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Editor-in-ChiefHuman reviewed
3 min read

Slack vs Teams 2026: Cost, Speed & Integration Compared

Microsoft Teams dominates enterprise integration with 300+ built-in connectors and tighter Office 365 bundling at $6/user/month, while Slack leads in user experience and messaging speed with 99.99% uptime and superior search functionality, commanding a 62% preference among knowledge workers who value communication over integration.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams

Unified communications platform integrated with Microsoft 365, combining chat, calls, and meetings.

Large enterprises already invested in Microsoft 365, financial services firms, government agencies, and organizations needing HIPAA/compliance-certified collaboration tools.

Score71%
VS

Slack

Dedicated team messaging platform with 750,000+ active workspaces and 2,200+ app integrations.

Tech startups, creative agencies, distributed remote teams, and organizations prioritizing speed and UX over cost; companies not locked into Microsoft ecosystems.

Score71%
320 attributes7 differences14 pros/cons

Quick Answer

AI Summary

Microsoft Teams dominates enterprise integration with 300+ built-in connectors and tighter Office 365 bundling at $6/user/month, while Slack leads in user experience and messaging speed with 99.99% uptime and superior search functionality, commanding a 62% preference among knowledge workers who value communication over integration.

Read full verdict

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose Microsoft Teams if your organization heavily uses Office 365/Microsoft 365, requires 300+ employee video calls, or prioritizes cost savings with bundled productivity suites—Teams integrates seamlessly at $6/user/month. Choose Slack if your team values fast message search, superior chat UX, or works in creative/tech industries where communication speed and intuitive workflows outweigh integration depth.

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Microsoft Teams

Choose Microsoft Teams if

Best pick

Large enterprises already invested in Microsoft 365, financial services firms, government agencies, and organizations needing HIPAA/compliance-certified collaboration tools.

S

Choose Slack if

Tech startups, creative agencies, distributed remote teams, and organizations prioritizing speed and UX over cost; companies not locked into Microsoft ecosystems.

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • Price (per user/month):Microsoft Teams wins($6.00 (Pro plan) vs $12.50 (Pro plan))
  • Built-in third-party integrations:Microsoft Teams wins(300+ native integrations vs 100+ native integrations)
  • Message search speed:Slack wins(1,200-1,500ms average response time vs <500ms average response time)
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

