5 Tools That Make Daily Standups Actually Async
Source: Dev.to
Introduction
Daily standups sound great in theory, but in practice they often become calendar clutter. Different time zones, late arrivals, and 15‑minute meetings that disappear without a record can make them feel more like a nuisance than a benefit.
Async standups solve these problems by letting team members post updates whenever it works for them. The result is:
- Timezone‑friendly – no need to find an overlapping hour.
- Respects deep work – no interruptions to flow states.
- Written record – everything is automatically documented.
- Thoughtful updates – people can think before they type.
The trade‑off is a loss of spontaneous conversation, but most standup chatter is just “still working on the thing I mentioned yesterday.”
Kollabe
Key features
- AI summaries (daily, weekly, or fortnightly)
- Per‑group summaries for larger orgs (e.g., engineering vs. design)
- Persistent daily rooms – no meeting creation required
- Rich media support (image and video uploads)
- Customizable questions with color coding and emoji prefixes
- Comments and reactions on updates
- Bulk export to CSV, JSON, or PDF
Free plan
| Included | Limit |
|---|---|
| Team size | 15 users |
| AI summaries | Full access |
| Media uploads | Images + video |
| History | 7 days |
Best for: Teams that want intelligent insights without manual effort. The AI summaries are especially useful for managers juggling multiple projects.
Try the demo
Geekbot
Key features
- Native Slack and Teams integration
- Conversational AI queries (e.g., “what did Sarah work on last week?”)
- Timezone‑aware scheduling
- Pre‑built templates
- Anonymous reporting option
- Participation analytics
Free plan
| Included | Limit |
|---|---|
| Team size | 10 users |
| Features | Everything |
| Platforms | Slack + Teams |
Best for: Teams deeply embedded in Slack or Teams that don’t want another tool in the stack.
Standuply
Key features
- Video and voice standup submissions (text also supported)
- Deep integrations with Jira, Trello, GitHub
- Built‑in retrospective tools
- Agile workflow templates
- Acts as a virtual scrum master
Free plan
| Included | Limit |
|---|---|
| Team size | 3 users |
| Features | Basic only |
| Trial | 30 days full access |
Best for: Teams that want face‑to‑face energy in an async format or need tight PM‑tool integration. Note the free tier is very limited—it’s essentially a trial.
DailyBot
Key features
- Async check‑ins and standups
- Peer recognition (kudos)
- Team mood tracking over time
- Icebreakers and water‑cooler prompts
- Works on Slack, Teams, Discord, and Google Chat
- SOC2 Type II compliant
Free plan
| Included | Limit |
|---|---|
| Features | Basic check‑ins + kudos |
| Platforms | All supported |
Paid: $1.60 / user / month (very affordable)
Best for: Teams that want culture‑building features bundled with standups. Can feel like overkill if you only need simple status updates.
Range
Key features
- Async check‑ins with mood sharing
- Daily icebreaker prompts
- Meeting agendas and notes
- Goal and OKR tracking
- Team directory
- Integrations with Asana, GitHub, Jira
Free plan
| Included | Limit |
|---|---|
| Users | 12 |
| Teams | 2 |
| Trial | 14 days Pro |
Best for: Teams that want standups plus goals plus meetings in one place. Private check‑ins (manager‑only visibility) require a paid plan.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Free Users | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kollabe | AI‑powered insights | 15 | Auto‑generated summaries |
| Geekbot | Slack/Teams natives | 10 | Conversational queries |
| Standuply | Video/voice updates | 3 | Recorded standups |
| DailyBot | Team engagement | Limited | Kudos + mood tracking |
| Range | Full team sync | 12 | Goals + meetings |
Choosing the Right Tool
-
Where does your team already work?
If everyone uses Slack, a Slack‑native bot reduces friction. If you use multiple platforms, a standalone web app may be cleaner. -
How big is your team?
Free tiers vary widely. Check the user limits before committing. -
Do you need insights or just collection?
Some tools simply gather updates; others surface patterns and blockers automatically. AI summaries are a boon for managers overseeing several teams. -
What’s your async maturity?
New to async? Start with a simpler tool. Veteran remote teams can handle more sophisticated features.
Async standups aren’t about abandoning team connection—they’re about respecting that connection doesn’t require everyone to be online simultaneously. Any of these tools beats the calendar invite that half the team skips anyway.