Teams vs Slack – Which Messaging App is Better ? (Pros Cons)
Teams vs Slack – Which Messaging App is Better ? (Pros Cons). There are two software’s to discuss. The first being the Microsoft Teams platform, which is a cloud based web service. It contains a set of tools and services for teamwork through communication on business, school and private matters. On the other hand, we have competitive software that is also cloud based and has a set of tools and services for team collaboration.
In this article, we discuss in detail what these Internet Services are, also we find out how they work and what they are used for. What’s more, we learn their features, pluses and minuses. Finally, we compare them with each other.
Let’s start with Teams vs Slack – Which Messaging App is Better ? (Pros Cons).
What is Teams ?
Teams is Microsoft`s center cloud primarily based totally unified communications (UC) offering, and it competes with comparable products, along with Slack, Cisco Webex and Google Workspace. As a commercial enterprise communications app, Teams allows people from all over to collaborate on content material in actual time and near actual time throughout specific devices, such as laptops and cell devices.
Additionally Microsoft Teams integrates with different Microsoft commercial enterprise applications, such as Exchange, PowerPoint and SharePoint.
Microsoft Teams Interface
Source Image: dummies
What is more, this communication software is very simple and user friendly. Well, it requires very little configuration. However, before you deploy the platform in your company, you should consider how you want to use it in your business.
Using Microsoft Teams in your Business
There are two main options to consider:
- Controlled approach – This more manageable approach includes mandatory use of Microsoft Teams for certain aspects of the company. Also it includes strict control over who can use it and who can perform specific tasks within it, leading to a phased, enterprise wide rollout plan.
- Organic approach – Companies immediately adopt Microsoft Teams in “all free for all” mode. In this mode, everyone in the company do whatever they want on the platform, and the adoption and use of the Microsoft Teams platform grows organically.
Following, you include all of these approaches or do something in between. What works for your particular business depends on your culture and use cases. Control and configure your communications software directly from the Management Centre.
Features of Teams
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- Collaborate live in real time – Real time presence changes is a pleasant surprise for those annoyed by Teams’ slow pace of presence updates. Particularly impactful for people moving from Skype for Business Online, as the app’s presence changes are very seamless.
Instead of emailing updates one at a time, you chat and work on files in Teams to work with colleagues in real time. Say goodbye to multiple versions of everything.
2. Automatic setup across the suite – When you create a team, Microsoft Teams also creates a shared Office 365 stencil for everything you work on. This includes SharePoint team sites, shared OneNote notebooks, and shared plans.
3. Cyber security – The Teams messaging service is built according to the highest cybersecurity standards, such as ISO 27001 and SSAE16 SOC 1, 2. There’s also integrated mobile device management to help protect your data and vehicle.
More of Cyber security Features
No software prevent all phishing attempts or all malware and ransomware attacks, but Microsoft Teams has improved cyber security in this area. Microsoft Teams uses enterprise multi factor authentication, one time encryption, and data encryption to secure business information. Teams also backs up and stores your data so you don’t lose it in case of a power outage.
5. Instant chats – Chatting is one of the main features of Microsoft Teams. Whether you’re with one person or a group, Chat lets you instantly message your teammates for quick discussions and feedback. Even start a chat with yourself, if you want to draft a message or send a file from one device to another.
6. Seamless office 365 integration – Teams, another Microsoft product, integrates seamlessly with Office 365, so it’s ideal if you’re already using it for your business. All of the most popular Office 365 applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint and Outlook are fully integrated into Microsoft Teams.
7. MS Teams read receipts – Read receipts are now part of private and group chats. Read receipts in private chats notify the sender when the message has been read by the recipient. Read receipts are deployed by default with admin and user level controls.
Pros and cons of Teams
Pros
- Helpful bots – Bots help with tedious, repetitive, mundane tasks and save time. Create your own or use an existing one. Check out the list of all available bots.
- No additional cost for Microsoft 365 users – The extra cost is a stumbling block for some businesses. The good news is, if your company already has a Microsoft 365 license, the Teams features cost nothing. On the other hand, offline chat tools like Slack or Google Hangouts mean extra cost for your organization. And if you don’t need the premium features, you can always use the free version of Teams.
- Its great for storing documents and works brilliantly with Sharepoint.
- It makes it easy to collaborate in meetings.
- Its brilliant as a presentation tool.
- The Teams web function works really well and I sometimes prefer it over the desktop app.
- Voice/video calling as well as share data/files.
Cons
- Too many similar tools – Oddly enough, Microsoft Teams’ biggest stumbling block is the other Microsoft tools. With so many options, people are still confused about which tool to use in which situation. Microsoft needs to educate users about the tools. Take a look at the most popular Microsoft 365 apps in the infographic below.
- Lack of notifications – If you try to create a new team with an existing name, you may end up with more than one team with the same name because you don’t know anything about it. Not only does this create confusion, but it also consumes resources unnecessarily.
- Unnecessary storage consumption – By default, anyone in your organization can create teams. This can result in unnecessary command creation and storage space filling. The good news is that you limit team creation privileges to a set of users, but it requires a bit of manual work. First you need to create a separate security group with the people you want to create commands for and then run some PowerShell commands.
- The chat functions in Teams need some refinement and should give user options to move the Chat function to a more traditional IM style window as well.
- Echoless Support for Multiple device login.
- Stream is a little clunky and not part of the standard enterprise license.
- Sound experience on calls can be improved.
- Hard to tell if someone is actually “away”.
What is Slack ?
Slack is a workplace communication tool with “one place to share messages, tools and files.” In other words, Slack is an instant messaging system with many add ons to other workspace tools. However, you don’t need any extras to use Slack as its main function is to communicate with other people. There are two ways to chat in Slack: channels (group chats) and direct messages or DMs (private chats).
