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Slack review
It’s highly reviewed and feature-rich, but charges more than many of its competitors.
Slack is a business app that helps streamline communications across company teams and projects. Its free service tier offers video calls, direct messaging and dedicated project channels. But you’ll have to upgrade to a pricey paid service tier for more file storage and app integrations.
- Choose this software if you have employees who work from home or want to streamline communication at your company.
- Consider something else if you need access to shared channels, but can’t afford $8 for each employee monthly.
Details
| Features | Direct messaging Public chat channels Video Project management |
|---|---|
| Price starts at | Free, and paid plans start at $8/month |
| App Integration | Yes |
| Tech Support | Email |
| Monthly Plan | $8 |
What's in this review?
Slack’s features
Slack’s channel feature is its bread and butter — and a staple among Finder employees both in the US and across the globe. Share threads across internal teams and external clients with integrated file sharing:
- Dedicated channels. Organize channels by project, team or topic and loop team members into the conversation for updates in real-time from everyone in the channel.
- Privacy settings. Pivot confidential conversations into private channels with invited team members.
- Direct messaging. Chat one-on-one with single team members through direct messaging.
- Searchable history. Scroll up through a channel to see what’s been shared or search by keyword across direct messages and company-wide channels.
- Video calls. Share your screen and chat face to face with video conferences for up to 15 team members.
- Automated procedures. Expedite work tasks with Slack workflows — automated actions that include daily reminders, status updates and help requests.
Slack pricing and fees
Slack service tiers are available monthly, but discounted rates are available for those who pay annually.
| Free | Standard | Plus | Enterprise Grid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost (each team member) | Free | $8 monthly or $6.67 a month when billed annually | $15 monthly or $12.50 a month when billed annually | Custom pricing |
| File storage | Up to 5GB per workspace | Up to 10GB per member | Up to 20GB per member | Up to 1TB per member |
| Features |
| All features from the free tier, and:
| All features from the Standard tier, and:
| All features from the Plus tier, and:
|
- Check for Slack promo codes on Finder to see if you can save.
How do I sign up for Slack?
Head to Slack’s website to begin the signup process:
- Click Try Slack.
- Select My team isn’t using Slack yet.
- Enter your email address and click Confirm.
- Enter the six-digit confirmation code sent to your email address.
- Enter the name of your team or company and the name of a project you’re working on. Click Next.
- Enter the email addresses of the employees or teammates you’d like to add to your Slack workspace. Click Add Teammates.
- Finish setting up your Slack workspace by sharing an invite link with teammates, selecting a Slack greeting and posting your first channel message.
- Finally, choose a username, password and click Finish setup.
How does Slack work?
Slack is a messaging application that helps teams build collaborative online workspaces. Slack channels help organize company-wide communications into sub-categories, while direct messaging allows for more intimate one-on-ones. The app can be used for both in-person and remote work.
Slack’s offerings can be overwhelming for beginners, but the platform is designed to scale based on the role and responsibilities of each team member. Subcontractors and part-timers may only be looped into a few channels, while supervisors and team leaders may have their finger on the pulse of 10 or more threads.
Jon Brodsky, CEO of Finder US says, “Slack has enabled our crew, which is 70% remote, to collaborate in real-time for several years. It’s easy to share ideas and files, and the fact that conversations happen instantly means that our largely remote workforce is always connected to one another.”
What I think about Slack
I’ve used Slack as a member of the Finder team for nearly three years, both as a part-time freelancer and a full-time staff member. Personally, I’m a big fan. I can pop onto Slack to check in with my manager, see what other teams are up to and share what I’m working on for real-time feedback.
And if I’m in the writing groove and don’t want to be disturbed, I can pause notifications until I’m ready to tackle them, enabling me to work undisturbed and catch up when I’m ready.
Pros and cons
Pros
- App integration. Slack integrates with 2,000 apps across a variety of categories and industries, including data analytics, developer tools, project management, marketing, sales and finance.
- Monthly billing. No contract is required and you can terminate your service with no cancellation fee.
- Free service tier. Slack’s basic offerings — the messaging platform, video conferencing and app integrations — are available for free.
- Learning database. Slack’s comprehensive learning library includes articles that can help you navigate both beginner and advanced platform features.
Cons
- Expensive. Slack’s more sophisticated features come at a cost — its monthly membership fees are higher than many of its competitors, including Flock and Mattermost.
- No phone support. Tech support is limited to 24-hour email inquiries and live chat support for Standard plans and up from 2 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday and 2 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Fridays, PT.
Customer reviews and complaints
Overall, Slack receives high marks from its customers. With only two complaints in the last three years, its Better Business Bureau (BBB) page isn’t much to go on. But on Trustpilot, Slack boasts a TrustScore of 4.3 out of 5 based on 83 reviews.
Among the high notes are Slack’s many app integrations, screen sharing and search features, while a handful of customers complained that the software is difficult to pick up for fresh hires.
How do I contact Slack support?
Reaching Slack support is limited to:
- Email. Fill out a support ticket on Slack’s website for a response for the team within the hour.
Compare collaboration software
Bottom line
Slack helps in-person and remote workforces organize communications with dedicated channels, one-to-one direct messaging and a generous sweep of app integrations. But it’s pricier than many of its counterparts and may be challenging for newcomers to master.
Compare other software options to help your business run smoothly.
