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All industries · head to head

Slack vs Square Appointments

Slack logo

Slack

All industries

Where work happens

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Scheduling & Booking

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing; Square Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: Slack covers Channels, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Slack and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where Slack and Square Appointments differ
AttributeSlackSquare Appointments
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, LinuxWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAll industriesScheduling & Booking

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2009).

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 Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app

What people use each for

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

Slack

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

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot Slack
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot Slack
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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

Square Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

Pricing, plan by plan

Slack

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.

Square Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

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.
Slack review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is Slack or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. Slack starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Slack or Square Appointments?
Slack starts at Free and Square Appointments at Free.
Does Slack or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Square Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can Slack do that Square Appointments cannot?
Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, Screen sharing. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Payment processing.

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 Slack

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