Slack
Free / from ~$7.25 per user/mo
Microsoft Teams
Free / bundled with M365 from ~$6 per user/mo
Slack is the best pure messaging tool with the largest integration ecosystem. Microsoft Teams comes bundled with Microsoft 365 and wins on value if you already pay for Office. The decision usually comes down to your existing stack.
Pick Slack if messaging quality, search, and integrations matter most, and you are not locked into Microsoft 365. It is the better day-to-day chat experience.
Pick Microsoft Teams if your organization already pays for Microsoft 365. You get chat, video, and Office integration at effectively no extra cost.
Slack and Microsoft Teams are the two dominant workplace communication platforms, and the choice is rarely about features alone. Slack is widely loved for its clean channel model, search, and the deepest third-party app directory in the category. Teams is loved by finance departments because it is effectively free for anyone already paying for Microsoft 365.
That bundling is the crux of the comparison. If your company runs on Outlook, Word, Excel, and SharePoint, Teams is already paid for and tightly integrated. If you value the messaging experience itself and a best-of-breed integration marketplace, Slack still leads.
Below we compare pricing, video meetings, integrations, and the real cost of each once you account for what you already pay Microsoft.
| Quick facts | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting paid price | ~$7.25 per user/mo | ~$4–6 per user/mo (bundled) |
| Bundled with Office | No | Yes (Microsoft 365) |
| Integrations | 2,600+ | Strong (Microsoft-centric) |
| Best for | Messaging-first teams | Microsoft 365 shops |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | S Slack | M Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Channel-based messaging | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in video meetings | Huddles | Yes |
| Large video meetings (300+) | Add-on | Yes |
| Office file co-editing | Via integration | Native |
| Third-party app marketplace | Largest | Good |
| Guest / external access | Yes | Yes |
| Bundled with productivity suite | No | Yes |
| Message history on free plan | 90 days | Limited |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-05-30.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Teams is "free" only if you already pay for Microsoft 365. Standalone, the value gap with Slack narrows considerably.
Slack's free plan now limits history to 90 days, which pushes growing teams to upgrade sooner than they expect.
Teams bundles video meetings and Office co-editing natively; Slack leans on integrations and add-ons for the same depth.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add Slack, Microsoft Teams, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
See how the price has moved