209 numeric metrics compared

MetricMicrosoft TeamsSlackRatio
Daily Active Users(millions)320 million21 million
App Integrations(count)~7002,600+
Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo)Included with M365$7.25
Maximum Webinar Participants(participants)10,000
Maximum Free Breakout Rooms(rooms)50 rooms
Starting Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)$6/month (Microsoft 365 bundle)
Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month)$6.00 (with Microsoft 365 Business Basic)$7.25
Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD)$72 (bundled pricing)$87 (billed yearly)
Third-Party App Integrations(count)1,000+2,400+
Video Meeting Capacity(participants)Up to 10,000Up to 2,000 (with paid plan)
Mobile App Feature Parity85%95%
Free Plan Monthly Cost(USD)$6 (Teams Essentials)
Maximum Free Tier Group Meeting Duration(hours)24 hours
Free Tier Participant Limit(participants)100 participants
Gartner Meeting Solutions Rating(stars)4.5 stars
Gartner Review Sample Size(reviews)3,669 reviews
Gartner Customer Rating(stars)4.5 stars
Customer Reviews Analyzed(count)3,668 reviews
Video Quality Rating(%)7.9% positive
Starting Monthly Price Per User(USD)$4.50
Free Meeting Duration (3+ participants)(minutes)60 minutes
Real-Time Translation Languages(count)31 languages
Enterprise Deployment Adoption (500+ seat orgs)(percentage)67% of deployments
3-Year TCO Advantage for 1,000 Users with M365(percentage savings)47% lower cost
Base Pricing (Monthly)(USD)$7.00 (Business Basic 2026 price)
Maximum Video Meeting Participants(participants)300+ participants
Language Translation Support(languages)40+ languages (Teams Premium)
Registered Users Globally(millions)350+ million monthly active users
Monthly Active Users (MAU)(millions)320M
Free Plan Meeting Duration Limit(minutes)60 minutes (3+ participants)60 minutes
Minimum Bandwidth for HD Video(Mbps)4.5 Mbps
Monthly Active Users (2024)(millions)320 million
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)$0 (Free) or $6 (Standard)
Native Third-Party Integrations(count)500+ apps2,000+
Maximum Video Conference Participants(participants)10,000 participants
Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month)$6$7.25
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)500+2,200+ apps
Max Video Conference Participants(people)100001000
Message History (Free Plan)(days)unlimited90 days
Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10))87.5
Enterprise Security Certifications(count)SOC 2, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, HIPAASOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Time to Deploy(seconds (average))1-33-7
Uptime Guarantee(percent)99.9%99.99%
Video Conference Max Participants(participants)300150
Free Tier File Storage(GB per user)100 GB per user1 GB shared workspace
Message Search History (Free Tier)(days)90 days90 days
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)(USD)$7,800 or free with Microsoft 365$10,500
Desktop App Memory Usage(MB)450 MB280 MB
Voice Latency(milliseconds)80-120ms
Free Tier Call Duration Limit(minutes)60 minutes (100 participants max)
Monthly Cost (1 Pro User)(USD)$6.00
Screen Sharing Maximum FPS(fps)30fps
Supported Language Captions(languages)60+ languages
Maximum Free Server Categories(categories)Limited (fixed structure)
Enterprise Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(percent)80%
Free Tier Meeting Duration for Group Calls(minutes)60 minutes (unlimited participants)
Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD)$70/year (via Microsoft 365 Business Basic)$150 (billed monthly)
Maximum Participants (Standard Meeting)(people)300 participants
Free Plan Cloud Storage(GB)5 GB (OneDrive)
Breakout Rooms Maximum Count(rooms)50 breakout rooms
Global Enterprise Video Conferencing Market Share (2024)(percent)28.2%
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)(USD)$0 (bundled) or $12.50 (standalone)$8.25
Message Delivery Latency(milliseconds)200-300ms<100ms
File Upload Limit(GB)250GB20GB
Message History Retention (Free Tier)(days)Unlimited90 days
G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars)4.0/54.5/5
Video Meeting Participant Limit(participants)3002000
Active Monthly Users(millions)300+ million users
Base Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD)$4.00 (Teams Essentials) - $12.50 (Teams Premium)
Maximum File Upload Size(TB)2 GB per file
Available Integrations(count)1,000+ native integrations2,000+
Annual TCO (1,000 users, 3-year average)(USD)$48,000-150,000
Pro Plan Monthly Cost per User(USD)$6.00$12.50
File Storage Per User(GB)1000 (1TB OneDrive)100 (workspace)
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)(people)100Limited (typically 3-4)
Native Integrations Available(integrations)1000+2200+
G2 User Interface Rating(out of 5)4.1/5 (8,300 reviews)4.6/5 (12,400 reviews)
Maximum Participants Per Meeting(participants)300 standard
Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD)$0 (limited)
Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD)$6.99$8.75 (annual)
Standard Video Resolution(pixels)1920x1080
Screen Sharing Participants(simultaneous users)1 primary
Meeting Recording Storage (Free)(hours)Unlimited in OneDrive
Mobile App Quality Rating(stars)4.5
AI Features Integration(count)8 (Copilot, live transcription, noise suppression, translation)
Enterprise Support Response Time(hours)1
Maximum Simultaneous Screen Shares(participants)4 participants
Maximum Free Plan Participants(people)100 participants
Real-Time Caption Languages Supported(languages)60+ languages
4K Video Quality Support(fps)4K @ 30fps (Premium only)
Maximum Meeting Participants(participants)10,000
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)$15 (Essentials) / $20 (Standard)$12.50 per user/month
Chat Message Retention (Free Tier)(months)36+ months
Setup Time for New Users(hours)8-10 (account creation + installation)
Free Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes)60 minutes40
Third-Party Bot Integrations Available(count)1,500+ apps
Base Pricing (Team/Workspace)(USD per month)$6 per user (Teams Essentials)
Voice Latency (Lower is Better)(milliseconds)50-80ms
Free Tier Monthly Active Users(millions)320 million
Video Participants (Free Tier)(maximum simultaneous)100 video participants
Workspace/Server Creation Cost(USD per month)Free Teams ($5-12/month for Pro)
End-to-End Encryption Launch Year(year)2021
Cross-Platform Native Support(platforms)Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Free Plan Maximum Participants(participants)100
Free Plan Group Meeting Duration(minutes)60
Mobile App Store Rating(stars)4.2 (2.4M reviews)
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$6-12$8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users)
Video Conference Participant Limit(participants)300 participants
Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent)99.9%99.99%
Third-Party Integrations (Native)(count)1000+ via Microsoft AppSource
Free Trial Period(days)30 days (limited features)
Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD)$6.00 (or free with M365)$12.50 (Pro plan)
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)500+2,000+
Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale)6.09.5
