Slack is the leading team communication platform used by over 20 million daily active users for messaging, file sharing, video calls, and workflow automation. It organizes communication into channels by topic, project, or team — replacing email for internal communication and integrating with 2,400+ tools for a centralized work hub. Slack's Workflow Builder automates routine tasks without code, and Slack AI provides intelligent message summarization, search, and writing assistance for the communication channel.
Business & ProductivityVerified listing
Slack
Team messaging platform with organized channels, threads, and 2,600+ integrations — the central hub for workplace communication for millions of teams.
Best for: Teams of all sizes that want to move internal communication from email to organized channels, with tight integrations into their existing tools like GitHub, Jira, and Google Workspace
- Free plan
4.5/5 ratingEditorial score 85/100Last reviewed Oct 4, 2026slack.com
Entry plan
Free forever
Get started free
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Editorial score85/100
The editorial note
What to know about Slack
Is it right for you?
Who Slack suits
Choose it if
- Teams of all sizes that want to move internal communication from email to organized channels, with tight integrations into their existing tools like GitHub, Jira, and Google Workspace
Look elsewhere if
- Organizations deeply embedded in Microsoft 365 — Microsoft Teams is tightly integrated with Outlook, SharePoint, and Office, making it the more practical choice for companies that have standardized on Microsoft
What you get
Key features
- Channel-based messaging
- Direct messages and group DMs
- Huddles (audio/video)
- Workflow Builder automation
- 2,400+ integrations
- Slack Connect for external teams
- Slack AI
- File sharing and search
Works with
Integrations8
What it costs
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free forever | 90-day message history, 1:1 audio/video calls, 10 app integrations, unlimited channels and users. |
| Pro | $7.25/person/month (billed annually)Billed per person/month (billed annually) | Unlimited message history, unlimited app integrations, group audio/video calls, Slack Connect channels for external partners. |
| Business+ | $12.50/person/month (billed annually)Billed per person/month (billed annually) | Everything in Pro plus SAML SSO, user provisioning, compliance exports, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) integrations, and 24/7 support. |
| Enterprise Grid | Custom pricing | Unlimited workspaces under one organization, enterprise key management, eDiscovery, advanced admin controls, and dedicated CSM. |
Prices are recorded from the vendor's public pricing page and can change. Check before you buy.
The trade-off
Pros and cons
Pros
- Channel-based communication organizes team conversations by topic, eliminating email threads
- 2,400+ integrations bring notifications from every tool into Slack for centralized awareness
- Workflow Builder creates automated processes without coding — from onboarding to approvals
- Slack Connect enables secure external communication with customers, partners, and vendors
- Slack AI summarizes channels and threads so you can catch up on missed conversations instantly
Cons
- Message history limited to 90 days on free plan — important history requires paid subscription
- Always-on notifications create distraction and interrupt deep work without strict notification management
- Can become noisy as teams grow — channel proliferation requires discipline to avoid overwhelming
- More expensive than Microsoft Teams for organizations already using Microsoft 365
Quick read
At a glance
- Category
- Business & Productivity
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- Entry plan
- Free forever
- Free plan
- Available
- Free trial
- Not listed
- Platforms
- macOS, Web, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux
- Website
- slack.com
- Last reviewed
- Oct 4, 2026
Head to head
Slack compared
The verdict
Our take on Slack
Slack set the standard for team messaging and still leads on integrations and UX polish. The Pro plan at $7.25/person/month is reasonably priced for the productivity gain over email. The 90-day history limit on the free plan makes it unsuitable for any team that needs compliance or wants to search older discussions. Teams already in the Microsoft ecosystem should evaluate whether Teams meets their needs before adding a separate Slack subscription.
Editorial review
From the journal
Editorial review of Slack
Slack set the standard for team messaging and still leads on integrations and UX polish. The Pro plan at $7.25/person/month is reasonably priced for the productivity gain over email. The 90-day history limit on the free plan makes it unsuitable for any team that needs compliance or wants to search older discussions. Teams already in the Microsoft ecosystem should evaluate whether Teams meets their needs before adding a separate Slack subscription.
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