Looking for a new digital home for your team? With hundreds of SaaS tools promising better collaboration, communication, and productivity, it can be hard to know where to start.
Most teams stick with what they know—tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams—relying on brand familiarity over functionality. But how do these platforms really stack up when it comes to features, ease of use, value, and support?
In this Slack vs Teams comparison, we’ll break it all down—and explore how they measure up not just against each other, but against rising alternatives that might better fit your needs.
Slack and Microsoft Teams compared
After having used both Slack and Teams in a professional setting and carefully evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, here’s our general impression:
Slack was born as a productivity chat app, and that’s what it does best. As a unified digital workspace, it’s still immature and lacking in features. It’s also relatively overpriced compared to alternatives.
Slack’s free plan is great for hybrid teams that prefer to collaborate through text, like writers and coders.
Teams no longer offers free plans for business users.
Teams’ $4/user plan includes video conferencing and a work calendar, making it a better tool for teams that value live collaboration.
Microsoft Teams is a meeting and collaboration app within the larger Microsoft 365 suite of tools. With significantly more features for a lower price, Microsoft is a better digital workspace tool.
Slack vs Teams: Which has the best features?
Communication features
When done right, real-time chatting tools empower collaboration for remote and hybrid teams.
Team chat is Slack’s biggest strength, and 10 years ago, it was miles ahead of the competition. But both Slack and Teams offer comparable features for messaging:
Teams and channels — to help smaller teams within your company collaborate effectively
@Mentions
Notifications — including mobile and desktop app notifications
OOF (out of office) and other status settings
Emojis
Chat message formatting, including bulleted lists, numbered lists, bold, italics, and more
Image and file sharing — including live editing options through integrations (or Microsoft 365 tools for Teams)
Video clip and audio clip messages
If you’re in a family or friend group chat, you know how overwhelming it can be to keep track of every conversation. Dividing the conversation into smaller teams and specific channels helps you avoid this issue. (While Slack pioneered this feature, Teams also had it from day one — a classic example of the second-mover advantage.)
In terms of video conferencing, Slack offers huddles — specific team meetings through live chat or video chat. But in free plans, you can only do one-on-one huddles (AKA a personal video call). The Pro plan allows group huddles with up to 50 participants.
Teams’ free personal plan allows group calls with up to 50 participants for up to 60 minutes. The Essentials plan — the cheapest business option — allows 300 participants.
Workspace and collaboration tools
For live collaboration, Slack released the Canvas feature in 2023. It’s essentially a collaborative text and media editor — letting you do live planning and collaboration.
Source: slack.com
In free plans, you only have a single canvas per channel or direct message conversation. (With all paid plans, you can create unlimited canvases. That makes it possible to create a unique canvas for each minor project or deliverable.)
Through integrations, you can also live-edit documents and brainstorm with virtual whiteboards.
Microsoft Teams offers comprehensive collaborative tools with the strength of the Office 365 suite. Your team can edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations live while on a call. Microsoft Whiteboard is also a useful tool for live brainstorming and discussions across locations. You can share this within the call, but that means you have to leave the Teams tab to only look at the whiteboard.
Source: businessupside.in
While the basic templates aren’t always inspiring, your team can easily create new ones that suit your needs.
As you might have noticed, Teams is the clear winner in terms of native collaboration tools. But thanks to Slack’s popularity, 1000s of collaboration tools have created Slack apps for integration.
The only problem is that using third-party tools for collaboration will split your communication and data across platforms. If you want to avoid communication and data silos — reducing issues like duplicate tasks — a single cohesive platform is better.
While Microsoft technically lets you do this, they’re mostly separate tools that have been integrated retroactively. And you feel that when you use Microsoft 365. To collaborate live, you need to have a bunch of tabs or application windows open.
That’s what makes Lark different. Lark was designed to be a single cohesive productivity platform:
Our whiteboard feature is directly embedded into our video conferencing software.
Email is natively integrated with messages right within the app.
Assign tasks and track projects and OKRs within the same platform. (You can track individual employee performance against their OKRs over time.)
Use Lark’s Magic Share to collaborate on documents within video calls (or group chats).