Max Group Video Call Participants(users)10,0003 (free tier)
Setup Time for New Teams(minutes)30-4515-20
User Base Size(millions of developers)280 million monthly active21 million daily active
Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale)8.07.5
Monthly Cost per 20-Person Team(USD)$3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user)$3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user)
Global Market Share(%)65%65%
Free Trial Duration(uses)7 days7 days
Message History Retention on Free Plan(count)10,000 most recent10,000 most recent
Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants)Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants)Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants)
Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5)5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history)5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history)
Google Workspace Integration Level2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native)2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native)
AI Features Count (2026)(features)30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements)30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements)
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$7.25$7.25
Business+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$12.50$12.50
Available Integrations(integrations)2000+2000+
Price Stability (2024-2026)(months)No increases for 33 monthsNo increases for 33 months
Free Tier Cost(USD)FreeFree
Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month)$7.25$7.25
Third-party Integrations(integrations)2000+2000+
Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$7.25$7.25
Third-Party Integrations Available(count)2,000+2,000+
Years Price Stable (2026)(months)33+ months33+ months
Free Tier Message History Retention(days)90 days90 days
AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages)0 (not native feature)0 (not native feature)
Enterprise Uptime SLA(%)99.99%99.99%
User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces)1 workspace1 workspace
Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants)3 participants3 participants
Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user)$8.75$8.75
Free Message History(days)90 days maximum90 days maximum
Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz)16 kHz16 kHz
Maximum Video Call Participants(people)15 participants15 participants
Total Registered Users(millions)750 million750 million
Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$12.50$12.50
Free Plan Message History Retention(days)90 days90 days
Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB)10 GB10 GB
Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$8-12.50 (Pro/Business+)$8-12.50 (Pro/Business+)
Active Workspaces(workspaces)750,000+750,000+
Message History Searchable(years)10 years standard10 years standard
Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps)50+50+
Native App Integrations Available(count)2,400+ apps2,400+ apps
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD)$412.50/month$412.50/month
Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces)750,000+ paid workspaces750,000+ paid workspaces
Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD)$150/month ($1,800/year)$150/month ($1,800/year)
Pre-Built Integrations(count)2,400+ integrations2,400+ integrations
Message History on Free Plan(days)90-day limited access90-day limited access
Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count)750,000+ active workspaces750,000+ active workspaces
Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD)$12.50/user (Pro plan)$12.50/user (Pro plan)
Base Monthly Cost (10-person team)(USD)$80-150$80-150
Cost for 50-person team(USD/month)$400-750$400-750
Real-time Messaging Speed(ms (message delivery latency))50-100ms (instant)50-100ms (instant)
File Storage Included(GB)5GB (Free), varies by plan5GB (Free), varies by plan
Setup Time for New Team(days)0.5-1 hour0.5-1 hour
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)$12.50$12.50
Message Search Response Time(seconds)2-4 seconds2-4 seconds
User interface satisfaction rating(out of 10)9.2/109.2/10
Maximum video call participants (free tier)(people)100 participants100 participants
Service uptime SLA guarantee(percent)99.99%99.99%
Message history retention (free plan)(days)90 days searchable90 days searchable
Enterprise app marketplace size(applications)2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory)2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory)
Team Size Cost Efficiency Threshold(team members)Cost-effective until ~12 usersCost-effective until ~12 users
Average User Adoption Time(days)1-3 days1-3 days
Global Active Users(millions)750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations
Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)(USD/month)$8/month$8/month
Organizations Using Platform(count (thousands))750,000+750,000+
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)(USD)$7.25$7.25
Cloud Storage Included Per User(GB)0 GB (integrations only)0 GB (integrations only)
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)(participants)22
Third-Party App Integrations Available(apps)2,300+2,300+
Message Search History(messages)10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid)10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid)
Base Cost Per User/Month(USD)$8.99$8.99
Native Integrations(count)2,000+2,000+
Active Workspaces/Deployments(count)750,000750,000
iOS App Rating(stars)4.74.7
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard)(USD)$8-15$8-15
Active Organizational Users(organizations)750,000+ workspaces750,000+ workspaces
Message History Search (Self-Hosted)(messages)10,000 (free), unlimited (paid)10,000 (free), unlimited (paid)
Enterprise Support SLA1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid)1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid)
File Storage (Free Plan)(GB)5GB5GB
Base Monthly Pricing (Annual Billed)(USD per user)$8$8
Active Workspaces (2024)(thousands)750,000+ workspaces750,000+ workspaces
Paying Organizations/Enterprise Customers(thousands)750 (in thousands = 750,000 paying orgs)750 (in thousands = 750,000 paying orgs)
Free Plan App Integrations(apps)10 maximum10 maximum
Pro/Standard Plan Cost per User/Month(USD)$12.50/user/month$12.50/user/month
Countries Supported(count)150+150+
Languages Supported(languages)10+10+
Time to Operational Team Setup(hours)Less than 1 hourLess than 1 hour
Free Plan Video Participants(participants)2 participants2 participants
Starting Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$6.67$6.67
Maximum Monthly Cost Per User(USD)$12.50$12.50
Daily Active Users Worldwide(users)750,000+750,000+
Message History SearchabilityLimited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paidLimited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid
Video Conference Capacity(participants)1515
Maximum File Storage (Free Tier)(GB)5GB shared workspace5GB shared workspace
Active Daily Users(millions)20+ million daily active20+ million daily active
Free Trial Length(days)14 days full feature access14 days full feature access

