Slack vs Teams 2026: Cost, Speed & Integration Compared
Quick Answer
AI SummaryMicrosoft 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 verdictChoose 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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Best pickLarge enterprises already invested in Microsoft 365, financial services firms, government agencies, and organizations needing HIPAA/compliance-certified collaboration tools.
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)
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Slack vs Microsoft Teams
Key Facts & Figures
209 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Microsoft Teams | Slack | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Active Users(millions) | 320 million | 21 million | |
| App Integrations(count) | ~700 | 2,600+ | |
| 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 10,000 | Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | |
| Mobile App Feature Parity | 85% | 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+ apps | 2,000+ | |
| 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) | 10000 | 1000 | |
| Message History (Free Plan)(days) | unlimited | 90 days | — |
| Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10)) | 8 | 7.5 | |
| Enterprise Security Certifications(count) | SOC 2, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, HIPAA | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR | |
| Time to Deploy(seconds (average)) | 1-3 | 3-7 | |
| Uptime Guarantee(percent) | 99.9% | 99.99% | |
| Video Conference Max Participants(participants) | 300 | 150 | |
| Free Tier File Storage(GB per user) | 100 GB per user | 1 GB shared workspace | |
| Message Search History (Free Tier)(days) | 90 days | 90 days | |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)(USD) | $7,800 or free with Microsoft 365 | $10,500 | |
| Desktop App Memory Usage(MB) | 450 MB | 280 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) | 250GB | 20GB | |
| Message History Retention (Free Tier)(days) | Unlimited | 90 days | — |
| G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars) | 4.0/5 | 4.5/5 | |
| Video Meeting Participant Limit(participants) | 300 | 2000 | |
| 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 integrations | 2,000+ | |
| 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) | 100 | Limited (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 minutes | 40 | |
| 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) | 6.0 | 9.5 | |
| Max Group Video Call Participants(users) | 10,000 | 3 (free tier) | |
| Setup Time for New Teams(minutes) | 30-45 | 15-20 | |
| User Base Size(millions of developers) | 280 million monthly active | 21 million daily active | |
| Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale) | 8.0 | 7.5 | |
| 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 days | 7 days | |
| Message History Retention on Free Plan(count) | 10,000 most recent | 10,000 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 Level | 2 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 months | No increases for 33 months | |
| Free Tier Cost(USD) | Free | Free | |
| 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+ months | 33+ months | |
| Free Tier Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | 90 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 workspace | 1 workspace | |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants) | 3 participants | 3 participants | |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user) | $8.75 | $8.75 | |
| Free Message History(days) | 90 days maximum | 90 days maximum | |
| Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz) | 16 kHz | 16 kHz | |
| Maximum Video Call Participants(people) | 15 participants | 15 participants | |
| Total Registered Users(millions) | 750 million | 750 million | |
| Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | $12.50 | |
| Free Plan Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | 90 days | |
| Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB) | 10 GB | 10 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 standard | 10 years standard | |
| Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps) | 50+ | 50+ | |
| Native App Integrations Available(count) | 2,400+ apps | 2,400+ apps | |
| Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD) | $412.50/month | $412.50/month | |
| Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces) | 750,000+ paid workspaces | 750,000+ paid workspaces | |
| Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD) | $150/month ($1,800/year) | $150/month ($1,800/year) | |
| Pre-Built Integrations(count) | 2,400+ integrations | 2,400+ integrations | |
| Message History on Free Plan(days) | 90-day limited access | 90-day limited access | |
| Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000+ active workspaces | 750,000+ 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 plan | 5GB (Free), varies by plan | |
| Setup Time for New Team(days) | 0.5-1 hour | 0.5-1 hour | |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) | $12.50 | $12.50 | |
| Message Search Response Time(seconds) | 2-4 seconds | 2-4 seconds | |
| User interface satisfaction rating(out of 10) | 9.2/10 | 9.2/10 | |
| Maximum video call participants (free tier)(people) | 100 participants | 100 participants | |
| Service uptime SLA guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | 99.99% | |
| Message history retention (free plan)(days) | 90 days searchable | 90 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 users | Cost-effective until ~12 users | |
| Average User Adoption Time(days) | 1-3 days | 1-3 days | |
| Global Active Users(millions) | 750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations | 750+ 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) | 2 | 2 | |
| 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) | 750,000 | 750,000 | |
| iOS App Rating(stars) | 4.7 | 4.7 | |
| Monthly Cost Per User (Standard)(USD) | $8-15 | $8-15 | |
