Microsoft Teams vs Slack

by Gralio Feb 03, 2025

Microsoft Teams and Slack are leading communication platforms suitable for mid-sized businesses. Teams excels for organizations entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem, while Slack offers greater flexibility and broader third-party integrations. Both offer core features like chat, file sharing, and video conferencing, making the best choice dependent on existing software infrastructure and desired level of customization.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 10000 reviews and 60 websites, saving 2 days, 8 hours, 3 minutes of reading.

Microsoft Teams

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Slack

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration platform designed for businesses. It offers chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and integration with other Microsoft Office apps. Aimed at improving teamwork and productivity, Teams centralizes communication and provides a hub for all work-related activities.

Slack is a communication platform designed to streamline teamwork. It offers real-time messaging, file sharing, and searchable archives of conversations, all in one place. Slack integrates with numerous other business applications to centralize workflows. It suits companies of all sizes seeking to improve collaboration and internal communication.

Summary

Main difference

Microsoft Teams is deeply integrated with the Microsoft 365 suite, making it a natural choice for businesses heavily reliant on those tools. Slack is known for its broader third-party app integrations and a more flexible, customizable user interface.

Relative strengths of Microsoft Teams (compared to Slack)

Strong integration with Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Robust video and audio conferencing features.
Generally user-friendly interface for core features.

Relative weaknesses of Microsoft Teams (compared to Slack)

Limited third-party app integrations compared to Slack.
File organization and search could be improved.
Mobile app experience can be inconsistent.

What companies are using Microsoft Teams and Slack?

No data

Who is using Microsoft Teams and Slack?

No data

Olesia Krilyshyn

Sales Acceleration Specialist at Reply.io

Andrew Charlton

SEO Consultant, Founder of SEO tool companies

Kai Cromwell

eCommerce SEO

Bibi The Link Builder

Link Building Expert

Adam Robinson

CEO @ Retention.com & RB2B

Who should use Microsoft Teams VS. Slack

Microsoft Teams is a versatile communication hub ideal for businesses using Microsoft products. Users praise its seamless Office 365 integration, high-quality video conferencing, and user-friendly interface. However, some have noted occasional bugs and room for improvement in file organization. Perfect for streamlining teamwork and centralizing communication.

Slack is a versatile communication platform that streamlines teamwork through real-time messaging, file sharing, and searchable archives. Users appreciate features like organized channels and seamless integrations, but some have reported issues with Huddles and the mobile app. Slack is suitable for businesses of all sizes looking to centralize communication and boost productivity.

Ideal for small, medium, and large businesses.
Strong fit for various sectors, including Healthcare, Finance, Retail, and Education.

Best for small, medium, and large businesses seeking enhanced communication and collaboration.
Ideal for various sectors, including tech, marketing, education, finance, and healthcare.

Microsoft Teams and Slack features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

External Team Collaboration

Supported

Teams supports external collaboration via guest and external access.

Supported

Slack supports external team collaboration via Slack Connect, offering shared channels and enhanced security.
Team Messaging

Supported

Team messaging is fully supported, enabling instant communication and file sharing.

Supported

Slack supports instant team communication via channels, direct messages, and threads.
Quick Audio/Video Meetings

Supported

Teams supports instant audio and video meetings for quick collaboration.

Supported

Slack supports quick audio and video meetings called Huddles.
Live Chat

Partially supported

Microsoft Teams does not natively support live chat during meetings, but it can be achieved through third-party integrations.

Partially supported

Slack supports live chat through integrations like Chatlio, Social Intents, and LiveChat. It also offers Huddles for real-time text, audio, and video communication.
Task Notifications

Supported

Microsoft Teams supports sending notifications about tasks to team members through its integration with Microsoft Planner.

Supported

Slack supports task notifications through its native lists and integrations. However, customization options for these notifications, especially with integrated tools, are limited.
Slack Integration

Partially supported

Microsoft Teams can be integrated with Slack through various methods, each with its own set of capabilities and limitations. The choice of integration method depends on the specific needs and technical capabilities of the organization.

Supported

Slack supports a wide range of integrations, including integrations with other software tools.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.1

Neutral sentiment

-0.5

Rather negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.63

Rather positive sentiment

+0.74

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.72

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.89

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.18

Neutral sentiment

+0.29

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.31

Rather positive sentiment

+0.79

Strongly positive sentiment
Scalability

+0.2

Neutral sentiment

-0.06

Neutral sentiment

Microsoft Teams and Slack Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.1

We couldn't find a pricing page for Microsoft Teams.

