Best productivity tools for remote startups on a budget
Running a remote startup means juggling projects, meetings, and deadlines all together with a tight budget.
At this stage, tools are very important but then the wrong tools can slow you down, and the right ones are mostly expensive.
So, what’s the sweet spot?
In this article, we will go over some valuable tools that you can use to ensure your team is as productive as ever without having to break the bank.
With the introduction out of the way, let’s delve (I promise it’s me, not ChatGPT) in.
Key takeaways
- Budget-friendly tools exist. You don’t need to spend a fortune to keep your remote startup productive. Many tools offer free plans or startup-friendly pricing.
- Scalability matters. Choose tools that grow with your team, so you don’t have to switch platforms as you expand.
- Ease of use saves time. Complicated tools slow you down. Prioritize apps and platforms that are intuitive and easy to implement.
- Communication is key. Slack, Discord, and WhatsApp each have their strengths. Pick what works best for your team’s workflow.
- Productivity goes beyond tracking time. Tools like Toggl Track help monitor time, but deep work sessions and async collaboration can be good too.
Table of contents
- How we picked these tools
- The best budget-friendly tools for remote startups
- How to choose the right tools for your team
- Conclusion
How we picked these tools
When you’re running a remote startup on a budget, every expense matters. The goal is to find the cheapest tools that can get you the most value.
So, we kept it simple and picked tools based on three things:
Affordable (or free)
Most startups don’t have money to throw around on fancy software. That’s why we focused on tools that:
- Are completely free or have a free version that’s actually useful.
- Offer startup-friendly pricing instead of charging an arm and a leg per user.
- Let you pay only when you actually need more features.
Scalability
Your startup might be just a few people today, but what about six months from now? You don’t want to pick tools that become a problem the moment your team gets bigger.
So, we made sure these tools:
- Work well for small teams but can handle more people when needed.
- Don’t force you to start over when you upgrade..
- Offer flexible pricing, so you’re not stuck paying for features you don’t use.
Ease of use
Startups move fast. No one wants to sit through hours of tutorials just to figure out how to send a message or assign a task. The tools we picked are:
- Straightforward, you can start using them in minutes.
- Not cluttered with unnecessary features that make things confusing.
- Easy to use on both desktop and mobile, because not everyone is working from a desk.
Free tiers
A lot of great tools don’t even require you to pay, at least not right away. Some of the ones we picked have:
- Free versions.
- Startup deals that aren’t always advertised.
- Extended free trials that give you enough time to decide if it’s worth it.
The best budget-friendly tools for remote startups
Running a remote startup on a budget is a game of smart choices. And below, we’ve listed the best budget-friendly tools, broken down by category, along with why they’re worth using.
Project management
Things can quickly get messy when your team isn’t in the same office. That’s why you need a project management tool to centralise work, assign tasks, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
So what tools should you be looking at?
Trello
Think of Trello as a visual to-do list that everyone can see. You create boards, add tasks as cards, and move them through different stages (e.g., “To-Do,” “In Progress,” “Done”). The free version includes unlimited team members, so it’s perfect for small teams.
One beautiful thing about Trello is how you can easily convert your emails into organised to-dos with the help of its AI. Trelo wants to manage your big milestones and everyday to-dos. Will you let it?
“One tool I swear by is Trello for task management. It’s simple and intuitive and it helps my team stay on top of their projects while visually tracking progress. What I like most is its ability to set clear deadlines and prioritize tasks without overwhelming anyone. Everyone knows what is expected and when.” – Sebastian Wade, Real Estate Consultant at Eden Emerald Mortgages
Notion
Notion acts as a workspace for everything including task lists, documents, team wikis, and even a CRM. The free plan lets you collaborate with your entire team, making it ideal for startups that need an all-in-one tool.
The beautiful thing about Notion is its many templates which means you don’t have to build anything from scratch and the Notion AI gives you a brain boost so you can work faster and better.
ClickUp
ClickUp is quite an interesting tool as it sees itself as the “everything tool for work?” Is it another marketing gimmick or just as true as they claim? Well, let’s see.
ClickUp is working to fix the fragmented nature of the workspace tool. So they’ve got project management, knowledge management and a chat feature. And if you don’t want to let go of the other apps you use, its connected brain feature lets you integrate those apps and find what you need with connected search.
Communication
Emails can get overwhelming, and WhatsApp groups are not built for work (A good time to insert that I don’t like using WhatsApp for work as it means I won’t be able to ghost).
You need a proper team messaging tool to keep conversations structured and easy to follow and some best free options include:
Slack
Slack is the most popular team messaging tool. It lets you create different channels for each project, send direct messages, and even integrate with tools like Trello, Notion and 2000+ others.
The free plan lets you search the last 90 days of messages, which is usually enough for a small team.
And are you having projects with other organisations? Slack lets you connect them to your workspace. Slack is in the business of growing businesses and it can help your team collaborate faster and better.
When talking about how they’ve been able to manage their remote team efficiently Oksana Mizana from My Passion talks about how communication is a big game-changer. In his words;
“We use Slack for quick communication to stay productive and focused during the work process. If we move our chats to private social networks, employees run the risk of being constantly distracted by messages from friends, news, or even scrolling through memes.”
He equally talked about tracking completed tasks instead of hours worked,
"We do not use time trackers or activity trackers because they make people feel stressed and anxious. Instead, we track completed tasks in Asana because the result is more important than the number of hours.”
Not everyone is Team Slack though, as Angel, Head of Socials at The Content Corner explains,
“For my team, our main communication channel is WhatsApp, it’s where we drop quick updates and stay connected throughout the day.”
