wait for them.

Real-time or async fit: Some teams need instant answers, while others work across time zones and need updates that wait for them.

Integrations: A tool that doesn’t connect to the rest of your stack turns into copy-and-paste work.

Integrations: A tool that doesn’t connect to the rest of your stack turns into copy-and-paste work.

AI: Every tool here now offers some AI, and vendors charge for it in very different ways.

AI: Every tool here now offers some AI, and vendors charge for it in very different ways.

Administration and security: Larger organizations need permissions and single sign-on before rolling a tool out across departments.

Administration and security: Larger organizations need permissions and single sign-on before rolling a tool out across departments.

Total cost: Entry prices look similar on paper, but seat minimums and AI add-ons change the real bill.

Total cost: Entry prices look similar on paper, but seat minimums and AI add-ons change the real bill.

We grouped the list by category instead of ranking the tools, so each job has a clear leader. Asana leads the work management group because it connects directly to seven of the other tools on this list, includingSlack,Microsoft Teams, andZoom. That means updates reach people in the apps they already use. Even theStarter plan includes timeline views and unlimited automations for handoffs between teams.

Each review draws on vendor documentation and published pricing, checked in October 2026. User feedback comes from verified G2 reviews, and the rest reflects our editorial judgment.

We held Asana to the same criteria as every other tool here, including its limitations. Asana isn’t built for real-time chat or video calls, so we recommend pairing it with a communication tool like Slack or Microsoft Teams and a meeting tool like Zoom.

What each tool’s AI does, and whether you pay extra

Most collaboration tools now include some AI in their paid plans, but the details vary a lot. Microsoft still sells Microsoft 365 Copilot as a separate license, and Notion saves its AI for the Business plan. Several other tools meter AI use with monthly credits.

Tool

What its AI does

Included, metered, or charged extra (verify)

Asana

AI Teammates take on assigned work, and AI Studio builds no-code AI workflows

Included from Starter, metered with monthly limits per plan; extra usage billed per request

Trello

Atlassian Intelligence summarizes cards and helps write them

Included on Standard and above

monday.com

Sidekick assistant, AI agents, and an AI workflow builder

Metered with monthly credits (Basic 1,000, Standard 2,000, Pro 3,000)

ClickUp

Brain² assistant runs on Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini; Super Agents take actions on work

New plans include credits; legacy plans add Brain AI for $9 per user

Smartsheet

Smart Assist answers questions and builds formulas from sheet data, and connects to outside AI tools on Business

Included on all paid plans

Slack

Thread and channel summaries, huddle notes, AI search, and translation

Included in paid plans; Pro gets the basics, Business+ ($15) gets the full set

Microsoft Teams

Copilot recaps meetings, summarizes chats, and drafts messages

Copilot Chat is free with eligible plans; Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate license ($21 for business plans)

Zoom

Meeting summaries and in-meeting questions

Included on paid plans; the ZoomMate upgrade costs $16.67

Google Workspace

Gemini writes, summarizes, and takes meeting notes across Gmail, Docs and Meet

Bundled, but Business Starter limits it to Gmail and Vids; full Gemini starts at Business Standard ($14)

Notion

Notion Agent, AI meeting notes, enterprise search, and Custom Agents

Business ($20) and up; Custom Agents cost $10 per 1,000 credits, with no rollover

Miro

Miro AI clusters sticky notes, generates diagrams, and summarizes boards

Metered with monthly credits per member (Starter 25, Business 50)

Figma

Figma AI and FigJam AI generate content and summarize boards

Metered with monthly credits per seat (Full 3,000; Collab and Dev 500)

1. Asana

Best for coordinating work across teams

The hardest part of cross-functional work usually isn’t the work itself. It’s knowing who owns each piece and when it’s due. Asana puts both answers on every task and connects them to the company goals behind the work.

Where it's strong: Company goals connect to the projects and tasks behind them. One task can live in several projects, and workflow automations handle routine handoffs.

Where it's strong: Company goals connect to the projects and tasks behind them. One task can live in several projects, and workflow automations handle routine handoffs.

Where it falls short: Asana doesn’t host real-time chat or video calls, so you’ll still need a chat app and a video calling tool alongside it.

Where it falls short: Asana doesn’t host real-time chat or video calls, so you’ll still need a chat app and a video calling tool alongside it.

G2 rating: 4.4/5 across 14,022 reviews (as of October 2026)

G2 rating: (as of October 2026)

Best for: Cross-functional teams that need every piece of work tied back to company goals.

Best for: Cross-functional teams that need every piece of work tied back to company goals.

Choose something else if: Your team mainly needs a place to talk or meet. Slack or Teams and Zoom cover those jobs, and all threeconnect to Asana.

Choose something else if: Your team mainly needs a place to talk or meet. Slack or Teams and Zoom cover those jobs, and all threeconnect to Asana.

How it uses AI: AI Teammates are prebuilt agents that take on assigned work, like drafting a campaign brief.AI Studio builds no-code automations, and Dash suggests your next step using context from meetings, Slack, and email.