Slack offers a free plan and tiered subscription plans based on the number of users. Slack AI is available as an add-on for all paid plans.

Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.5

See full Pricing page

Microsoft Teams and Slack review insights

10000 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Seamless integration with other Microsoft products, especially Office 365.
Excellent video and audio quality for meetings and calls.
User-friendly interface for chat, calls, and meetings.
Versatile platform with features like screen sharing, file sharing, and task management.

Organized channels for different departments or projects
Seamless integrations with other tools like Google Drive
Real-time messaging keeps everyone in the loop
The "Remind me later" feature is helpful

Users dislike

Occasional bugs and glitches can be frustrating.
File organization and search functionality could be improved.
Mobile app can be slow and have syncing issues.
Availability status is not always accurate or updated in real-time.

Huddles tend to be buggy
Notifications for messages/threads can be missed
The mobile app can be slow or buggy
The search functionality is not always effective

Microsoft Teams and Slack Ratings

G2

4.3/5

(2580)
Capterra

4.5/5

(2475)

G2

4.5/5

(2604)
Capterra

4.7/5

(2361)
Glassdoor

4.1/5

(18141)

Company health

Employee growth

3% increase in the last year

2% increase in the last year

Web traffic

11% decrease in the last quarter

7% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

July 2022 - $65M

How do Teams' MS 365 integrations compare to Slack's broader integrations?

Teams' integrations are heavily focused on the Microsoft 365 suite, providing seamless interoperability with apps like Outlook, SharePoint, and Office. While this is a major advantage for businesses already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Slack offers a broader range of integrations with third-party tools, catering to diverse workflows and software stacks. This makes Slack potentially more adaptable for organizations using a variety of non-Microsoft applications.

Which platform offers more reliable file organization and search capabilities?

While both platforms offer file sharing and search, Slack demonstrates more reliable functionality in this area. Microsoft Teams users specifically report that "file organization and search functionality could be improved," while Slack users, despite some criticism of search effectiveness, generally appreciate the platform's organization through channels and searchable archives. Combined with Slack's higher reliability and performance score, it appears to be the more robust option for file management.

What are the advantages of Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams' biggest advantage is its seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 suite, which is beneficial for businesses already invested in that ecosystem. This allows for streamlined workflows and access to familiar tools like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint directly within the Teams platform. Teams also provides a centralized hub for communication, file sharing, and collaboration, enhancing productivity by keeping everything in one place.

What are the disadvantages of Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams users report occasional bugs and glitches, especially with the mobile app which can be slow and have syncing issues. File organization and search within Teams could be improved. Finally, the availability status is not always accurate, leading to confusion.

Alternatives to Microsoft Teams and Slack

Google Workspace

Google Workspace is a suite of online productivity and collaboration tools for businesses of all sizes. It includes popular apps like Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and more. Google Workspace aims to provide a seamless and integrated experience for communication, document creation, file storage, and team collaboration, all accessible from any device with an internet connection. It stands out with its user-friendly interface and strong collaboration features.

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace platform designed to help teams organize information, manage projects, and collaborate effectively. It centralizes notes, documents, tasks, and databases, making it easy for teams to access and share information. Notion allows users to customize their workspace with templates and integrations and offers AI features for writing assistance and information retrieval. It aims to be a flexible solution that adapts to various work styles and replaces the need for multiple single-purpose tools.

Zoom Workplace

Zoom Workplace is an all-in-one platform designed to streamline communication and boost productivity for modern teams. It combines video conferencing, chat, phone, email, calendar, and AI-powered features like meeting summaries and message composition. Collaboration tools like whiteboarding, note-taking, and task management are also included. Additionally, Zoom Workplace offers solutions for hybrid work environments, such as desk reservations, visitor management, and digital signage.

TIMU

TIMU is a business communication platform designed for teams to connect and collaborate more effectively. It offers chat, video conferencing, file sharing, task management, and project planning tools all within a single, unified workspace. TIMU integrates with popular services like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace and incorporates AI for analyzing conversations and documents.

CDMessenger

CDMessenger is a business communication platform designed for seamless teamwork. It offers instant messaging, file sharing, and task notifications, allowing employees to connect and collaborate from any device. CDMessenger aims to simplify communication and enhance productivity within organizations.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard software for editing and manipulating images. Photoshop offers advanced features like layers, masks, and filters that give you fine-grained control over your visuals. While powerful, it's also accessible for beginners who want to make quick edits. Photoshop promises professional-quality results for print and digital media.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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