Choosing between Slack and Microsoft Teams is less about which tool is "better" and more about which one fits how your team already works. Both are mature, capable platforms — but they optimize for different things. This comparison breaks down where each one wins so you can decide quickly.
The short answer
If your company already runs on Microsoft 365, Teams is the pragmatic default: it is bundled, deeply integrated with Office apps, and hard to beat on video meetings. If you value a fast, focused messaging experience and a huge library of third-party integrations, Slack is usually the more pleasant tool to use every day.
Pricing at a glance
| Plan tier | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Unlimited users, 90-day message history | Unlimited chat, 60-min group meetings |
| Entry paid | Per user / month, full history | Bundled with Microsoft 365 Business |
| Best for | Teams wanting best-in-class chat | Companies already paying for Office |
The key insight: Teams often looks "free" because it rides along with a Microsoft 365 subscription your company may already have. Slack is a standalone cost, which matters most for larger headcounts.
Where Microsoft Teams wins
- Video meetings and calling. Teams is built around meetings and handles large calls, webinars, and calendar integration better out of the box.
- Office integration. Co-editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files inside a channel is seamless.
- Total cost when bundled. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, Teams adds no extra line item.
Where Slack wins
- Everyday messaging feel. Threads, search, and notifications are faster and less cluttered for many teams.
- Integrations. Slack's app directory is broad and deep, and its integrations tend to be more polished.
- Customization. Workflow Builder and a strong API make it easy to automate routine tasks.
How to choose
- Audit what you already pay for. On Microsoft 365 already? Start with Teams.
- Weigh meetings vs messaging. Meeting-heavy orgs lean Teams; chat-heavy, tool-connected teams lean Slack.
- Run a two-week pilot with one real team before rolling out company-wide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Slack better than Teams for small teams? Often yes — Slack's free tier and simpler setup suit small teams, unless you already use Microsoft 365.
Can you migrate from Slack to Teams? Yes. Both offer import tooling, though message history migration is rarely perfect, so plan for some cleanup.
Bottom line
There is no universal winner. Match the tool to your existing stack and your team's balance of meetings versus messaging, pilot it with real work, and commit.