StackEvalifyTeam communication · Desk research
Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Pro and Essentials compared
Slack Pro and Microsoft Teams Essentials are different paid plans, so their prices and features are not a like-for-like score. This comparison focuses on their published communication, meeting, and collaboration terms to help a team decide what to trial.
Source check: · Desk research only; StackEvalify has not run a hands-on product test for this comparison.
Quick take
Teams Essentials has the lower published annual per-user price and a clearly stated meeting allowance of up to 300 participants for up to 30 hours. Slack Pro costs more but publishes unlimited message history and app integrations, group huddles, and external collaboration through Slack Connect. Those differences may matter more than a single headline price.
Microsoft 365 bundles are a separate buying decision. This page compares Slack Pro with Teams Essentials, not Microsoft 365 Business plans or every Teams license.
Published plan details
Plans compared
- Slack Pro
- Slack Pro, a paid team communication plan.
- Teams Essentials
- Microsoft Teams Essentials, a standalone small-business meeting and collaboration plan.
Published price
- Slack Pro
- US$8.75 per user/month when billed monthly, or US$7.25 per user/month when billed annually.
- Teams Essentials
- US$4 per user/month, paid yearly; Microsoft lists an annual subscription that auto-renews.
Message history
- Slack Pro
- Pro includes unlimited message history; Slack Free is limited to 90 days of searchable message history.
- Teams Essentials
- Microsoft lists unlimited chat, including guest access, on the Essentials plan.
App and partner collaboration
- Slack Pro
- Pro lists unlimited app integrations from Slack’s directory and group external messages through Slack Connect.
- Teams Essentials
- Essentials lists real-time file sharing, tasks and polling, plus Outlook or Google calendar connection.
Meetings
- Slack Pro
- Pro includes group audio and video meetings with screen sharing through Slack huddles.
- Teams Essentials
- Essentials supports meetings up to 30 hours and 300 participants, with recordings and transcripts listed by Microsoft.
Cloud storage
- Slack Pro
- The Slack Pro pricing page emphasizes searchable message and file history; check its current plan details for storage terms.
- Teams Essentials
- Microsoft lists 10 GB of cloud storage per user for Essentials.
Prices are vendor-listed US-dollar amounts checked on 29 October 2026. Slack’s displayed Pro price may include a limited-time promotion; the comparison uses its listed standard monthly and annual rates. Teams Essentials is listed with annual billing and auto-renewal. Confirm the current checkout price, currency, tax, and subscription terms for your organization.
Which workflow should you trial?
Shortlist Slack Pro
Trial it if your team needs searchable long-term conversation history, a broad app directory, or channels and group conversations with external partners. Check Slack Connect setup and the plan’s current data-retention terms before moving important records.
Shortlist Teams Essentials
Trial it if your work centers on scheduled meetings, guest chat, file sharing, and the published 300-participant meeting capacity. If your decision also depends on Microsoft 365 apps, business email, or broader administration, compare the relevant Microsoft 365 plan separately.
How to evaluate them with your team
- 1. Map your communication. List daily channels, recurring meetings, external partners, and the apps that must connect.
- 2. Pilot the same project in both. Ask a representative team to test message retrieval, meeting hand-offs, guest collaboration, mobile use, and admin tasks.
- 3. Compare total cost and operating fit. Include annual commitment, seats, existing Microsoft licenses, migration effort, data retention, and the actual regional quote.
Sources and method
This comparison summarizes vendor-published plans and features checked on 29 October 2026. It is desk research, not independent usability testing. Features, prices, promotions, and plan terms may change; verify details with the vendors before purchasing.