Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Which Is Better for Business Communication? (2026)
Slack and Microsoft Teams dominate the workplace messaging market but serve very different buyers. This comparison breaks down pricing, features, and which platform is right for your organization in 2026.
Slack
$7.00 /mo
- Channels, threads, and direct messages
- Huddles (lightweight audio and video calls)
- Workflow Builder for no-code automations
Microsoft Teams
$6.00 /mo
- Channels and chats with Microsoft 365 integration
- Teams Phone (PSTN calling add-on available)
- Full-featured video meetings up to 1,000 participants
| Feature | Best for Tech & Startup Teams Slack | Best for Microsoft 365 Organizations Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.00 | $6.00 |
| Rating | ★★★★½ | ★★★★☆ |
| Channels, threads, and direct messages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Huddles (lightweight audio and video calls) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflow Builder for no-code automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| 2,600+ app integrations via Slack App Directory | ✓ | ✗ |
| Canvas for persistent, editable docs in channels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Slack Connect for cross-company collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI-powered channel summaries and search (Pro+) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels and chats with Microsoft 365 integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Teams Phone (PSTN calling add-on available) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full-featured video meetings up to 1,000 participants | ✗ | ✓ |
| SharePoint document collaboration inline | ✗ | ✓ |
| Power Automate integration for workflows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Loop components for collaborative docs in chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Copilot AI assistant for meeting summaries and drafts | ✗ | ✓ |
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| Get Started | View Deal → | View Deal → |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Slack more expensive than Microsoft Teams?
Slack Pro costs $7.25/user/month billed annually. Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4/user/month, and Teams is included at no extra cost in Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/user/month) and higher. For Microsoft 365 subscribers, Teams is effectively free, making Slack meaningfully more expensive at scale.
Can Slack and Microsoft Teams be used together?
Yes. Slack has a Microsoft Teams integration that lets you route notifications and some messages between the platforms. However, most organizations choose one as their primary communication hub rather than running both simultaneously.
Which is better for video calls: Slack or Teams?
Microsoft Teams has far more capable video conferencing — supporting up to 1,000 participants, breakout rooms, meeting recordings with transcripts, and PSTN calling. Slack Huddles are excellent for quick informal calls but are not designed to replace a dedicated conferencing tool.
Is Slack better than Teams for developers?
Yes, overwhelmingly. Slack has deeper integrations with GitHub, GitLab, PagerDuty, Datadog, and most DevOps tools. The developer community largely prefers Slack, and many open-source communities and vendor support channels operate exclusively on Slack.
Does Microsoft Teams work without Microsoft 365?
Yes. Teams has a standalone free plan and paid plans (Teams Essentials at $4/user/month) that do not require Microsoft 365. However, the deepest features — SharePoint document libraries, OneDrive storage, and Copilot — require a Microsoft 365 subscription.