24 powerful office tools for companies, home office and hybrid work

PULT

PULT is a software tool for booking desks and meeting rooms. Employees can use a digital office map to select available workstations, rooms and zones and reserve them reliably. It also shows who will be in the office on which day, which makes team coordination easier.

Bookings can be made through the browser, smartphone, tablet or laptop, as well as via integrations such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.

The software offers more than just booking. It also includes features for office and space management, such as insights into the utilisation of individual rooms and zones as well as overall office occupancy.

• desk booking in open plan offices and desk sharing setups
• overview of who is in the office
• planning and optimisation of space usage

Category: communication and meetings

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a platform for internal communication and collaboration. It offers chat, video and audio conferencing, file sharing and collaborative document editing within Microsoft 365.

Through channels and team spaces you can organise conversations, files and workflows by topic. Meetings can be run with features such as screen sharing, recordings and integrated whiteboards. Its tight integration with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft OneDrive makes it possible to access appointments, emails and files directly from within Microsoft Teams.

Slack

Slack is a communication tool for teams and is used in many companies as an alternative or complement to email. Communication is organised in channels that can be created by topic, project or department. In addition, users can send direct messages, create group chats and use built-in audio and video huddles.

One important advantage of Slack is the large number of integrations. Services such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, project management tools, and CRMs can be connected directly, allowing information and notifications to converge in one place. Files can be shared and commented on in channels, keeping discussions and context transparent.

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing and communication platform used for online meetings, webinars and virtual collaboration. It supports video and audio calls, screen sharing and chat functions within individual meetings or persistent meeting rooms.

Users can share their entire screen or individual windows, present slides and collaborate on content in real time. Screen sharing is available in both the free and paid plans of Zoom.

Category: task and project management

Asana

Asana is a work and project management platform that helps teams plan and track tasks, projects and workflows. Teams create projects, describe tasks, assign owners and set due dates. Work can be displayed in different views such as list view, board view (Kanban), timeline or calendar.

Asana positions itself as a central hub for status overviews and goal tracking. It also offers automation features, reporting tools and, in its newer versions, AI powered assistance for workflows and analytics.

Trello

Trello is a browser based tool for task and project organisation built around boards, lists and cards. Tasks are created as cards and moved between lists such as “To Do”, “In Progress” and “Done”. This makes Trello particularly suitable for Kanban style workflows and clear, visual to do lists for teams.

core feature of Trello is its built in automation tool, Butler, which allows users to automate recurring workflows without any programming. For example, cards can be moved automatically when certain conditions are met or due dates can be assigned based on predefined rules.

Jira

Jira is a platform by Atlassian for managing tasks, projects and issues. Originally used mainly in software development and IT support, Jira is now also adopted by departments like marketing, HR and finance to model structured workflows.

In Jira, issues are organised within projects and can be created as tasks, bugs or user stories. Teams use boards — for example Kanban or Scrum boards — to visualise workflow steps and track progress. For business teams, there are dedicated project templates for project management, campaign work or request handling.

Category: knowledge, documentation and collaboration

Notion

Notion is a workspace that combines notes, documents, wikis, databases and task management in one system. It is used to document knowledge, build internal wikis and manage projects with all related information in a single place.

In Notion, content is organised on pages that can be structured freely using text, tables, checklists, relations and database views. This allows teams to build project plans, meeting notes, knowledge bases and dashboards within a single interface.

Confluence

Confluence is a web-based collaboration and documentation platform by Atlassian. It serves as a central place for knowledge management, project documentation and cross-team collaboration. Content is organised into pages and spaces that can be structured by topic.

Typical use cases include internal wikis, project documentation, technical documentation and process descriptions. Confluence supports collaborative editing, templates, comments and integrations with other Atlassian products, especially Jira.

Category: productivity suites and office tools

IONOS Nextcloud Workspace

IONOS Nextcloud Workspace is a cloud-based office and collaboration platform developed jointly by IONOS and Nextcloud. It positions itself as a European alternative to Microsoft 365.

The platform combines email, file storage, online office apps, calendars, contacts, chat and video conferencing in one environment.

Data is hosted in IONOS data centres in Germany. The service is promoted as GDPR compliant and is aimed especially at organisations that value digital sovereignty and European legal frameworks.

Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools. It includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Meet and Google Chat.

Its purpose is to bring email, files, communication and collaboration together entirely in the browser.

Documents are stored in Google Drive and can be edited simultaneously by multiple users. Google Meet enables video and audio meetings, Google Calendar is used for scheduling and Gmail serves as the email client.

Category: workshops and visual collaboration

Miro

Miro is an online whiteboard for visual collaboration. On a digital, infinitely zoomable board, users can place and structure sticky notes, text, shapes, lines and other elements. The tool is well suited for brainstorming sessions, workshops, process visualisations and planning work in distributed teams.

Miro offers a wide range of templates, including flowcharts, customer journey maps, retrospectives and roadmaps. Content can be edited collaboratively in real time, with comments and a presentation mode available.

Category: files, storage and file sharing

Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud storage service that stores, syncs and shares files online. Users place files in a local Dropbox folder, which synchronises with the cloud so content is available across devices and through the web interface.

For teams, Dropbox includes additional administrative features such as permission management and structured team folders.

A key feature of Dropbox is file sharing. Files and folders can be shared via links, and depending on the plan, users can set password protection, expiry dates and download restrictions for shared links.

