You want to work in your sweatpants. Or maybe you just want to skip that brutal morning commute. Look, I get it. Finding companies that actually let you work from home, and respect your time once you're there, is tough. But it's definitely possible. Here's who to target in 2026, sorted by how remote they really are.
In short: fully remote companies such as GitLab, Automattic, Zapier, Buffer and Doist have no office to call you back to. Remote-first companies such as Atlassian, Shopify and Dropbox keep some offices but let most people choose where they work. Outside tech, UnitedHealth Group, TTEC and Working Solutions are among the companies that let you work from home in healthcare and customer service. Every company below describes its remote policy on its own careers or about page, which we checked on 26 September 2026.
Which companies are fully remote?
Fully remote companies have no headquarters office you are expected to return to: everyone works from wherever they live. The best known are GitLab, Automattic, Zapier, Buffer and Doist, plus remote-hiring platforms such as Remote and Deel.
Remote isn't a perk at these companies. It's the operating system.
- GitLab — describes itself as one of the world's largest all-remote companies, with over 1,500 team members in more than 65 countries, and publishes its whole guide to all-remote work.
- Automattic — the company behind WordPress.com and Tumblr. It says it has been remote-first since its founding in 2005, with a "fully distributed" way of working.
- Zapier — the automation platform says it has been remote-first since 2011 and looks for people who "excel in a fully remote work environment."
- Buffer — the social media tool gave up its office in 2013 to become a fully remote team, and publishes every salary.
- Doist — makers of Todoist. 108 team members across 38 countries, meeting up in person twice a year.
- Remote — the global HR platform says its entire team works remotely.
- Deel — the global payroll company advertises remote jobs in 80+ countries.
- Canonical — the company behind Ubuntu, with 1,400+ people in 75+ countries and remote work as a pillar of its careers pages.
What is a remote-first company?
A remote-first company keeps some offices, but remote is the default: you choose where to work and the office is optional. Atlassian ("Team Anywhere"), Shopify ("Digital by Design") and Dropbox ("Virtual First") are the best-known remote-first companies.
The difference matters when you read a job ad. Here is how the three models compare:
| Work model | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Fully remote | No office you're expected to return to. | GitLab, Buffer, Doist |
| Remote-first | Offices exist, but working from home is the default. | Atlassian, Shopify, Dropbox |
| Hybrid | Set office days mixed with home days. | Most large employers |
- Atlassian — under its Team Anywhere approach, Atlassians "choose where, when, and how they deliver their best work."
- Shopify — calls its model "Digital by Design": people work wherever they work best and drop into an office when they feel like it.
- Dropbox — announced it was going "Virtual First" in October 2020, making remote work "the primary experience for all employees."
Policies shift, so always check whether a specific listing says remote, hybrid, or office-based before you invest time in the application.
What are the best companies to work from home?
The best companies to work from home depend on your background. In tech, start with the fully remote companies above. Outside tech, UnitedHealth Group posts hundreds of remote roles, and TTEC and Working Solutions hire customer-service agents to work from home.
You don't need a tech background to find companies that let you work from home:
- UnitedHealth Group — its careers site has a "Remote" location filter, which listed over 700 openings when we checked on 26 September 2026: data analysts, customer service, clinical and project roles.
- TTEC — runs a dedicated work-from-home hiring page for customer service and sales roles.
- Working Solutions — offers independent-contractor, work-at-home agent roles for people located in the United States or Canada.
Startups are the other big pool. Many hire globally because they can't justify expensive office space, and boards like We Work Remotely and RemoteOK list their openings. If you browse a directory of companies that hire remotely, you'll see customer service and tech heavily represented. Want a public data point on how many people work from home? The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes monthly telework data from the Current Population Survey.
What makes the best companies for remote work?
The best companies for remote work don't just copy the office online. They run on asynchronous, written communication, pay for a proper home setup, and judge output instead of hours online.
Truth is, a lot of companies claim they offer flexible setups. But then they track your mouse movements. Or they demand you sit on Zoom calls for six hours a day. That isn't real flexibility. Look for these green flags.
Look for asynchronous culture
This is the big one. Asynchronous work means you don't have to reply to a message within three seconds. GitLab's public handbook and Automattic's "asynchronous, fully distributed" model are written examples of this. They value deep work over instant replies. As long as you hit your deadlines, nobody cares that you did your grocery shopping at 2 PM.
Check the benefits package
A good remote employer knows you need a proper setup. Ask in the interview whether they pay for equipment, a home office stipend, your internet bill or a coworking membership. If the answer is vague, that tells you something.
Read the employee reviews
Do your homework. People talk. Head over to review sites and search for keywords like "micromanagement" or "burnout". If you see those words popping up, run. You want to see employees praising the work-life balance and the communication style of the management team.
How can you stand out when you apply?
Getting a remote role requires proving you can manage your own time. You have to demonstrate flawless digital communication before you even get the job offer.
Competition is fierce. Everyone wants these jobs. You have to prove you're a safe bet.
Tailor your resume for remote skills
Don't just list your past duties. Show them you can work independently. Mention your experience with tools like Slack, Jira, or Notion. Highlight projects where you managed a distributed team. If you need help structuring this, run your current document through a Resume Checker to see how it scores for remote-specific keywords. Or start fresh with a solid Resume Builder that formats everything perfectly for applicant tracking systems.
Ace the virtual screening
Your first contact will probably be a quick video call. Treat it seriously. Check your lighting. Test your microphone. A bad audio connection makes a terrible first impression. Look straight into the camera lens. It feels weird. But it makes the recruiter feel like you're actually making eye contact.
Master the remote interview
This is where you close the deal. During your remote interview, you need to ask smart questions. Ask them how they handle communication across different time zones. Ask about their onboarding process for new hires. This shows you understand the unique challenges of distributed work. And it proves you're ready to tackle them head-on. If you want role-specific practice first, browse our interview questions guides with example answers for hundreds of jobs.
Key Takeaways
- Fully remote companies to target first: GitLab, Automattic, Zapier, Buffer, Doist, Remote, Deel and Canonical.
- Remote-first companies keep offices but make home the default: Atlassian, Shopify and Dropbox.
- Companies that let you work from home outside tech: UnitedHealth Group, TTEC and Working Solutions.
- Search for employers that champion asynchronous work and respect your personal boundaries.
- Highlight self-management and digital communication skills on your resume to stand out.
Finding the right remote job takes a little patience. But the payoff is massive. When you're ready to update your application materials, OneTwo Resume has the tools you need to catch a recruiter's eye and land that dream role.