More than ever before, teamwork is a vital part of the workplace. Luckily, there are great collaborative productivity and project management tools that businesses can use. Two of the top names for collaborative tools are Slack and Microsoft Teams. Today, I’ll give you a complete comparison of Slack vs Teams.
Slack and Teams are teamwork and productivity tools that boast millions of users. Each provides a digital workspace where work groups can collaborate and keep a track of what is going on in their projects.
Here you’ll find my detailed Slack vs Teams comparison. I’ll explore:
- What is Slack?
- What is Microsoft Teams?
- Slack vs Microsoft Teams Comparison Chart
- So, Should You Use Slack or Microsoft Teams?
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What is Slack?
Slack’s motto is “where work happens”. It’s a collaborative productivity tool made to facilitate teams working together in an organization. Pricing starts with a free option, and increases all the way up to custom enterprise options.
It’s an organization’s internal communication tool. Colleagues can communicate on the general channel, or they can communicate directly and privately with specific colleagues.
It provides messaging and calls, both voice and video to make communication flow easily. It allows teams to create to-do lists to keep track of tasks and share them with the people that need to be in the loop.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a collaborative tool created by none other than Microsoft. It offers a wide range of in-house and third-party integrations to help with your company’s productivity and it is available at a range of prices which start with a free option to take the app for a test drive.
Teams also allows integration of your company’s domain so that everyone joining the organization can become a part of the Team.
This app also provides several communication options, such as chat, email, and calls (both voice and video), along with the use of a collaborative space on OneNote, making a strong competitor to Slack.
The channels on Microsoft Teams also help with making announcements and setting up meetings. Additionally, they make file sharing easy.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams Comparison Chart
You can already see that Slack and Microsoft Teams provide similar productivity tools. That’s why you’re probably finding it difficult to choose which one is best for your organization.
To help, I put together these Slack vs Microsoft Teams comparison charts.
Features Comparison
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Call – voice and video Channels for groups and for the entire organization Third-party integrations Communicate through chat with specific people Invite clients and third-party vendors to be a part of the conversation Screen sharing during calls | Call – voice and video Channels for groups and for the entire organization Other Microsoft Apps integration available Third-party integrations Communicate through chat with specific people Invite clients and third-party vendors to be a part of the conversation Screen sharing during calls |
Pricing Comparison
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Standard: $6.67 per month for every user billed annually Plus: $12.50 per month for every user billed annually Enterprise Grid: You have to contact sales with your details | Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $5.00 per month per user billed annually Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 per month per user billed annually Microsoft 365 E3: $20.00 per month per user billed annually |
Integrations
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Slack has over 2200 integrations (mostly third-party apps) including Microsoft Teams, Dropbox (may have to pay extra for third-party apps) | Microsoft Teams offers users over 600 integrations, including Microsoft-owned apps and third-party apps |
Available On
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Web | PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Web |
How Easy Is Each to Use?
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Very intuitive and user-friendly Includes a pop-up tutorial for first-time users | Intuitive, but has a slight learning curve Guides available with helpful information Lacks a pop-up tutorial for first-timers, but has a similar interface as Slack |
How Many Participants Can Join a Call?
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| 15 participants in group calls, but can use third-party apps such as Zoom and Teams in tandem Free version only allows 1:1 calls | 100 participants in free version 300 participants for Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Standard 10,000 for Office 365 E3 There is also the availability of using Microsoft Teams for live streaming and creating webinars. |
Can You Have Channel Meetings?
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| No | Yes |
Comparing the Reliability of Slack vs Microsoft Teams
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Provides better functionality as the price point increases 99.99% uptime guarantee for Slack Plus and above. | No support with the free version Paid versions cover financially-backed uptime and have 24-hour availability (phone and web support) Additional support is provided to Microsoft 365 E3 |
Teams vs Slack Security Comparison
| Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|
| Provides management for user identity and for their devices. It provides data protection and information governance. | Data encryption with all version Multi-factor authentication for when you log in for the paid version, including auditing and creating reports. |
So, Should You Use Slack or Microsoft Teams?
Research indicates that many companies use Slack and Microsoft Teams in tandem. However, it is important to know what your requirements are in order to make a decision.
Budget is another consideration. Yes, Slack has an integration that lets you connect it with Microsoft Teams, but do you really want to pay for both apps for each member of your team?
Think about your requirements and how your team works together.
Would you be going live and conducting webinars more often? Would you prefer to speak via Zoom for remote working or are you looking for an all-in-one platform, like Microsoft Teams. After all, Teams has almost everything provided by its native apps.
Both Apps Make You More Productive
Both Slacks and Microsoft Teams were made for productivity and to help teams become more efficient with reaching their goals.
It helps the users keep track of what is going on in their channel, or the project that they are working on with others.
If you still can’t decide whether Slack or Teams is right for your organization, try out the free versions first. That way, you’ll have a chance to try them out.
See what features you can play around with. Figure out the interfaces.
Which do you think would be easier for your employees to use? While it may be limited, the testing can help you understand how the apps work.
While Microsoft is a far larger name, Slack is able to innovate and create a platform that many try to replicate.
Overall, both apps provide a good sense of task division and delegation, helping you make communication easy and affordable.
Final Thoughts – Choosing Microsoft Teams vs Slack
Workplace communication and project management tools like Slack and Teams have become ubiquitous over the past few years. If you haven’t already set up an online space for your employees, it’s time to get that done.
Whether you choose Slack or Teams, you’ll have access to a wide range of communication and project management features. Your organization’s needs and the kinds of projects you work on are factors to consider when making your choice.
Want to learn more about workplace communication and collaboration tools? Check out my Slack vs Trello comparison.