By Quick answer: Should you use Slack or Microsoft Teams?
- Slack — best messaging experience and app ecosystem.
- Teams — best for Microsoft 365 organisations.
- Free Slack — 90 days of visible history.
- External work — Slack Connect is a standout.
- Meetings — Teams is stronger built in.
Key takeaways
- Your existing productivity suite usually decides this.
- Slack's strength is culture and integrations; Teams' is consolidation.
- Channel discipline matters more than the tool.
- Budget for paid plans once history and integrations matter.
- Write norms: response times, channels, and when to meet instead.
Team chat is where a company's culture happens in writing. Slack invented the modern version; Microsoft Teams2 made it part of the Office suite. Both are mature and capable. In practice, the decision is usually made by the rest of your tools — and by how you work with people outside your company.
Side by side
| Slack | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Messaging experience, app ecosystem | Microsoft 365 integration |
| Free plan | 90 days of visible message history1 | Free version with limits |
| Meetings | Huddles; integrates with Zoom and Meet | Full meetings, calling, webinars |
| Files | Integrations with Drive, Box and more | Native SharePoint and OneDrive |
| External collaboration | Slack Connect shared channels3 | External access and shared channels |
| Integrations | Thousands of apps | Strong in Microsoft ecosystem |
| AI | Summaries, search (paid) | Copilot (paid) |
Choose Slack if…
- You use Google Workspace or a mix of tools
- You collaborate closely with agencies, clients or partners
- You want fast, searchable, channel-based communication
- Integrations with dev and product tools matter
Choose Teams if…
- You already pay for Microsoft 365
- Meetings and calls are central to your work
- IT wants one vendor for identity, security and compliance
Make either work
- Name channels consistently — #team-, #proj-, #ask-.
- Write response-time norms — not everything is urgent.
- Use threads — keep channels readable.
- Move decisions to docs — chat is not a record.
- Audit integrations — remove noisy bots.
Key terms, defined
Channel — a shared conversation space. Thread — a reply chain under one message. Huddle — a quick audio or video call in Slack. Slack Connect — channels shared between organisations. Microsoft 365 — Microsoft's productivity suite.
Frequently asked questions
What are Slack's free plan limits?
On Slack's free plan, members can view and search messages and files from only the last 90 days; data older than a year is deleted. App integrations are also limited.
Is Microsoft Teams free?
Microsoft offers a free version of Teams with limits, and Teams is available with many Microsoft 365 business plans.
Which is better for startups?
Many startups prefer Slack for its speed, integrations and shared channels with partners. Startups on Microsoft 365 often stay with Teams to avoid extra cost.
Which is better for video meetings?
Teams has more comprehensive built-in meetings and calling. Slack offers huddles for quick calls and integrates with Zoom, Google Meet and others.
Can I talk to other companies?
Yes. Slack Connect shares channels between organisations; Teams supports external access and shared channels too.
Do both have AI features?
Yes. Both offer AI for summarising channels and meetings and searching knowledge, typically as paid add-ons or in higher plans.
Sources
- Slack Help — Usage limits for free workspaces
- Microsoft — Teams
- Slack — Slack Connect
- Checked October 23, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
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