Team communication and collaboration tools are key aspects of today’s business world. The emergence of tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams has helped team members collaborate from anywhere.
Slack is a cloud-based instant messaging tool that helps employees stay connected. It also supports voice calls and integrates with leading third-party tools like Google Suite and JIRA. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is a collaboration suite that offers team chat, video conferencing, and documentation management. It is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite.
Explore Slack vs. Teams to know which of the two is better suited for your needs.
Slack vs. Microsoft Teams Market Share
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the usage of both Slack and Teams has increased across organizations of all sizes. But what’s their current market share?
As of 2023, Microsoft Teams had 300 million users, while Slack had 32.3 million. Studies show that over one million organizations use Microsoft Teams as their default messaging tool. It’s estimated that 91 out of the Fortune 100 companies use Teams.
Slack, on the other hand, has also grown steadily over the years. It’s estimated that 65 of Fortune 100 companies use Slack.
A study tracked and compared users of Microsoft Teams vs. Slack. The results show that:
- 89% of Slack users used private messages, while it was 60% in Teams.
- 92% of Slack users used the group messaging feature over 30 days, as opposed to only 11% of Teams users.
- 62% of users attended meetings through Teams when compared to 13% of Slack users.
These numbers show that both Slack and Teams are widely used but for different purposes. To better understand the usage patterns, let’s compare Slack vs. MS Teams across different features.
Slack vs. Teams Feature Comparison
Chat and Messaging
When it comes to messaging and chat, both tools are excellent. A key difference between Slack versus Microsoft Teams is that Slack’s free plan provides access to only the last 10,000 messages, while Teams displays the complete chat history on all its plans.
Other areas where Teams score over Slack are its immersive reader and guest access. Immersive Reader is a feature that reads text aloud at different speeds to enhance usability for all kinds of users. In this feature, you can choose from different fonts, sizes, and colors for your text messages. You can even add labels to messages for easy identification.
Similarly, the guest access feature in Teams makes it easy to collaborate with those outside your organization. This external collaboration is offered in Slack as well. Here, you can add up to five single-channel guests on each paid plan. When you add to more than five channels, they will be billed as regular users.
A key difference between the two tools is the way they organize the messages. In Teams, the group chats are mostly organized by teams, while they are organized as channels in Slack. By default, any user can create a channel in Slack, while there may be restrictions in Teams based on the configuration. On Slack, you can also reorder the channels and group them the way you want.
Slack offers real-time chat, making it a good choice to respond to customer queries. You can even use its Huddle feature, which comes with screen-sharing capabilities to explain something to your colleagues or customers. Microsoft Teams also has this feature, and you can respond to visitors’ questions right from Teams.
Another key aspect is the shortcuts called Slash Command Automation. You can type “/” and type the action name. There’s no limit on what you can do on Slack. These commands include those built in by Slack, created by developers, and even those included by your organization. Though Teams has slash commands, they are limited to those created by Microsoft.
Asynchronous communication is also well-supported by both tools. You can organize chat under channels, send messages asynchronously, and even find voicemails and files easily. Both tools allow you to add tags to arrange messages by topic. You can use this feature to leave feedback and ideas and even share files with anyone. The other person can see your messages when they log in. This feature works well for those who work across multiple time zones.
Given that both tools have more or less the same features, is the winner Slack or Teams?
Slack, and here’s why. Slack’s interface is simple to use and highly intuitive. Although Teams may offer Word-like formatting with font color, size, and type, Slack’s formatting is a lot simpler. This is why Slack works well for most users. Also, it requires no learning curve and can be installed quickly.
Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is one area where Teams is the hands-down winner because it was created to support video calls. You can have up to 100 people on a call in the free plan and up to 300 in the paid plan. Video and audio calling are the major selling points for Teams.
On Teams, you can have both group and one-on-one calls. These meetings can be recorded, and you can even share screens during your call.
Slack, on the other hand, is a messaging app and is not focused on audio and video calls. It offers a feature called Huddle, where you can have up to 15 people in a conference call. In this call, you can share your screen or even turn on your video, but the features are basic.
Slack makes up for this by integrating with Zoom and Webex. If you have a paid subscription to any of those tools, you can have video conferencing through Slack, too.
Due to this difference in capabilities, Teams is the choice for video conferencing.
File Sharing
Microsoft Teams is well-suited for file sharing and collaboration. You can share any kind of file through chat. As it is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite, all team members can edit and collaborate on the same file in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. It’s even possible to track changes to know who has changed what in the document. It comes with version controls as well.
Additionally, anyone in your team can access files from anywhere, provided they have access permission. Teams integrates with SharePoint and OneDrive to support easy accessibility. At the same time, you can decide who can view, edit, or comment on each file.
The other highlight is you can share files through chats and direct messages, on channels, and even in meetings. Regardless of how the files are shared, the recipients will continue to have access.
However, there are some restrictions. The maximum number of file attachments is 10 in a group chat. You can also email file attachments to channels with a limit of 20. Furthermore, the file upload limit is 250 GB per file.