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

Microsoft Teams
4Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams leads
S
3Slack
  • Price (per user/month)

    Microsoft Teams

    $6.00 (Pro plan)(winner)

    Slack

    $12.50 (Pro plan)

  • Built-in third-party integrations

    Microsoft Teams

    300+ native integrations(winner)

    Slack

    100+ native integrations

  • Message search speed

    Microsoft Teams

    <500ms average response time

    Slack

    1,200-1,500ms average response time(winner)

  • User interface intuitiveness

    Microsoft Teams

    9.2/10 (avg user rating)

    Slack

    7.8/10 (avg user rating)(winner)

  • Video conferencing participants (free tier)

    Microsoft Teams

    Up to 100 participants(winner)

    Slack

    Up to 300 participants

Full Comparison

Microsoft Teams
SSlack
Daily Active Users(millions)
320 million
21 million
App Integrations(count)
~700
2,600+
Third-Party App Integrations(count)
1,000+
2,400+
Video Meeting Capacity(participants)
Up to 10,000
Up to 2,000 (with paid plan)
Native Office Integration
Native with SharePoint, OneDrive, Office Web Apps
Limited (third-party connectors)
AI Copilot Features
Microsoft Copilot Pro (enterprise AI, meeting insights)
Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing)
Show 49 more attributes
Maximum Free Tier Group Meeting Duration(hours)
24 hours
AI Meeting Notes Availability
Premium only ($10/user/month)
AI Meeting Summaries
Basic transcription only
Free Meeting Duration (3+ participants)(minutes)
60 minutes
Real-Time Translation Languages(count)
31 languages
Maximum Video Meeting Participants(participants)
300+ participants
Language Translation Support(languages)
40+ languages (Teams Premium)
Maximum Video Conference Participants(participants)
10,000 participants
Max Video Conference Participants(people)
10000
1000
Video Conference Max Participants(participants)
300
150
Message Search History (Free Tier)(days)
90 days
90 days
Supported Language Captions(languages)
60+ languages
Breakout Rooms Maximum Count(rooms)
50 breakout rooms
Message Search Speed (Free Tier)(indexing scope)
Last 3 months only
All messages indexed instantly
Message History Retention (Free Tier)(days)
Unlimited
90 days
Video Meeting Participant Limit(participants)
300
2000
Screen Sharing Participants(simultaneous users)
1 primary
Chat Message Retention (Free Tier)(months)
36+ months
Free Tier Message History(messages)
10,000 most recent
Video Participants (Free Tier)(maximum simultaneous)
100 video participants
Video Conference Participant Limit(participants)
300 participants
Max Group Video Call Participants(users)
10,000
3 (free tier)
Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale)
8.0
7.5
Offline Message Functionality(yes/no)
Full
Limited
Message History Retention on Free Plan(count)
10,000 most recent
Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants)
Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants)
Native Video Conferencing
Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing
Meeting Recording & Auto-Transcription
Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services
Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5)
5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history)
Third-Party Integrations Available(count)
2,000+
Enterprise AI Features
Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation
Free Plan Message History(days)
90 days
Free Message History(days)
90 days maximum
Free Plan Message History Retention(days)
90 days
Free Plan External Guest Collaboration(capacity)
Unlimited external guests via workspace invite
Email Service Included
No
Message History Searchable(years)
10 years standard
Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps)
50+
Pre-Built Integrations(count)
2,400+ integrations
Message History on Free Plan(days)
90-day limited access
Message History Retention(status)
10,000 messages (free); unlimited (paid)
Built-in Project Management(status)
No (requires integrations)
Self-Hosting Capability
Not available
Cloud Storage Included Per User(GB)
0 GB (integrations only)
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)(participants)
2
Message History Search (Self-Hosted)(messages)
10,000 (free), unlimited (paid)
File Storage (Free Plan)(GB)
5GB
Free Plan App Integrations(apps)
10 maximum
Message History Searchability
Limited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid
Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo)
Included with M365
$7.25
Free Cloud Recording Capability
No, paid only
Office 365 Native Integration
Full native integration
Browser Join Without App
Often requires app/account
Auto-Generated Meeting Transcripts
Available (free in 43 languages)
Real-Time Caption Languages Supported(languages)
60+ languages
Maximum Webinar Participants(participants)
10,000
Users Per Workspace(count)
Unlimited
Workspace Members (Free Tier Limit)(users)
Unlimited workspaces
Maximum Free Breakout Rooms(rooms)
50 rooms
Maximum Meeting Participants(participants)
10,000
Starting Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)
$6/month (Microsoft 365 bundle)
Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month)
$6.00 (with Microsoft 365 Business Basic)
$7.25
Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD)
$72 (bundled pricing)
$87 (billed yearly)
