Slack Review 2026: Still the King of Team Communication?
We tested Slack for 3 months across a distributed team. Here's our honest review covering pricing, features, integrations, and whether it's worth the per-user cost in 2026.
Slack practically invented the modern team chat category. But in 2026, with Microsoft Teams included free in M365 subscriptions and Discord making inroads into enterprise, is Slack still worth paying for?
We used Slack as our primary communication tool for 3 months. Here's what we found.
TL;DR — Our Verdict
Rating: 4.5/5 — Slack remains the gold standard for team communication, especially for tech companies and remote teams. The integrations ecosystem is unmatched, and Huddles have matured into a genuinely useful feature. However, the per-user pricing makes it hard to recommend for budget-conscious large teams.
| Category | Score | |----------|-------| | Ease of Use | 4.8/5 | | Features | 4.6/5 | | Integrations | 5.0/5 | | Pricing Value | 3.8/5 | | Mobile App | 4.2/5 |
Pricing Breakdown (2026)
| Plan | Price | Key Features | |------|-------|-------------| | Free | $0 | 90-day history, 10 integrations | | Pro | $9/user/mo | Full history, unlimited integrations, Huddles | | Business+ | $15/user/mo | SAML SSO, data exports, compliance | | Enterprise Grid | Custom | Unlimited workspaces, DLP, custom roles |
What We Loved
Channel Organization
Slack's channel system remains the best way to organize team conversations. We ran 45 channels across 3 departments without chaos — something that's genuinely difficult in Microsoft Teams.
Integration Ecosystem (2,600+)
No competitor comes close. We integrated Slack with GitHub, Jira, Notion, Google Calendar, and 15 other tools. The /slash commands and workflow builder make automations surprisingly powerful without any code.
Huddles
What started as a basic audio feature has evolved into a lightweight video call tool. We used Huddles for 70% of our quick sync meetings, avoiding the overhead of scheduling Zoom calls.
Search
Slack's search is genuinely good. With advanced filters (from:, in:, has:, before:, after:), finding old conversations and files was fast and reliable — even across thousands of messages.
What Could Be Better
Free Plan Is Too Restrictive
The 90-day message history limit on the free plan is a dealbreaker for anyone doing serious work. Important context gets lost after 3 months. This feels like a deliberate push toward paid plans.
Per-User Pricing Adds Up
At $9/user/month, a 50-person team pays $5,400/year. Microsoft Teams is included with M365 Business Basic at $6/user/month, which also gives you email, storage, and the entire Office suite.
Desktop App Resource Usage
Slack consistently used 800MB-1.2GB of RAM on our machines. For a chat application, this feels excessive. The web version performs better but lacks some features.
Who Should Use Slack?
Best for:
- Developer and engineering teams
- Remote-first companies
- Teams with heavy integration needs
- Startups that value UX and speed
Not ideal for:
- Large enterprises already on Microsoft 365
- Budget-constrained teams over 50 people
- Teams that need built-in video conferencing as primary feature
The Bottom Line
Slack in 2026 is a mature, polished communication platform that excels at what it does. If your team values integrations, developer experience, and elegant channel organization, it's hard to beat. Just be prepared for the per-user bill — and consider whether Microsoft Teams' bundled value proposition makes more sense for your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Slack free to use in 2026?
Yes, Slack offers a free plan. However, it limits you to 90 days of message history and 10 integrations. For most teams, the Pro plan at $9/month/user unlocks the features you actually need.
How does Slack compare to Microsoft Teams?
Slack is better for developer teams and startups with its superior integrations and UX. Teams wins on video conferencing and value for Microsoft 365 subscribers. See our full Slack vs Teams comparison for details.
Is Slack worth the price?
At $9/user/month for Pro, Slack is reasonable for teams that rely heavily on async communication and integrations. However, for cost-conscious teams already using Microsoft 365, Teams may be the better value.
Can Slack replace email?
For internal communication, yes. Slack Connect even allows cross-company messaging. However, for formal external communications, email remains necessary.
What are Slack's biggest weaknesses?
The main drawbacks are the limited free plan (90-day history), per-user pricing that adds up for large teams, and the desktop app's resource consumption.