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Writing & Documentation · head to head

Confluence vs Slack

Confluence logo

Confluence

Writing & Documentation

Your remote-friendly team workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Slack logo

Slack

All industries

Where work happens

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Confluence listed on UK G-Cloud at £5 to £11 per licence per month for Atlassian Confluence, via reseller Rapid X; Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing
  • They diverge on capability: Confluence covers Page creation, Slack covers Channels.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Confluence and Slack actually diverge.

Attributes where Confluence and Slack differ
AttributeConfluenceSlack
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux
CategoryWriting & DocumentationAll industries
Founded20022009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Confluence

  • Page creation
  • Rich text editing
  • Macros
  • Templates
  • Comments
  • Version history
  • Content organization
  • Slack

Only in Slack

  • Channels
  • Direct messaging
  • Voice & video calls
  • Screen sharing
  • File sharing
  • Search
  • Workflow builder
  • Slack Connect

Both cover

  • Jira
  • GitHub
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Confluence

  • Knowledge basenot Slack
  • Meeting notesnot Slack
  • Process documentationnot Slack
  • Project planningnot Slack

Slack

  • Team communicationnot Confluence
  • Project coordinationnot Confluence
  • Customer supportnot Confluence
  • Remote worknot Confluence
  • Cross-functional collaborationnot Confluence

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Confluence

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £5 to £11 per licence per month for Atlassian Confluence, via reseller Rapid X

Slack

  • 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing
  • Per-user pricing becomes expensive quickly for larger teams
  • Notification overload with 78% of employees feeling overwhelmed by notifications
  • Mobile app performance issues including lag and slow syncing
  • Huddles limited to 50 people and cannot be recorded
  • Requires dedicated video conferencing service for formal meetings and webinars

Pricing, plan by plan

Confluence

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited pages
    • Basic sharing
    • Search
  • Standard$5.5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced permissions
    • Macros

Slack

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Confluence if

  • You need page creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want rich text editing.
Confluence review

Choose Slack if

  • You need channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want direct messaging.
Slack review

Questions people ask

Is Confluence or Slack better?
Neither clearly leads. Confluence starts at Free and Slack at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Confluence or Slack?
Confluence starts at Free and Slack at Free.
Does Confluence or Slack run on more platforms?
Confluence runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Confluence for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Confluence best used for?
Confluence is most often used for knowledge base, meeting notes, process documentation, project planning. Of those, knowledge base and meeting notes are not what Slack is typically brought in for.
What can Confluence do that Slack cannot?
Confluence covers Page creation, Rich text editing, Macros, Templates. Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, Screen sharing. Both handle Jira, GitHub, SOC2, ISO27001.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Slack: Does Slack have a free plan?

Yes, Slack offers a free plan indefinitely with no credit card required. Free users get 90-day message history, up to 10 app integrations, and 1:1 huddles.

Source
Slack: What are Slack's pricing plans?

Slack offers Free, Pro ($7.25/user/month with annual billing), Business+ ($12.50/user/month), and Enterprise Grid (custom pricing). Monthly billing costs approximately 20% more than annual.

Source
Slack: Does Slack support offline use?

Slack is a cloud-based platform and does not support robust offline work. Internet connectivity is required to access messages and collaborate.

Source
Slack: What integrations does Slack support?

Slack integrates with 43+ apps on average per team, including Google Drive, ChatGPT, Vercel, Asana, GitHub, and many others through their app marketplace.

Source
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Related pages

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