TLDR: Microsoft Teams vs Slack, which tool is best for your business? If you are a new business, Slack has more flexibility and fosters a better culture within growing businesses. For this reason, it’s our favourite. For existing businesses already using Microsoft Teams, the choice depends on the circumstances. Both Slack and Microsoft Teams can coexist in the same ecosystem, providing various benefits. Read more below for a detailed explanation.
Contents
The Importance of a Digital HQ
Since Covid, all companies are recognising the importance of their technologies and trying to further the ROI from them. As Slack themselves word it:
A digital HQ is a single, virtual space to connect your people, tools, customers and partners for faster and more flexible work
– Slack
During Covid, there was a significant debate around whether companies should invest in Microsoft Teams or Slack. The narrative often skewed in favour of Microsoft Teams. Slack was seen as a direct competitor to Microsoft Teams, a communication platform that companies should use to replace their existing Teams instances. However, this isn’t the case at all. In this blog, we will dive into the pros and cons of each, as well as when companies should invest in each of them.
Microsoft Teams vs Slack
Read below for a detailed comparison of Microsoft Teams vs Slack. We will first explore Microsoft Teams and then dive into Slack.
Microsoft Teams Overview
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams, developed by Microsoft, is a comprehensive communication and collaboration platform that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). Launched in 2017, it was designed to provide a workspace for team collaboration, communication, and file sharing.
Pros of Microsoft Teams
- Integration with Microsoft 365: Teams is integrated with Microsoft 365, allowing users to access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps directly within the platform.
- Channels and Teams: Organise communication into specific channels dedicated to different projects, departments, or topics.
- Video Conferencing and Meeting Tools: Robust tools for video meetings, webinars, and live events, supporting large numbers of participants.
- File Sharing and Collaboration: Real-time collaboration on documents, with version control and easy access to shared files.
The main benefits of Microsoft Teams come when the company uses the wider Microsoft 365 and Office apps. As part of the Microsoft Suite, Teams integrates very seamlessly and natively. For example, in Microsoft Teams, you can access SharePoint files and directly see files of a specific Teams channel. Additionally, Teams is excellent for video calling and conferences. You can create Teams meetings directly from Outlook, similar to Google Calendar with Google Meet. This makes the experience seamless and integrated.
Cons of Teams
- Dependence on Microsoft Ecosystem: Microsoft Teams is heavily dependent on the wider Microsoft ecosystem. Without this, it is essentially just a communication and conference tool. While powerful within the Microsoft ecosystem, companies may feel stuck with Microsoft products like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Outlook, even if they prefer alternatives like Box.
- Lack of Customisation: Microsoft Teams offers a lot of functionality but is quite rigid and does not offer much customisation. The ability to tailor the platform to specific business needs is limited, which can be a drawback for organisations requiring bespoke solutions or workflows.
- Difficulty Integrating with Wider Business Solutions: Microsoft Teams does not easily integrate with common business solutions. It requires significant technical knowledge (such as coding) and often does not integrate as seamlessly as Slack, which has native integrations with many systems and allows for easy custom and bespoke integrations and automations.
- Notification Overload: Microsoft Teams can generate a high volume of notifications, leading to potential information overload. Managing these notifications effectively can be challenging, and important messages or updates might get lost in the noise.
Overall, Microsoft Teams is an excellent software for large enterprises, particularly those using the wider Microsoft suite. However, for smaller businesses that need to move quickly and require more flexibility, Microsoft Teams might not be the best solution. You will learn why below when we discuss Slack.
Slack Overview
What is Slack?
Slack, launched in 2013, is a versatile messaging app for teams that provides a platform for real-time communication, file sharing, and integration with various third-party services. Developed by Slack Technologies, now part of Salesforce, Slack aims to simplify and streamline team communication, promoting a more connected and engaged workforce. Unlike traditional email, Slack is designed to be a more informal and immediate way for teams to communicate, fostering a collaborative and dynamic work environment.
Slack was originally created by a video game development company, who made their own collaboration platform for the team to use while developing the game. The game ended up not going live, but they did publish the communication platform they used, and they called it Slack. Slack is now used by over three-quarters of Fortune 100 companies.
What does Slack stand for?
Slack stands for: “Searchable Log of All Communication and Knowledge”.
Pros of Slack
- Highly Flexible and Customisable: Slack’s open API and extensive app directory allow for significant customisation to fit specific business needs. Also, with their Slack App Directory, they have thousands of standard apps that companies have created to connect to their software natively.
- Extensive Integration with Third-Party Apps: Easily integrates with a wide range of tools, enhancing productivity and collaboration. Slack is considered an integration hub, where companies can connect all their technical landscape under one roof, giving a single view of all systems and notifications.
- User-Friendly Interface and Ease of Use: Intuitive design makes it easy for users to get started and stay engaged, with automations that any user can use, easy customisations, and flexibility.
- Strong Community and Cultural Engagement Features: Promotes a sense of community and culture through features like emoji reactions, custom statuses, and Slackbot. Slack has always been considered less formal than Microsoft Teams, with some companies using both saying, “My boss is a lot more approachable on Slack than on Microsoft Teams.”
