Slack vs Teams: Best Choice for Your Business?

Are you wondering which is the right choice for you - Microsoft Teams vs Slack? These are two extremely popular business-based collaboration tools used in the modern workplace. As organisations increasingly rely on remote and distributed working groups, these platforms have become essential for seamless collaboration and efficient information exchange.  

In this blog, we will examine the key differences between Microsoft Teams and Slack,  their features, functionalities, integration, and more. If you wish to understand each platform's nuances and decide which best suits your needs, this blog is what you need. Read this blog below to gain valuable insights into Slack vs Teams and discover which platform is the perfect fit for your organisation!

Table of Contents 

1) What is Slack? 

2) What is Microsoft Teams?

3) Key Differences Between Slack vs Microsoft Teams

4) Slack vs. Teams: Mobile and Web Apps 

5) Slack's Latest Additions 

6) Teams' Latest Additions

7) Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Which One is Better?

8) Conclusion

What is Slack?

Slack is a popular team communication tool known for its real-time messaging capabilities and intuitive interface. It allows you to set up channels for various subjects, teams, or tasks, simplifying discussion management and finding pertinent details. 

Slack's strength lies in its extensive integration capabilities. It has over 2,400+ apps, centralises workflows and automates processes using popular tools like Google Drive, Trello, and Zoom. It also offers direct messaging, file sharing, and video calls, enabling seamless collaboration and remote team communication.

What is Microsoft Teams? 

Teams, developed by Microsoft, is a comprehensive collaboration tool designed to facilitate effective teamwork. It combines chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and Project Management features into a single platform. Its deep integration with other Microsoft products and services, such as Office 365 and SharePoint, provides a seamless workflow for organisations already using Microsoft tools.  

Teams allow users to create dedicated channels for specific projects or departments, fostering transparent communication and information sharing. It also offers features like document collaboration, screen sharing, and integration with apps like Planner and OneNote, making it a versatile tool for both small and large groups of people.   

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Key Differences Between Slack vs Teams

The following are the key differences between Microsoft Teams and Slack:

1) User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX)  

Microsoft Teams presents a visually appealing interface that aligns with the overall Microsoft design language. The UI incorporates a left-hand sidebar navigation that allows easy access to various features, including Chat, Channels, Files, and Calls. It provides a consistent experience across desktop and mobile devices, ensuring that users can seamlessly switch between platforms without feeling lost. 

In contrast, Slack focuses on simplicity and ease of use. Its clean, minimal UI features a left sidebar for navigation and a central message feed, prioritising real-time messaging and channel organisation for easy conversation engagement. The platform provides many customisation options, such as custom emoji creation and integration with various third-party apps. In terms of user experience (UX), both Teams & Slack offer intuitive workflows and seamless collaboration. 

Teams' UX is designed to align with a structured project-based approach, emphasising channels and document collaboration within groups. It provides a comprehensive feature, which can also result in a steeper learning curve for new users.

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2) Communication Features 

Microsoft Teams and Slack offer robust communication features to facilitate effective collaboration. Both platforms support text-based messaging, with Teams allowing threaded conversations within channels and Slack promoting real-time messaging with powerful search functionality. Additionally, they provide audio and video calling capabilities, with Teams offering a comprehensive suite of meeting features and Slack enabling both one-on-one and group calls, albeit with potentially fewer options.

Channels play a crucial role in organising discussions, with Teams and Slack adopting a channel-based approach. Teams allows for structured discussions within channels organised by topics or projects, while Slack offers public or private channels for team communication. Direct messaging is also available on both platforms for private conversations, supporting text, file sharing, and multimedia content.

When choosing between Teams and Slack, consider factors such as the importance of threaded conversations, the depth of audio and video calling requirements, and preferences for channel organisation. By evaluating these features in alignment with your team's specific needs and workflows, you can determine which platform best suits your communication requirements for successful collaboration.

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3) Collaboration Features 

Collaboration lies at the heart of effective teamwork, and both Microsoft Teams and Slack offer robust features to facilitate seamless collaboration among team members. While there are similarities in their collaboration capabilities, there are also distinct differences worth exploring. Teams allow users to store, access, and share files within the platform, leveraging the integration with Microsoft's cloud storage solution, OneDrive. It also supports co-authoring, enabling multiple team members to work on the same document simultaneously. Also, Teams offers integration with Microsoft Planner, a task management tool that allows groups of people to create, assign, and track tasks.

On the other hand, Slack offers file sharing through its file repository, enabling users to share files with colleagues. However, it does not provide native document editing capabilities, requiring users to open files in external editing applications.  Slack integrates with various third-party task management apps like Asana and Trello. 

When evaluating collaboration features, consider your team's specific needs and requirements. Factors such as the need for native document editing, task management capabilities, and Project Management integration can influence your choice between Teams & Slack. 

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4) Integration and Compatibility 

Integration capabilities and compatibility with other tools and services are crucial considerations when choosing a communication and collaboration platform. Microsoft Teams and Slack offer integration options but differ in their respective integrations.

Microsoft Teams' seamless integration makes it an ideal choice for organisations already utilising the ecosystem. It integrates smoothly with Office 365, SharePoint, OneDrive, and other Office productivity tools. This integration enables users to access, share, and collaborate on files directly within its interface. 