Read our comparisons on Lark vs. Slack and Lark vs. Microsoft Teams for a more detailed overview of how our features compare.
If you’re interested in how Slack and Teams compare to other platforms in this area, check out our comparative articles on:
File sharing and management
Both Slack and Teams offer cloud storage, but Teams offers a much larger storage volume, as well as better file management and sharing options. Here are the latest storage options available in 2025:
Slack’s free plan includes 5GB of total cloud storage per workspace.
Slack’s Pro plan offers 10GB per person, and the Business+ plan 20GB per person.
The free Teams plan includes 5GB of storage per person, but as mentioned earlier this plan is for personal use.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes 1TB of storage per employee.
Teams gives you file management through OneDrive and advanced file sharing with access controls through SharePoint. (Included in the Microsoft 365 Business plan.)
If you're seeking ample storage, Lark is an excellent choice. The free plan offers 100 GB of storage, while the Pro plan provides an impressive 15 TB. This makes Lark a great value for both free and Pro users.
Workflow management and automations
Repetitive tasks consume up to 67% of office workers' time, making workflow automation essential for improving productivity. Both Slack and Microsoft Teams offer tools to streamline workflows, but their approaches differ.
Slack’s Workflow Builder, available on premium plans, is a no-code tool that allows users to create custom workflows or use pre-built templates. For example, HR teams can automate time-off requests by collecting data directly in a spreadsheet without leaving the platform. Slack also features Slackbot, a smart chatbot that delivers reminders and answers platform-related questions, making it an easy-to-use automation solution.
Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, integrates with Power Automate, a paid tool that allows users to create and run workflows. Teams users can trigger workflows directly from messages, such as scheduling follow-ups. While Teams lacks a built-in workflow builder, Power Automate provides advanced automation options for those who need more flexibility. Developers can also create custom bots using JavaScript for highly tailored solutions.
If you’re looking for an alternative, Lark offers powerful, built-in workflow automation tools across all plans, making it a cost-effective option for tasks like inventory tracking, sales reporting, and approval workflows—all without requiring additional coding or paid add-ons.
Slack vs Teams: Which has the best integrations?
Any collaboration tool you decide to invest in should integrate with the rest of your tech stack. You don’t want to rely on manual data entry (copy and paste) between platforms. You also don’t want to develop custom integrations from scratch using APIs.
Slack integrations
The Slack App Directory offers over 2,600 native and pre-built integrations.
Source: slack.com
But Slack’s free plan has a limit of 10 different integrations. As a general rule, most integrations are free. However, you may need a paid plan with the third-party app you’re integrating. Paid plans include unlimited integrations and a smart workflow builder.
Microsoft Teams integrations
Through AppSource, Teams offers over 2,500 native and pre-built integrations with third-party tools.
Source: appsource.microsoft.com
Which platform has better integrations?
While Slack has more apps and third-party integrations, numbers alone aren’t really a reliable factor here. Here’s why:
Necessary integrations depend on each company’s unique tech stack.
The robustness and flexibility of each integration matters more than the total number. (Unfortunately, we couldn’t manually review the 4,800+ integrations across the platforms. Nobody has the time for that.)
Most collaboration and productivity tools already integrate with both platforms.
In the end, both tools have more integrations than you could ever need. And most integration apps have fairly healthy reputations — with some exceptions.
The real differentiator is that Teams integrates with the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite. If your company already has an Office 365 subscription, using Teams is probably the better choice.
However, you shouldn’t need to integrate dozens of tools just to collaborate with your team. That doesn’t exactly seem like the “digital workplace of the future” to us.
Having to rely on multiple tools creates fragmented workflows and can lead to data silos. That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to creating a true all-in-one productivity platform with Lark. Here’s a short list of what’s entailed in Lark:
Real-time chat
Video calling
Project management
OKR and employee performance tracking
All of that and more in a single platform.
Slack vs Teams: Which has the best pricing?
Price is a factor when making any purchase. But it’s an especially big factor for SaaS, where the cost usually scales with the number of users. (For teams with 1,000s of employees, even a small cost increase = a lot of money.)
