Slack vs Microsoft Teams (2026): features, pricing and which to choose
Slack and Microsoft Teams compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each costs for your team, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Slack or Microsoft Teams: the short answer
Choose Slack if
- Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem.
- Companies already on Salesforce.
- Organizations needing SAML SSO plus SCIM on a self-serve plan (Business+)
Choose Microsoft Teams if
- Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
- Small businesses wanting meetings for up to 300 people at about $4/user/month.
What are Slack and Microsoft Teams?
Slack
Slack is channel-based team chat with huddles and Slack Connect for talking to outside partners. It stands out for its large app and integration ecosystem and a very easy interface, sold in Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams combines chat, meetings and calling, and is sold standalone as Teams Essentials or bundled in Microsoft 365 plans. It stands out for deep fit with Microsoft 365, shared channels and large meetings.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: features compared
| Slack | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Channel-based team chat with huddles and Slack Connect, sold per user in Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans. | Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold standalone as Teams Essentials or bundled in Microsoft 365 plans. |
| Best for | Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem. | Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. |
| Company size | Small teams to large enterprises (Enterprise Grid) | Small businesses (Essentials, Business) to enterprises (E3/E5) |
| Channels and threading | Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free. | Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members. |
| Built-in video and huddles | Free: 1:1 huddles only; Pro and up: group huddles/meetings (limits not published on pricing page) | Calls from chat up to 20 people; meetings up to 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, up to 1,000 on enterprise plans. |
| Search and message history limits | Free: 90-day visible history and data deleted after 1 year; paid plans longer (retention details not confirmed by the vendor) | Chat stored in Exchange Online mailboxes; admin search and hold needs Exchange Online mailbox. |
| App integrations and bots | Free plan limited to 10 apps. | Teams apps available on Business and Enterprise plans; Loop integrations. |
| Guest and external access | Slack Connect external messaging; Free limited to 1:1. | Shared channels support external participants with Entra work or school accounts only. |
| Security and admin controls | SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701/42001, HIPAA configurable, FedRAMP Moderate (Enterprise/Enterprise+), GovSlack FedRAMP High, C5, ENS High. | Built on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 compliance; certification list not confirmed by the vendor. |
| Mobile app and frontline fit | Frontline teams is an Enterprise+ add-on. | Not published |
| Participant and meeting length limits | Not published | 300 on Essentials and Business plans; 1,000 on F1/F3/E3/E5 and similar; breakout rooms only up to 1,000 attendees; meetings and events capped at 30 hours. |
| Recording and AI transcription | Not published | Recording max 4 hours or 1.5 GB, then restarts; recordings not uploaded stay downloadable 20 days. |
| Calendar and chat integrations | Not published | Tight Outlook and SharePoint integration; files stored in SharePoint (up to 250 GB per file) |
| Webinars and large events | Not published | Webinars and town halls (Teams events) available on Business plans; webinars/events on Business Standard and Premium per footnote. |
| Meeting room and hardware support | Not published | Teams Rooms licensed separately. |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starting price | $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) | $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) |
| G2 rating | 4.5 (37,812 reviews) | 4.4 (19,192 reviews) |
Pros and cons
Slack
Pros
- Very easy to use (G2 ease of use about 9.1)
- Strong app and integration ecosystem.
Cons
- Notification overload and channel sprawl.
- Limited message history on free plan.
Microsoft Teams
Pros
- Easy to use, strong file sharing and communication features.
- Tight fit with Microsoft 365.
Cons
- Performance issues and heavy resource use.
- Complicated interface, slow loading.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams pricing
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Microsoft Teams costs $960 a year and Slack $1,740 at list price, a difference of $780.
| Slack | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | per user | per user, bundled in Microsoft 365 or standalone |
| Per seat per month | $15 on Business+ annual (needed for SAML SSO and SCIM); $7.25 on Pro annual. | $4.00 (Teams Essentials, paid yearly); $7.00 Business Basic paid yearly. |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Annual commitment for list prices; monthly billing priced higher on Business Basic. |
| 20 users per year | $1,740 (Pro) | $960 (Teams Essentials) |
| Add-ons | Enterprise Key Management (EKM), price not published; Frontline teams add-on on Enterprise+; Flex Credits via Salesforce for Slackbot message limits on Business+ invoice plans. | Teams Phone and calling plans, audio conferencing, Teams Premium, Teams Rooms: separate licenses, prices not listed here. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Slack
- Pricing page shows EUR to German visitors; USD monthly prices are $8.75 (Pro) and $18 (Business+)
- SAML SSO and SCIM start at Business+; audit logs are Enterprise+ only per FAQ.
- A help article footnote says SSO/SCIM are available on Free and Pro only for customers who connected a Salesforce org (single source, not confirmed by the vendor)
- Enterprise Key Management (EKM) is a paid add-on; data residency per help center requires an Enterprise plan.
Worth knowing about Microsoft Teams
- Teams Essentials ($4/user/month) is cheaper than Business Basic ($7) but does not include the rest of Microsoft 365 apps.
- Meeting cap is 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, 1,000 on enterprise plans.
- Teams live events retired June 30, 2026; events scheduled earlier run until Feb 28, 2027.
- Admin chat search and legal hold need users to have Exchange Online mailboxes.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Slack or Microsoft Teams?
It depends on the team. Slack is the stronger pick for teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem, while Microsoft Teams suits organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Do Slack and Microsoft Teams support SAML single sign-on?
Slack: business+ (SAML); Enterprise+ adds multiple SAML configurations. Microsoft Teams: via Microsoft Entra ID, included with the Microsoft 365 tenant (plan-level detail not confirmed by the vendor). Confirm the plan in writing before you compare prices.
Is Microsoft Teams cheaper than Slack?
At list price for 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Microsoft Teams costs $960 a year and Slack $1,740. Add-ons, higher tiers and annual versus monthly billing can change that order.
Can I try Slack and Microsoft Teams for free?
Slack: free plan. Microsoft Teams: free plan.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Slack and Microsoft Teams reviews.