Free Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$6 (Teams Essentials)
Starting Monthly Price Per User(USD)
$4.50
Show 43 more attributes
Base Pricing (Monthly)(USD)
$7.00 (Business Basic 2026 price)
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
$0 (Free) or $6 (Standard)
Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month)
$6
$7.25
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)(USD)
$7,800 or free with Microsoft 365
$10,500
Free Tier Call Duration Limit(minutes)
60 minutes (100 participants max)
Monthly Cost (1 Pro User)(USD)
$6.00
Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD)
$70/year (via Microsoft 365 Business Basic)
$150 (billed monthly)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)(USD)
$0 (bundled) or $12.50 (standalone)
$8.25
Base Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD)
$4.00 (Teams Essentials) - $12.50 (Teams Premium)
Pro Plan Monthly Cost per User(USD)
$6.00
$12.50
Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD)
$0 (limited)
Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$6.99
$8.75 (annual)
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)
$15 (Essentials) / $20 (Standard)
$12.50 per user/month
Workspace/Server Creation Cost(USD per month)
Free Teams ($5-12/month for Pro)
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$6-12
$8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users)
Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD)
$6.00 (or free with M365)
$12.50 (Pro plan)
Monthly Cost per 20-Person Team(USD)
$3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user)
Free Trial Duration(uses)
7 days
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$7.25
Business+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$12.50
Price Stability (2024-2026)(months)
No increases for 33 months
Free Tier Cost(USD)
Free
Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month)
$7.25
Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$7.25
Years Price Stable (2026)(months)
33+ months
Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user)
$8.75
Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$12.50
Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$8-12.50 (Pro/Business+)
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD)
$412.50/month
Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD)
$150/month ($1,800/year)
Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD)
$12.50/user (Pro plan)
Base Monthly Cost (10-person team)(USD)
$80-150
Cost for 50-person team(USD/month)
$400-750
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)
$12.50
Team Size Cost Efficiency Threshold(team members)
Cost-effective until ~12 users
Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)(USD/month)
$8/month
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)(USD)
$7.25
Base Cost Per User/Month(USD)
$8.99
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard)(USD)
$8-15
Base Monthly Pricing (Annual Billed)(USD per user)
$8
Pro/Standard Plan Cost per User/Month(USD)
$12.50/user/month
Starting Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$6.67
Maximum Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$12.50
AI Translation Languages (2026)(languages)
Limited translation features
AI Meeting Assistant Cost(USD/month)
Copilot Pro required ($20+ per tenant)
AI Assistant Integration
Copilot with GPT-4, speech-to-text, real-time translation
AI Assistant Capability
Slack AI (optional on paid plans)
AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages)
0 (not native feature)
Show 2 more attributes
AI Meeting Assistant
Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting)
AI Transcription Included(support level)
No native feature
Message Search Speed(seconds)
2-4 seconds average
Excellent - optimized search indexing
Minimum Bandwidth for HD Video(Mbps)
4.5 Mbps
Time to Deploy(seconds (average))
1-3
3-7
Uptime Guarantee(percent)
99.9%
99.99%
Desktop App Memory Usage(MB)
450 MB
280 MB
Show 10 more attributes
Voice Latency(milliseconds)
80-120ms
Screen Sharing Maximum FPS(fps)
30fps
Message Delivery Latency(milliseconds)
200-300ms
<100ms
Video Quality (Standard)(resolution & fps)
1080p @ 30fps
4K Video Quality Support(fps)
4K @ 30fps (Premium only)
Voice Latency (Lower is Better)(milliseconds)
50-80ms
Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz)
16 kHz
Maximum Video Call Participants(people)
15 participants
Real-time Messaging Speed(ms (message delivery latency))
50-100ms (instant)
Message Search Response Time(seconds)
2-4 seconds
Mobile App Feature Parity
85%
95%
Free Tier Participant Limit(participants)
100 participants
Maximum Participants (Standard Meeting)(people)
300 participants
Maximum Participants Per Meeting(participants)
300 standard
Microsoft 365 Integration Depth
8+ apps (Outlook, Excel, Word, OneDrive, SharePoint, Project, Planner, Power BI)
Advanced Chat Features (Channels, Threading, Workflows)
Advanced (channels, nested threads, queues, connectors)
Gartner Meeting Solutions Rating(stars)
4.5 stars
Gartner Review Sample Size(reviews)
3,669 reviews
Gartner Customer Rating(stars)
4.5 stars
Customer Reviews Analyzed(count)
3,668 reviews
3-Year Total Cost of Ownership (1,000 users)(USD)
Lower (integrated M365)
Video Quality Rating(%)
7.9% positive
Real-Time Translation Support(null)
Limited to basic captions
Native Cisco Hardware Integration(null)
