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Communication · head to head

LINE WORKS vs Slack Workflow Builder

LINE WORKS logo

LINE WORKS

Communication

Business chat built on the LINE interface, aimed at Japanese firms whose staff and customers already use LINE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Slack Workflow Builder logo

Slack Workflow Builder

Remote Work

Automation for team collaboration

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LINE WORKS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: LINE WORKS the external LINE bridge, which is the main reason to choose it, only matters where LINE has consumer penetration, so buyers outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are paying for a feature they cannot use.; Slack Workflow Builder limited to Pro and above pricing tiers, requiring paid Slack subscription
  • They diverge on capability: LINE WORKS covers External LINE messaging, Slack Workflow Builder covers Workflow builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LINE WORKS and Slack Workflow Builder actually diverge.

Attributes where LINE WORKS and Slack Workflow Builder differ
AttributeLINE WORKSSlack Workflow Builder
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOSWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
CategoryCommunicationRemote Work
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: 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 LINE WORKS

  • External LINE messaging
  • Chat and channels
  • Voice and video calls
  • Shared address book
  • Calendar and bulletin board
  • Drive
  • Business email
  • Admin controls

Only in Slack Workflow Builder

  • Workflow builder
  • App integrations
  • Scheduled workflows
  • Conditional logic
  • Error handling
  • Notifications
  • Analytics
  • 1000+ apps

What people use each for

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

LINE WORKS

  • A Japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over LINE rather than emailnot Slack Workflow Builder
  • A clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on LINE but under corporate retention and auditnot Slack Workflow Builder
  • A Japanese SME under 30 staff that wants managed business chat at no licence cost on the free tiernot Slack Workflow Builder
  • The Japanese subsidiary of a foreign group that needs a local tool for front-line staff alongside the group standardnot Slack Workflow Builder

Slack Workflow Builder

  • Workflow Automationnot LINE WORKS
  • Data Integrationnot LINE WORKS
  • Process Automationnot LINE WORKS
  • App Integrationnot LINE WORKS
  • API Connectivitynot LINE WORKS

Where each one falls short

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

LINE WORKS

  • The external LINE bridge, which is the main reason to choose it, only matters where LINE has consumer penetration, so buyers outside Japan, Taiwan and Thailand are paying for a feature they cannot use.
  • The free tier caps total storage at 5GB across the whole organisation, not per user, so a team sharing photos or documents exhausts it within weeks and is pushed onto a paid plan.
  • Business email is only on the Advanced plan at 800 yen per user, so an organisation wanting both chat and mail pays nearly double the Standard rate for every seat including staff who only chat.
  • Developer documentation, support and the integration catalogue are strongest in Japanese, which makes it awkward to administer from a non-Japanese IT function.
  • It has no serious developer or engineering workflow story, so organisations that also run Slack or Teams for technical teams end up maintaining two chat systems and two directories.

Slack Workflow Builder

  • Limited to Pro and above pricing tiers, requiring paid Slack subscription
  • Maximum 15 conditional branches per workflow, limiting complex logic paths
  • Connectors must be explicitly configured per integration type
  • No native web interface for non-Slack users

Pricing, plan by plan

LINE WORKS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 30 users
    • 5GB total storage
    • Chat, calls, calendar and address book
  • Standard$450/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 1TB shared storage
    • Annual contract price, 540 yen monthly
  • Advanced$800/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Business email
    • 100TB shared storage

Slack Workflow Builder

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Slack Workflow Builder review.

Which should you pick?

Choose LINE WORKS if

  • You need external line messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want chat and channels.
LINE WORKS review

Choose Slack Workflow Builder if

  • You need workflow builder.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want app integrations.
Slack Workflow Builder review

Questions people ask

Is LINE WORKS or Slack Workflow Builder better?
Neither clearly leads. LINE WORKS starts at Free and Slack Workflow Builder at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LINE WORKS or Slack Workflow Builder?
LINE WORKS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LINE WORKS and On request for Slack Workflow Builder.
Does LINE WORKS or Slack Workflow Builder run on more platforms?
LINE WORKS runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS. Slack Workflow Builder runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
Can I use LINE WORKS for free?
Yes. LINE WORKS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Slack Workflow Builder starts at On request.
What is LINE WORKS best used for?
LINE WORKS is most often used for a japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over line rather than email, a clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on line but under corporate retention and audit, a japanese sme under 30 staff that wants managed business chat at no licence cost on the free tier, the japanese subsidiary of a foreign group that needs a local tool for front-line staff alongside the group standard. Of those, a japanese retail or service chain whose customers expect to book and enquire over line rather than email and a clinic, dealership or estate agency that needs customer conversations on line but under corporate retention and audit are not what Slack Workflow Builder is typically brought in for.
What can LINE WORKS do that Slack Workflow Builder cannot?
LINE WORKS covers External LINE messaging, Chat and channels, Voice and video calls, Shared address book. Slack Workflow Builder covers Workflow builder, App integrations, Scheduled workflows, Conditional logic.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LINE WORKS: Can LINE WORKS really message ordinary LINE users?

Yes. That is its core differentiator and the reason Japanese customer-facing businesses buy it.

Slack Workflow Builder: Is Slack Workflow Builder included in all Slack plans?

No, Workflow Builder is only available in Slack Pro, Business+, and Enterprise plans. It is not included in the Free plan.

Source
LINE WORKS: Is there a free plan?

Yes, up to 30 users with 5GB of total organisation storage.

Slack Workflow Builder: Can Workflow Builder connect to external applications?

Yes, Workflow Builder supports connectors that translate actions in Slack to instant results in third-party tools, allowing workflows to interact with your full application stack.

Source
LINE WORKS: Does the Standard plan include email?

No. Business email is Advanced only, at 800 yen per user per month on an annual contract.

Slack Workflow Builder: What is the maximum complexity of Slack Workflows?

Workflows support conditional logic with up to 15 conditions, enabling complex decision paths for automation.

Source
LINE WORKS: Is it worth buying outside Japan?

Generally no. Without the consumer LINE bridge it competes poorly against Slack, Teams or Lark on features and ecosystem.

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