Slack and Microsoft Teams are the two dominant workplace collaboration platforms. While Slack pioneered modern team chat, Teams has gained massive adoption thanks to Microsoft 365 integration. Here's our comprehensive comparison to help you choose.
🎯 Quick Comparison
Slack
Starting Price: $8.75/user/month
Best For: Chat-first teams, tech companies
Winner in: Chat UX, integrations, ease of use, search
Microsoft Teams
Starting Price: $6/user/month (with Microsoft 365)
Best For: Microsoft 365 users, enterprises
Winner in: Video, Office integration, value (with M365), features
📊 Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Chat Experience: Slack Wins
Slack's chat is cleaner, more intuitive, and better organized with superior threading and search.
Video Conferencing: Teams Wins
Teams supports up to 300 participants with features like Together Mode, breakout rooms, and live captions. Slack's video is limited to 50 participants with fewer features.
File Collaboration: Teams Wins
Teams integrates with OneDrive/SharePoint allowing real-time co-editing in Office apps. Slack has basic file sharing without co-editing.
Integrations: Slack Wins
Slack has 2,600+ integrations vs Teams' 1,000+. Slack's integration experience is also more polished.
Pricing/Value: It Depends
Teams is included with Microsoft 365 (no extra cost). Standalone, Slack Pro ($8.75) vs Teams Essentials ($4). But most compare Slack Pro vs Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6).
💰 Pricing Comparison
Slack Pricing
- Free: 90-day history, 10 integrations
- Pro: $8.75/user/month
- Business+: $15/user/month
Microsoft Teams Pricing
- Free: Limited features
- Teams Essentials: $4/user/month (standalone)
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6/user/month (Teams + web Office)
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/user/month (desktop Office)
⚡ Which Should You Choose?
Choose Slack If:
- Chat quality is your top priority
- You don't use Microsoft 365
- You need best-in-class integrations
- You're a tech company or startup
- You prefer simpler, focused tools
Choose Teams If:
- You already pay for Microsoft 365
- Video conferencing is critical
- You heavily use Office apps
- You're an enterprise
- You want all-in-one platform
🎁 Final Verdict
The Winner: It Depends on Your Ecosystem
If You Use Microsoft 365: Teams
Teams is already included – why pay extra for Slack? The Office integration alone makes it the obvious choice.
If You Don't Use Microsoft 365: Slack
Superior chat experience with better integrations. Worth the $8.75/user/month for chat-focused teams.
Our Recommendation:
Most organizations should choose based on their current ecosystem. Microsoft 365 users should use Teams (it's free with your subscription). Non-Microsoft shops should choose Slack Pro for best chat experience. The quality difference doesn't justify paying for both.