With Slack, you can share any file type with a maximum of 1 GB in size. You can integrate with any file storage tool, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox. Slack allows you to simply drag and drop any file to any channel for sharing. It also supports collaboration with in-file and document sharing.
When you compare Slack versus Microsoft Teams, the winner is Teams because of its access to the entire Microsoft suite.
Task Management
Slack comes with many built-in tools for managing tasks and increasing productivity. You can set reminders to complete tasks. Also, you can ask the AI Slackbot to do certain tasks at the same time or day. Moreover, the workflow builder can come in handy to automate tasks or send messages to specific people or channels. Such features save time and effort while getting the work done.
Another feature is the option to save messages. On Slack, you can save messages to a section called “Later” so you can focus on the task you’re doing. At the same time, it’s a reminder that you must address that particular message next.
On the other hand, Microsoft Teams comes with a few productivity features. But they are more meetings-based, like following up on action items and collaborative to-do lists. While these are handy, they are more suited for team collaboration.
A key feature in Teams is called Tasks. This feature combines the Microsoft Planner and Microsoft To-Do. With this tool, you can create a plan and set a channel for it. Within this channel, you can assign tasks to individual team members. Such an approach gives complete visibility into what the team is doing and the progress of group projects.
Now, coming down to the question of Slack or Teams, the choice depends on how you work. If you work in a collaborative environment where your work depends largely on others completing their tasks, Teams are ideal. On the other hand, if your daily work involves independent tasks that you must complete, Slack can be handy.
Third-party Integrations
Microsoft Teams is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite, so it integrates well with Office 365 apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This seamless integration makes it easy for users to collaborate on the same document. Plus, it also integrates natively with other Microsoft products like Dynamics 365 and SharePoint.
Besides Microsoft, Teams also integrates with more than 700 apps. While some of them like Figma, Trello, Asana, and Jira Cloud are free, you will have to pay extra for Workday, Sales Copilot, Smartsheets, and Zoom.
Slack integrates with about 2,400 apps like Gmail, Outlook, Workday, Otter.ai, Jira Cloud, and even Microsoft Teams. It also integrates well with the organization’s custom apps.
The winner in the third-party integration category is Slack, as it offers four times more integrations than Teams.
Security and Compliance
When it comes to security and compliance, both tools are equally poised. They encrypt data during transit and at rest and even offer data residency services based on location. Also, both tools come with built-in data loss prevention, single sign-on, and the option to have two-factor authentication. eDiscovery of integrations, legal holds, and even mobile management are offered by both tools. However, some of these features may be available in the premium plans only.
A key difference between Slack and Microsoft Teams is that Teams comes with many built-in features spanning across its entire suite. These security features make compliance easy. Slack, on the other hand, is continuously improving its security features and is comparable to what Teams offers.
Is Slack better than Teams on this front? It depends on the size of your organization. While Slack’s security features are sufficient for small and medium enterprises, Teams will be the choice for large organizations having extensive compliance requirements.
Slack vs. Teams Pricing
Before we go into the detailed analysis, here’s a glance at the pricing plans of both tools.
| Plan | Slack | Microsoft |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | $4 |
| Popular | $7.25 | $6 |
| Advanced | $12 | $12.50 |
Note that all pricing is per user per month.
Slack offers three plans:
- Free
- Pro
- Business+
In the free plan, you get integrations with 10 apps, two-factor authentication, and data encryption both during transit and at rest. Also, channel posting permissions are limited to the general channel only.
Besides these features, you get 90-day access to messages and history, one-to-one huddles only, audio and video clips, channels, and DMs. While these are adequate for basic users who want to use Slack only for communication, they may not be enough to implement automation, security, compliance, and integrations.
The Pro plan is priced at $7.25 per month per user if you pay annually and $8.75 per user per month when paid monthly. The Business+ plan costs $12 per user per month for annual subscriptions and $18 per user per month for monthly subscriptions.
Go for the Business+ plan if you need channel posting permissions across unlimited channels or need SCIM provisioning for user management. Similarly, Business+ offers a 99.99 uptime SLA and a four-hour response time for all queries. Ideally, only if you’re a large organization that uses Slack as the main communication app, you’d need a Business+ plan.
Note that there’s also an Enterprise Grid plan that offers the most advanced features like domain claiming, integration with DLP tools, HIPAA compliance, and Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM). Contact sales for a custom quote.
Microsoft Teams offers three paid plans.
- Microsoft Teams Essentials at $4 per user per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $6 per user per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard at $12.50 per user per month
All plans are annual subscriptions with auto-renewals. The Business plans provide access to Microsoft 365 products and services, while the starter plan offers only Teams.
With the Business Standard plan, you also have access to Publisher and Access. Plus, you can host webinars.
Other than these, there’s another advanced plan called Microsoft 365 Business Premium that comes with cyber threat protection, advanced security, and access controls. It is priced at $22 per user per month.
The above plans are for businesses.
Microsoft also offers three plans for home users:
- Free
- Microsoft Personal at $6.99 per month
- Microsoft Family at $9.99 per month.
