Microsoft Teams vs Slack
Microsoft Teams and Slack are both team communication tools. Microsoft Teams is aimed at enterprise and small businesses, while Slack is aimed at small businesses and enterprise. Microsoft Teams costs less, from $4/mo versus $8.75/mo for Slack. Both have a free plan.
Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling hub inside Microsoft 365
Channel-based team messaging
| Pricing | Freemium · $4 | Freemium · $9 |
| Starting price | $4/mo | $8.75/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Built for | Enterprise, Small businesses | Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, ios, android | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2017 | US · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Microsoft Teams if
Organisations already standardised on Microsoft 365 that want chat, meetings and files in one governed platform.
- Included in most Microsoft 365 business plans at no extra cost
- Deep integration with Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive and Office
- Strong security, compliance and identity management via Entra ID
Look elsewhere if: Startups and developer teams that prefer fast chat and a large third-party app ecosystem, or Google Workspace users (Slack, Google Meet).
Choose Slack if
Teams of any size that are not already standardized on Microsoft Teams and value integrations.
- Best-in-class UX for team chat
- Huge integration ecosystem
- Slack Connect for working with partners
Look elsewhere if: Microsoft 365-centric organizations (Teams is included) or teams preferring async-first tools (Twist).
Microsoft Teams vs Slack pricing
Microsoft Teams
- Teams (free)$0Personal use; 60-minute group calls, up to 100 people
- Teams Essentials$4/user/moAnnual commitment; standalone meetings and chat
- M365 Business Basic$7/user/moAnnual commitment; Teams plus web Office, email, 1 TB
- M365 Business Standard$14/user/moAnnual commitment; adds desktop Office apps, webinars
- M365 Business Premium$22/user/moAnnual commitment; adds Intune and advanced security
Slack
- Free$090-day message history, 1:1 huddles
- Pro$8.75/user/mo$7.25/mo billed annually; unlimited history and apps, group huddles
- Business+$18/user/mo$15/mo billed annually; Slack AI, SAML SSO, data exports
- Enterprise+CustomEnterprise search, DLP, advanced security; contact sales
Microsoft Teams · Key features
- Persistent channels, group chats and threaded conversations
- Video meetings with recording, transcription and live captions
- Webinars and town halls for large internal and external audiences
- Microsoft 365 Copilot recaps, chat summaries and drafting
- Real-time co-editing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in chats
- Teams Phone add-on for cloud PBX calling
Cons
- Heavier and slower than Slack for fast chat
- File and permission model follows SharePoint and can confuse users
- Best features such as Copilot and Premium cost extra
Slack · Key features
- Channels, threads, DMs and shared channels across companies (Slack Connect)
- Huddles with screen sharing and canvases for docs
- Workflow Builder and 2,600+ app integrations
- Slack AI: summaries, search answers, recaps
- Lists for lightweight task tracking
- Enterprise security: SSO, DLP, EKM, compliance exports
Cons
- Expensive per seat for large teams
- Free plan's 90-day history limit
- Notification overload without discipline
Microsoft Teams vs Slack: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams or Slack?
Microsoft Teams starts at $4/mo and Slack at $8.75/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Microsoft Teams and Slack have a free plan?
Yes, both Microsoft Teams and Slack have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.