Slack vs Microsoft Teams (2026): Which Team Chat Is Better?
Slack and Microsoft Teams are the two dominant workplace communication platforms. Slack pioneered modern team chat; Teams leverages Microsoft's massive ecosystem. With over 300M users on Teams and 30M+ daily active users on Slack, the battle is fierce. Here's our comparison.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Choose Slack if communication quality and developer culture matter most — it's faster, more fun, and has better third-party integrations. Choose Microsoft Teams if you're already in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem — the bundled value and deep Office integration are hard to beat. Most enterprises end up on Teams; most startups and tech companies prefer Slack.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✅ 90 days history | ✅ (via Microsoft 365) |
| Starting Price | $8.75/user/mo | $4/user/mo (Essentials) |
| Video Calls | ✅ Huddles + calls | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (full video conf) |
| File Sharing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (SharePoint) |
| Integrations | 2,400+ | 1,000+ (+ Office suite) |
| Search | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| UX / Speed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Threads | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| AI Features | ✅ Slack AI | ✅ Copilot |
| Best For | Tech teams, startups | Enterprise, Microsoft shops |
Pricing Comparison
Microsoft Teams is often "free" for organizations already paying for Microsoft 365 (from $6/user/month). Slack Pro starts at $8.75/user/month. On pure pricing, Teams wins — especially for organizations already in the Microsoft ecosystem. Slack's free plan limits message history to 90 days.
User Experience
Slack is widely regarded as the more enjoyable platform to use. It's faster, more responsive, and has better threading, search, and customization (custom emoji, workflows). Teams can feel sluggish and cluttered, especially on lower-end hardware. For day-to-day communication quality, Slack wins.
Video & Meetings
Teams is the clear winner for video meetings — it offers full-featured video conferencing with up to 300 participants, screen sharing, breakout rooms, recording, and transcription. Slack's Huddles are good for quick audio/video chats but don't compete with Teams for formal meetings.
Integrations
Slack has 2,400+ integrations and is the hub of choice for developer tools (GitHub, Jira, PagerDuty). Teams integrates deeply with Office 365, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Slack is better for diverse tech stacks; Teams is better for Microsoft-centric organizations.
🏆 Our Verdict
Choose Slack if communication quality and developer culture matter most — it's faster, more fun, and has better third-party integrations. Choose Microsoft Teams if you're already in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem — the bundled value and deep Office integration are hard to beat. Most enterprises end up on Teams; most startups and tech companies prefer Slack.
Related Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Slack better than Teams?
For communication quality, UX, and third-party integrations, Slack is generally better. For video conferencing, file management, and value within Microsoft 365, Teams wins. It depends on your ecosystem.
Is Microsoft Teams free?
Teams is included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions (from $6/user/month). There's also a free version with limited features. Most organizations already paying for Office get Teams included.
Can I use both Slack and Teams?
Yes, and many organizations do. Some use Slack for engineering/product and Teams for company-wide communication. It's not ideal but common during transitions.
Which is more secure?
Both offer enterprise-grade security with encryption, compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR), and admin controls. Teams benefits from Microsoft's security infrastructure; Slack (now owned by Salesforce) has also invested heavily in security.