With Skype set to retire in May, many businesses are on the lookout for a reliable replacement to keep their communication streamlined. Two of the top contenders — Slack and Microsoft Teams — are often at the center of the conversation. Both platforms offer robust messaging, file sharing, and collaboration features, but depending on your company’s size, workflow, and tech stack, one may be better suited than the other.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison across key areas to help your business choose the right fit.

1. Meetings and Video Calls

Teams has native video conferencing built in and supports large-scale meetings, scheduling via Outlook, breakout rooms, and webinar hosting. It's great for hybrid or remote teams that rely heavily on video calls.
Slack, while capable of video and audio calls, is more limited in this area. It integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, and others for more advanced features, but these rely on external tools.

Result:

• Slack depends more on integrations for the same functionality. 
• Teams is stronger for built-in video and meeting features.

2. Pricing and Plans

Slack offers a free tier, which is great for small teams, but it limits access to message history and integrations. Paid plans unlock more features, with prices starting from $7.25/user/month. 
Microsoft Teams is also available for free, but most of its value comes when bundled with Microsoft 365 Business plans (starting at $6/user/month with access to the full suite). For organizations already using Microsoft 365, Teams is essentially free.

Result:

• Slack may be more cost-effective for smaller or newer companies.
• Teams is a clear winner for organizations that are already paying for Microsoft 365.

3. Integration Ecosystem

Slack is known for its wide variety of third-party integrations — over 2,400 apps are available in the Slack App Directory. From Google Drive and Zoom to Trello and Salesforce, it plays well with most popular SaaS tools. If your company already relies on a mix of platforms, Slack offers the flexibility to bring them all into one place.
Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, shines for companies already embedded in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It’s tightly integrated with tools like Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, and OneDrive. If your team spends a lot of time in those apps, Teams can offer a more seamless experience.

Result:

• Choose Slack for broader tool flexibility.
• Choose Teams for a tighter Microsoft integration.

4. Interface

Slack offers a clean, modern interface with minimal clutter. Channels and DMs are clearly separated, and customization options (like sidebar themes and emoji packs) give users a sense of ownership.
Teams integrates more features directly into its sidebar — chat, calendar, files, apps — which can feel overwhelming at first. But for companies using Microsoft 365 daily, it brings everything under one roof.

Result:

• Slack wins for simplicity and ease of use.
• Teams is more functional but takes longer to get used to.

5. Notifications

Slack allows detailed notification controls — per channel, per device, per time zone. You can even customize keywords to get notified when they’re mentioned.
Teams provides notification settings but with fewer granular options. Its integration with Outlook helps streamline alerts, but some users find notifications delayed or inconsistent.

Result:

• Slack offers better control and customization.
• Teams ties in well with Outlook but can feel less responsive.

6. Security

Both platforms take security seriously. Slack provides enterprise-grade encryption, SSO, data loss prevention (DLP), and compliance with SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, and more. 
Teams, backed by Microsoft, offers end-to-end encryption, advanced compliance standards (like HIPAA, GDPR), and robust admin controls, especially in enterprise settings.

Result:

• Slack is secure and reliable for startups to mid-sized businesses.
• Teams is ideal for larger organizations with strict compliance needs.

7. AI Features

Slack recently introduced AI-powered search and summaries (Slack AI), allowing users to recap conversations, threads, and meetings in seconds.
Teams has deep integration with Microsoft Copilot, which pulls data from meetings, chats, and documents across the 365 suite to generate summaries, suggest replies, and assist with task tracking.

Result:

• Slack AI is powerful for internal conversations.
• Teams + Copilot offers a broader AI scope across tools.

8. File Sharing and Collaboration

Both Slack and Teams allow file sharing and in-chat document collaboration, but their approaches differ. Slack is more conversational. Files can be shared easily in channels or direct messages, but long-term file organization and searches can get messy unless managed carefully.
Teams benefits from Microsoft 365’s native file management. Files are automatically stored in SharePoint, making document access and version control more reliable for larger organizations.

Result:

• Slack is great for informal or quick sharing.
• Teams is better for structured file collaboration.

So, if your business is transitioning from Skype and values a clean, customizable user experience, flexible integrations, and an emphasis on messaging, Slack might be your best bet. Meanwhile, if your organization is already using Microsoft tools and needs robust video meeting features, enterprise-level document collaboration, and cost efficiency via bundled tools,  Microsoft Teams could be the smarter choice.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Ultimately, the choice depends on your company’s culture, workflow, and tech preferences. With Skype exiting the stage, now’s the right time to evaluate what works best for your team’s day-to-day communication and long-term productivity.