Microsoft Teams costs significantly less for organizations already using Microsoft 365 (bundled at $6-12.50/user/month vs Slack's $8.25/user/month), while Slack offers superior search functionality, faster message delivery, and a more intuitive interface favored by design-focused teams.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based team messaging platform with advanced search and customization.
Cloud-based unified communications platform integrated with Microsoft 365 ecosystem
Pricing (Annual Per User). Message Search Speed. Free Tier Message History. Microsoft 365 Integration. User Interface Rating (G2 2024). Message Delivery Speed. Maximum File Upload Size
Choose Microsoft Teams if your organization uses Microsoft 365, values tight Office document collaboration, and prioritizes cost-effectiveness—Teams' bundled pricing saves 40-60% versus Slack for most enterprises. Choose Slack if you need superior search capabilities, prefer a cleaner interface, work in a non-Microsoft ecosystem, or value faster real-time performance for high-volume communication teams.
Slack: ~38 Million | Microsoft Teams: 320 million
Slack: $7.25 | Microsoft Teams: Included with M365
Slack: $7.25 | Microsoft Teams: $6.00 (with Microsoft 365 Business Basic)
Slack: $87 (billed yearly) | Microsoft Teams: $72 (bundled pricing)
Slack: Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | Microsoft Teams: Up to 10,000
Slack: Limited (third-party connectors) | Microsoft Teams: Native with SharePoint, OneDrive, Office Web Apps
Slack: Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing) | Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Copilot Pro (enterprise AI, meeting insights)
Slack: Excellent - optimized search indexing | Microsoft Teams: 2-4 seconds average
Slack: $8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Cloud-based SaaS only | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Compliant but data on Salesforce servers | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: No increases for 33 months | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Unlimited group chats | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Workflow automation, search enhancement | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Not available | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Optimized with threads and archives | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (optional on paid plans) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Limited (requires custom setup) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Advanced with conditional logic | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Variable by plan | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 33+ months | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: No, proprietary | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Requires 3rd party | Microsoft Teams: 1080p (1920x1080)
Slack: $150 (billed monthly) | Microsoft Teams: $70/year (via Microsoft 365 Business Basic)
Slack: 0 (not native feature) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 1 workspace | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 3 participants | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Unlimited (slide deck view only) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2,000+ integrations | Microsoft Teams: 1,000+ native integrations
Slack: DMs only, Enterprise+ plan | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: $12.50 per user/month | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 90 days maximum | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2000+ integrations | Microsoft Teams: 500+
Slack: 15 participants | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 750 million | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2,300+ integrations | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Unlimited external guests via workspace invite | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 10 years standard | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Proprietary (closed-source) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Native iOS/Android with feature-parity | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Yes (Slack Huddles) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2,400+ apps | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: $412.50/month | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: No, cloud-only | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)
Slack: 750,000+ paid workspaces | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Proprietary/closed | Microsoft Teams: Proprietary (closed-source)
Slack: $150/month ($1,800/year) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2,400+ integrations | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 90-day limited access | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 750,000+ active workspaces | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: No (cloud-only) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Yes (Business+ plan required) | Microsoft Teams: Yes
Slack: $12.50/user (Pro plan) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 10,000 messages (free); unlimited (paid) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: No (requires integrations) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 50-100ms (instant) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 5GB (Free), varies by plan | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 0.5-1 hour | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, GDPR | Microsoft Teams: SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, GDPR, DLP, eDiscovery
Slack: 750,000 paid customers | Microsoft Teams: 320 million monthly active users
Slack: $8.75 | Microsoft Teams: $6.50 or free with Microsoft 365
Slack: 1 GB shared workspace | Microsoft Teams: 100 GB per user
Slack: 90 days | Microsoft Teams: 90 days
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)
Slack: $10,500 | Microsoft Teams: $7,800 or free with Microsoft 365
Slack: 100+ | Microsoft Teams: 500+ apps
Maximum video call participants (free tier)
Slack: 100 participants | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 90 days searchable | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory) | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: Cost-effective until ~12 users | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: No: messaging-only, requires integrations | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 90 days (Free/Pro), unlimited with Enterprise | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Slack: 750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations | Microsoft Teams: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)
Slack: $8.25 | Microsoft Teams: $0 (bundled) or $12.50 (standalone)
Slack: <100ms | Microsoft Teams: 200-300ms
Slack: All messages indexed instantly | Microsoft Teams: Last 3 months only
Slack: 90 days | Microsoft Teams: Unlimited
Slack: API-based (basic) | Microsoft Teams: Native (deep)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: No, paid only
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Full native integration
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Often requires app/account
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 60 minutes
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: $6/month (Microsoft 365 bundle)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Limited translation features