Discord
Discord was originally built for gamers, but it is surprisingly great for startups. It offers text and voice channels, so you can jump into a quick voice chat instead of scheduling a formal meeting.
I love that you can have a live stream on the platform, and it is completely free, with no restrictions on message history.
Video calls
Since you can’t walk over to a colleague’s desk, video calls become essential. But who wants to pay for them? Here are some options:
Google Meet
Google Meet is a video-based communication channel that lets you have face-to-face meetings with your team and clients. With the free plan, you can have one-on-one meetings for up to 24 hours but for a group call, it would only last for an hour before you need to restart.
Zoom
Allow me to inform you that Zoom is a workspace (not just a video conferencing platform). You may already know this, but still accept my breaking news with grace.
Zoom is one of the go-to for business meetings. While some people may not like it, 95% of its customers said they’ve experienced an increase in performance with their team. So it could be the magic wand you need.
I love that you can schedule your Zoom meetings from anywhere, and I also love its poll feature which can help to keep teams engaged. You can also enjoy the breakout room feature if you have a large team.
“For my team, we have monthly meetings which are split into "Sprint planning" and "Sprint execution." From the 1st to about 7th or 10th, we focus on planning activities for the month. We meet daily in the evenings to follow up on progress. Then for the remainder of the month, we execute. Daily meetings are used to follow up on progress.
Then I also set up calls on Fridays for KPIs. We discuss progress in the week, where to improve, etc.” –Oluwanisola Eludoyin, Growth Marketing Manager, Hustlebean
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a solid alternative to Meet + Zoom, offering chat and video conferencing in one place.
The free plan lets you host 60-minute meetings with up to 100 participants, making it more generous than Zoom. If your startup already uses Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, Outlook), Teams is a no-brainer since it integrates seamlessly.
Ilaya Teejay
Time tracking/ productivity
If your startup is particular about timing and wants to see how long projects take, or how long employees work, a time-tracking tool helps you stay productive. Here are some to consider.
Toggl Track
Toggl track is one of the simplest ways to track time with one click. It has a clean interface, lets you add tags and notes to each task, and even generates reports. Free for up to five users, making it great for small teams.
Clockify
If you need unlimited users and projects, Clockify is the better option. It tracks time across different tasks, has its own reporting system and even generates invoices if you work with clients.
While time tracking is good, there are different schools of thought on its usefulness. Some argue that it makes employees feel stressed like Oksana’s team at My Passion, others say it's needed to know if employees are putting in the work and if they’d be worth the pay.
“The game-changer for my team’s productivity has been Loom for async video updates. Team members record quick 3-minute summaries of their work instead of sitting through endless meetings.” – Ihor Shulezhko, founder of IhorShoo
When talking about his favourite productivity hack, Ihor says:
“It came from an accidental discovery. Our design team missed several deadlines until we implemented "deep work blocks" - 3-hour periods where everyone goes offline from Slack. Our lead designer completed a project that normally took a week in just two days! She told me "Those quiet hours saved my sanity and my job." This simple change boosted team output by roughly 30%.”
Mike Chappell, Co-Founder & COO, FormsPal says;
“The Pomodoro timer is a favourite among our team members who like working in focused sprints. We don't have any mandatory timers, so I can't tell how it affects productivity based on some clear numbers, but it’s generally a simple and very useful technique that helps many people to avoid distractions and not forget about breaks.”
Collaboration
You don’t want your startup’s important files scattered across personal drives and email threads. A good cloud storage tool keeps everything in one place.
Google Drive
Google Drive is one of the most used cloud storage system. It Comes with 15GB of free storage per user, which is great for storing and sharing docs, presentations, and spreadsheets. And of course, there is the entire Google workspace that makes everything even easier.
“Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, etc.) helps us collaborate efficiently. Whether it’s sharing documents, reviewing content, or storing important files, it keeps everything accessible and organized.
One tip I would give in managing a remote team is the importance of choosing tools that enable seamless collaboration. Google Workspace does this exceptionally well. Another tip I’d emphasize is the power of regular updates, keeping everyone aligned prevents miscommunication and keeps productivity high.” –Angel, Head of Socials, The Content Corner
Zoho WorkDrive
Zoho Workdrive is a strong alternative to Google Drive, with free storage for up to five users. It’s designed for teams, offering real-time editing and document collaboration.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a popular choice for storing and sharing files across different devices. While the free plan is limited to 2GB, it’s useful for syncing important documents and collaborating on projects.
I love that it has file versioning and recovery features which makes it easy for you to always check back for the previous version if an edit mistake was made.
How to choose the right tools for your team
Not every tool will be a perfect fit. Here’s what to do instead of getting overwhelmed:
- Figure out your biggest problem (is it communication? task management? or too many meetings?).
- Pick a tool that fixes that problem first. Don’t try to get everything at once.
- Test the free versions before paying for anything.
If a tool makes life easier without burning through your budget, it’s a keeper.
“The key insight from our remote journey is that the best tools provide visibility without creating pressure. They should clarify expectations while respecting boundaries--technology that serves the team rather than demanding constant attention." – Harmanjit Singh, Founder & CEO, Website Design Brampton
Conclusion
The global economy is in shambles which even makes it harder to build a remote startup on a budget. But then again, you can try this time around with the right tools.
You don’t have to spend a fortune as the tools covered in this blog can make a difference for your team.
Which of these tools are you excited to try? Or do you have a favourite budget-friendly tool that has been good for your team?