Slack

I also tried Microsoft Teams and a couple of simpler chat tools. Slack felt more flexible and quicker to adapt to for everyday use.

I still use the other products but vary a lot of the situation. Lark is more of a super app that also includes gmeet/zoom and notion - used a lot more in Chinese companies. Teams is still heavily used in consulting / f500 companies. Discord is used more for gaming / community management for crypto and ai startups. Webex and Mattermost are more niches now.

Slack remains one of the leading team communication tools, and for good reason. Its clean interface, speed, and extensive integration capabilities make it a fantastic option for organizations looking to enhance their collaboration. I’ve found it particularly effective for real-time messaging and file sharing, and the ability to connect seamlessly with third-party apps like Google Drive, Notion, and Zoom is a major plus. It was beneficial when we were developing Taskosaur, as the search function and workflow automation features significantly streamlined collaboration across our departments. However, there are some drawbacks to consider. For larger teams, Slack can quickly become noisy and overwhelming if channels aren’t organized effectively. This can lead to important messages getting lost in the shuffle, which happened with us. Furthermore, I think the pricing is a bit steep for startups, which might limit its accessibility for smaller companies. Lastly, Slack's heavy reliance on internet connectivity can be a downside in low-bandwidth situations, making it less than ideal in those circumstances. Overall, while Slack is a powerful communication tool, it does have its limitations that teams should be mindful of.

Slack gives you excellent real-time teamwork: fast channels/threads, solid search, and deep integrations (GitHub/Jira/PagerDuty) plus huddles for quick calls. Downsides: notification noise, fragmented decisions in threads, and higher costs if you need long message retention or multiple workspaces. Versus others: Teams wins on M365/meetings, Discord is cheaper for voice, email/docs are better for decisions. Verdict: great for day-to-day coordination. Pair it with an issue tracker and a doc hub, and enforce channel hygiene.

We use Slack because it's kind of the middle ground between Google Chat and Microsoft Teams, which both are not that great. Slack is a good messenger tool. If you use it just as a chat, trying to integrate anything else into it, and/or trying to juggle multiple workspaces, or get people onboarded who have never used it before is a bit challenging. I think Slack was better before they tried to add all of the features that all of the other tools most companies already use. It feels less polished, kind of clunky, and difficult to navigate. Conversation threads, lose messages and get buried if you get too many messages in a day. We use it because there's nothing else really. Would love to see a Slack Lite with just messaging and no other features.

Slack has truly transformed the way teams communicate and collaborate. It's more than just a messaging app — it brings structure, clarity, and efficiency to workplace conversations. The real-time messaging, file sharing, integration with tools like Google Drive, Trello, and GitHub, and the ability to create dedicated channels for projects or teams make it a powerful platform for productivity. I especially appreciate: Clean and intuitive UI: It’s easy to navigate and customize. Search functionality: Finding past messages or shared documents is a breeze. Threaded conversations: Helps keep discussions organized and on-topic. Notifications control: You can fine-tune what alerts you get, which is a blessing. That said, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming in very active workspaces, especially with lots of channels and constant messages. But with proper settings and etiquette, it remains one of the best collaboration tools out there.

✅ Strengths Real-Time Collaboration – Still unmatched for instant messaging, threaded discussions, and quick file sharing. Integration Ecosystem – Works seamlessly with Google Drive, Zoom, Trello, GitHub, Salesforce, and 2,500+ other apps (critical for workflows). Channel-Based Organization – Great for project-based teams, departments, or topic-focused discussions. Search & Archive – Powerful message history and file retrieval (if you pay for plans). AI & Automation (2025 Updates) – Now includes: Slack AI (summarize threads, smart replies) Workflow Builder (no-code automations) ❌ Weaknesses Cost – Free plan is limited (10k message history, no SSO). Paid plans can get expensive for large teams. Notification Overload – Can become noisy without proper channel discipline (muting is a must). Not Ideal for Long-Form Docs – Loses to Notion, Confluence, or Coda for structured knowledge. Competition Heating Up – Alternatives like Microsoft Teams (deep Office 365 ties) and Discord (for some startups) are strong rivals.

Slack is a highly effective communication platform, especially for teams and organizations that need to stay connected and collaborate in real time. It combines messaging, file sharing, and integration with tools like Google Drive, Zoom, and Trello, making it ideal for remote or hybrid work environments. Its organized channel structure helps reduce email clutter, while features like threads, mentions, and bots enhance productivity. However, for some teams, constant notifications can be overwhelming, so it works best when used with clear communication guidelines.

I can’t imagine remote work without Slack. It’s basically the central hub for our team’s communication. Threads, integrations, and reminders — it covers everything without relying on endless email chains. The integrations with tools like Notion, GitHub, and Google Calendar work really well. I especially appreciate how flexible the notification settings are. The only downside is that it can get noisy if your team doesn’t manage channels carefully — but that’s more of a team habit issue than a platform flaw. For fast-paced collaboration and transparency, Slack remains essential.

The ability to integrate other applications like Google Docs and Trello directly into the platform also enhances productivity and reduces the need to switch between different apps, improving our workflow. The search functionality, which allows past conversations and shared files to be easily found, is also incredibly useful. However, Slack may require a bit of a learning curve for those who are new to collaboration tools, and the mobile version could use some improvements in terms of performance.