Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Remote vs Slack

Remote logo

Remote

Payroll & Benefits

The new standard for global employment

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: Remote employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month, charged per head with no volume tier published; Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing
  • They diverge on capability: Remote covers Global Payroll, Slack covers Channels.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Remote and Slack actually diverge.

Attributes where Remote and Slack differ
AttributeRemoteSlack
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsAll industries
Founded20192009

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 Remote

  • Global Payroll
  • EOR Services
  • Contractor Management
  • Compliance
  • Benefits
  • Equity Management
  • HRIS
  • BambooHR

Only in Slack

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

What people use each for

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

Remote

  • Employing staff in countries where you have no legal entity through an employer of recordnot Slack
  • Paying and managing international contractors with compliant agreementsnot Slack
  • Running payroll and HR records for a distributed workforcenot Slack

Slack

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

Where each one falls short

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

Remote

  • Employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month, charged per head with no volume tier published
  • Global Payroll carries an implementation fee to set up entities plus a recurring payroll delivery fee on top of the $29 per employee per month rate
  • Contractor Management Plus is $99 per contractor per month against $29 for the standard tier
  • The Equity product is limited to Delaware C-Corps
  • The PEO product bills in USD only and requires a US bank account
  • Remote states it collects reserve payments in high risk circumstances, so an upfront deposit is possible

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

Remote

Free
  • Contractor Management$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliance
    • Contracts
  • Employer of Record$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

Slack

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Remote if

  • You need global payroll.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want eor services.
Remote 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 Remote or Slack better?
Neither clearly leads. Remote 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, Remote or Slack?
Remote starts at Free and Slack at Free.
Does Remote or Slack run on more platforms?
Remote runs on Web, Ios, Android. Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux.
Can I use Remote for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Remote best used for?
Remote is most often used for employing staff in countries where you have no legal entity through an employer of record, paying and managing international contractors with compliant agreements, running payroll and hr records for a distributed workforce. Of those, employing staff in countries where you have no legal entity through an employer of record and paying and managing international contractors with compliant agreements are not what Slack is typically brought in for.
What can Remote do that Slack cannot?
Remote covers Global Payroll, EOR Services, Contractor Management, Compliance. Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, Screen sharing.

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

More on Remote

More on Slack

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