With over 10 million daily users and 150,000 paid customers, Slack stands as a leading team chat app and a successful SaaS business globally. While widely appreciated, Slack's pricing often emerges as a concern among users. It's neither the most expensive nor the cheapest option available.
This article delves into Slack's costs, exploring what users get for their money and assessing the value of this investment. Our interest in Slack's pricing stems from a particular reason: we've developed Stork, a noteworthy alternative to Slack. Stork is not only designed to be more affordable (in fact, it's completely free) but also aims to be user-friendly and intuitive.
Slack's Pricing Structure
Slack's pricing varies depending on the plan chosen. Their plans include:
- Free: $0
- Pro: $7.25 per user/month (when paid annually)
- Business+: $12.50 per user/month (when paid annually)
These plans come with certain features and limitations, such as 90 days of message history and file storage for the free plan. For large teams, Slack offers an Enterprise Grid plan, with details available upon contacting their sales team.
Limitations of Slack's Freemium Plan
The free plan, while attractive, has significant limitations:
- 90-Day Message History and File Storage: Users can only access the most recent 90 days of messages and files.
- Limited App Integrations: The plan limits users to 10 app integrations, a constraint for those needing more.
- Restricted Calling Options: Only 1-1 video and audio calls are allowed, limiting larger group interactions.
Other drawbacks include the absence of guest accounts and restricted channel sharing with other companies.
Higher Tier Plans
- Pro Plan: At $7.25 per user/month (or $8.75 if paid monthly), it offers extensive integrations, group calls, screen sharing, and more. However, for medium-sized businesses, the costs can escalate quickly.
- Business+ and Enterprise Grid Plans: These plans provide additional features like guaranteed uptime and 24/7 support, but at a higher cost of $12.50 or more per user/month.
The Enterprise plan also includes unlimited workspaces and shared channels.
Strategies to Reduce Slack Costs
While Slack offers a few methods to reduce costs, these are not always effective. Options include limiting the number of users, paying annually, utilizing credits offered by Slack, and seeking discounts for non-profits or educational institutions.
Stork: A Free Alternative
When considering alternatives to Slack, Stork emerges as a compelling option. Unlike Slack, Stork is completely free and offers unlimited message history. It's designed to be user-friendly, affordable, and feature-rich, making it a strong competitor in the team chat app market.
In summary, while Slack offers a range of paid plans with varying features, it can be costly, especially for larger teams. Stork presents a viable, cost-effective alternative with its free offering, addressing some of the limitations found in Slack's free plan.
