10 Useful Apps We Recommend for New Remote Teams

We at TeamGantt are proudly 100% remote. We’re a diverse team of coders, designers, and customer champions hailing from different parts of the world, working from wherever computers and cups of coffee are accessible.

This set-up fits us as a company because we’re able to keep distractions at bay while maintaining focus and efficiency when at work. Moreover, we are just one of hundreds of small to large companies who have transitioned to remote work. To keep communication and progress in check, we rely on several apps and online tools to keep us connected, informed, and productive.

Interested in switching to a remote team? We've put together this hefty roundup of apps that each member of the TeamGantt family would recommend to new and regular remote teams. Heck, we use these apps for our own work as well!

Don't forget to click on the subheadings to check out our 10 recommended apps for new remote teams.

Slack

For quick messages and real-time communication, we use Slack. It allows us to create channels for specific topics (e.g. Support, Performance, and Editorial), which keeps our conversations focused and organized. It's also got a Calls feature that allows you to conduct 1:1 meetings with team members, or group calls with the entire team.

Special mention: Screenhero is a screen-sharing tool acquired by Slack and currently being integrated into the platform. With additional instant messaging and voice calls features, it's definitely a tool you can consider adding to your remote team toolkit.

Skitch

Skitch is a free screen capture and sharing tool you can use to share screenshots with members of your team. It’s free and integrates with Evernote so your screenshots are always saved and synched. We primarily use it to point out bugs, issues with the product, and our support documentation.

Invision

Our design team uses Invision to develop design prototypes, collaborate, gather feedback, and communicate ideas with one another. Viewers can even interact with design presentations to get a feel of what the final version would be on launch.

Google Hangouts

For an easy-to-use and free communications, you can consider using Hangouts. It's a simple tool we use for group calls and quick meetings, and it's completely free to use with a Google Apps or Gmail account.

Join.me

Join.me is a no-nonsense conference app that you can use to arrange group calls or 1:1 meetings with your team members. Simply generate a link invitation and send it to your teammate to have him join you on a conference call. It's free for the first 10 participants and 5 video feeds.

Calendly

Aaron, our product specialist, uses Calendly to schedule product demos with new customers. What sets it apart from other conference apps is its scheduling feature where you can set availability preferences and have your call recipients book meetings or calls during available hours. You'll also receive a unique Calendly link that you can share with whoever would like to book a meeting with you.

Dropbox

Dropbox is great for sharing small to large files with others as it allows you to generate links for easy sharing and download. A free plan gives you 2GB of storage to start with.

Help Scout

For easy ticketing management and customer support, we use Help Scout.

Branded as "the invisible help tool" for teams, you can use Help Scout to not only answer all of your customers' questions, but generate analytical reports on productivity, the busiest times of the day, and customer happiness. For internal communication, the notes feature is a great way to ask other team members questions or clarifications.

Intercom

Intercom is our real-time chat tool to communicate with customers as soon as they require our assistance. We use Intercom hand-in-hand with Help Scout, and have even set up a workflow to send Intercom conversations to Help Scout. For internal communication, it also has a notes feature built in to use if you need to ask questions or leave important notices for team members.Tip: Both Intercom and Help Scout have mobile apps so you can answer customer inquiries wherever you may be!

TeamGantt

This should come as no surprise for you. We use our very own gantt software to manage our internal projects, from building new features to time tracking (beta feature) to keeping tabs on everyone on the team. For instance, we use the Discussions feature to report work done on a daily basis, or comment on tasks other team members are working on.

Of course, we highly recommend TeamGantt to other remote teams because of its transparency, ease of use, and visual representation of your progress. If interested, you can grab a free trial to see what we can do for you.