Slack vs Microsoft Teams (2026): features, security and which one to buy
Slack and Microsoft Teams compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Slack or Microsoft Teams: the short answer
Choose Slack if
- Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem.
- Companies already on Salesforce.
- Organizations needing SAML SSO plus SCIM on a self-serve plan (Business+)
Choose Microsoft Teams if
- Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
- Small businesses wanting meetings for up to 300 people at about $4/user/month.
What are Slack and Microsoft Teams?
Slack
Channel-based team chat with huddles and Slack Connect, sold per user in Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans. Teams that live across many SaaS apps and want strong third-party connections should trial this first. Free works for evaluation only, as it shows 90 days of history and allows ten apps. Business+ is the plan to price if your security team insists on SAML SSO and SCIM.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold standalone as Teams Essentials or bundled in Microsoft 365 plans. IT admins in Microsoft 365 shops get Entra ID sign-in and Exchange-based chat storage without a separate vendor review. Small firms can buy Teams Essentials at $4.00 per user monthly, billed yearly. Run a pilot on typical laptops, as reviewers report slow, heavy clients.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: features compared
| Slack | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Channel-based team chat with huddles and Slack Connect, sold per user in Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans. | Microsoft's chat, meetings and calling app, sold standalone as Teams Essentials or bundled in Microsoft 365 plans. |
| Best for | Teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem. | Organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. |
| Company size | Small teams to large enterprises (Enterprise Grid) | Small businesses (Essentials, Business) to enterprises (E3/E5) |
| Channels and threading | Channels, threads and huddles; Slack Connect for external 1:1 messaging on Free. | Standard, private and shared channels; up to 1,000 channels per team; teams up to 25,000 members. |
| Built-in video and huddles | Free: 1:1 huddles only; Pro and up: group huddles/meetings (limits not published on pricing page) | Calls from chat up to 20 people; meetings up to 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, up to 1,000 on enterprise plans. |
| Search and message history limits | Free: 90-day visible history and data deleted after 1 year; paid plans longer (retention details not confirmed by the vendor) | Chat stored in Exchange Online mailboxes; admin search and hold needs Exchange Online mailbox. |
| App integrations and bots | Free plan limited to 10 apps. | Teams apps available on Business and Enterprise plans; Loop integrations. |
| Guest and external access | Slack Connect external messaging; Free limited to 1:1. | Shared channels support external participants with Entra work or school accounts only. |
| Security and admin controls | SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701/42001, HIPAA configurable, FedRAMP Moderate (Enterprise/Enterprise+), GovSlack FedRAMP High, C5, ENS High. | Built on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 compliance; certification list not confirmed by the vendor. |
| Mobile app and frontline fit | Frontline teams is an Enterprise+ add-on. | Not published |
| Participant and meeting length limits | Not published | 300 on Essentials and Business plans; 1,000 on F1/F3/E3/E5 and similar; breakout rooms only up to 1,000 attendees; meetings and events capped at 30 hours. |
| Recording and AI transcription | Not published | Recording max 4 hours or 1.5 GB, then restarts; recordings not uploaded stay downloadable 20 days. |
| Calendar and chat integrations | Not published | Tight Outlook and SharePoint integration; files stored in SharePoint (up to 250 GB per file) |
| Webinars and large events | Not published | Webinars and town halls (Teams events) available on Business plans; webinars/events on Business Standard and Premium per footnote. |
| Meeting room and hardware support | Not published | Teams Rooms licensed separately. |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starting price | $8.75/user/month monthly, about $7.25/user/month billed annually (Pro) | $4.00/user/month paid yearly (Teams Essentials) |
| G2 rating | 4.5 (37,812 reviews) | 4.4 (19,192 reviews) |
Pros and cons
Slack
Pros
- Very easy to use (G2 ease of use about 9.1)
- Strong app and integration ecosystem.
Cons
- Notification overload and channel sprawl.
- Limited message history on free plan.
Microsoft Teams
Pros
- Easy to use, strong file sharing and communication features.
- Tight fit with Microsoft 365.
Cons
- Performance issues and heavy resource use.
- Complicated interface, slow loading.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams pricing
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Microsoft Teams costs $960 a year and Slack $1,740 at list price, a difference of $780.
| Slack | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | per user | per user, bundled in Microsoft 365 or standalone |
| Per seat per month | $15 on Business+ annual (needed for SAML SSO and SCIM); $7.25 on Pro annual. | $4.00 (Teams Essentials, paid yearly); $7.00 Business Basic paid yearly. |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Annual commitment for list prices; monthly billing priced higher on Business Basic. |
| 20 users per year | $1,740 (Pro) | $960 (Teams Essentials) |
| Add-ons | Enterprise Key Management (EKM), price not published; Frontline teams add-on on Enterprise+; Flex Credits via Salesforce for Slackbot message limits on Business+ invoice plans. | Teams Phone and calling plans, audio conferencing, Teams Premium, Teams Rooms: separate licenses, prices not listed here. |
Security, admin and contract: Slack vs Microsoft Teams
What each vendor states publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs, data location and the contract. A blank is a question for the sales call, not a no.
| Slack | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| SAML SSO | Business+ (SAML); Enterprise+ adds multiple SAML configurations. | Via Microsoft Entra ID, included with the Microsoft 365 tenant (plan-level detail not confirmed by the vendor) |
| SCIM provisioning | Business+ and Enterprise+. | Not published |
| Audit logs | Enterprise+ only (per pricing FAQ) | Not published |
| Data residency | Listed on Business+ and Enterprise+ on pricing page; help center says Enterprise plan required; regions not published. | Not published |
| DPA | Yes, Slack offers Data Processing Addenda (see trust page) | Not published |
| Contract | Monthly billing available on Pro and Business+; Enterprise+ by contract. | Annual subscription; monthly billing option on Business Basic at higher price. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Slack
- Pricing page shows EUR to German visitors; USD monthly prices are $8.75 (Pro) and $18 (Business+)
- SAML SSO and SCIM start at Business+; audit logs are Enterprise+ only per FAQ.
- A help article footnote says SSO/SCIM are available on Free and Pro only for customers who connected a Salesforce org (single source, not confirmed by the vendor)
- Enterprise Key Management (EKM) is a paid add-on; data residency per help center requires an Enterprise plan.
Worth knowing about Microsoft Teams
- Teams Essentials ($4/user/month) is cheaper than Business Basic ($7) but does not include the rest of Microsoft 365 apps.
- Meeting cap is 300 people on Essentials and Business plans, 1,000 on enterprise plans.
- Teams live events retired June 30, 2026; events scheduled earlier run until Feb 28, 2027.
- Admin chat search and legal hold need users to have Exchange Online mailboxes.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Slack or Microsoft Teams?
It depends on the team. Slack is the stronger pick for teams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem, while Microsoft Teams suits organizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Do Slack and Microsoft Teams support SAML single sign-on?
Slack: business+ (SAML); Enterprise+ adds multiple SAML configurations. Microsoft Teams: via Microsoft Entra ID, included with the Microsoft 365 tenant (plan-level detail not confirmed by the vendor). Confirm the plan in writing before you compare prices.
Is Microsoft Teams cheaper than Slack?
At list price for 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Microsoft Teams costs $960 a year and Slack $1,740. Add-ons, higher tiers and annual versus monthly billing can change that order.
Can I try Slack and Microsoft Teams for free?
Slack: free plan. Microsoft Teams: free plan.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Slack and Microsoft Teams reviews.