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: $6 (Teams Essentials)
Maximum Free Tier Group Meeting Duration
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 100 participants
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Premium only ($10/user/month)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 8+ apps (Outlook, Excel, Word, OneDrive, SharePoint, Project, Planner, Power BI)
Advanced Chat Features (Channels, Threading, Workflows)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Advanced (channels, nested threads, queues, connectors)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 3,669 reviews
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership (1,000 users)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Lower (integrated M365)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 3,668 reviews
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 7.9% positive
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Limited to basic captions
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Basic transcription only
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Third-party device support only
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 1,000+ participants
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Limited (Copilot requires E5)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 4K at 30fps
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 31 languages
Enterprise Deployment Adoption (500+ seat orgs)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 67% of deployments
3-Year TCO Advantage for 1,000 Users with M365
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 47% lower cost
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: $7.00 (Business Basic 2026 price)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 300+ participants
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Excellent (optimized for reliability)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 4K (3840x2160)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 40+ languages (Teams Premium)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Steep (enterprise-focused interface)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 350+ million monthly active users
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 60 minutes (group calls)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Unlimited (OneDrive)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Full (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Copilot Pro required ($20+ per tenant)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 320 million
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: $0 (Free) or $6 (Standard)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 10,000 participants
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Cloud-only (SaaS)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Copilot with GPT-4, speech-to-text, real-time translation
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Microsoft-managed regional datacenters (limited control)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 60 minutes (100 participants max)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 60+ languages
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Limited (fixed structure)
Free Tier Meeting Duration for Group Calls
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 60 minutes (unlimited participants)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 300 participants
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 5 GB (OneDrive)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 50 breakout rooms
Global Enterprise Video Conferencing Market Share (2024)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Native: Word, Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Power BI
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 300+ million users
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: $4.00 (Teams Essentials) - $12.50 (Teams Premium)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: 2 GB per file
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Proprietary closed-source
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: Cloud-only SaaS
Annual TCO (1,000 users, 3-year average)
Slack: N/A | Microsoft Teams: $48,000-150,000
How to choose between Slack and Microsoft Teams
Slack vs Microsoft Teams — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Slack vs Microsoft Teams. Contains 210 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Slack vs Microsoft Teams.
Is Slack or Teams cheaper for enterprise organizations?
Teams is substantially cheaper for organizations using Microsoft 365. If you're already paying for Microsoft 365 ($6-12.50/user/month), Teams is bundled at no additional cost. Slack's Pro plan costs $8.25/user/month standalone, making Teams 60-100% cheaper for Microsoft shops. However, for non-Microsoft environments or teams that don't use Office 365, both tools cost similarly.
Can I search old messages in both platforms?
Slack provides instant full-text search across all messages in paid plans. Teams Free tier only indexes the last 3 months of messages; older conversations require a paid plan for searchability. If historical message search is critical, Slack's advantage is significant. Teams Standard users get full search, but at higher cost than Slack Pro.
Which platform integrates better with Microsoft Office documents?
Teams has native, deep integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and SharePoint, allowing real-time co-editing without leaving the app. Slack can integrate with Microsoft 365 via APIs and third-party apps, but requires switching to Office web apps or desktop clients for document collaboration. Teams wins decisively for Microsoft-heavy workflows.
Which platform has better real-time performance?
Slack delivers messages with <100ms latency, creating near-instantaneous communication. Teams averages 200-300ms latency, which is perceptible in fast-paced conversations but acceptable for most business use. If your team relies on rapid-fire messaging (trading floors, fast-moving startups), Slack's speed advantage matters. For typical business communication, both are acceptable.
What happens to my chat history if I downgrade from paid to free?
Slack: Downgrading to free tier limits searchable history to the last 90 days, but older messages remain visible in conversations. Teams: Free tier has unlimited history, so no data loss on downgrade. Teams is more forgiving for cost-conscious organizations that may downgrade.
How to Choose Between Slack and Microsoft Teams
Pricing (Annual Per User): Slack has $99/year (Pro plan), while Microsoft Teams has Free or $6-12.50/year with Microsoft 365.
Message Search Speed: Slack has Instant indexing across all messages, while Microsoft Teams has 3-month free tier limit, then indexed.
Free Tier Message History: Slack has Last 90 days, while Microsoft Teams has Unlimited with Teams Free.
Microsoft 365 Integration: Slack has Basic API integration, while Microsoft Teams has Native deep integration with Office, OneDrive, SharePoint.
Consider: User Interface Rating (G2 2024)
User Interface Rating (G2 2024): Slack has 4.5/5 stars (ease of use), while Microsoft Teams has 4.0/5 stars (ease of use).
Message Delivery Speed: Slack has <100ms average latency, while Microsoft Teams has 200-300ms average latency.
Maximum File Upload Size: Slack has 20GB per file, while Microsoft Teams has 250GB per file (via OneDrive).