Slack review: A data-backed look
Explore Slack’s adoption trends, market share, category benchmarks, and use cases to determine if it’s the right communication tool for your business.
Slack overview
Slack is a business messaging app used for team communication and collaboration. It falls under the category of workplace productivity tools. Its core value is centralizing conversations, files, and tools in one place to streamline teamwork.
Slack fits teams needing real-time, organized communication. Compared to email or Microsoft Teams, Slack emphasizes simplicity, integrations, and channel-based structure for faster, more flexible collaboration.
How much do businesses spend on Slack?
The chart below illustrates average quarterly spending on Slack across different business sizes.
Mid-market and enterprise businesses demonstrate the highest spending on Slack, with quarterly expenditure showing notable volatility including a dramatic peak in the middle quarters before declining and stabilizing.
Small and medium-sized businesses maintain moderate spending with fluctuations that mirror the broader trend patterns over time. Micro businesses show the most stable spending pattern with minimal variation, maintaining consistent low-level investment throughout all quarters.
The data reveals experimental adoption patterns where larger organizations show more volatile spending behaviors. Mid-tier businesses demonstrate moderate fluctuations while smaller businesses maintain steady engagement levels.
Who is Slack best for?
The chart below breaks down Slack’s user base by industry and business size.
Micro businesses represent the largest portion of Slack's user base, making up the dominant segment of platform adoption.
Small and medium-sized companies constitute a significant portion of users, while mid-market and enterprise businesses represent the smallest segment.
Slack key features
Channels
- What it does: Creates topic‑based spaces for group or private messaging, files, and tools.
- Key benefit: Keeps discussions organized, searchable, and accessible, reducing inbox clutter and speeding up team collaboration.
Shared Channels
- What it does: Enables secure collaboration across different Slack workspaces.
- Key benefit: Breaks communication silos with partners or clients, streamlining cross‑organization workflows.
Workflow Builder
- What it does: Offers no‑code automation for routine tasks and approval flows within channels.
- Key benefit: Reduces manual work and streamlines operations, saving time and boosting productivity.
Slack AI
- What it does: Uses AI to answer queries, summarize threads, recaps, and huddle notes.
- Key benefit: Helps you quickly catch up and find info without digging through endless messages.
Apps & Integrations
- What it does: Connects Slack with tools like Google Drive, Jira, Salesforce and 2,600+ apps.
- Key benefit: Centralizes workflows and data, reducing app‑switching and enhancing productivity.
Slack pricing
Plan | Price | Key features | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
Free | $0/mo | Unlimited message and file history for 90 days, Channels, search | Individuals |
Pro | $7.25/mo | Everything in Free, and, unlimited message and file history, slack Connect, Huddles, Canvases | Small companies |
Business+ | $15/mo | Everything in Pro, and, unlimited message and file history, AI workflow generation and AI steps, AI file summaries | Great for most businesses |
Enterprise+ | Contact sales | Everything in Business+ and, Unlimited workspaces, Built-in employee directory, Access to custom templates, Native data loss prevention | Large establishments with complex needs |
Slack pros & cons
Slack is a good fit if:
- Your team needs to replace email with real-time, searchable messaging.
- Your team needs seamless integration with tools like Google Drive, Zoom, and Jira.
- Your team needs channel-based conversations to keep topics organized.
- Your team needs to collaborate easily with external partners via shared channels.
- Your team needs to automate routine tasks without writing code.
- Your team needs a flexible tool that supports hybrid and async work.
Consider alternatives if:
- Your team needs built-in video calling without relying on external apps.
- Your team needs advanced compliance features or strict data residency options.
- Your team needs granular admin controls for very large orgs.
- Your team needs a quieter, more structured environment for focused work.