These top work from home tools and apps will make your working day slicker and simpler. Given the acceleration of the requirement for millions around the world to work remotely, useful apps for work from home employees now number in the hundreds.

Designed to help with everything from video conferencing and project management to sharing worksheets, finding the best email providers and keeping files secure, these 10 essential tools and apps are guaranteed to improve your remote working effectiveness.

1. Google Workspace

Applications include video conferencing tool Google Meet, group messaging utility Google Chat, and Calendar – which can be integrated with the diaries of others you work with. For collaborative efforts, Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides allow several people to work on documents concurrently. Then there is Gmail, Google’s email client used by over 1.5 billion people worldwide. 

With a Workspace subscription, you’ll enjoy an ad-free version that also allows you to customize your email address, and this is one of many reasons why we rank it among our best Microsoft Office alternatives.

2. Zoom

Launched in 2012, Zoom saw a spike in users following the COVID-19 pandemic that led many to the platform in order to keep in touch with friends and families. Thanks to its ease of use, the software became the most popular video conferencing app of 2020.

For those working from home, Zoom has become a vital means of communicating face to face with colleagues and clients. Its free plan allows for unlimited chats between two people, with a limit of 40 minutes imposed on meetings of more than two users. 

Those with a business account have no time restrictions and can host up to 300 participants as standard, with up to 1,000 permitted through the Large Meeting add-on. Other useful features include recording functionality and company branding options.

Available on: Windows | Mac | iOS | Android devices

3. Microsoft Teams

Developed by Microsoft as a communication and collaboration tool, Microsoft Teams is a reliable communication tool. From one-on-one messages to group chats and video conferencing, this tool allows your teams to stay connected in almost all the possible ways. You can also send gifs and stickers to your teammates using Microsoft teams.

Available On:  Windows | MacOS | iOS | Android

4. TeamViewer

TeamViewer is an effective solution for remote support, remote access, and online meetings which allows you to assist customers remotely, work with colleagues from a distance and also stay connected with your own devices. TeamViewer provides a powerful and highly accessible system that is popular among individual users to large corporations. This software does make things a lot easier as users can access others’ computers remotely if it has the same application installed and you are provided with the necessary login details. TeamViewer’s system is reliable, and you can trust this software when you want to access a remote device safely.  

Available On: Windows | Mac | iOS | Android | Linux 

5. Github

Github is a code hosting platform for version control and collaboration. It lets widely dispersed team members collaborate and communicate on projects.  From open source to business, you can host and review code, manage projects, and build software alongside 50 million developers. Github is designed to be used for coding, which means that you have access to all the tools you need to share that coding, instead of trying to share it in a platform that’s built for general communication. With Github, you can create your software right in the app. Your team can see what’s going on and project managers can manage different projects directly from this system and can share with other team members just by mentioning them anywhere in the system. 

Available On: Windows | macOS

For Sharing Files & Documents

6. Google Drive

Google Drive is among the most popular tools that teams use to store and share files. You can use it to share documents, audio files, videos, presentations and photos with your remote team members. Moreover, the data stored in Google Drive is highly secure and you always have the authority to choose people with whom you want to share your files and documents. 

Available On: Web | Windows | MacOS | iOS | Android

7. Microsoft OneDrive

OneDrive allows you to store and access files from almost anywhere using devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and PCs. Apart from sharing files and documents stored in OneDrive, you can select files that you want to access offline. Being a cloud-based storage service, you can use OneDrive to make sure that you never lose important data.

Available On: Web | Windows | MacOS | iOS | Android

8. Dropbox

Centralize all the content that your team needs to work together using Dropbox. The cloud storage solutions offered by Dropbox make team collaboration easier and more effective. You can store files and share them with your team any time, anywhere using devices of your choice.

Available On: Web | Windows | MacOS | iOS | Android