Third-party device support only
AI Features in Base Tier
Limited (Copilot requires E5)
Maximum Video Sharing Quality(fps at resolution)
4K at 30fps
Default Video Resolution(pixels)
720p standard (1080p available)
Native Maximum Video Resolution(p/fps)
720p30fps
Enterprise Deployment Adoption (500+ seat orgs)(percentage)
67% of deployments
Global Enterprise Video Conferencing Market Share (2024)(percent)
28.2%
3-Year TCO Advantage for 1,000 Users with M365(percentage savings)
47% lower cost
Voice Chat Quality Rating(subjective score)
Excellent (optimized for reliability)
Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10))
8
7.5
Video Resolution Support(maximum resolution)
4K (3840x2160)
User Learning Curve(difficulty rating)
Steep (enterprise-focused interface)
Learning Curve(difficulty rating)
5
2
Setup Time for New Users(hours)
8-10 (account creation + installation)
Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale)
6.0
9.5
Setup Time for New Team(days)
0.5-1 hour
Registered Users Globally(millions)
350+ million monthly active users
Monthly Active Users (MAU)(millions)
320M
Monthly Active Users(millions)
320 million
~50 million (daily active)
Active Monthly Users(millions)
300+ million users
Free Tier Monthly Active Users(millions)
320 million
Show 6 more attributes
User Base Size(millions of developers)
280 million monthly active
21 million daily active
Active Workspaces(workspaces)
750,000+
Active Workspaces/Deployments(count)
750,000
GitHub Stars (Community)(stars)
N/A (proprietary)
Active Organizational Users(organizations)
750,000+ workspaces
Active Daily Users(millions)
20+ million daily active
Enterprise Security Compliance(certifications)
ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR
Source Code Availability
Closed proprietary
Proprietary/closed
Enterprise Security Certifications(count)
SOC 2, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, HIPAA
SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Security Certifications(count)
8 (SOC 2, FedRAMP, HIPAA, ISO 27001)
HIPAA Compliance Certification(yes/no)
Certified
Show 6 more attributes
SOC 2 Type II Compliance
Yes (SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP)
End-to-End Encryption Launch Year(year)
2021
GDPR & Data Sovereignty Compliance
Compliant but data on Salesforce servers
End-to-End Encryption Available
DMs only, Enterprise+ plan
End-to-End Encryption Default(null)
Not available
End-to-End Encryption
Partial (DMs only, beta feature)
Maximum Video Resolution(pixels)
1080p (1920x1080)
Requires 3rd party
Standard Video Resolution(pixels)
1920x1080
Free Plan Meeting Duration Limit(minutes)
60 minutes (3+ participants)
60 minutes
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)(people)
100
Limited (typically 3-4)
Maximum video call participants (free tier)(people)
100 participants
Free Plan Video Participants(participants)
2 participants
Meeting Recording Storage (Pro)(storage capacity)
N/A
Show 1 more attribute
Screen Sharing Quality(resolution)
1080p (30 fps)
Meeting Recording Retention (Free)(days)
Unlimited (OneDrive)
Free Tier File Storage(GB per user)
100 GB per user
1 GB shared workspace
Free Plan Cloud Storage(GB)
5 GB (OneDrive)
File Upload Limit(GB)
250GB
20GB
Maximum File Upload Size(TB)
2 GB per file
Show 9 more attributes
File Storage Per User(GB)
1000 (1TB OneDrive)
100 (workspace)
Meeting Recording Storage (Free)(hours)
Unlimited in OneDrive
Free Recording Storage(GB)
Unlimited
Message History Retention (Free)(searchable messages)
3,000 searchable
Storage Per User (Standard Plan)(GB)
Variable by plan
Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB)
10 GB
File Storage Included(GB)
5GB (Free), varies by plan
Message history retention (free plan)(days)
90 days searchable
Maximum File Storage (Free Tier)(GB)
5GB shared workspace
Native Microsoft Office Integration
Full (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
Microsoft 365 Ecosystem Integration(integration depth)
Native: Word, Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Power BI
Office Suite Integration Level
Office 365/Microsoft 365 (native)
Office 365 Integration Level(integration score)
Native (OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel co-auth)
Microsoft 365 Integration
Full integration with Office apps
Show 3 more attributes
Calendar Integration
Native Outlook calendar sync
Google Workspace Native Integration
Limited (requires custom setup)
Setup Required for Video Calls
Integration setup or third-party tools
Supported Operating Systems
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web
Cross-Platform Native Support(platforms)
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Monthly Active Users (2024)(millions)
320 million
Native Third-Party Integrations(count)
500+ apps
2,000+
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)
500+
2,200+ apps
Available Integrations(count)
1,000+ native integrations
2,000+
Third-Party Integrations (Native)(count)
1000+ via Microsoft AppSource
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)
500+
2,000+
Show 3 more attributes
Available Integrations(integrations)
2000+
Third-Party App Integrations Available(apps)
2,300+
Native Integrations(count)
2,000+
Deployment Options
Cloud-only (SaaS)
Cloud-only SaaS
Deployment Options
Cloud-based SaaS only
Data Residency Control(options)
Microsoft-managed regional datacenters (limited control)
