Loom
loom.comRecord a short video instead of booking another meeting.
Curated directory · 66 tools
Async Collaboration tools
If your team spans Seoul, Berlin and San Francisco, the meeting is the most expensive way to exchange information. Each tool below was picked because it replaces a recurring meeting with something a person can read, watch or skim on their own schedule — and because the free tier is enough to actually try it with a real team.
10 tools
Notion
notion.soDocs, wikis and project boards inside one workspace.
Linear
linear.appIssue tracking fast enough that people actually keep it updated.
Slack
slack.comTeam chat with searchable history, huddles and channels that outlive a project.
Miro
miro.comA whiteboard a distributed team can genuinely share and come back to.
Figma
figma.comDesign, comment and hand off in the same live file.
Fathom
fathom.videoRecords and summarises your calls so nobody has to take notes.
Grain
grain.comTurns a long call into short clips you can paste into Slack.
Twist
twist.comThreaded, async discussions instead of a chat that keeps interrupting.
Tuple
tuple.appLow-latency screen sharing built for pairing rather than presenting.
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Browse by category
Six shelves, sixty-six tools
Async Collaboration
10 tools
Time & Scheduling
10 tools
Code & Dev Utilities
12 tools
Content & SEO
10 tools
Social & Metadata
10 tools
AI Productivity & LLMs
14 tools
How this shelf was chosen — Every tool here is either one we use ourselves or one we have tested against the free tier we describe. Nothing on this page is a paid placement.
From the Pikkola shelf
Short field guides · $5 each
Field guide · PDF
The Async Remote Playbook
The routines, written updates and decision records that let a team spread across four time zones ship without a standing meeting.
$5 Get it
Field guide · PDF
The GEO Handbook
How answers get assembled by AI search, and what to change on a small site so it is the source that gets quoted.
$5 Get it
Field guide · PDF
The Zero-Dollar Micro-SaaS Stack
The free tiers, domains and deploy path we used to put five products online with no fixed monthly cost.
$5 Get itQuestions about the directory
What is Pikkola Tools?
A curated directory of 66 tools for people who work remotely or build small software products: async collaboration, time zones and scheduling, developer utilities, content and SEO, social metadata, and AI. Every entry lists its pricing model and the platforms it runs on, and links straight to the product.
How are tools selected?
Two rules: we have used the tool ourselves, or we have tested the free tier we describe. Beyond that we favour tools that work without an account, keep your data in your browser where possible, and charge in a way a solo developer can afford. There are no paid slots, and no tool can buy a review.
What does “Pikkola Certified” mean?
It marks a tool built by Pikkola Lab itself — Pikkola Time, Diff, Rank and Meta. We badge them so you can tell first-party products apart from the rest of the shelf, not because they are better than the tools around them.
Do I need an account to use this site?
No. There is no sign-up, no cookie banner and no analytics script. Search, filters and bookmarks all run in your browser; the saved list is kept in local storage on your device and never sent to a server.
How is the directory funded?
By the $5 field guides linked on this page, and by the other free tools Pikkola Lab builds. Placements are not for sale. If affiliate links are added later, the card will say so before you click.
A tool is missing or out of date. Can I tell you?
Yes — email hello@pikkola.com with the name and a link. Corrections about pricing, platform support or a shutdown are the most useful messages we get, and they are usually fixed within a few days.