| Active Organizational Users(organizations) | 750,000+ workspaces | 750,000+ workspaces | |
| Message History Search (Self-Hosted)(messages) | 10,000 (free), unlimited (paid) | 10,000 (free), unlimited (paid) | |
| Enterprise Support SLA | 1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid) | 1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid) | |
| File Storage (Free Plan)(GB) | 5GB | 5GB | |
| Base Monthly Pricing (Annual Billed)(USD per user) | $8 | $8 | |
| Active Workspaces (2024)(thousands) | 750,000+ workspaces | 750,000+ 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 maximum | 10 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 hour | Less than 1 hour | |
| Free Plan Video Participants(participants) | 2 participants | 2 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 Searchability | Limited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid | Limited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid | |
| Video Conference Capacity(participants) | 15 | 15 | |
| Maximum File Storage (Free Tier)(GB) | 5GB shared workspace | 5GB shared workspace | |
| Active Daily Users(millions) | 20+ million daily active | 20+ million daily active | |
| Free Trial Length(days) | 14 days full feature access | 14 days full feature access |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
- $6.00 (Pro plan)(winner)Price (per user/month)$12.50 (Pro plan)
- 300+ native integrations(winner)Built-in third-party integrations100+ native integrations
- <500ms average response timeMessage search speed1,200-1,500ms average response time(winner)
- 9.2/10 (avg user rating)User interface intuitiveness7.8/10 (avg user rating)(winner)
- Up to 100 participants(winner)Video conferencing participants (free tier)Up to 300 participants
- 99.99% guaranteedUptime SLA99.9% guaranteed(winner)
- 90 days searchable(winner)Message retention (free plan)Unlimited searchable history
- 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
| Attribute | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Active Users(millions) | 320 million(winner) | 21 million |
| App Integrations(count) | ~700 | 2,600+(winner) |
| Third-Party App Integrations(count) | 1,000+ | 2,400+(winner) |
| Video Meeting Capacity(participants) | Up to 10,000(winner) | 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 attributesMaximum 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(winner) |
| 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)(winner) | $7.25 |
| Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD) | $72 (bundled pricing)(winner) | $87 (billed yearly) |
| Free Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $6 (Teams Essentials) | — |
| Starting Monthly Price Per User(USD) | $4.50 | — |
Show 43 more attributesBase 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 attributesAI 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(winner) | 3-7 |
| Uptime Guarantee(percent) | 99.9% | 99.99%(winner) |
| Desktop App Memory Usage(MB) | 450 MB | 280 MB(winner) |
Show 10 more attributesVoice 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%(winner) |
| 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(winner) | 7.5 |
| Video Resolution Support(maximum resolution) | 4K (3840x2160) | — |
| User Learning Curve(difficulty rating) | Steep (enterprise-focused interface) | — |
| Learning Curve(difficulty rating) | 5 | 2(winner) |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 8-10 (account creation + installation) | — |
| Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale) | 6.0 | 9.5(winner) |
| 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(winner) | ~50 million (daily active) |
| Active Monthly Users(millions) | 300+ million users | — |
| Free Tier Monthly Active Users(millions) | 320 million | — |
Show 6 more attributesUser 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(winner) | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR |
| Security Certifications(count) | 8 (SOC 2, FedRAMP, HIPAA, ISO 27001) | — |
| HIPAA Compliance Certification(yes/no) | Certified | — |
Show 6 more attributesSOC 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(winner) | 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 attributeScreen Sharing Quality(resolution) 1080p (30 fps) — | ||
| Meeting Recording Retention (Free)(days) | Unlimited (OneDrive) | — |
| Free Tier File Storage(GB per user) | 100 GB per user(winner) | 1 GB shared workspace |
| Free Plan Cloud Storage(GB) | 5 GB (OneDrive) | — |
| File Upload Limit(GB) | 250GB(winner) | 20GB |
| Maximum File Upload Size(TB) | 2 GB per file | — |
Show 9 more attributesFile 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 attributesCalendar 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+(winner) |
| Third-Party Integrations(integrations) | 500+ | 2,200+ apps(winner) |
| Available Integrations(count) | 1,000+ native integrations | 2,000+(winner) |
| Third-Party Integrations (Native)(count) | 1000+ via Microsoft AppSource | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations) | 500+ | 2,000+(winner) |
Show 3 more attributesAvailable 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+(winner) |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — |
| G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars) | 4.0/5 | 4.5/5(winner) |
| G2 User Interface Rating(out of 5) | 4.1/5 (8,300 reviews) | 4.6/5 (12,400 reviews)(winner) |
| 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 attributesAverage 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 attributeSelf-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(winner) | 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%(winner) |
| 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(winner) |
| 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 | — |
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Pros & Cons
10 pros·4 cons across both
Microsoft Teams
Pros
Cons
Slack
Pros
Cons
Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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