All industries · head to head
Slack vs Clockify
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing; Clockify the free plan stops at 5 users
- They diverge on capability: Slack covers Channels, Clockify covers Timer & manual time entry.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Slack and Clockify actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (All industries).
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 Slack
- Channels
- Direct messaging
- Voice & video calls
- Screen sharing
- File sharing
- Search
- Workflow builder
- Slack Connect
Only in Clockify
- Timer & manual time entry
- Timesheets
- Calendar view
- Projects & tasks
- Reports & analytics
- Team dashboard
- Kiosk mode
- Offline mode
Both cover
- Jira
- Trello
- Asana
- SOC2
- ISO27001
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Slack
- Team communicationnot Clockify
- Project coordinationnot Clockify
- Customer supportnot Clockify
- Remote worknot Clockify
- Cross-functional collaborationnot Clockify
Clockify
- Employee time trackingnot Slack
- Project time budgetsnot Slack
- Client billingnot Slack
- Productivity analysisnot Slack
- Payroll calculationnot Slack
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Clockify
- The free plan stops at 5 users
- Free accounts are throttled to 30 API requests per hour and 3 webhooks
- Reporting on the free plan only covers a 1 month range
- Invoicing needs Standard at $5.49 per seat per month and GPS tracking needs Pro at $7.99
- SSO, SCIM provisioning, a custom subdomain and the audit log are Enterprise only at $11.99 per seat per month
Pricing, plan by plan
Slack
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.
Clockify
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited projects
- Time tracking
- Basic$3.99/user/month
- Bulk edit
- Billable rates
- Rounding
- Standard$5.49/user/month
- Timesheet approvals
- Invoicing
- Scheduled reports
- Pro$7.99/user/month
- Profit & loss
- GPS tracking
- Screenshots
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Clockify if
- You need timer & manual time entry.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Browser-extension.
- You also want timesheets.
Questions people ask
- Is Slack or Clockify better?
- Neither clearly leads. Slack starts at Free and Clockify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Slack or Clockify?
- Slack starts at Free and Clockify at Free.
- Does Slack or Clockify run on more platforms?
- Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux. Clockify runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Browser-extension.
- Can I use Slack for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Slack best used for?
- Slack is most often used for team communication, project coordination, customer support, remote work. Of those, team communication and project coordination are not what Clockify is typically brought in for.
- What can Slack do that Clockify cannot?
- Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, Screen sharing. Clockify covers Timer & manual time entry, Timesheets, Calendar view, Projects & tasks. Both handle Jira, Trello, Asana, SOC2.
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.
SourceSlack: 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.
SourceSlack: 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.
SourceSlack: 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