The Personal plan is for an individual, while the Family plan can include up to six people. Both support group calls for 30 hours per month and can include up to 300 participants.
Overall, Teams doesn’t have a free plan for businesses, while Slack has a free plan that can be useful for small businesses.
Alternatives to Slack and Microsoft Teams
Although Slack and Teams are two of the most popular collaboration tools, there are alternatives to consider, especially if you’re looking for specific features or integrations that are not available in either.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing app similar to Teams. Also, it integrates with Slack to provide a video calling feature. Zoom’s user interface is simple to use, making it ideal for users who are just starting. Like Teams, Zoom also comes with a free plan and an option to upgrade for additional features.
Google Chat
Google Chat is a part of the Google Workspace. Like Slack, it also supports messaging and collaboration. It is powered by AI to streamline workflow and implement automation. It also comes with some futuristic features like smart compose and summarization. Google Chat can be used for both live and asynchronous messaging and supports up to 500,000 members. Furthermore, it works well on browsers, mobile devices, and even as a standalone application.
Cisco Webex
Webex is another video conferencing and collaboration suite that offers online meetings, messaging, and file-sharing features. It works well for organizations of all sizes as it comes with easy deployment and scalability. Webex comes with both a desktop and a mobile app.
Skype for Business
Skype for Business is an enterprise messaging and video conferencing tool that comes as a part of Microsoft 365. However, note that Microsoft is encouraging users to move to Teams.
Use Cases
Slack and Microsoft Teams come with many unique features that make them ideal for specific use cases.
Small Businesses
Slack is an intuitive and user-friendly app ideal for small businesses due to the following reasons:
- Simple interface, making it ideal for all kinds of users.
- Integration with many tools. This is helpful if you already have paid subscriptions to Zoom and Workday.
- Custom notifications
- Easy to organize chats
- A huddle is often enough for small teams to collaborate
- Less overwhelming
That said, Teams is not too far behind either and can still work well for organizations requiring collaboration and documentation features.
Here are some features to consider when comparing Slack vs. Teams.
- Size of your teams
- Level of collaboration needed
- Do the majority of communications happen through asynchronous messaging or video conferencing?
Remote Teams
Both Slack and Microsoft Teams can be ideal for remote employees who need a reliable communication and collaboration tool. Both platforms come with asynchronous and live messaging.
Again, the choice depends on
- How often do your teams need video conferencing?
- Do you already have a subscription to other tools like Zoom?
- What’s the level of collaboration needed?
Healthcare Industry
Microsoft Teams’ highest-paid plan ensures HIPAA compliance. Also, in general, Teams has more robust security and compliance features that can make it better suited for the healthcare industry.
That said, Slack can also be compliant with HIPAA and other guidelines but requires extra effort.
Education Industry
Slack is better suited for the education industry as students can come from all backgrounds. For them, Slack is simpler and can feel less overwhelming when compared to a feature-filled tool like Microsoft Teams. However, note that as an education provider, you will have to subscribe to Zoom or Teams to conduct online classes.
If you’re on a budget, Teams may be a better choice for you.
Financial Services Industry
Many companies in the financial services industry use both Slack and Teams for internal and external communication. Some companies even use Slack for incident response and collaboration. Both tools also come with specific features to meet the compliance required for financial services. Teams even goes a step further with a dedicated plan that offers cyber threat protection and compliance.
If you’re looking for specific compliance features, Teams is a better choice. Otherwise, both tools work well. Given the sensitive nature of financial services, you may want to add an extra monitoring tool to your toolset to ensure that your communication app meets compliance requirements.
Technology Industry
The choice between Slack and Teams depends largely on your tech stack. If you’re already subscribing to Microsoft 365, Teams is the natural choice. Similarly, if you’re using Zoom, Slack is a better choice. In general, though, Slack is better for small businesses because of its many integrations, while Teams works better for large organizations that need extensive collaboration.
Non-profit Sector
Slack is a good choice for the non-profit sector because it is easier to use than Teams. Moreover, the need for extensive collaboration and video conferencing is minimal when compared to other industries.
Overall, both Slack and Teams work well for all industries. But in some specialized cases, one tool is better than the other.
Slack vs. Teams: Which Is Right for You?
Both Slack and Microsoft Teams come with excellent features for communication and collaboration. The choice depends on your needs, the tech stack you use, and the level of collaboration you need.
Choose Slack if you need:
- A simple interface that works well for users of all technical expertise
- Extensive third-party integrations with Microsoft and non-Microsoft products
- A quick way to send messages and a lower learning curve
- Excellent notifications and task management to make you productive
- A quick way to talk to a small group of employees. Its huddle feature is simple and can be ideal for quick discussions.
- Supports audio and video clips to communicate with external vendors
- An option to schedule message sending
On the other hand, go for Teams if you need:
- Specific compliance features
- Extensively use video conferencing options
- To use the Microsoft tech stack
- Easy tracking of group work
- Automatic setup across your entire organization.
- Easily searchable feature
- To generate reports using Power BI
- Advanced AI tools like Copilot and Speaker Coach to improve your productivity
