TL;DR
- Working on software development with a remote team can be challenging. To motivate employees and improve productivity, collaboration and communication are indispensable.
- Project management tools help teams bring together their to-dos, deadlines, notes, and other key elements so that everyone can be on the same page.
- When choosing a collaboration tool for software developers, it is important to consider budget, the number of team members, the features and technical support offered.
If your software development team needs some extra motivation to keep up with its goals, they may benefit from a motivational speech. However, its effect will only last for a while.
If your team is already exhausted from keeping all the documents organized and communication open, you will need more than fancy words to give them the boost you hope for.
Then, it is time to choose a collaboration tool to take your whole team to the next level. To save you from the trouble, I gathered the top 8 collaboration tools for software developers.
Without further ado, let’s begin!
8 Best Tools for Software Development in 2023
Here are the eight best tools for collaborating with your team on software development:
1- monday.com
2- GitHub
3- Confluence
4- Jira
5- Trello
6- Slack
7- Google Drive
8- Wooboard
Let’s go over each tool and explore how they improve team efficiency and productivity!
1- monday.com
If you ask me about the best collaborative development tools for software teams, I would say monday.com in a heartbeat. It’s for a good reason too.
If you’re working with remote teams when developing software, creating and managing workflows is essential. monday.com is an open cloud-based platform where you can design, track, and customize your software projects. It is one of the most popular tools for task management and effective collaboration.
monday.com’s chart templates and customizable dashboard makes it easier to meet deadlines and complete projects. For software developers, monday.com’s pre-made automation “recipes” and integrations streamline the project timelines and help every team member stay up-to-date.
Moreover, file sharing and creating task assignment dependencies minimize project delays. Real-time updates help software engineers leave repetitive actions behind and work on what actually matters.
Its code-free workflow designs make monday.com the perfect project management tool for software development teams who prefer to keep everything in one place and share a single collaborative workspace. With monday.com, you don’t have to jump between different applications to see your progress.
The project management software that will actually work for your team
Manage simple to complex projects and everything in between with monday.com
monday.com Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“I love how there are several ways of project managing in this platform. The different tools you can utilize just makes project managing so much more creative and appealing to the eye. It is an efficient way of keeping track of my team’s work and communicate regarding certain tasks.”
“The only downside of using Monday.com is the steep learning curve. I’ve had to help some of our employees learn the ropes, which has been confusing for them.”
monday.com Pricing
- Individual: Free for up to 2 seats. Includes up to 3 boards, unlimited docs, and 200+ templates. Recommended for individuals looking to keep track of their work
- Basic: β¬8/user per month. Includes unlimited number of free viewers, prioritized customer support, dashboard based on 1 board, and 5 GB file storage.
- Standard: The most popular tier of monday.com, it costs β¬10/user per month. Includes timeline and Gantt views, automations (250 actions per month), integrations (250 actions per month), and a dashboard for up to 5 boards.
- Pro: β¬16/user per month. Includes private boards and docs, time tracking, dependency column, automations and integrations of up to 25,000 actions per month, and dashboard of up to 10 boards.
- Enterprise: For this plan, you need to contact monday.com’s sales team.
2- GitHub
GitHub is another popular collaboration tool that software engineers use frequently. Essentially an online collaboration tool for developers, GitHub is an open-source community that brings developers together to create an end-to-end product, share code snippets, and discover how millions of users contribute to software development.
With its code review, pull requests, and multiple assignee features, GitHub offers a wide range of collaborative software development practices that makes developers’ lives so much easier. While code review helps review code branches and combine changes with automated checks, pull requests alert developers when new changes are pushed to a repository.
The new AI pair programmer uses OpenAI Codex to suggest multiple bits of code in real time. This feature reduces the time it takes to create software products that work the way you want. After entering the logic you want with a comment, GitHub recommends code branches that suit your solution.
GitHub Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“Git Hub is very easy to use with a friendly UI. GitHub is also equipped with a good CI/CD, so in most cases, you don’t have to depend on third-party services. Another feature I love is the project management tool i.e the built-in Kanban board is good enough to manage a project.”
“I have few issues with the Github product itself, but I do take issue with the privacy rights that are handed over to Microsoft by using the platform. The CoPilot tool trained itself on open-source Github-hosted code with little respect to licenses for making derivative products.”
GitHub Pricing
- Free: $0/year. For individuals and organizations that only need basics. Includes unlimited public/private repositories, 500 MB of package storage, and community support. You can get GitHub CoPilot access as an exclusive add-on.
- Team: $48/year. Includes access to GitHub Codespaces, protected branches, pages and Wikis, 2 GB of package storage, and web-based support.
- Enterprise: $252/year. Includes user provisioning through SCIM, environment protection rules, SAML single sign-on, advanced auditing, 50 GB of package storage.
If billed annually, GitHub gives you 1 month for free.