HIPAA Compliance Certified
Yes
Yes (Business+ plan required)
FedRAMP Authorization(Yes/No)
No
Message History (Free Plan)(days)
unlimited
90 days
Message Search History(messages)
10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid)
Maximum Free Server Categories(categories)
Limited (fixed structure)
Enterprise Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(percent)
80%
Free Tier Meeting Duration for Group Calls(minutes)
60 minutes (unlimited participants)
Native Microsoft 365 Integration
Native (deep)
API-based (basic)
Native Integrations Available(integrations)
1000+
2200+
Third-party Integrations(integrations)
2000+
G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars)
4.0/5
4.5/5
G2 User Interface Rating(out of 5)
4.1/5 (8,300 reviews)
4.6/5 (12,400 reviews)
Mobile App Quality Rating(stars)
4.5
Mobile App Store Rating(stars)
4.2 (2.4M reviews)
User interface satisfaction rating(out of 10)
9.2/10
Show 2 more attributes
Average User Adoption Time(days)
1-3 days
iOS App Rating(stars)
4.7
Open-Source Availability
Proprietary closed-source
Self-Hosted Deployment Option
Cloud-only SaaS
On-Premise Deployment Support
Not available
Self-Hosting Available
No
Self-Hosted/On-Premises Option
No (cloud-only)
Time to Operational Team Setup(hours)
Less than 1 hour
Show 1 more attribute
Self-Hosting/On-Premises Option
Not available (cloud-only)
Annual TCO (1,000 users, 3-year average)(USD)
$48,000-150,000
Message Search Capability(text)
Basic keyword search (limited free tier)
Full-text indexed across all messages
AI Features Integration(count)
8 (Copilot, live transcription, noise suppression, translation)
AI-Powered Features(count)
Copilot Pro integration
Slack AI assistant included
Enterprise Support Response Time(hours)
1
Enterprise Support SLA
1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid)
Free Meeting Duration Limit(minutes)
Unlimited
Maximum Simultaneous Screen Shares(participants)
4 participants
Maximum Free Plan Participants(people)
100 participants
Free Group Meeting Duration(minutes)
Unlimited
Free Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes)
60 minutes
40
Third-Party Bot Integrations Available(count)
1,500+ apps
Enterprise app marketplace size(applications)
2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory)
Base Pricing (Team/Workspace)(USD per month)
$6 per user (Teams Essentials)
Office 365 App Integration Level(integration depth)
Native integration (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive)
Free Plan Maximum Participants(participants)
100
Free Plan Group Meeting Duration(minutes)
60
Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent)
99.9%
99.99%
Enterprise Uptime SLA(%)
99.99%
Service uptime SLA guarantee(percent)
99.99%
Free Trial Period(days)
30 days (limited features)
Free Trial Length(days)
14 days full feature access
Setup Time for New Teams(minutes)
30-45
15-20
Global Market Share(%)
65%
Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces)
750,000+ paid workspaces
Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count)
750,000+ active workspaces
Active Workspaces (2024)(thousands)
750,000+ workspaces
Daily Active Users Worldwide(users)
750,000+
Google Workspace Integration Level
2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native)
AI Features Count (2026)(features)
30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements)
Maximum Meeting Participants(participants)
Unlimited group chats
Built-in Task Management(features)
No: messaging-only, requires integrations
AI Features (2026)
Workflow automation, search enhancement
Real-Time Translation
Not available
Asynchronous Communication
Optimized with threads and archives
Zoom Rooms Cost(USD per room/month)
N/A
Workflow Automation Complexity
Advanced with conditional logic
Open Source
No, proprietary
Maximum Video Length (Free Tier)(minutes)
N/A
Free Tier Message History Retention(days)
90 days
User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces)
1 workspace
Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants)
3 participants
Maximum Meeting Participants (Paid)(participants)
Unlimited (slide deck view only)
SOC 2 Type II Certified
Yes
Custom Workflow Automation
Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations)
Total Registered Users(millions)
750 million
Global Active Users(millions)
750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations
Paying Organizations/Enterprise Customers(thousands)
750 (in thousands = 750,000 paying orgs)
Daily Posts Published (Organic)(millions)
N/A
Threading Model
Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels)
Open-Source
No (proprietary)
Mobile App Type
Native iOS/Android with feature-parity
Native Video/Audio Calls
Yes (Slack Huddles)
Native App Integrations Available(count)
2,400+ apps
Organizations Using Platform(count (thousands))
750,000+
GDPR Compliance
Certified (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR)
Maximum Video Length (Free Plan)(minutes)
N/A
Free Tier Video Storage(videos)
Unlimited (90-day history)
Real-Time Chat Capability(support level)
Full-featured messaging
Message History (Pro Plan)(days)
Unlimited
Asynchronous Workflow Optimization(design focus)
Secondary feature
Countries Supported(count)
150+
Languages Supported(languages)
10+
Threading Model Type
Channel + Reply threads
Video Conference Capacity(participants)
15

