Team Communication
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Which Communication Platform for Your Team?
Slack and Microsoft Teams are both excellent communication platforms, but they excel for different reasons. Slack optimizes for flexibility and integration breadth across diverse tool stacks. Teams optimizes for deep alignment with Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The right choice depends on your existing infrastructure and governance needs.
Quick Decision Tree
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Chat & Messaging | Excellent, fast, intuitive | Strong |
| Video Meetings | Via integrations (Zoom, etc) | Excellent native |
| Voice Calling | Via partners | First-party PSTN options |
| File Collaboration | Good via integrations | Excellent via OneDrive/SharePoint |
| App Integrations | Very extensive | Large, Microsoft-focused |
| Huddles/Quick Calls | Excellent | Good |
| Threads | Intuitive | Functional |
| Search | Excellent | Good |
| Mobile Experience | Excellent | Good |
| Admin Controls | Strong (Enterprise Grid) | Excellent via 365 |
| Compliance & eDiscovery | Strong with Grid | Excellent via Purview |
| Learning Curve | Low | Low-Medium |
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Limited history, basic features | Limited features |
| Entry Level | Pro: ~$7.25/user/mo | Teams Essentials: ~$4/user/mo or bundled with 365 |
| Mid Tier | Business+: ~$12.50/user/mo | Microsoft 365 Business Standard: ~$12.50/user/mo (includes Office apps) |
| Enterprise | Enterprise Grid: Custom | Microsoft 365 E3/E5: Higher tiers with advanced security |
| Value Model | Pay for chat + integrations | Bundled with productivity suite |
Slack pricing focuses specifically on communication. Teams pricing bundles chat with email, files, and office applications, which can provide better total cost of ownership for Microsoft-standardized organizations.
Pros and Cons Side by Side
| Aspect | Slack Pros | Slack Cons |
|---|---|---|
| User Experience | Fast, delightful, intuitive | Can feel cluttered with many channels |
| Integrations | Thousands of apps, rich ecosystem | App costs add up |
| Huddles | Excellent for quick collaboration | Meetings require integrations |
| Adoption | Low friction, spreads virally | Free tier limits push upgrades |
| Cross-Platform | Excellent desktop and mobile | Not bundled with other tools |
| Aspect | Teams Pros | Teams Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Deep integration, unified billing | Less compelling outside 365 |
| Meetings | Enterprise-grade, built-in | Chat UX less polished |
| Governance | Centralized via 365 admin | Complexity for small teams |
| Files | Native SharePoint/OneDrive | SharePoint learning curve |
| Calling | PSTN options available | Calling adds cost |
Integration Ecosystem vs 365 Alignment
Slack Ecosystem Strength
Slack integrates with thousands of SaaS applications including GitHub, Jira, Salesforce, Zendesk, Google Drive, Asana, HubSpot, and countless others. Alerts, approvals, and actions flow into channel context, reducing tool switching and keeping work centralized.
If your team uses diverse best-of-breed tools across product development, marketing, and sales, Slack becomes the hub that connects everything without forcing platform consolidation.
Teams Microsoft 365 Alignment
Teams integrates natively with Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Planner, and Power Platform. Identity, files, and governance remain unified through Entra ID and Purview, simplifying administration and compliance.
If your organization is standardized on Microsoft 365, Teams eliminates integration complexity and provides consistent experience across email, files, and chat without managing separate vendors.
Enterprise and Compliance
Slack Enterprise Grid provides organization-wide policies, data residency, enterprise key management, and eDiscovery integrations. Large organizations can meet compliance requirements while maintaining Slack's user experience.
Microsoft Teams leverages 365 compliance infrastructure including native DLP, retention policies, legal hold, and Advanced Audit through Purview. Organizations already managing compliance through Microsoft tools find Teams simplifies their security posture.
Both platforms meet enterprise needs. The choice depends on whether your existing compliance and identity infrastructure lives in Microsoft or distributed across multiple vendors.
Meetings and Collaboration
Slack provides huddles for quick voice conversations and integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and other meeting platforms. This works well for teams already using specialized video tools or preferring best-of-breed solutions.
Teams provides enterprise-grade meetings, webinars, and phone system integration built directly into the platform. Breakout rooms, recordings, transcription, and PSTN calling create comprehensive meeting infrastructure without external tools.
Choose based on whether you value meeting feature depth or prefer flexibility to use your existing meeting platform alongside chat.
Real-World Scenarios
Scenario: Startup with Mixed Tool Stack
Choose Slack. Integrate GitHub, Linear, Notion, and Google Workspace seamlessly. Rich app ecosystem supports diverse workflows. Upgrade to Pro when free tier limits become constraints.
Scenario: Enterprise Standardized on Microsoft 365
Choose Teams. Leverage existing licenses, unified governance, and native integration with Outlook, SharePoint, and Office apps. Simplified compliance through Purview and Entra ID.
Scenario: Mid-Market Company with Compliance Needs
Evaluate both. If compliance lives in Microsoft, Teams simplifies management. If identity and tools span multiple vendors but users prefer Slack UX, Enterprise Grid delivers required controls.
Scenario: Remote Team Across Time Zones
Either works. Both support asynchronous collaboration. Choose based on integration needs and existing tool stack rather than remote capabilities specifically.
Common Objections Addressed
Slack is too expensive compared to Teams bundled pricing
True if you already pay for Microsoft 365. False if you compare standalone Teams Essentials to Slack Pro. Calculate total cost including meeting tools and file storage you would need separately with Slack.
Teams feels bloated and confusing
Valid concern. Teams bundles many capabilities that create interface complexity. Slack focuses specifically on chat. Choose complexity with comprehensive features versus simplicity with focused functionality.
Can I migrate between them later
Yes, but expect friction. Message history exports but context and integrations require rebuilding. Choose carefully initially to avoid migration costs. Test both with real workflows before committing.
Our Verdict
Slack remains the best communication platform for teams using diverse tool stacks who value fast chat experience and rich integrations. The platform excels at connecting disparate systems into unified workflows without forcing ecosystem lock-in.
Microsoft Teams delivers maximum value for organizations standardized on Microsoft 365 who benefit from unified governance, bundled pricing, and native file collaboration. The platform simplifies administration and compliance for Microsoft-centric companies.
Choose based on your existing infrastructure and primary friction point. Integration-diverse teams choose Slack. Microsoft-standardized teams choose Teams. Both platforms succeed when matched to the right organizational context.
Related: Read our full Slack review for detailed analysis of capabilities and use cases.
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