Microsoft Teams Vs. Slack: Which collaboration app is better for your hybrid team?

The stakes couldn't be higher as the last few years made clear that remote and hybrid are the future of business collaboration. In a digital-first hybrid-remote workplace, team engagement has never been more critical. Team lunches, happy hours, offsite events, and other opportunities to get to know colleagues are few and far between — if not replaced by video conferences. Teams juggling multiple projects and competing priorities can feel overwhelming and exhausting.

Collaboration software is a must-have in today's business environment, with Microsoft Teams and Slack the two leading options for the enterprise. Both apps have been among the top competitors in the collaboration tool space for some time. They have been battling for the top place among convenient, simple, and flexible tools for conferencing and chat ever since Microsoft announced Teams.

Slack introduces us to a new age of innovative communication and meetings as one of the earliest companies. The solution, based largely on file sharing and chats, makes teams connected quickly and easily. Integrations with innovative tools make Slack a force to be reckoned with.

On the other hand, Microsoft Teams is a powerful all-in-one tool, offering everything from chat and video conferencing to business telephony. Microsoft Teams ensures companies can be built a cloud-based environment ready for the age of hybrid work. Let's take a closer look at which one is a better choice for your hybrid-remote team.

User Experience

Both Slack and Microsoft Teams are built for exceptional ease of use, making them top choices for companies transitioning into the new age of hybrid work. The Microsoft Teams application is organized into tabs, where you can find things like Chat, Activity, Teams, Messages, and Files. It enables access to unique engagement features for training and even improves workforce satisfaction with Microsoft Viva.

Microsoft Teams works seamlessly with the rest of the Microsoft productivity ecosystem. You can arrange meetings and remind people over email when it's time to join a discussion through your Outlook. It is designed to align with and enhance your existing communication, allowing companies to select preferred data center locations and business phone providers they want to use.

One of the most straightforward tools for collaboration in the modern market is Slack. With an intelligent search function, you can easily find the files you need and start a new conversation or channel. Adding integrations to Slack is fast and simple, making it a top choice for extensibility.

Features

Many Slack and Microsoft Teams features are the same. You can share screens and files on both services, access voice calling and video, and set up private or group chats. Slack and Microsoft Teams also integrate with a wide range of essential apps, which help companies create a single pane of glass for work.

As already said, Microsoft Teams is more of an all-in-one experience, with phone support and access to the entire Microsoft Office productivity suite. Slack, on the contrary, doesn't have direct phone support, but through Shared Channels, it can allow for external communication between companies.

While Microsoft Teams has been gaining steam as an all-in-one solution for modern teams, Slack continues to focus on asynchronous chat and simple messaging. The integrated Culturate solutions could become a crucial tool for managing workflows among hybrid teams in the future of work, which applies to both collaboration apps.

Messaging

One of the most popular forms of asynchronous communication is messaging in the current landscape, especially among professionals in the hybrid workspace. When an audio or video call isn't possible, a quick message with access to links, files, and information sharing can be highly convenient.

Both collaboration apps, Microsoft Teams, and Slack, offer messaging functionality, with a wide range of overlapping features, like a public or private channel. Slack came first with the unique "Shared channels" feature, which allows team members to communicate securely with employees from another organization. Microsoft Teams launched its own Shared Channels experience via Microsoft Teams "Connect."

Communicating via chat on Teams makes Microsoft as streamlined and simple as possible, with threaded messages, @mentions, and the option to format your messages however you desire. You can add gifs and emojis to your conversations and drag-and-drop files direct from your computer into a thread to improve engagement.

Chat on Slack is fast and convenient, with intelligent search functionality, threaded messages, and various ways to enhance your conversations through formatting.

Integration

Microsoft Teams and Slack have no shortage of ways to protect your employees and expand your collaboration ecosystem. Both options come with various integrations you can use to improve collaboration and manage your teams. There are over 600 integrations you can form in the Microsoft app store, with different leading and connection tools like Trello, ClickUp, and Asana.

With over 800 integrations available, Slack is compatible with many leading services like Zoom and even Microsoft tools like Outlook Calendar and Teams Calls.

Both tools are excellent at delivering compliance and peace of mind, which concerns security. Microsoft Teams is ISO 27001 compliant, just like Slack. You also get multiple options for controlling who has access to what information and end-to-end encryption on both platforms. Microsoft is slightly more advanced with security, thanks to Microsoft SharePoint encryption, HIPAA compliance, and Cloud Security Alliance certifications.

Slack vs. Microsoft Teams: So, which is Best?

Microsoft Teams and Slack will help companies connect and collaborate in the era of remote and hybrid work. While Slack seems more like a tool dedicated to fast and convenient message-based chat, Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive solution equipped with unique tools and various IP calling options. Slack is perfect for beginners in collaboration and is likely to be a top choice for salespeople. Microsoft Teams may offer a slightly more advanced environment for communications.

Culturate solutions for hybrid teams provide integration to both Slack and Microsoft teams. Build a stronger hybrid culture with the additional integration to Google Calendar and create public hangouts, promote employee well-being, give positive feedback and recognition, stimulate in-office and online encounters and increase transparency and inclusiveness for the entire hybrid team. Sign up for a free 14-day demo here.

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