The best team chat app for working across tools and companies: fast channels, the largest app directory and Slack Connect for partners, but the free plan only shows 90 days of history and paid seats cost more than Teams or Google Chat bundled in a suite.
What it is
Slack organizes work into channels, threads and direct messages, with huddles for audio and video, canvases, lists, Workflow Builder automations and more than 2,600 apps in the Slack App Directory. Slack Connect shares channels and DMs with people at other companies. AI is built into every plan rather than sold as a separate add-on: Free and Pro get basic AI (conversation and huddle summaries, AI search, recaps), Business+ adds advanced AI with Slackbot at 15 messages per user a week, and Enterprise+ gets unlimited Slackbot and enterprise search. US prices per user a month: Free $0 (90 days of message and file history, content older than a year deleted, up to 10 apps, 1:1 huddles and 1:1 external DMs only), Pro $7.25 billed yearly or $8.75 monthly (unlimited history and apps, group huddles up to 50 people, Slack Connect channels with up to 250 organizations), Business+ $15 billed yearly or $18 monthly (adds SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning and data exports), and Enterprise+ $45 billed yearly through sales. New teams buying Pro or Business+ online within 7 days get 50% off monthly billing for 3 months. Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS and Android. Checked November 14, 2026 on slack.com/pricing.
Best for
- Startups and tech teams that live in third-party tools
- Companies that work in shared channels with clients and partners
- Teams that automate requests and alerts into chat
What we like
- Fastest, cleanest chat experience with strong threads and search
- 2,600+ apps, and most developer and SaaS tools ship a Slack app first
- Slack Connect channels with up to 250 outside organizations
- AI summaries and AI search included on every plan
What to watch
- Free plan shows only 90 days of history and deletes content older than a year
- Huddles cap at 50 people and only 2 on Free; large meetings need Zoom or Teams
- Pro at $7.25 a user costs more than Teams Essentials ($4) and adds a bill on top of your email suite
- SSO and SCIM need Business+ at $15 a user billed yearly
Alternatives and head-to-heads
Best Slack alternatives
The best Slack alternative for most companies is Microsoft Teams: unlimited message history, guest access and 300-person meetings from $4 a user a month, or included if you already pay for Microsoft 365. Google Chat is the pick for teams on Google Workspace (from $7 a user with Gmail and Drive), Mattermost is best if chat must run on your own servers, Element is best for end-to-end encrypted chat, and ClickUp is best if you want chat next to your tasks.
Slack vs Microsoft Teams
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Teams is the better pick for companies already on Microsoft 365 and for teams that meet as much as they chat, at $4 to $7 a user; Slack is better for startups and tech teams that live in third-party tools, for shared channels with clients and partners, and for the fastest everyday chat.
Stoat
Element
TeamSpeak
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