How it uses AI: AI Teammates are prebuilt agents that take on assigned work, like drafting a campaign brief.AI Studio builds no-code automations, and Dash suggests your next step using context from meetings, Slack, and email.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month, billed annually. The free plan covers up to two users. Compare our full list of plans and pricing here.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month, billed annually. The free plan covers up to two users. Compare our full list of plans and pricing here.

How it bills for AI: Included from Starter with monthly limits. Asana bills extra usage per request.

How it bills for AI: Included from Starter with monthly limits. Asana bills extra usage per request.

See Asana in action

2. Trello

Best for small teams that want simple visual boards

If you’ve ever moved a sticky note from “To do” to “Done,” you already know how Trello works. Atlassian’s Kanban-style app turns each task into a card that moves across lists on a board.

Where it's strong: You can create your first board right after you sign up, with no training needed. Power-Ups connect Trello to tools like Slack and Google Drive, and built-in automation handles repetitive card moves.

Where it's strong: You can create your first board right after you sign up, with no training needed. Power-Ups connect Trello to tools like Slack and Google Drive, and built-in automation handles repetitive card moves.

Where it falls short: “Limited features” is the most common complaint about Trello on G2, and several reviewers call out thin reporting. Dashboard and Timeline views require the Premium plan ($10 per user per month, billed annually), so Standard teams get boards without much reporting.

Where it falls short: “Limited features” is the most common complaint about Trello on , and several reviewers call out thin reporting. Dashboard and Timeline views require the Premium plan ($10 per user per month, billed annually), so Standard teams get boards without much reporting.

G2 rating: 4.4/5 across 14,064 reviews (as of October 2026)

G2 rating: (as of October 2026)

Best for: Small teams and individuals who want a lightweight way to track tasks without setup overhead.

Best for: Small teams and individuals who want a lightweight way to track tasks without setup overhead.

Choose something else if: Your work spans several teams and needs to roll up to company goals, or you need timeline planning without upgrading to Premium.

Choose something else if: Your work spans several teams and needs to roll up to company goals, or you need timeline planning without upgrading to Premium.

How it uses AI: Atlassian Intelligence turns emails and Slack or Teams messages into to-dos. It can also summarize cards and generate checklists.

How it uses AI: Atlassian Intelligence turns emails and Slack or Teams messages into to-dos. It can also summarize cards and generate checklists.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $5 per user per month, billed annually ($6 monthly). The free plan covers up to 10 collaborators per workspace.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $5 per user per month, billed annually ($6 monthly). The free plan covers up to 10 collaborators per workspace.

How it bills for AI: Included at no extra cost on Standard and above. The free plan doesn’t include AI.

How it bills for AI: Included at no extra cost on Standard and above. The free plan doesn’t include AI.

Compare Asana vs. Trello

3. monday.com

Best for single-team collaboration

With monday work management, the company’s project management software, you build most of the setup yourself. Teams create colorful, column-based boards and shape them around the way they already work.

Where it's strong: Every paid plan includes AI tools like the Sidekick assistant, and the Standard plan adds Timeline and Gantt views plus 250 automation actions a month.

Where it's strong: Every paid plan includes AI tools like the Sidekick assistant, and the Standard plan adds Timeline and Gantt views plus 250 automation actions a month.

Where it falls short: Connecting work across boards gets harder as your company grows. Dashboards combine up to five boards on Standard and 20 on Pro, and “missing features” is the top complaint on G2. One enterprise reviewer writes, “I find it hard to connect items across different boards.”

Where it falls short: Connecting work across boards gets harder as your company grows. Dashboards combine up to five boards on Standard and 20 on Pro, and “missing features” is the top complaint on . One enterprise reviewer writes, “I find it hard to connect items across different boards.”

G2 rating: 4.7/5 across 17,262 reviews (as of October 2026)

G2 rating: (as of October 2026)

Best for: Single teams or departments that want a visual, flexible setup they can build themselves.

Best for: Single teams or departments that want a visual, flexible setup they can build themselves.

Choose something else if: You need reporting that rolls up across many departments, or automations on a budget plan. The Basic plan doesn’t include automations.

Choose something else if: You need reporting that rolls up across many departments, or automations on a budget plan. The Basic plan doesn’t include automations.

How it uses AI: monday.com’s AI agents take on specific jobs. A Risk Analyzer agent, for example, flags tasks nearing their deadline and notifies the owner. From the Standard plan, Notetaker pulls action items out of recorded calls. On Pro, the AI workflow builder routes work between people and agents, like sending an urgent ticket to the right team.

How it uses AI: monday.com’s AI agents take on specific jobs. A Risk Analyzer agent, for example, flags tasks nearing their deadline and notifies the owner. From the Standard plan, Notetaker pulls action items out of recorded calls. On Pro, the AI workflow builder routes work between people and agents, like sending an urgent ticket to the right team.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9 per user per month, billed annually, with a three-seat minimum. The free plan covers up to two seats.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9 per user per month, billed annually, with a three-seat minimum. The free plan covers up to two seats.

