Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Honest Review

The Slack vs Teams debate has been running for nearly a decade, and it still generates strong opinions. Slack pioneered the modern channel-based messaging experience. Microsoft Teams leveraged the Microsoft 365 ecosystem to become the most widely used workplace communication tool by sheer user count. Both have evolved far beyond chat, adding video, audio, AI, and workflow capabilities.

In 2026, the question is no longer which tool is better in the abstract. It is which tool fits your organization's existing infrastructure, communication style, and budget. This review is based on extended use of both platforms across teams ranging from 10 to 500 people.

Feature Comparison

Pricing

The pricing comparison is not straightforward because Microsoft Teams is bundled with Microsoft 365. If your organization already pays for M365, Teams is effectively free. This bundling has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny in Europe, but the practical reality for most businesses is that Teams costs nothing additional.

Slack's standalone pricing is reasonable, but it adds up for larger organizations, especially when you factor in the AI add-on. For companies not invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Slack's pricing is competitive. For those already on M365, the cost argument strongly favors Teams.

Messaging Experience

Slack's messaging experience remains best-in-class. Channels are well-organized, threads keep conversations contained, and the notification system gives users granular control over what demands attention. Keyboard shortcuts, slash commands, and the command palette make Slack fast for power users. Message formatting is rich — code blocks, lists, quotes, and emoji reactions all work smoothly.

Teams has improved its messaging experience significantly but still feels heavier. The distinction between "Teams and Channels" (for persistent collaboration) and "Chat" (for direct messages) can confuse new users. Threading exists but is less intuitive than Slack's implementation. Message editing and formatting are functional, and Teams now supports markdown-style formatting.

For teams that live in chat all day, Slack's polish and speed make a noticeable difference in daily experience. The difference is smaller than it was three years ago, but it is still there.

Video and Audio

Microsoft Teams is the stronger video conferencing platform. It handles large meetings well, supports breakout rooms, webinars, and town halls. Recording, transcription, and meeting recaps are built in. Presenter modes (standout, reporter, side-by-side) add production value to presentations. Integration with Outlook for scheduling is seamless.

Slack's huddles are designed for quick, casual audio conversations — closer to walking over to someone's desk than scheduling a formal meeting. Huddles can include video and screen sharing, but they are limited to 50 participants and lack the meeting management features that Teams provides.

If video meetings are a core part of your workflow, Teams is the better tool. If your team prefers asynchronous communication with occasional quick calls, Slack's huddles are a better cultural fit.

Integrations and Ecosystem

Slack's integration ecosystem is broader. With over 2,600 apps in its directory, virtually every SaaS tool has a Slack integration. Many development teams use Slack as their operational hub, piping in alerts from monitoring tools, CI/CD pipelines, and support platforms. Slack's Workflow Builder lets non-technical users create automated processes without code.

Teams has fewer third-party integrations but integrates deeply with the Microsoft ecosystem. SharePoint, OneDrive, Planner, Power BI, and Dynamics 365 all work natively within Teams. For organizations using Microsoft tools end-to-end, this integration depth is more valuable than a larger app directory. Power Automate provides workflow automation that rivals Slack's Workflow Builder, though it has a steeper learning curve.

AI Features

Both platforms have introduced AI features aimed at reducing information overload. Slack AI provides channel recaps, thread summaries, and intelligent search that understands natural language questions about your workspace. It is available as a paid add-on.

Microsoft Copilot in Teams summarizes meetings, generates action items, drafts messages, and answers questions about meeting content. It also integrates with other M365 apps, so you can ask Copilot to find relevant documents or emails during a conversation. For organizations already using Copilot across M365, the Teams integration is a natural extension.

Search

Slack's search is fast and effective. Filters for channels, people, dates, and file types help narrow results. The search experience has always been one of Slack's strengths, and Slack AI enhances it further with natural language understanding.

Teams search has improved but remains a pain point. It searches across messages, files, and people, but results can be mixed and slow to surface relevant content. The unified search across M365 means you might find relevant emails or SharePoint documents, but the experience is inconsistent.

Administration and Security

Both platforms offer enterprise-grade administration. Teams benefits from the Microsoft 365 admin center, Azure AD integration, and compliance tools like eDiscovery, retention policies, and data loss prevention. For organizations with strict compliance requirements, Microsoft's security infrastructure is difficult to match.

Slack provides Enterprise Grid with organization-level administration, SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, and encryption at rest and in transit. Enterprise Key Management lets organizations control their own encryption keys. Slack's compliance features are solid, though less comprehensive than Microsoft's for highly regulated industries.