Slack Review
Communication tools are a dime a dozen today, and Slack knows it. To stand out from the pack, the popular business communication app has added several new features aimed at the project management crowd. Learn more about them in our Slack review.
Key Takeaways: What Is Slack & Is It Good to Use?
- Slack is a feature-packed asynchronous and synchronous communication app with a rich set of tools and options for collaboration and task management.
- Slack offers three paid plans: Pro, Business+ and Enterprise. Though the prices seem low up front, larger teams can quickly find themselves making a significant investment.
- Slack offers a free plan that supports unlimited members and one-on-one video and audio calls.
Facts & Expert Analysis About Slack:
- Security concerns: Though Slack offers many security tools and meets various security ratings, the platform has suffered numerous data breaches.
- Task management: Updates have added kanban boards and tables for task management, but they’re no match for tools found on dedicated project management platforms.
- Privacy woes: Slack is HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant, which is great, but Slack’s privacy policy states that it shares user information with third parties.
Remote teams have been using Slack for years to communicate and share ideas via text and video. However, Slack has grown, and thanks to a slew of new features, it has changed from a simple business messaging app to a productivity powerhouse. In our Slack review, we’ll find out whether the new features stand up to the best project management software platforms.
Below, we’ll tell you how much Slack costs and who the platform is for. We’ll review the platform’s major features, investigate the Slack mobile apps and look at its security, privacy and customer service. We know you’re eager to learn more about Slack, so let’s get started.
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08/19/2023
We have updated our Slack review with information about custom roles, the API and Slack Connect.
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10/08/2024 Facts checked
Rewrote our Slack review to add information about new features and to switch to an easier-to-read format.
Newest Features in Slack (Collaboration Software)
Slack has grown from a simple messaging app into quite a powerful business productivity tool. Though Slack might not be a dedicated project management software solution, the tools listed below will help teams get work done.
- Workflow builder: This no-code workflow tool can help create automated processes.
- Project management tools: Teams can use kanban boards and lists to track tasks.
- Slack AI: Teams can summarize conversation threads and get up to speed quickly.
- Canvas: Collaborate on documents in real time with team members and stakeholders.
Slack Pricing: How Much Does Slack App Cost?
Depending on whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Slack will be either a minor investment or a major hit to your bottom line. It offers four plans: Free, Pro, Business+ and Enterprise Grid. Slack’s features scale nicely across its plans, but if you need all the bells and whistles, be prepared to pay. We’ll break down all the plans below.
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Is Slack Free?
Yes, Slack offers a great free account. The free plan supports unlimited members, saves 90 days of messages, allows 10 app integrations, offers one workspace and supports one-on-one audio and video messaging. If you need to securely chat with someone outside of your organization, you can do so. The free plan also supports two-factor authentication.
Pricing Plan Breakdown
In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at each of Slack’s paid plans. You’ll learn which features each plan comes with and how much the plans cost.
- All prices are per active user per month
- All prices are per active user per month
What Is Slack & Who Is It For?
Slack, which Salesforce has owned since 2021, is one of the most well-known team messaging apps. It competes with Microsoft Teams, Discord and Google Chat. The platform is for businesses small and large, and is used across many industries as a way for remote teams to interact with one another.
- Release date: 2013
- Developer: Stuart Butterfield, but now owned by Salesforce
- Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
- Notable features: Team messaging, video and audio calls, task management, workflows, AI features and real-time collaboration tools
- Pricing: Free plan; Pro is the best-value plan at $7.25 per user per month, billed annually
Why Use Slack: The Cloudwards Expert Opinion
Despite some security concerns and a less-than-stellar privacy policy, we think Slack is one of the best communication tools for small to medium-sized businesses. To us, the messaging features are unmatched, and the inclusion of integrations, customizable workflows, automations and task management tools make Slack a viable one-stop-shop business solution for many.
Slack Pros & Cons
Slack Alternatives
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- 8$4.92 / month(All Plans)
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- 24$10 / month(All Plans)
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- 38$2.08 / month(All Plans)
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Features: What Can Slack Do?
Over the years, Slack has grown into a full-blown productivity suite for businesses. Though most Slack users associate it with chat, voice and video calls, not many realize the platform can be used to create automated workflows, collaborate on documents and manage project tasks. Below, we’ll cover Slack’s most important features in more detail.
Chat, Audio & Video Messaging
Communication is where Slack excels. Slack offers basic instant messaging, voice messages, video calling and huddles that allow you to assemble the whole team. You can create public and private channels, send direct messages and even communicate with people outside of your organization via Slack Connect.