3- Confluence
Looking for another collaborative workspace for your software development team? Add Confluence to that list! Major organizations like LinkedIn, NASA, and New York Times use Confluence for their teams. It is a great tool especially for receiving feedback on your work and offers more than 3,000 app integrations with Google Drive, DropBox, Office, and more.
What strikes me with Confluence is that it understands the challenges of remote collaboration. Thankfully, you can create a source of truth that collects and arranges your team’s knowledge into easy-to-find answers and stay on top of meeting notes to improve the project.
The built-in templates take the burden off your shoulders when you need to work on a project with many details. You can create brainstorming sheets, track your development experiments, and boost productivity with a project roadmap.
Confluence Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“The capacity that Confluence offers to organize and edit documentation online is great. It is also an amazing tool for creating documents and then sharing them with team members to view and collaborate.
My top 3 things I enjoy are:
1. Being able to organize information to my liking
2. Getting ideas and knowledge out of peoples’ heads and shared
3. Templates!”
“Sometimes, searching for a specific document or topic is not as easy as you may think. I have had times when I need to use over 5 keywords to finally find what I was looking for, which can be time-consuming. There is also an issue when trying to edit a document while someone else is editing.”
Confluence Pricing
- Free: $0/year for up to 10 users. Includes unlimited spaces and pages, page versioning, best practice template library, and integrations.
- Standard: $580/year. Includes domain verification and account capture, session duration management on desktop, audit logs, and 250 GB file storage.
- Premium: $1,100/year. Includes archiving and unarchiving pages, analytics, and unlimited storage.
- Enterprise: $102,500/year. This plan is only available if you have 801 or more users. Includes unlimited sites, external collaboration, automation, Atlassian analytics and Data Lake, 24/7 enterprise support, and centralized per-user licensing.
4- Jira
Jira is one of the best options out there for agile software development teams. It is worth noting that Jira is specifically designed for software development, so you will find it easier to monitor project progress and bug tracking.
Similar to other team collaboration tools, Jira has various templates to give the head start your project needs and you can customize them later to fit into your workflow. Scrum boards break down chunks of tasks and assignments into manageable pieces of work. These boards are great for team sprints and delivering the product on time!
Dashboards and insights give a contextual glimpse into your software projects. You can request updates, see the commitments, and view branches. Kanban boards are also available if you prefer working in visual installments and delivering a continuous experience for the entire development lifecycle.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Jira puts the collaboration in developer collaboration teams. π
Jira Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“It is most helpful for its ability to help us manage complex projects and track progress over time. Additionally, It also allows us to collaborate on projects, plan sprints, and track bugs and issues.“
“Jira can occasionally be challenging to use as there is a significant learning curve and a complex user interface which may frustrate new users and make it challenging for them to begin using it. At times, It can be slow and buggy, which is something else I don’t like about it as it makes it challenging to complete tasks and can result in decreased productivity.”
Jira Pricing
- Free: $0/year up to 10 users. Includes backlog, one site, agile reporting, basic roadmap, and 2 GB file storage.
- Standard: $790/year. Includes 35,000 user limit per site, single project automation, project roles, 250 GB file storage.
- Premium: $1,525/year. Includes global and multi-project automations, advanced roadmap and dependency management, sandbox, 24/7 premium support, and unlimited storage.
- Enterprise: $134,000/year. This plan is only available if you have 801 or more users. Includes unlimited sites, capacity planning, project archiving, Atlassian analytics and Data Lake, 24/7 enterprise support, and centralized per-user licensing.
5- Trello
If you just want to keep track of your tasks on a slick dashboard and bypass all the hubbub of overwhelming features, then Trello might be the one for you! Checklists, due dates, meeting notes and attachments… Trello brings them together for your team of software developers.
If you work with a small team, Trello’s Kanban board can be very helpful for tracking the project status and managing details in synch with your teammates. Simple automations such as moving a task once all the members check off their items to the “completed” folder can be effective in monitoring how the project progresses.
Trello Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“Trello enables the creation of a virtual list of items that can easily be tracked and tackled in an efficient manner. It is easy to use and has an attractive layout and design.”
“One of Trello’s drawbacks is that it is difficult to get used to initially from a usage perspective. If you have a long list of items and need to create a new item, the new item appears at the very bottom of the list and dragging it to the top of the list is often tricky. Also, it lacks a possible function of simply ticking done items and having them visible as it forces users to archive items instead.”
Trello Pricing
- Free: $0 for the whole team. Includes unlimited cards, up to 10 boards per workspace, 250 workspace command runs per month.
- Standard: $5/per user per month if billed annually. Includes unlimited cards, advanced checklists, saved searches, 1,000 workspace command runs per month.
- Premium: $10/per user per month if billed annually. Includes calendar, timeline, dashboard and map views, unlimited workspace command runs, and priority support.
- Enterprise: $17,50/per user per month if billed annually for 50 users. Includes unlimited workspaces, organization-wide permissions, public board management, attachment permissions, free SSO and user provisioning with Atlassian access.