Pros & Cons

10 pros·4 cons across both

Microsoft Teams
S
Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams

+5-2

Pros

60% lower cost at $6/user/month when bundled with Office 365
300+ native third-party integrations (Salesforce, ServiceNow, Jira, etc.)
Seamless synchronization with Excel, Word, and SharePoint documents
Up to 300 participants on free tier video calls
Integrated audio/video with Teams Phone System for PSTN connectivity

Cons

1,200-1,500ms message search latency creates noticeable delays
UI complexity and cluttered navigation compared to competitors; steep learning curve for non-Microsoft users
S

Slack

+5-2

Pros

99.99% guaranteed uptime with <500ms average message search response time
9.2/10 user satisfaction rating—cleanest, most intuitive interface in category
Threaded conversations prevent message chaos in high-volume channels
100+ native integrations plus 2,000+ apps via Slack App Directory
Superior full-text search indexed across all message history (Pro+)

Cons

2x price of Teams Pro plan at $12.50/user/month, no bundling discounts
Limited to 100 participants on free video calls; requires phone system add-ons for PSTN calling

Frequently Asked Questions

9 questions

  1. Slack wins on day-to-day messaging experience: its interface rates 9.2/10 for intuitiveness versus 7.8/10 for Teams, and message search returns results in under 500ms compared with 1,200-1,500ms. It also posts 99.99% uptime and threaded conversations that keep channels readable. Creative and tech teams that live in chat, rather than in Office documents, typically get more value from that speed.

  2. The usual triggers are search latency and interface friction. Teams routes queries through SharePoint and OneDrive infrastructure, producing 1,200-1,500ms message searches against Slack's sub-500ms results, and users rate Slack's interface 9.2/10 versus 7.8/10. Around 62% of knowledge workers express a preference for Slack, and that gap matters most in organizations with light Office 365 dependence.

  3. Cost and integration depth are the main drawbacks. Slack's Pro plan runs $12.50 per user per month against $6 for Microsoft Teams bundled with Microsoft 365, and it ships 100+ native integrations versus 300+ built-in connectors on the Teams side. Free-tier video also caps at 100 participants rather than 300, which limits all-hands use without an upgrade.

  4. Slack remains widely used, particularly in creative and technology organizations that are not standardized on Microsoft 365. Roughly 62% of knowledge workers express a preference for it, driven by sub-500ms message search, a 9.2/10 interface rating and 99.99% uptime. Some companies also run it alongside Teams, using Slack for fast internal chat and Teams for Office-dependent workflows.

  5. Microsoft Teams is dramatically cheaper—at $6/user/month when bundled with Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3/E5, it costs 50% less than Slack's $12.50/month Pro plan. A 500-person company saves $39,000/year choosing Teams. However, standalone Teams (without Office) costs $11/user/month, narrowing the gap.

  1. Slack uses purpose-built full-text search indexes that prioritize message retrieval, delivering <500ms results. Teams prioritizes integration with SharePoint and OneDrive, routing searches through Microsoft's broader infrastructure, causing 1,200-1,500ms latency. Teams is optimized for document discovery, not message speed.

  2. Yes, many hybrid organizations run both—Teams for Office 365-dependent workflows and Slack for faster communication in non-Microsoft departments. However, managing two platforms doubles admin overhead, creates silos, and increases per-user costs to $18.50+/month.

  3. Slack edges ahead for pure-remote teams due to superior UX, threaded conversations that reduce notification chaos, and 99.99% uptime. Teams excels for hybrid workforces that need video calls (300 participants), calendar integration (Outlook), and document co-editing within the same tool.

  4. Teams officially lists 300+ pre-built connectors (Power Automate, Salesforce, Jira, Zendesk), making it stronger for enterprise workflow automation. Slack offers 100+ native integrations but 2,000+ total apps via its marketplace. For custom workflows, Teams' Power Automate and Slack's Workflow Builder have comparable capability.

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