Slack is a popular software for team communications and a staple for most businesses. While it offers a wide range of functionality for businesses, several of its core features are hidden behind its paid plans.
With IT spending expected to exceed $5.7 trillion in 2025, and the hidden costs of poor communication adding up to a whopping $1.2 trillion or $12,506 per employee per year, you need a Slack pricing plan that’s good value for money and has all the collaboration features your team needs.
This article delves into the different Slack pricing plans available and their benefits, plus how Slack's pricing stacks up against competitors. We also discuss ways to save money on Slack plans and, better yet, offer less expensive alternatives that can serve your business better.
How does Slack's pricing work?
Slack uses a freemium pricing model, combining free and paid plans. While Slack’s free plan offers core functionalities, users cannot access more advanced features. The higher-rated plans give users access to additional Slack features.
Selecting a plan will depend on balancing pricing with your business needs. You’ll need to decide if the extra features you’re paying for with a more premium plan are worth it.
The different Slack plans are:
Free
Pro
Business+
Enterprise Grid
Let’s dive into the features they include and how much they cost.
Slack’s Free plan: What’s included, and should you use it?
What you can do on the Free plan
Unlimited users and direct messaging
Creation of channels for specific discussions
90 days access to message history
Up to 10 app integrations with other software
What you can’t do on the Free plan
Limited app integrations
Data exports for all messages
No group audio and video meetings
What sort of business may benefit from using this plan?
Small to medium businesses (SMBs) with basic collaboration needs and budget constraints
Startups and small teams
Is it worthwhile for businesses of different sizes?
Limiting for larger businesses
Slack Pro Plan: What’s included, and should you use it?
What you can do on the Pro plan
Unlimited access to file and message history
Unlimited integrations with third-party apps
1,000 runs a month for premium workflows
What you can’t do on the Pro plan
No data export for all messages
There is no guaranteed uptime, unlike the Business+ plan
Limited customizations to channel postings and permissions
Pricing
$8.75 per user per month
What sort of business may benefit from using this plan?
Growing businesses with expanding collaboration needs
Businesses looking for enhanced support and communication capabilities
Is it worthwhile for businesses of different sizes?
Valuable for mid-sized businesses experiencing increased collaboration demands
Slack Business+ Plan: What’s included, and should you use it?
What you can do on the Business+ plan
Data exports for all messages
SAML-based single sign-on
What you can’t do on the Business+ plan
Support for data loss prevention and offline backup providers
HIPAA-compliant message and file collaboration
Pricing
$15 per user per month
What sort of business may benefit from using this plan?
Larger teams prioritizing data protection security and analytics
Is it worthwhile for businesses of different sizes?
Suitable for mid-sized to large businesses with complex communication needs
Slack’s Enterprise Grid Plan: What’s included and should you use it?
What you can do on the Enterprise Grid plan
All features available in the other plans
Built-in employee directory
Support for data loss prevention and offline backup providers
HIPAA-compliant message and file collaboration
What you can’t do on the Enterprise Grid plan
The Enterprise Grid plan gives you full access to all of Slack’s features
Pricing
Custom Slack pricing
What sort of business may benefit from using this plan?
Large enterprises with complex communication structures
5 ways to save money on Slack pricing
Depending on the size of your organization, even the cheapest Slack plan can be costly. Here are a few tips you can employ to save money on slack pricing
1. Limit the number of users
The paid Slack plans are calculated based on the number of users. Limiting the number of users registered on your Slack plan can help you save significant money.
Also, remove members from your workspace once they move to other departments or companies so you don’t get charged for them.
2. Pay annually
When you look at Slack pricing as well as competitors, many offer significant discounts for paying for plans annually rather than monthly. For example, Business+ costs $15 when paid monthly, but $12.5 annually. By paying annually, you can save a lot of money for your business, which can be put into other endeavors.
3. Downgrade plans and use only the most vital features
Do you need unlimited app integrations and message history? If you don't, you may as well use the free plan. While more features are generally good, you don’t want to pay significantly more for features you hardly ever use.
By analyzing the features of each plan, you can determine which plan will suit the needs of your business best.
4. Use free plans for non-core users
A great way to save money on Slack is by using free plans for non-core team members while reserving premium plans for key members. By limiting paid plans to just a select few core members, you can save money on Slack plans.
5. Switch to an all-in-one application like Lark
With thousands of business software designed for different productivity and collaboration needs, software subscriptions can be expensive. Slack offers great message and chat functionality, allowing team members to easily communicate. However, you need to use other software for other collaboration needs, such as task management. These multiple subscriptions can add up to thousands of dollars, even for a small organization.
Alternatively, Lark helps businesses solve all their collaboration and productivity needs under a single ecosystem and plan. Everything from chats to task management, calendar scheduling, document collaboration, and virtual meetings can be done in Lark.
Slack pricing vs. the competition
Here’s a breakdown of pricing and features offered by Slack and its top competitors.
Lark: The super app that doesn’t slack off
When it comes to team collaboration, Slack is undeniably popular—but it’s not the only option. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective and feature-rich alternative, Lark is the solution you need.