Slack plans and pricing in 2025
Slack offers a freemium plan and three premium plans:
Free: unlimited messages (90-day history), 1:1 audio and video calls, video clips, canvases in channels and direct messages, and a max of 10 integrations.
Pro ($8.25/user/month): unlimited canvases, group video (up to 50 participants) and audio calls, unlimited integrations, workflow builder, and guest accounts.
Business+ ($15/user/month): SAML-based single sign-on, unlimited data exports, 99.99% uptime service-level agreement (SLA), and more.
Enterprise Grid (custom pricing): centralized user access controls, HIPAA compliance, and more.
Learn more about the cost of Slack: Slack Pricing: Free and Paid Plans Breakdown [2025]
Teams plans and pricing in 2025
Microsoft Teams offers a free plan for personal use and three standard premium plans. It also has several enterprise plans:
Free (personal): unlimited messages, group meetings (100 participants), and audio calls.
Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4/user/month): 300-participant video conferences, Microsoft Whiteboard, and more.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/user/month): live captions for meetings, web and mobile versions of Microsoft 365 apps like Excel, Doc, and PowerPoint.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($12.50/user/month): webinars, desktop versions of Microsoft 365 Apps, and more.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22/user/month): advanced security, cyberthreat protection, access and data control, and more.
Learn more about the cost of Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams pricing: Plans, features, and value explained
Which platform has the best value plans?
While the free Teams plan is better for video meetings, it’s technically not allowed for business use. To ensure this policy, the personal plan comes with many limitations. For example, you can’t join a work meeting with a personal account.
Slack’s free plan does allow business use but doesn’t support video conferencing. It’s the better option for companies that are only looking for a free (or cost-effective) chatting tool.
So neither platform offers satisfactory freemium plans for the average business.
In terms of paid plans, the $4/user Teams Essentials plan is a good value option for smaller companies. For security-conscious larger companies, Teams again comes out on top. The $6/user Business Basic plan comes with SSO, user access controls, and auditing tools.
With Slack, you’d need to invest in the Business+ plan to get comparable features.
If you're interested in a freemium option that ticks all the boxes, consider Lark’s free plan. It offers 100 GB of storage and allows up to 20 team members to use features like chatting, email, and document collaboration. Additionally, the free plan includes access to Lark Base, the no-code project management software for businesses.
Slack vs Teams: Which has the best customer support?
Slack offers solid self-service support options. It has a searchable help center with in-depth tutorials and quick FAQs. Slack also has a community forum to connect with other users and post questions.
Source: slack.com
If you need personal assistance, you can submit a support ticket. Those on the free plan get standard support during regular business hours. The Pro plan offers 24/7 support, and the Business plan offers 24/7 support with a four-hour response time.
Teams also offers a self-service help center with a mix of text and video tutorials.
Source: it.tufts.edu
You can also visit the Microsoft Support Community page, where you can search for answers or connect with other users. Paid business members get access to around-the-clock support.
Slack vs Teams: Which is easier to use?
Usability is critical when adopting new software. If a tool isn’t easy to use, your team won’t fully embrace it, and adoption rates will fall short of expectations. So, how do Slack and Microsoft Teams compare when it comes to ease of use?
Slack’s interface is designed to be straightforward. On the left-hand menu bar, users can navigate to channels, threads, or mentions with ease. The search bar at the top is a helpful tool to quickly find coworkers, private messages, or specific content. For first-time users, Slack might feel a bit overwhelming at first glance, but the learning curve is short. Its simplicity, driven by a more limited feature set, often works in its favor — sometimes less is more.
Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, offers a clean and modern interface with a collapsible side panel for navigation. It includes tabs for chats, teams, calls, files, calendars, and apps, providing a wide range of functionality in one place. Like Slack, Teams features a search bar to quickly locate chats or files. However, Teams’ broader feature set means it has a slightly steeper learning curve. Despite this, most users can become comfortable with the platform in just a few days, especially if they’re already familiar with Microsoft 365 tools.
Ultimately, ease of use depends on your team’s needs and priorities. Slack’s simplicity may appeal to those seeking a lightweight communication tool, while Teams might be better for organizations that rely heavily on Office 365 and need a more feature-rich platform.