How it bills for AI: Included and metered with monthly credits. Basic gets 1,000, Standard 2,000, and Pro 3,000.

How it bills for AI: Included and metered with monthly credits. Basic gets 1,000, Standard 2,000, and Pro 3,000.

Compare Asana vs. Trello

4. ClickUp

Best for small teams consolidating tasks

Small teams often pay for a task app and a separate chat tool. ClickUp combines them, along with docs, in one workspace. This helps with simpler aspects of project management, such as project planning and tracking project progress.

Where it's strong: Small teams can drop a separate chat app and doc tool. Docs come with every plan, and Core adds unlimited chat messages and Gantt charts.

Where it's strong: Small teams can drop a separate chat app and doc tool. Docs come with every plan, and Core adds unlimited chat messages and Gantt charts.

Where it falls short: ClickUp’s breadth comes with a learning curve, according to 1,753 reviews on G2. One small-business reviewer notes that “Its extensive functionality can lead to a slightly steeper learning curve for new users.”

Where it falls short: ClickUp’s breadth comes with a learning curve, according to on G2. One small-business reviewer notes that “Its extensive functionality can lead to a slightly steeper learning curve for new users.”

G2 rating: 4.6/5 across 14,876 reviews (as of October 2026)

G2 rating: (as of October 2026)

Best for: Small teams and startups that want fewer separate apps and will use most of what ClickUp bundles.

Best for: Small teams and startups that want fewer separate apps and will use most of what ClickUp bundles.

Choose something else if: You need advanced reporting on an entry-level plan, or you want a tool that new hires can pick up without training. Advanced Dashboards start at Business ($17 per user per month, billed annually).

Choose something else if: You need advanced reporting on an entry-level plan, or you want a tool that new hires can pick up without training. Advanced Dashboards start at Business ($17 per user per month, billed annually).

How it uses AI: Brain² reads your tasks, docs, and conversations, so you can ask it to summarize customer interviews or draft a product spec without briefing it first. It picks between GPT, Claude, and Gemini for each job.

How it uses AI: Brain² reads your tasks, docs, and conversations, so you can ask it to summarize customer interviews or draft a product spec without briefing it first. It picks between GPT, Claude, and Gemini for each job.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $7 per user per month, billed annually. The free plan includes 60 MB of storage and only trial access to chat.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $7 per user per month, billed annually. The free plan includes 60 MB of storage and only trial access to chat.

How it bills for AI: ClickUp includes monthly AI credits on its new plans, with 1,000 per user on Core and 1,500 on Business. Super Agents and other AI features draw from that pool.

How it bills for AI: ClickUp includes monthly AI credits on its new plans, with 1,000 per user on Core and 1,500 on Business. Super Agents and other AI features draw from that pool.

Compare Asana vs. ClickUp

5. Smartsheet

Best for collaborating on spreadsheets

Project managers who think in rows and columns tend to feel at home in Smartsheet. It works like a regular spreadsheet but is easier for teams to use together, and the same rows also display as a Gantt chart for planning.

Where it's strong: Every plan includes Smart Assist and Gantt views. Pro also comes with unlimited free Contributors, so stakeholders can view and comment without a paid seat.

Where it's strong: Every plan includes Smart Assist and Gantt views. Pro also comes with unlimited free Contributors, so stakeholders can view and comment without a paid seat.

Where it falls short: Reporting on the entry plan only goes so far. On Pro, each report pulls from one sheet and dashboards cap at 10 widgets. Cross-project reporting takes the Business plan ($19 per member per month, billed annually).

Where it falls short: Reporting on the entry plan only goes so far. On Pro, each report pulls from one sheet and dashboards cap at 10 widgets. Cross-project reporting takes the Business plan ($19 per member per month, billed annually).

G2 rating: 4.4/5 across 22,766 reviews (as of October 2026)

G2 rating: (as of October 2026)

Best for: Teams that already plan in spreadsheets and want a shared, structured place to track projects.

Best for: Teams that already plan in spreadsheets and want a shared, structured place to track projects.

Choose something else if: Your team needs to get up to speed quickly. “Steep learning curve” is the top complaint on G2, with 1,453 mentions. One small-business reviewer said it took three to four months to feel comfortable navigating the platform.

Choose something else if: Your team needs to get up to speed quickly. “Steep learning curve” is the top complaint on , with 1,453 mentions. One small-business reviewer said it took three to four months to feel comfortable navigating the platform.

How AI is used: Smart Assist writes formulas from plain-language prompts and builds a dashboard from a short description. Smart Columns summarize, translate, or analyze sentiment across an entire column at once.

How AI is used: Smart Assist writes formulas from plain-language prompts and builds a dashboard from a short description. Smart Columns summarize, translate, or analyze sentiment across an entire column at once.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9 per user per month, billed annually ($12 monthly), for up to 10 members. Smartsheet doesn’t offer a free plan, only a free trial.

Pricing: Paid plans start at $9 per user per month, billed annually ($12 monthly), for up to 10 members. Smartsheet doesn’t offer a free plan, only a free trial.