What is the Slack App used for ?
Before tools like Slack came along, most people relied on email for collaboration.
Unfortunately, you can’t be sure when a person will receive an email. There is also a risk that messages may not reach your inbox due to spam filters.
Indeed, Slack solves these problems. Furthermore, Slack allows you to invite team members to join the same channel. Shared channels also mean teams connect with external contractors and freelancers. These external team members must also be using Slack.
Moreover you will always see who’s online in Slack. When your team finds someone to talk to, send them a message. Users can also add context to conversations through images, files, and GIFs.
If you need to take your Slack conversations to the next level, you can schedule video and audio calls.
Features of Slack
Source Image: blog.hubstaff
- Makes remote work easier – Makes it in reality clean for the whole crew to percentage the message, get updates and take the subsequent step with out losing any time.
- Set reminders – additionally gives the characteristic of placing reminders. In Slack, we set reminders to get notifications on any message from any channel (Client or in house) or for any direct message.
- Voice and video call – Through Slack, you make calls for your friends or clients (if they’re on Slack) from everywhere at any time. Just with a click, you may get your meetings finished successfully through sharing your thoughts and display too.
- Apps and integrations – Apps and integration are different functions that assist us in streamlining meetings effortlessly. The slack device permits you to attach your crew with different offerings like Office 365. Clickup, Google, HubSpot, Zoho, Outlook calendar, Asana, Trello, Jira, etc.
Pros and cons of Slack
Pros
- You will download it immediately on your computing device and it has a completely functioning cell app as well.
- This makes it easy to share and collaborate with anyone in real time. Useful, when you need an immediate response to a deadline.
- Your data within the platform is always protected thanks to great security.
- Keeping record of messages / threads.
- Allows us to communicate with team members across the company, anywhere in the world.
- Be up to date about the ongoing project or any other updates.
- Helps manage deals and scheduling.
- Has ability to have multiple channels so you can divide out teams.
Cons
- Should be more clear in how to change notifications.
- Can’t get giphy to work all of the time.
- The huddle option is nice in 1-1 calls, but the huddles in the channels should pop a prompt for confirmation because we might accidentally start a huddle in channels.
- A cheat sheet of available commands (like starting a zoom chat).
- It’s easy for things to get lost in message threads; having the ability to pin is helpful but could be more robust.
Teams vs Slack Comparison
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Both of these communication software have similar features that we compare to make an informed decision.
Collaboration and Storage
Teams
Accordingly with Teams, there is a free plans that give you 10 GB, and paid plans give you up to 1 TB across your organization. Once your video is uploaded to the program, you watch it and receive unlimited messages.
Slack
Generally, free plan allows up to 5GB of storage per team. Paid plans can increase this to 10GB, 20GB, and 1TB for a single user. If a video file is shared by a team member, you must download it before viewing. Also free plan also stores up to 10,000 messages in your message history.
Bots
Teams
Bots like:
- Whobot provides information about meeting attendees and help find people by skill.
- A chatbot provides any information the user requests, such as the weather or word definitions.
- Workbot notifies you of activities that have occurred in integrated applications.
Slack
On the other hand, Slackbot is automatically included in every workspace. Even so, it helps to answer questions about using Slack, set reminders, alerts, and more. Streamline some essential workflows by pairing Slackbot with your integration.
Security
Teams
Microsoft is Tier D compliant. Meaning that it provides the highest level of compliance for all available security services across all products and services. In nutshell, you have the same security for both the free and enterprise plans. For example, Teams also provides a granular level of administrative control that allows admins to:
- File permissions.
- SharePoint permissions.
- Owner permissions.
- Member permissions.
Likewise, it also control data loss prevention (DLP) and manage data applied to chat content and files in Teams.
Slack
Corresponds to the basic certification of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). For instance, you will also request that your Slack workspace be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Available in Enterprise Suite only.
This makes Slack a good choice for companies with security and compliance concerns.
Pricing
Teams
- Teams also has a free plan with limited features.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard starts at $12.50 per user per month (annual subscription).
- Paid plans like Microsoft Teams Essentials start at $4 per user per month (annual subscription).
Slack
- Paid plans like Slack Standard start at $6.67 per user/month.
- The pricing for Slack Enterprise Grid is available on request.
- Slack offers a free plan with limited features.
Video Calls
Teams
This application offers much more for less. Have 100 users in Teams meetings on the free plan and 300 users on the paid plans. Also it records Microsoft Teams calls, and the tool will send you the recording in the chat window for easy sharing.
Slack
The free plan only offers one to one voice and video calls. However, paid plans offer up to 15 simultaneous users per call.
Furthermore, Slack also offers screen sharing for multiple users on a paid plan. You should also integrate Slack with other video conferencing apps so you don’t have to leave the Slack window while you work.
Communication
Teams
For one thing, this communication tool gives users access to a searchable library of GIFs that can be used for messaging. New users can also create their own memes using the sticker option.
Allows advanced formatting options for messages. Users can change:
- Text fonts or variety.
- Colors of selected texts to highlight key words.
Slack
Offers more variety in setting up the user interface for messages. For that reason, the tool lets users set a light or dark theme for their message board and provides sidebar theme customization that complements your theme selection.
For team communication, you can:
- Use group and thread chats.
- Pin, react, edit and delete messages.
Thank you for reading Teams vs Slack – Which Messaging App is Better ? (Pros Cons). We shall conclude.
Teams vs Slack - Which Messaging App is Better ? Conclusion
Both tools have useful features for managing your project management and collaboration needs. Both apps are similar so you decide which one best suits your needs.
Thanks’ for your time. Please take a look at more Project Management content over here.