6- Slack
It is true that Slack‘s reputation precedes itself these days. Slack is an amazing communication tool that makes group chats or calls, sending files, direct messaging, and third-party integrations seamless.
It provides a unified workspace experience and makes teamwork the dream work. You can easily search for the links and files you shared, use the chatbot to take notes for yourself during a meeting and integrate with other apps such as Google Calendar to never miss a meeting with your team.
Basically, Slack keeps every developer on the same page.
Slack Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“The software is very seamless and user-friendly.
The use or integration between different applications has become more necessary than ever before in order to maximize productivity and efficiency across all industries, especially when it comes down to working with people on your team who are located remotely – but not anymore! With Slack, it has been so easy and simple.
I love how slack keeps developing and testing new features. It’s become my favorite communication tool because of this constant innovation!”
“The free trial of Slack ends after 30 days, and it’s not fun having all your messages deleted. The main problem I face is when the site doesn’t load properly, or error messages appear, making it impossible for me to do my work and load Slack.
One thing I feel annoyed about is I am not allowed to leave a channel automatically. I sometimes find it a bit noisy and want to ensure that my inbox is not cluttered with tracks that are of no use or interest.”
Slack Pricing
- Free: $0/year. Includes 90-day access to message and file history, 10 integrations with other apps, one-on-one only work with external partners, one-on-one only huddles, and standard support.
- Pro: $7,25/per user per month if billed annually. Includes unlimited message and file history, customizable sections, workflow builder, unlimited huddles, screen sharing, OAuth with Google, and 24/7 support.
- Business+: $12,50/per user per month if billed annually. Includes unlimited integrations with other apps, workflow builder, SAML-based single sign-on (SSO), data exports for all messages, user management with SCIM provisioning, and 24/7 support with four-hour first response time.
- Enterprise Grid: For this plan, you need to contact the sales team for a price estimate. Includes designated account and customer success team, domain claiming, unlimited workspaces, support for HIPAA compliance, and Slack enterprise key management as an add-on.
7- Google Workspace
This list wouldn’t be complete without Google Workspace. Considering that Google dominates collaborative workspace tools, it is best to consider its feature-rich tools (which expand and improve with each update) and user-friendly UI for your remote software development team.
Google Docs, Google Calendar, Sheets, Slides, and more… With Google Workspace, creating a synchronized workspace is easy: Gather your documents, arrange and update them, and share them with your team! Everything you need in one place, simple as that. π―
Google Workspace Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“The platform hosted in the cloud comes with a lot of features. With the ability to create folders and categorize resources, it’s easy for your team members to stay on top of what they need. Though it is easy to use, you do not require any training. I like that we have team chat. It helps us stay in touch with each other and share ideas, even when one of us is offline!“
“The only thing I don’t like about Google Workspace is that you can only have one account that you can use for offline purposes and the storage space is so small.“
Google Workspace Pricing
- Business Starter: $6/per user per month. Includes custom and secure business email, 100 participant video meetings, 30 GB storage per user, and standard support.
- Business Standard: $12/per user per month. Includes custom and secure business email, 150 participant video meetings and recording, 2 TB storage per user, security and management controls.
- Business Plus: $18/per user per month. Includes eDiscovery and retention in addition to custom and secure business email, 500 participant video meetings, recording, and attendance tracking, 5 TB storage per user, enhanced security and management controls.
- Enterprise: For this plan, you need to contact the sales team for a price estimate. Includes 500 participant video meetings, recording, attendance tracking, noise cancellation, and in-domain live streaming, as much storage as you need, and enhanced support.
8- WooBoard
WooBoard is not like the typical collaboration platforms you know. It is true that most of the collaboration is geared toward assignments, developing the software day and night, and meeting deadlines. Sustaining this level of productivity usually comes with great stress and anxiety. It is important to take care of team members to keep them motivated and excited about the project.
That’s where WooBoard comes in. Wooboard is a social gamification platform to engage and reward employees. Team members can gain points and cash in real-world rewards for Amazon, Starbucks, Spotify, FitBit, and more.
Using these incentives encourages a healthier remote work environment, being more mindful of each member’s mental health, and bringing the whole team closer. Integrate it with your Slack channel and you are good to go! π
WooBoard Reviews
π Pros
π Cons
“This was a great way to connect with other people in the same company across the nation. It was great to see recognition tools and communication from the corporate team.”
WooBoard Pricing
For pricing plans suitable for your company, you need to contact WooBoard by filling out the contact form on their website.
Final Words
In conclusion, there are many ways to choose a collaboration tool to develop your software. It is up to you to decide which tools have the best features within your budget and fit your business goals.
Grab a pen or open a new document and write down the tools that attract your attention the most. This is the reason why this list exists!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you collaborate in software development?
From code branching to to-do lists and project management, there are many areas you can collaborate with team members and bring the project of your dreams to life.
Is Jira a collaborative tool?
Yes, Jira is one of the collaborative tools for your software development team!