Nextcloud Files

Nextcloud Files is software for cloud storage, file synchronisation and file sharing that is typically run on a company’s own server or in a self managed cloud environment. It falls into the category of “self hosted file sync and share” and offers an alternative to services like Google Drive or Dropbox while keeping full control of the data within the organisation.

Various options are available for file sharing in Nextcloud Files. Files and folders can be shared with individual users or groups, or made accessible via public links. Depending on the configuration, shared links can be protected with passwords, expiry dates and permissions such as view only, upload or edit.

Category: scheduling and meeting coordination

Calendly

Calendly is an online tool for automated appointment scheduling. Instead of coordinating dates by email, users create a personal booking link that allows others to select an available time slot. Calendly checks availability against connected calendars such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook and prevents double bookings.

The user defines general availability (for example weekdays, time windows, buffer times) and sets up different event types such as a thirty minute intro call or a sixty minute internal meeting. For confirmed appointments, calendar entries are created automatically. Popular video conferencing solutions like Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams can be integrated directly, so each meeting automatically receives its own conference link.

Doodle

Doodle is an online service for finding meeting times in groups. A typical use case is the question “When is everyone available?” — for example for team meetings, workshops or external appointments with multiple participants. The organiser creates several time options in a poll and shares the link; participants mark their availability directly in the Doodle poll.

The results are compiled in a clear overview, making it easy to see which time slot works best for most participants or for everyone. Doodle can also send calendar invitations automatically once a time is confirmed. Depending on the product version, it can handle not only classic date and time polls but also booking pages and recurring meeting formats.

Category: time and time tracking

Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a time tracking tool focused on projects, clients and activities. Users can start and stop timers or log time manually; entries are assigned to projects, clients, tags or specific tasks. This enables detailed analysis of working hours, for example for billing, budget control or internal reporting.

Typical features include daily, weekly and project views, reports by client, project or activity and export options such as CSV or PDF.

Category: document workflows and e-signatures

Skribble

Skribble is an e-signature service that allows documents to be signed electronically with legal validity. The platform supports all three common e-signature standards: simple electronic signatures (SES), advanced electronic signatures (AES) and qualified electronic signatures (QES).

According to the provider, the service is hosted in data centres in Switzerland and is described as compliant with Swiss data protection law (DSG) and the European GDPR. A typical signing process consists of three steps: upload the document or pass it to Skribble via an integration, invite the signers and complete the electronic signature on a desktop, tablet or smartphone.

DocuSign

DocuSign is a service for electronic signatures and digital contract workflows. Documents are uploaded, configured with signature fields and other elements such as dates, initials or text fields and then sent to the signers. Recipients can review the document online and sign it with legal validity.

DocuSign logs the entire signing process through an audit trail that includes timestamps and the email addresses involved. Companies use the service for contracts, proposals, agreements and HR documents. Additional features include reminders, templates, form fields and integrations with CRM and office systems.

Category: automation and workflow integrations

Zapier

Zapier is a platform that connects web applications and automates recurring workflows. Users create “Zaps”, which consist of a trigger in one application and one or more actions in other applications.

Example: “When a form is submitted, create a record in the CRM and send a notification in the chat tool.”

Zapier supports thousands of apps, for example email services, CRMs, project management systems, online forms and chat tools. It allows data to move automatically between systems, triggers notifications and creates entries without any manual work.

Category: security and passwords

Bitwarden

Bitwarden is a password manager that stores login details, secure notes and other confidential information in encrypted form. Users create entries that contain a login name, a password, a URL and notes, and can organise them into collections. The browser extensions and mobile apps fill in login information automatically on websites and in applications.

Bitwarden uses a zero knowledge security model. Data is encrypted on the client side and, due to the architecture, the provider cannot access any decrypted content. The service is available as a cloud solution and, in certain plans, can also be self hosted.

For teams and companies, there are organisational features that allow shared access to vaults, management of access rights and the definition of security policies.

Category: accounting and finance

sevDesk

sevDesk is a cloud based accounting and invoicing platform aimed mainly at small businesses, self employed professionals and freelancers. The tool allows users to create quotes and invoices, capture receipts, assign payments and run basic reports on the financial situation.

Receipts can be captured digitally, uploaded and read automatically through OCR and AI based recognition in order to generate booking suggestions. Requirements specific to the German market, such as compliant archiving under GoBD rules, value added tax logic and interfaces for tax advisers, for example export in the DATEV standard, are supported.

Lexware Office

Lexware Office is a cloud based accounting and invoicing platform for small businesses, self employed professionals and freelancers. The service combines receipt capture, invoicing, the income surplus calculation (Euer), advance VAT returns and bank integration in one system.

Receipts can be captured digitally, uploaded and posted to the accounts. Based on this data, Lexware Office creates the income surplus calculation and various reports. The software includes features for creating invoices, quotes, delivery notes and reminders, for submitting advance VAT returns through ELSTER and for compliant archiving under GoBD rules.

Category: asynchronous communication (video)

Loom

Loom is a tool for asynchronous video communication. Users can record their screen, camera and microphone and share the resulting video through a link. This makes it possible to provide status updates, explain processes or give feedback without scheduling a live meeting.

Recordings can include comments and reactions, and viewers can watch the video directly in the browser without downloading any files.

Loom is especially useful for product demos, walkthroughs of documents or processes and for explaining complex topics that would be difficult to understand through text alone.

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