During testing, we found voice messages to be clear and video call quality acceptable. We didn’t experience any lag or delays; everything worked as intended. Messaging was also instantaneous. Of course, your mileage will vary based on your internet connection. If you need a communication tool that offers text, voice chat and video calls, you can’t go wrong with Slack.
Collaboration Tools
Slack has added a useful collaboration feature to the platform: canvases. Canvases allow teams to work on documents together in real time. Slack provides numerous templates ranging from meeting agendas to objectives and results, marketing plans, employee onboarding and more.
You can share a canvas in a channel or with individuals. Team members can collaborate on documents from the browser, phone and desktop applications. This is a nice feature that easily matches the real-time document collaboration features found in ClickUp and Notion. You can learn more about these platforms in our ClickUp review and our Notion review.
If you already use ClickUp and want to learn how to create a Slack workflow, check out our article on how to create a Slack integration.
Project Management Features
The team at Slack has decided to take on the likes of monday.com by offering project management tools, and honestly, they have done a good job. Slack won’t replace the best free project management platforms anytime soon, but teams can still use Slack to plan, track and manage simple projects via tables and kanban boards.
We found it easy to build simple projects using Slack’s task management tools. Adding custom fields, assignees, notes, ratings and due dates to task cards was a piece of cake. With Slack’s file storage, you can also attach files to cards. The boards are slick thanks to the smooth drag-and-drop interface.
For teams working on simple projects, Slack’s kanban boards will be more than adequate. Still, if you’re working on more complex projects, you’ll want to stick with a platform like monday.com. You can learn more in our monday.com review.
Slack AI
Like many other platforms, Slack has added an AI feature. Though a great idea, we found it to be underwhelming compared to other AI tools. You can use the Slack AI tool to summarize messages from channels, create summaries of who’s working on a project and get general help, but that’s about it.
In our Nifty review, you can see how the platform has integrated AI tools that are more akin to ChatGPT — you can submit general questions and ask the AI to generate reports, send messages and more. We’re not saying Slack AI is bad. However, it could be much better — and at $10 per active user per month, it needs to be.
Automated Workflows & Integrations
Slack offers automation tools to help take mundane tasks off your hands. You can use one of the many automation templates or build automations via a slick user interface. You can do everything from automating a Slack onboarding process to creating weekly meeting agendas and automating emails via Gmail and Outlook.
You can also create automations via Slack integrations with other project management software, like monday.com, Trello and Jira (check out our Jira-Slack integration guide, for example). Some of the best cloud storage services also have integrations, like Box, Salesforce and platforms like Google Calendar and Google Docs on Google Drive. Slack also integrates with Zapier, so you can create hundreds of workflows.
Slack Features Overview
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Management Views | |
| Kanban board | |
| List | |
| Calendar | |
| Timeline | |
| Spreadsheet view | |
| Gantt charts | |
| Workload planning | |
| Long-term planning | |
| Management Features | |
| Multiple project management | |
| Dependency management | |
| Native scrum management | |
| Set user permissions | |
| File storage | |
| Time-tracking | |
| Built-in integrations | |
| Reporting features | |
| General Features | |
| Free plan | |
| Free Trial | 30 days upon asking |
| Web app | |
| Windows | |
| MacOS | |
| Android | |
| iOS | |
| AI Tools | |
| Support | |
| Ticket-based support | |
| Tutorials | |
| Knowledgebase | |
| Forum | |
| Live chat | |
| Phone support |
User-Friendliness & Hands-On Testing
During testing, we found Slack easy to use. Setting up a Slack account takes minutes, and the platform’s guided tour when you first sign in helps you familiarize yourself with the layout. You can pick different color schemes and choose between light and dark themes, the latter of which is ideal for reducing eye strain.
All of Slack’s tools are easy to find, as they’re located in a left-hand navigation pane. Adding new channels is as easy as clicking the “add channels” button, and you can add features like canvases to threads via a toolbar at the top of the screen. Recording voice messages and launching huddles is a one-click affair. There’s nothing complicated about Slack’s interface.
Slack macOS & Windows Apps
If using Slack via the web isn’t your jam, you can turn to the dedicated Windows and macOS desktop applications. You won’t miss out on any features by taking this route. The Windows and macOS desktop applications offer the same experience as the browser version.
Absolutely no features are missing from the applications. You can create canvases, kanban boards and automations, and collaborate with your team in real time. All of the messaging features work flawlessly, too. The applications are smooth when in use and offer a pleasant user experience.
Slack Android & iOS Apps
Slack’s phone applications offer access to all the same tools as the web and desktop apps, including text, voice and video messaging, real-time collaboration, file uploads and workflow creation. The applications on both iOS and Android devices are smooth and work quite well.
