Slack
Channel-based team chat from Salesforce, with a free plan, AI summaries, Slackbot and an official MCP server.
From $8.75/user/mo Free tier MCP server API
Bottom line
Slack is the channel-based chat app many companies already run their day on. There is a free plan, Pro is $8.75 per user a month and Business+ is $18, billed monthly, with about 16% off on annual billing. As internal communications software it suits desk teams talking in real time; it is not an intranet or a company newsfeed.
Stands out for: It is the chat app most other workplace tools already connect to, and Slack runs its own MCP server, so an AI assistant can search channels, read threads and post messages for you with your existing permissions.
Watch out for: Slack is built for conversation more than broadcast: there is no intranet or company newsfeed, and channel posting controls beyond #general need Business+. The free plan keeps only 90 days of history, and AI search and Slackbot also need Business+.
Overview
Slack is a messaging app for work, owned by Salesforce. Conversations happen in channels organised by team, project or topic, alongside direct messages, huddles for audio and video, clips, canvases, lists and Slack Connect for talking with people outside the company.
For internal communications it is usually the everyday chat layer rather than the place for formal company news. Admins can restrict who posts in a channel so it works as an announcement feed, but on Free and Pro that control covers only #general; Business+ and Enterprise+ allow posting permissions in any channel. Slack Frontline is sold as an add-on.
The free plan keeps 90 days of message history and up to 10 app integrations. Pro costs $8.75 per user a month billed monthly and adds unlimited history, AI thread summaries, group huddles and unlimited workflow automation. Business+ costs $18 per user a month and adds AI search, daily recaps, file summaries, Slackbot, SAML single sign-on and SCIM user management. Annual billing saves about 16%, and Enterprise+ is quoted by sales.
Slack runs an official MCP server, generally available since February 2026, so AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor can search messages, read channels and post on a user's behalf. The Slack Web API and Workflow Builder cover custom integrations and automation.
Who it's for
Best for
- Desk-based teams that talk in real time
- Companies that want other comms tools to post into one chat app
- Teams connecting AI assistants to their workspace
Not ideal for
- Comms teams that need a branded intranet and newsletters
- Frontline-heavy workforces that want a mobile-first comms app out of the box
- Companies standardised on Microsoft 365 and Teams
Key features
Channels, DMs and huddles. Conversations sit in channels by team, project or topic, with direct messages, audio and video huddles, clips, canvases and lists in the same place.
Posting permissions for announcements. Admins can limit who posts in a channel so it works as an announcement feed. On Free and Pro this covers only #general; Business+ and Enterprise+ allow it in any channel.
Workflow Builder automation. Build no-code workflows with custom steps and conditional branching, and on Business+ describe a workflow in plain words and let AI build it.
Official MCP server for AI assistants. Slack hosts its own MCP server, so Claude, Cursor and other assistants can search messages, read channels and post with the user's permissions.
AI features
| What the AI does | Plan |
|---|---|
| Thread and channel summaries, plus huddle notes | Pro |
| AI search, daily recaps and file summaries | Business+ |
| Slackbot, a personal AI agent for work | Business+ |
| AI workflow generation in Workflow Builder | Business+ |
Only features named in the vendor's own documentation. Anything sold separately is marked as an add-on.
MCP server
https://mcp.slack.com/mcp
First-party MCP at mcp.slack.com. https://mcp.slack.com/mcp.
Setup steps and live status MCP Directory Check your stack in the MCP readiness checker
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 90-day history, up to 10 app integrations |
| Pro | $8.75/user/mo | Billed monthly; unlimited history, AI thread summaries |
| Business+ | $18/user/mo | Billed monthly; AI search, Slackbot, SSO, SCIM |
| Enterprise+ | Quote | Contact sales |
Slack has a free plan with 90 days of message history and up to 10 app integrations. Pro is $8.75 per user per month billed monthly and adds unlimited history and AI thread summaries. Business+ is $18 per user per month billed monthly and adds AI search, Slackbot, SAML single sign-on and SCIM. Annual billing saves about 16% on both. Enterprise+ is quoted by sales. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 22 Oct 2026. Vendors change prices without notice.
Is Slack expensive?
Slack starts at $8.75/user/mo. We list 19 internal communications tools in total. 2 have a free tier, and those with a public price typically start around $10 a month.
- 15 quote-based
- 2 free tier
- 5 public price
Worked out automatically from every internal communications listing, so it updates as the directory changes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free plan with no time limit
- Official MCP server for AI assistants
- Large app marketplace and Workflow Builder
Cons
- Free plan keeps only 90 days of history
- AI search and Slackbot need Business+
- No intranet or company newsfeed
Integrations
Salesforce Google Drive Google Calendar Microsoft Outlook Zoom Asana Jira GitHub
What's new at Slack
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How Slack compares
See all Slack alternatives, with what each one does differently and a head to head for every pairing.
| Tool | Free tier | From | MCP | API | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slack (this tool) | ✓ | $8.75/user/mo | ✓ | ✓ | |
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | – | Compare |
| | – | $3.75/user/mo | – | – | Compare |
| | ✓ | $29/mo | – | ✓ | Compare |
Sales-quoted
Workvivo is a social intranet with a company newsfeed and employee experience features, built for broadcast and engagement rather than day-to-day chat.
$3.75/user/mo
Blink is a mobile-first frontline app with news, tasks and chat, cheaper per user (Core from $3.75) and built for staff without a desk.
$29/mo Free tier API
Connecteam bundles chat with scheduling, time clock and HR tasks for deskless teams, where Slack is chat and automation only.
Your next step
Shortlisting Slack?
Still deciding? Ask an AI assistant about Slack.
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