- Natively Integrates with Salesforce: Now that Salesforce has purchased Slack, there are many standard functionalities you get between the two, such as notifications, automations, and searching Salesforce.
Slacks Features
- Slack’s name gives away one of its best benefits: Searchable Log of All Communication and Knowledge. The more companies use Slack, the more it becomes a knowledge base. By bringing in all their solutions and data warehouses with integrations and apps, as well as all their teams and communications, Slack becomes an excellent knowledge base. You can easily search all historic events, calls, files, communications, and records on other systems in Slack, reducing the time it takes employees to find the information they need.
- Slack allows users to create dedicated channels for different teams, projects, or topics. This helps organise conversations and ensures that team members can focus on the discussions that matter most to them. Multiple workspaces can be managed under a single Slack account, making it easy to separate different departments or projects while maintaining a cohesive communication strategy.
- One of Slack’s standout features is its extensive app directory, which includes integrations with over 2,400 third-party apps and services. From Google Drive, Trello, and Asana to GitHub, Salesforce, and Zendesk, Slack can connect with a wide range of tools that businesses use daily. This integration capability allows teams to streamline their workflows, bringing all necessary tools into one platform and reducing the need to switch between multiple applications.
- Slack’s Workflow Builder enables users to automate routine tasks and create custom workflows without needing to write any code. This feature allows teams to set up automated responses, approval processes, and notifications, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. For example, a workflow can be created to automatically welcome new members to a channel or to gather information from team members through a series of automated prompts.
- Slack makes it easy to share files and documents with team members. Users can drag and drop files directly into channels or direct messages, and Slack’s powerful search functionality allows users to find specific files, messages, or keywords quickly. This capability is enhanced by Slack’s ability to search within documents, making it a valuable tool for teams that need to access and reference shared resources frequently. You can even connect to file storage solutions such as Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Box, etc., to bring external files into Slack so users can collaborate on them.
- Slack Connect allows organisations to collaborate securely with external partners, vendors, and customers by creating shared channels that span different companies. This feature breaks down communication barriers and facilitates seamless collaboration with external stakeholders, ensuring that everyone involved in a project can stay aligned and informed. Usually, the communications will happen over various mediums, such as email and phone. With Slack, you eliminate this, bringing it all into Slack, leading to an audit trail and making it easily searchable.
Cons of Slack
- Less Microsoft Integration Functionality: Slack is not natively integrated with Microsoft like Microsoft Teams is. With Slack, you either have to install an app, which will have less functionality, or build a custom integration with Slack’s and Microsoft’s APIs. Nevertheless, the native apps that Microsoft has put on Slack’s App Directory are powerful, giving access to functionalities such as creating Outlook meetings, joining Teams calls, and accessing and sharing SharePoint files.
- Video Conferencing Capabilities Are Not as Advanced: While adequate for many needs, Slack’s video conferencing features are less robust compared to Teams. Microsoft Teams offers native conferencing in software such as Outlook, where users can create Teams meetings for their meeting invites. Teams can also support large numbers of users in a single call. Slack’s “Huddle” functionality is more geared towards smaller calls, such as 1-to-1 or small teams
- Not Native on Microsoft Windows: Microsoft Windows comes standard with Microsoft Teams, meaning users will not need to download Microsoft Teams when they get a new laptop. When Slack users get a new laptop, they will need to download Slack unless it is already installed. This is not a major problem, though, and shouldn’t really affect any purchasing decisions.
Final Comparison: Microsoft Teams vs Slack
Both software platforms have their pros and cons, which is why they are heavily invested in by companies both large and small. Below are some of our final thoughts:
- Complementary Tools: Slack is not necessarily a replacement for Teams. While it can do much of what Microsoft Teams can do, it has its own place in a business. This is why 7 out of 10 enterprise customers of Slack are also Microsoft Teams customers.
- Geared Towards Modern Companies: Slack is geared towards faster-moving, more modern companies. Microsoft Teams is seen as the more traditional option, being highly rigid. Slack brings flexibility and modern working practices, fostering fast-paced work, increased social culture, and a better user experience. Many young professionals prefer working with Slack over Microsoft Teams.
- Best for Microsoft Customers: Microsoft Teams is great for existing Microsoft customers or those wanting to utilise the Microsoft suite of products.
- Better for Google Customers: For Google customers using Gmail, Google Drive, etc., Slack is the better option, especially with the seamless native apps Slack has with Google products.
Whether you are a new or existing company, we believe that Slack offers more flexibility and features. This is not to say it is the superior product, as both have their pros and cons; it’s just what we like to use here at Black Cloud. If you are interested in learning more about Slack, or become certified in Slack, you can check out our courses in Slack such as Slack Certified Administrator Practice Exams or Slack Certified Administrator Preparation.
If you want to dive deeper into Microsoft Teams vs Slack, explore our detailed courses and resources:
- Official Microsoft Teams Website: Microsoft Teams
- Official Slack Website: Slack
- Courses: Slack Certified Administrator Practice Exams | Slack Certified Administrator Preparation