Lark is a comprehensive communication and productivity platform that combines all the tools your business needs into a single app. With Lark, you can:
Chat with teammates
Hold video meetings
Manage tasks and projects
Create and edit documents
Share files
Schedule events on a shared calendar
All of this comes under one affordable plan, helping businesses streamline workflows, avoid the hassle of switching between tools, and save thousands of dollars annually.
Why Lark is the best Slack alternative
1. Save money
Rather than paying for multiple tools to meet your business needs, Lark offers all-in-one functionality at a fraction of the cost. Both its free and paid plans include access to over 13 productivity tools, giving you exceptional value whether you’re a small, medium, or large business.
For instance, a company with 100 employees using Slack, G Suite, and Zoom could save $25,200 per year by switching to Lark.
Curious about your potential savings? Use our price calculator to see how much Lark can save your business.
2. Improve efficiency
With Lark, your team can complete projects from start to finish without ever leaving the platform. No more switching between apps or wasting time managing multiple tools.
End-to-end workflows: Chat, hold meetings, assign tasks, and manage projects seamlessly in one place.
Simplified onboarding: New team members only need to learn one platform, reducing training time and making transitions easier.
Automation features: With Lark you can automate repetitive tasks so your team spends more time on things that matter.
3. Collaborate seamlessly
One of the biggest frustrations with using multiple tools is the constant back-and-forth between apps. Lark eliminates this by integrating all your collaboration needs into one platform.
Integrated communication: Schedule meetings, edit documents, and assign tasks directly from your chat feed.
Advanced messaging features: Translate messages, schedule them to send later, or convert audio to text for easier reading.
Organized group chats: Threaded replies keep discussions clear and allow new members to catch up easily.
4. Increase security
With businesses spending nearly $200 billion on information security in 2023, data protection is more important than ever. Lark reduces security risks by consolidating tools into one app, minimizing the need for multiple logins.
Enterprise-grade security: Lark follows strict global privacy standards to protect your data.
Simplified access: No need to log in and out of multiple platforms, reducing exposure to security vulnerabilities.
Whether you’re handling sensitive business documents or customer information, Lark ensures your data is safe.
Why choose Lark over Slack?
While Slack is a powerful tool, Lark offers several advantages that make it a superior choice for many businesses:
Advanced Messaging: Lark enhances communication with features like real-time message translation, scheduling messages for different time zones, and converting audio to text for easy reading.
Integrated Collaboration: Consolidate your workflows by scheduling video calls, assigning tasks, and approving projects directly in the chat feed—no need to switch between apps.
Powerful Meetings: Host video and audio conferences for up to 1,000 participants, with built-in tools like file sharing, meeting recording, and real-time caption translation to support global teams.
Streamlined Workflows: Manage tasks, collaborate on documents, and share files—all within Lark’s all-in-one platform, designed to simplify and unify your team’s work.
Cost-Effective Plans: Enjoy all 13+ tools included in both free and paid plans, allowing businesses of all sizes to save money without compromising on functionality.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Lark works across all devices, ensuring your team stays connected and productive—whether on desktop, mobile, or tablet.
Built for global teams: Lark can recognize over 100 source languages and translate them into 24 target languages.
With Lark, your team gets everything they need in one platform—advanced messaging, seamless collaboration, and powerful meeting tools—all while saving time, money, and effort. It’s the ultimate alternative to Slack for businesses that want to work smarter, not harder.
Slack pricing FAQs
Is Slack’s free plan enough for my business?
This depends on the size of your business. Small businesses and startups can benefit from the free plan. However, the free plan may not offer enough features for mid-sized to larger businesses.
What support is included in Slack Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Plans?
Each Slack plan offers support. However, there are differences. For the Slack Pro plan, you get 24/7 support. For Business+, you get 24/7 support with a 4-hour first-time response. For the Enterprise plan, 24/7 support with a 4-hour first-time response and support for data loss prevention, e-discovery, and offline backup providers.
Can I add or remove users during the subscription period?
You can add and remove new users to your Slack workspace anytime during your subscription period.
To add users, invite them to join your workspace by sending an invitation through their email address
To remove users, access the workspace settings to remove users
Is there a discount for annual billing in Slack?
Yes. Slack pricing plans are cheaper if you pay annually.
What's Slack’s pricing strategy?
Slack offers a free plan and three paid plans: Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Grid.
Will Slack lower its prices?
Slack may lower its prices based on market conditions or competition. However, Slack pricing has not changed for period of time.
Is Slack more expensive than Teams?
This depends on what you'd like to use the software for. Slack and Microsoft Teams both offer free plans with limited features. If Slack pricing plans don’t offer enough features, we recommend you try Lark for its advanced communication, project management, and document creation capabilities.
Optimize your business with Lark
While there are a wide range of Slack pricing plans for different types of customers, it can be expensive for a large team to unlock some of the core features.
Here’s where Lark stands out. Lark’s affordable all-in-one solution is designed to simplify, streamline, and elevate team collaboration. It's not just another tool in your toolkit, it's the essential software that connects your team, synchronizes workflows, and ensures that every project runs smoothly. It provides an entire suite of business and productivity tools in an affordable plan. This reduces the need for shuffling from one app to another and greatly reduces the cost of creating a stellar workflow.
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