If neither platform feels like the right fit, consider exploring Lark — a unified digital workspace designed for seamless collaboration.
Slack vs Teams: Which is the most secure and compliant?
Both Teams and Slack offer standard security features:
2FA (two-factor authentication) is included in all plans.
Single sign-on is included in Slack Business+ plans and above and in all paid Teams plans.
User access administration tools are included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic plans and in Slack’s Business+ plans and above.
Collaboration platforms handle a lot of sensitive data — need-to-know company information, personal information, and more.
On paper, both Slack and Teams have strong data security and privacy practices, reflected in certifications like:
SOC 2 (Type II)
SOC 3
ISO 27001
ISO 27017
ISO 27018
ISO 27701
But there have been some issues over the years.
Despite its qualifications, Slack has unfortunately experienced a few data leaks. First, there was a minor customer data leak in 2015. Seven years later, they revealed a similar issue with leaks of hashed passwords between 2017-2022.
Teams also had an unfortunate incident in 2022, where they accidentally leaked 38 terabytes of internal data.
At Lark, we understand the security risks of the digital world. That’s why we’ve baked data compliance standards into our software from day one:
General Data Protection Regulation (EU)
California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act (US)
Act on the Protection of Personal Information (Japan)
Personal Data Protection Commission (Singapore)
Lark has also secured the following data security certifications:
ISO 27001
ISO 27701
ISO 27018
ISO 27017
APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR)
APEC Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP)
Data Protection Trustmark (DPTM)
SOC 2 (Type II) and SOC 3
By choosing Lark, you can rest assured that your data is protected to the highest standards.
Slack vs Teams: What are other users saying?
Slack has a solid customer reputation with a 4.5/5 rating on G2 and similar scores on other sites. Users praise the platform’s ease of use and communication features for remote teams.
However, some common complaints include:
Distracting and overwhelming notifications
Lack of a built-in file management system
Slow loading times for some integrations
Teams has 4.4/5 stars on G2, which is also respectable. Users are generally positive about Teams, citing its ability to facilitate communication and file sharing in one place. However, some complaints include:
Initial learning curve to become familiar with the platform
Guest access limitations, which can make external collaboration difficult
Occasional synchronization issues with the mobile app
In comparison, Lark has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on G2. Users love our cohesive user experience across messages, video calls, and real-time collaboration tools.
Plus, users actually enjoy the user experience of our mobile apps, leading to a 4.9/5 rating in the Apple App Store.
Final thoughts on Slack vs Teams
When it comes to choosing between Slack and Microsoft Teams, the decision often comes down to the specific needs of your organization and the tools you already use.
Slack is a highly versatile platform that thrives in environments where real-time communication is key. Its intuitive interface, extensive integration options, and ease of use make it a favorite among startups, creative agencies, and remote teams. Slack’s focus on chat-first communication fosters collaboration and spontaneity, making it an excellent choice for smaller, agile teams or those who rely on a wide variety of third-party tools.
Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, integrates seamlessly into the Microsoft ecosystem, making it the go-to option for organizations already invested in Office 365. Teams excels in providing a collaborative workspace for larger organizations, with robust video conferencing, co-authoring, and file-sharing capabilities. However, while its integration with other Microsoft products is a significant advantage, the user experience can feel clunky at times, especially for those unfamiliar with the Microsoft environment.
Get the best of both worlds with Lark
If you’re looking for a platform that combines seamless communication, robust collaboration features, and a smooth, integrated experience, consider Lark. Lark is an all-in-one collaboration tool that goes beyond what Slack and Teams offer. It provides real-time messaging, powerful video conferencing, cloud storage, and collaborative document editing — all in one cohesive platform. Lark’s intuitive design ensures a smooth user experience, while its advanced features, like smart calendar integration and cross-timezone tools, make it ideal for global teams.
Whether you're a startup, a growing business, or a large organization, Lark delivers a unified experience that empowers teams to work smarter, not harder. If you’re tired of juggling multiple apps or dealing with less-than-perfect integrations, it’s time to give Lark a try.
Discover how Lark can transform the way your team works — sign up today!
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