All industries · head to head
Slack vs Zoom
Zoom
All industries
Video conferencing that's easy, reliable, and secure
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Slack 90-day message history limit on free plan results in important conversations disappearing; Zoom cost creep from add-ons increases pricing from $14/user to $25+/user when including Phone and advanced features
- They diverge on capability: Slack covers Channels, Zoom covers HD video & audio.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Slack and Zoom 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
- File sharing
- Search
- Workflow builder
- Slack Connect
- Google Drive
Only in Zoom
- HD video & audio
- Recording & transcripts
- Virtual backgrounds
- Breakout rooms
- Polling & Q&A
- Chat
- Whiteboard
- Slack
Both cover
- Screen sharing
- Salesforce
- SOC2
- HIPAA
- FedRAMP
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Slack
- Team communicationnot Zoom
- Project coordinationnot Zoom
- Customer supportnot Zoom
- Remote worknot Zoom
- Cross-functional collaborationnot Zoom
Zoom
- Team meetingsnot Slack
- Webinarsnot Slack
- Virtual eventsnot Slack
- Online trainingnot Slack
- Telehealthnot 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
Zoom
- Cost creep from add-ons increases pricing from $14/user to $25+/user when including Phone and advanced features
- Feature set is overwhelming with complex navigation and too many options
- Limited analytics and coaching features compared to dedicated contact center platforms
- Call recording and admin oversight lack strict governance needed for regulated industries
Pricing, plan by plan
Slack
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Slack review.
Zoom
Free- BasicFree
- 100 participants
- 40-minute group meetings
- Unlimited 1-on-1 meetings
- Pro$14.99/month
- 100 participants
- 30-hour group meetings
- Cloud recording (5GB)
- Business$19.99/month
- 300 participants
- Single sign-on
- Recording transcripts
- Enterprise$25/month
- 500 participants
- Advanced admin features
- Executive business review
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 Zoom if
- You need hd video & audio.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- You also want recording & transcripts.
Questions people ask
- Is Slack or Zoom better?
- Neither clearly leads. Slack starts at Free and Zoom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Slack or Zoom?
- Slack starts at Free and Zoom at Free.
- Does Slack or Zoom run on more platforms?
- Slack runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux. Zoom runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
- 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 Zoom is typically brought in for.
- What can Slack do that Zoom cannot?
- Slack covers Channels, Direct messaging, Voice & video calls, File sharing. Zoom covers HD video & audio, Recording & transcripts, Virtual backgrounds, Breakout rooms. Both handle Screen sharing, Salesforce, SOC2, HIPAA.
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.
SourceZoom: What are Zoom's main pricing tiers?
Zoom offers a free Basic plan with 40-minute limits for group meetings, Pro at $14.16/user/month, Business at $15.58/user/month with 300 participant capacity, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Additional costs apply for Phone ($10.50/user/month), Webinars, and Rooms.
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.
SourceZoom: What integrations does Zoom support?
Zoom integrates with Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Zendesk, and many other business applications, though integration depth varies by partner.
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.
SourceZoom: Can Zoom be used for webinars?
Yes, Zoom Webinars is available as a separate product starting at $66.67 per month, providing larger audience capabilities and specialized webinar features.
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