On the other hand, Slack supports a diverse ecosystem of third-party integrations. With over 2,400 applications in the Slack App Directory, users can connect it with popular tools and services. The wide array of integrations enables people to centralise their workflows and access information from various sources without leaving the Slack platform.Considering the integration options and compatibility features, Teams and Slack provide will help determine which platform aligns better with your organisation's existing software stack and workflow requirements.

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5) Security & Compliance

Microsoft Teams offers an essential feature like end-to-end encryption for all messages and calls, which means their data is encrypted at all stages of transmission. Furthermore, it provides data loss prevention, multi-factor authentication, and the option to create retention policies that will automatically archives or remove data after a certain period. Also, Teams adheres with numerous industry requirements, including GDPR.

Slack offers a range of security features, including data encryption, two-factor authentication, and the ability to set up highly specific access controls and permissions. But since it doesn't provide end-to-end encryption, companies handling sensitive data might find this problematic. Slack complies with a limited number of industry regulations, compared to Microsoft Teams.

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Slack vs. Teams: Mobile and Web Apps 

Teams and Slack do not typically lose features in their web and mobile versions, unlike some other desktop applications. Our examinations showed that their web applications operate and look identical to their desktop versions. Both mobile apps also accurately mirror the desktop experience.

Crucially, you will not have to learn again how to use the mobile versions of Slack or Teams, as opposed to the situation with Microsoft Word's desktop versus mobile apps.

Although there are changes made to the interface to accommodate smaller, touch-screen devices, such as tapping and holding a message on mobile to add a reaction or begin a thread, these modifications ensure uniformity.

Slack vs. Teams: Plans and Pricing

Slack's pricing includes a free plan with restricted features, such as 200+ templates, and 8 column types. The Standard plan is priced at £9.14 per user monthly, offering limitless integrations and message history that can be searched. The cost of the Pro plan is £14.48 for each user every month, providing extra security and compliance characteristics. Special pricing is offered for the Enterprise Grid plan, designed specifically for bigger companies.

Microsoft Teams is available for personal use at no cost, although with restricted functionalities. The price of the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan is £4.90 per user per month, and it includes Teams, OneDrive, and Exchange. The cost of the Business Standard plan is £10.30 for each user every month and includes extra Microsoft apps.

Slack's Latest Additions

Slack regularly brings in fresh updates and improvements. Here are some key additions:

 1) Screen Sharing

Individuals are now able to share their screens during team meetings on both computers and smartphones, allowing for immediate collaboration with coworkers. Just paste and share links to enable users to join from any location, like sending an invitation to a calendar or a message to Slack.

2) Automate Admin Approval

Members are now able to install applications without requiring permission from the workspace owner. Nevertheless, owners have the power to either authorise or limit apps on an individual basis. Moreover, you have the option to streamline this procedure by establishing regulations that permit apps to be authorised solely if they satisfy certain standards.

3) Manage Emoji Preferences

Emoticons on Slack enhance tasks with functionality. Individuals have the option to personalise their default skin tone, modify display preferences, and utilise emoji reactions for improved communication with just one click.

4) Share Conversation History When Adding New Members

Slack now permits you to include people in private conversations and still chat seamlessly. When adding new members, they can view messages and files depending on the conversation history you decide to disclose.

Teams' Latest Additions 

Besides offering extensive document storage, chat, and online meeting functions, Microsoft Teams consistently improves its range of features. Below are a few of the most recent additions:

1) Enhanced Webinar Management Experience

Teams have introduced an updated webinar template with fresh layouts and more customisation options for registration details and event settings. You have the option to designate co-organisers to assist in organising and executing your event. Personalise your webinar by including a banner, logo, and colour scheme that match your event theme on registration pages and communications. Establish registration caps for a maximum of 1,000 participants and incorporate personalised inquiries to collect pertinent details, such as a terms and conditions acknowledgement at the time of registration.

2) Federated Group Calling

Effortlessly start group calls with external federated colleagues right from a chat in Teams. This function enables video and screen sharing without any Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) charges, all through an Internet connection.

3) Start Whiteboard from a Teams Meeting

Users can now easily start Microsoft Whiteboard during Teams Rooms meetings on Windows using a one-touch sharing feature from the meeting room console. With hybrid work becoming more common, whiteboarding is essential for improving communication between remote and in-person team members.

4) View Full Chat Conversation Thread

Clicking on a search result in Teams will show the full conversation context of the chat message, regardless of how old it is.

Microsoft Teams vs Slack: Which one is Better?

Microsoft Teams and Slack both offer unique advantages, and both have certain limitations that should be taken into consideration.

Teams seamlessly integrate with other MS tools, providing a cohesive experience for organisations already utilising the ecosystem. Also, Teams offers a wide range of collaboration features, including chat, video meetings, and file sharing, all on a single platform. However, the free version of Teams has limitations on file storage, and participant limits in meetings, which may not be suitable for all organisations.

Slack offers a vast ecosystem of third-party integrations, allowing groups to connect with a variety of tools and services to streamline workflows. Its clean and intuitive interface promotes ease of use and quick onboarding, enabling groups to adapt to the platform swiftly.  But despite that, Slack's pricing can be relatively higher than that of other collaboration platforms.

Ultimately, while deciding between Microsoft Teams and Slack, consider your team's preferences and requirements. Evaluate factors such as user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), communication features, integration capabilities, compatibility, security, and compliance.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, when choosing between Microsoft Teams vs Slack, it is crucial to consider factors such as familiarity with products, customisation needs, Project Management requirements, and integration preferences. Assessing your organisation's needs will help you make an informed choice that best suits your team's communication and collaboration requirements.

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