The biggest downside is that navigation isn’t as intuitive as it is in the web and desktop software. It took us a while to figure out how to access the many tools it offers, and we only found the hidden menu by accident — it appeared after we dragged down to refresh the feed. Overall though, Slack’s mobile applications won’t slow you down.
Security & Privacy: Is Slack a Safe App? (65/100)
Though Slack offers many tools that can help keep your precious data secure, the platform has a storied history regarding breaches and data loss. We’ll take an in-depth look at Slack’s security and privacy features below.
Detailed Security Analysis
Slack offers enterprise-grade security, including encryption for data at rest via the FIPS 140-2 cryptographic standard. Data in transit is encrypted via TLS 1.2, AES-256 and SHA2 signatures when available. Data is stored on Amazon Web Services. The platform meets ISO27001, AICPA Trust Service Principles and NIST standards. Slack does not offer end-to-end encryption.
the victim of several data breaches.
Despite its security measures, Slack has suffered several data breaches, most recently involving Disney. Uber, Rockstar Games, EA Games and X have also been breached, with sensitive Slack data released onto the dark web.
Still, Slack does provide tools to help protect your data. You’ll find support for SAML single sign-on and two-factor authentication. Audit logs, user and group provisioning tools, options for session management and secondary authentication for mobile devices are also available. Using these security features properly can help protect your data.
Slack Privacy Policy
At the software level, Slack offers a couple of tools that can help keep sensitive data private. Administrators can set user roles and permissions to control who can see certain data.
but its privacy policy isn’t great.
Slack is compliant with HIPAA, TiSAX, ISMAP and GDPR regulations, as well as many others. It also offers data residency, which means users can choose where they want their data to be stored when at rest. Users can also request their information be deleted.
Unfortunately, Slack’s privacy policy makes for worrisome reading. Slack collects a trove of user information, including audio and video metadata, contact information, cookie and log data, device and location information, and workspace and account data. Slack also openly states that it shares user data with third parties.
Slack Customer Support
We’ve been happy with the support we’ve received since using Slack. Response times have been fast, and the help center and community forum are robust. The help center offers articles that teach you about features or help problem-solve. In addition to articles with screenshots, you’ll find a few tutorial videos. You can learn more about Slack’s customer support below.
Live Chat & Email Support Speed & Quality
There are two ways to contact Slack’s customer service representatives: through a ticketing system or via live chat. Unfortunately, levels of support are staggered across the various plans. Free members receive standard support, Pro members receive 24/7 support, and Business+ and Enterprise customers receive priority four-hour support.
We were Pro plan members for the sake of this review. We sent several emails asking questions of varying difficulty and received responses anywhere from eight to nearly 24 hours later. The responses were professional and resolved our issues.
Slack’s live chat is terrific. When a chat is initiated, you’re instantly connected with an agent. During our chats, the agents greeted us and answered our questions quickly. Overall, Slack’s customer service is excellent. It’s unfortunate that they don’t offer phone support, but you can still receive help when needed.
Community Feedback: Slack Reviews on Reddit & Social Media
We have found varying opinions about Slack on community forums. Many users on Reddit lament recent updates that have made it harder to differentiate between workspaces. Meanwhile, many users on Quora believe Slack is the best communication and collaboration tool. Everyone’s mileage will vary. The best option is to sign up for the free plan and try it out.
The Verdict: Is Slack Worth It?
Overall, Slack is one of the best communication applications for small to medium-sized businesses. The text, voice and video messaging tools work flawlessly. The user interface is friendly enough across all available applications, and the addition of workflow, automation and task management tools, as well as integrations with third-party platforms, take it over the top.
On the downside, Slack can become quite pricey. Its per-user fees can quickly add up, and to top it off, you have to pay extra for Slack AI, which is unfortunate. You also need to keep in mind that the platform’s privacy policy and security are somewhat questionable. Still, with the right measures in place, Slack can be a useful tool for businesses in many industries.
If Slack isn’t for you, check out our roundup of the best Slack alternatives, or see how the software stacks up against Discord in our Discord vs Slack article.
Have you used Slack? What’s your favorite feature? Which other communication applications do you like to use? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
FAQ: Slack App Review
Slack is a good tool for businesses that want an all-in-one solution for communication and light task management duties.
The main disadvantages of Slack include its pricing, which can become quite high for large teams, and the platform’s less-than-stellar privacy policy.
The major criticisms of Slack revolve around it being difficult to differentiate between various chats and channels and that it can become expensive for large teams.
