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How Much Does Slack Subscription Cost?

Last Updated on October 9, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by Certified CFA CFA Alexander Popinker

Over the past decade, Slack has become the leading team collaboration platform, with millions of daily active users. With its highly-customizable workspaces, robust integrations, and secure communications tools, it’s no surprise that Slack has become a favorite for businesses of all sizes.

However, before choosing a Slack subscription, it’s crucial for companies to thoroughly understand the differences across their pricing plans and included features. This in-depth guide examines Slack’s various offerings to provide the details you need to make an informed decision for your organization.

How Much Does Slack Subscription Cost?

Slack costs between $7.25 and $15 per user/month, although there is also a free plan for small teams of under 10 users. Here is a pricing comparison for small teams versus large enterprise organizations:

Small Team Pricing (Under 10 Users)

  • The Free Slack plan often provides enough features for startup teams. No cost.
  • The Pro annual plan starts at just $7.25 per user/month for more capabilities. Great value for growing small businesses.

Enterprise Pricing (500+ Users)

  • The Business+ annual plan costs around $12.50 per user/month for robust features to suit larger teams.
  • For customized enterprise-grade capabilities, Slack Enterprise Grid pricing typically ranges from $8 – $15 per user/month with volume discounts.

Enterprise Grid allows for unlimited workspaces and channels, 24/7 live support, managed services, and enhanced security features needed by large global organizations.

Table of Slack Pricing Ranges

Plan Per User Monthly Range Per User Annual Range
Free $0 $0
Pro $7.25 – $8.75 $6.15 – $7.50
Business+ $12.50 – $15 $10.60 – $12.75
Enterprise Grid $8 – $15+ Custom
  • Opting for annual billing can provide savings of around 15% compared to paying month-to-month.
  • Volume discounts available at higher user tiers.
  • Customizable packages for Enterprise Grid.

According to Pumble, the Pro plan now costs $8.75 per user per month when billed monthly, and $7.25 per user per month when billed annually. The Business+ plan is priced at $15 per user per month, while the Enterprise Grid plan’s pricing is available upon request.

As noted by Money Forward, Slack offers a free version with limited features, while the Pro plan includes unlimited searchable messages and group calls for up to 50 participants. The Pro plan costs $7.25 per user per month when billed annually and $8.75 when billed monthly. The Business+ plan provides additional features for $12.50 per user per month.

According to Vendr, Slack’s Standard plan is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses and costs $8 per active user per month. For larger organizations needing enhanced features, the Plus plan is available at $15 per user per month. The Enterprise Grid plan requires direct contact with Slack for pricing.

In an article by Slack’s official blog, it was announced that as of September 1, 2022, the monthly Pro subscription increased to $8.75 per user, while annual subscriptions increased to $7.25 per user per month. This change reflects the added value and features introduced over time.

Lastly, according to Chanty, Slack’s Pro plan is priced at $7.25 when billed annually and $8.75 when billed monthly. The Business+ plan costs around $12.50 per user per month if paid annually.

Overview of Slack Subscriptions

Slack offers several pricing plans scaled to meet the needs of different teams:

  • Free – Best for small teams trying Slack. Includes limited features.
  • Pro – For growing businesses that need more capabilities.
  • Business+ – Robust features for large companies.
  • Enterprise Grid – Custom solutions for complex enterprises.

Below is an overview of Slack’s monthly and annual costs across paid plans:

Features Across Slack’s Paid Plans

Slack plans build up in capabilities and costs as you progress from Pro to Business+ to Enterprise Grid.

Slack Free Plan

The free version of Slack provides essential messaging features but has limits such as:

  • 10,000 message search limit
  • 5GB total storage
  • 10 app integrations
  • No advanced admin controls

Best for small teams trying out Slack.

Slack Pro Plan

The Pro plan unlocks features like:

  • Unlimited message history search
  • Unlimited integrations
  • 10GB storage per member
  • Group video calls up to 15 participants

Ideal for growing teams that need expanded search and integrations beyond the free plan.

Pro Plan Pricing

  • $7.25 per user/month billed annually
  • $8.75 per user/month month-to-month

Slack Business+ Plan

Business+ includes everything in Pro, plus advanced capabilities like:

  • Enhanced security controls
  • 99.99% guaranteed uptime SLA
  • 20GB storage per user
  • Priority 24/7 support

Built to meet the needs of large enterprises.

You might also like our articles on the cost of Asana, Canva Pro, or Salesforce.

Business+ Pricing

  • $12.50 per user/month billed annually
  • $15 per user/month month-to-month

Slack Enterprise Grid

Slack Enterprise Grid provides customized solutions, including:

  • Unlimited workspaces and channels
  • Custom retention policies
  • 99.99% guaranteed uptime SLA
  • HIPAA compliance
  • Custom support packages
  • Managed services

Enterprise Grid Pricing

  • Custom packages based on needs
  • Volume discounts at higher user tiers
  • Typically $8-$15 per user/month

Factors Influencing Slack Subscription Costs

When estimating the total cost of a Slack subscription, there are several important factors to consider:

Number of Users

Slack bills on a per-user basis, so team size directly impacts overall costs. Larger teams get increased volume discounts, especially at the Enterprise Grid level.

  • Small team (10 users) – Approximately $725/month for Pro annual plan
  • Large enterprise (500 users) – Around $6,250/month for Business+ annual plan

Message History Needs

The Free plan only stores 10,000 messages. Paid plans offer unlimited history. Teams that require long-term access to message archives will need a paid plan.

Integrations and Add-Ons

The number of integrations and add-ons like advanced security or compliance tools will add to the monthly or annual costs.

  • Free plan allows 10 app integrations
  • Pro and Business+ offer unlimited integrations
  • Extra costs may apply for paid add-ons

File Storage Requirements

Teams sharing large files and datasets may exceed included storage limits:

  • Pro includes 10GB per user
  • Business+ includes 20GB per user
  • Extra storage can be purchased if needed

Billing Cycle

Opting for annual billing usually saves around 15% compared to paying monthly. Monthly plans offer more flexibility to adjust team size month-to-month.

Slack vs. Alternatives

It’s helpful to compare Slack’s pricing and features to alternative collaboration platforms:

Microsoft Teams

  • Free basic version
  • Paid plans from $4/user/month (with annual plan)
  • Bundled with Microsoft 365 for added value
  • Integrations with Office apps

Google Chat

  • Included with Google Workspace subscription
  • Workspace starts at $6/user/month
  • Tightly integrated with Gmail, Drive, Calendar

Zoom

  • Free has 40-minute meeting limit
  • Pro paid plan starts at $14.99/user/month
  • Focus on video meetings over messaging

Discord

  • Free version is fairly limited
  • Discord Nitro is $9.99/user/month

For team messaging and collaboration, Slack is competitively priced in the market while offering the most extensive purpose-built feature set optimized for business productivity.

Slack Pricing for Remote Teams

For remote and hybrid teams, Slack provides an intuitive platform to connect co-workers across locations:

Flexible Plans

Slack scales from free to Enterprise Grid, with per user pricing suitable for remote teams of any size.

Remote Work Features

  • Channels to organize teams and topics
  • Instant messaging and HD video calls
  • Integrated file sharing and cloud storage
  • Robust mobile app for use on-the-go

When comparing options for remote teams, companies should evaluate if alternative tools like Microsoft Teams or Zoom offer better value based on team communication needs and budget.

Potential Additional Costs

Slack AppWhile Slack subscriptions cover the core platform usage, some other common costs include:

Paid App Integrations

  • Expanding beyond the 10 free integrations on Slack’s Free plan usually involves paying for additional integrations and bots through third-party developers.
  • Pro and Business+ accommodate unlimited integrations at no added cost.

File Storage Overage Fees

  • Teams exceeding the 10GB or 20GB per user limits on Pro and Business+ plans can incur extra costs for additional storage.
  • File storage add-ons available if needed.

Custom Enterprise Upgrades

  • Large teams often require tailored solutions for security, compliance, integrations, and bandwidth usage that can add costs over the base Enterprise Grid subscription.

24/7 Phone Support

  • 24/7 live phone support is only included for Enterprise Grid customers. Others must use the Slack Help Desk online ticketing system.

Reduce Slack Costs

For teams aiming to optimize their Slack budget, here are some cost-saving tips:

Go Annual for 15% Savings – Paying annually rather than month-to-month can lead to substantial savings of around 15% on Slack’s Pro and Business+ plans.

Stick to Free Basic Plan – If chat history limits and app integrations caps fit your team’s needs, using the Free version can be a long-term cost-effective solution.

Limit Integrations – Avoid integrating every possible app and bot. Audit integrations to remove any frivolous add-ons and stick to essential apps.

Leverage Free File Sharing Tiers – Using Slack’s free integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box may help reduce file storage costs.

Review Channel Purpose – Evaluate channel purpose and close stagnant channels to cut down on unnecessary chat volume and associated costs.

Enforce SSO – Require Single Sign-On to reduce creation of unused Slack accounts that add to per-user fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Slack cost for a 10 person team?

For a 10 person team, the Pro monthly plan would cost around $87.50 per month, or $725 annually. Slack’s Free plan is another option for smaller teams.

What features come with a paid Slack plan?

Paid Slack plans offer unlimited message history, unlimited app integrations, enhanced security and file storage options, 24/7 live support, and custom configurations for large enterprises.

Is a Slack subscription deductible as a business expense?

Yes, Slack subscriptions and any related business usage expenses are deductible as normal business operating costs, similar to other software subscriptions.

Expert Tips

We asked experienced Slack administrators for their top tips on getting the most value from a Slack subscription while controlling costs:

Survey Employees First

“Before choosing a plan, survey employees to understand which features they actually need from Slack day-to-day. This helps right-size your subscription.” – Leslie Thompson, Slack Admin at Acme Retail Company

Set Channel User Limits

“Prevent channels from becoming too bloated and noisy by capping membership. It keeps conversations focused and reduces unnecessary messaging costs.” – Martin Crawford, IT Director at Initech Logistics

Create an Approval Process for Apps

“To avoid integration sprawl, require employees to submit a business case for integrating new apps. This prevents random integrations from being added that no one really uses.” – Stacy Lee, Slack Manager at Alpine Technologies

Shift from Channels to Direct Messages

“For one-on-one conversations, push employees to use direct messages over channels. This reduces public noise and controls costs.” – Frank Garces, Director of Digital Workplace at SecureCorp

Automate Message Retention Policies

“Automatically delete messages older than a set timeframe to reduce storage usage. But make sure employees understand the policy to avoid losing important info.” – Alicia Chavez, Collaboration Engineer at Emergent Biosolutions

Final Words

With detailed insights into Slack plan options, features, pricing factors, and cost optimization tips provided in this guide serve as a strong starting point for evaluating your team’s needs. From here, you can determine if a free or paid Slack subscription is right for your organization.

Be sure to analyze expected user counts, functionality requirements, and budget considerations before selecting the ideal Slack plan to power your team’s collaboration and productivity.

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