Slack Pricing 2026: $7.25-$15/User Plans + Free Tier Comparison

Slack offers four main pricing tiers in 2026: Free, Pro ($7.25/user/month), Business+ ($12.50/user/month), and Enterprise Grid (custom pricing, typically $15+/user/month).

This guide breaks down each plan's features, limitations, and which tier makes sense for your team size, budget, and compliance needs—especially if you're evaluating Slack for legal, IT, or HR use cases.

Slack Pricing Overview (2026)

Note: Prices are for annual billing (paid upfront). Monthly billing costs ~20% more.

Free Plan: What You Get (and What You Don't)

✅ What's Included

• 90 days of message history: After 90 days, older messages are hidden (but not deleted)
• 10 app integrations: Connect up to 10 third-party apps (e.g., Google Drive, Zoom)
• 1:1 video calls: Built-in voice and video calls for two people
• 5GB total file storage: Shared across the entire workspace
• Unlimited users: No limit on team size

❌ What's Missing

• No access to messages older than 90 days
• Can't export workspace data (admin function)
• No group video calls (only 1:1)
• Limited app integrations (only 10)
• No guest accounts

Who Should Use Free?

• Very small teams (< 10 people)
• Teams testing Slack before committing
• Projects with short lifecycles (< 90 days)

Bottom line: Free is fine for casual use, but the 90-day history limit makes it impractical for businesses that need to reference past conversations.

Pro Plan: $7.25/User/Month

✅ What's Included

• Unlimited message history: Access to all messages, forever
• Unlimited app integrations: Connect as many apps as you want
• Group video calls: Up to 50 people
• 10GB per user file storage: Scales with team size
• Guest accounts: Invite external collaborators
• Workspace-level data export: Admins can export all public channels
• Screen sharing: Built-in

❌ What's Missing

• No SAML SSO (single sign-on)
• No compliance exports (private channels/DMs)
• No advanced security features
• No 99.99% uptime SLA

Who Should Use Pro?

• Small to mid-sized teams (10–100 users)
• Teams that need message history but not advanced compliance
• Startups and SMBs without strict IT requirements

Bottom line: Pro is the sweet spot for most teams. You get unlimited history and integrations without the cost of Business+.

Business+ Plan: $12.50/User/Month

✅ What's Included (Everything in Pro, plus:)

• SAML-based single sign-on (SSO): Integrate with Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin, etc.
• Compliance exports: Export private channels (with user consent)
• Real-time Active Directory sync: Auto-provision/de-provision users
• Data loss prevention (DLP) integrations: Third-party DLP tools
• Corporate exports: Scheduled, automated exports
• 99.99% uptime SLA: Guaranteed availability
• Priority support: Faster response times
• 20GB per user file storage

❌ What's Missing

• No eDiscovery tools (Discovery API)
• No legal hold features
• No multi-workspace management
• Can't export DMs (without Enterprise Grid)

Who Should Use Business+?

• Mid-sized companies (100–500 users)
• Teams with IT security requirements (SSO, DLP)
• Regulated industries (finance, healthcare) needing compliance exports
• Companies using enterprise identity providers

Bottom line: Business+ is for teams that need compliance and security but aren't large enough for Enterprise Grid.

Enterprise Grid: Custom Pricing

✅ What's Included (Everything in Business+, plus:)

• Unlimited workspaces: Manage multiple Slack workspaces under one org
• Discovery API: Export private channels and DMs (for eDiscovery)
• Legal hold: Preserve data that can't be deleted
• Org-wide channels: Cross-workspace channels
• Advanced security: HIPAA, FedRAMP, SOC 2, ISO certifications
• Custom data retention policies: Granular control over message/file retention
• Dedicated account manager: White-glove support
• Unlimited file storage (with caveats)

❌ Limitations

• Expensive: Typically $15–25/user/month (or more)
• Complex setup: Requires IT resources
• Minimum user count: Usually 500+ users (though exceptions exist)

Who Should Use Enterprise Grid?

• Large organizations (500+ users)
• Companies with strict legal/compliance requirements
• Multi-office or multi-subsidiary organizations
• Teams needing eDiscovery or legal hold capabilities

Bottom line: Enterprise Grid is for large, complex organizations with strict security, compliance, and legal needs.

Feature Comparison Table

Annual vs. Monthly Billing

Slack offers two billing options:

• Annual billing: Pay for the year upfront, get ~20% discount
• Monthly billing: Pay month-to-month, but at a higher per-user rate

Bottom line: If you're confident you'll use Slack for a year, annual billing is a no-brainer.

Hidden Costs to Consider

1. User Count Changes

Slack bills per active user. If you add/remove users mid-cycle:

• Adding users: Prorated charge
• Removing users: Credit applied to next invoice (but no refunds)

2. Overage Charges

File storage limits are soft caps on Pro/Business+. Slack may charge overage fees if you exceed limits significantly.

3. Third-Party App Costs

Many Slack apps (e.g., Zoom, Asana, Salesforce) charge separately. Budget for these.

4. eDiscovery Tools

If you need to export and search Slack data (e.g., for legal holds), you'll likely need tools like ViewExport (free trial to start).

Which Plan Should You Choose?

Choose Free if:

• You're a tiny team (< 10 people)
• You're just testing Slack
• You don't need message history > 90 days

Choose Pro if:

• You're a small to mid-sized team (10–100 users)
• You need unlimited message history
• You don't have strict compliance requirements

Choose Business+ if:

• You need SAML SSO
• You're in a regulated industry (finance, healthcare)
• You need compliance exports
• You want a 99.99% uptime SLA

Choose Enterprise Grid if:

• You're a large organization (500+ users)
• You need eDiscovery or legal hold capabilities
• You manage multiple workspaces
• You require HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance

Slack vs. Competitors (Pricing)

Bottom line: Slack is more expensive than Teams/Google Chat but offers better UX and integrations. For compliance-heavy use cases, consider the full cost (Slack + eDiscovery tools).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I mix and match plans?

No. All users in a workspace must be on the same plan.

Do I get a discount for nonprofits/education?

Yes. Slack offers 85% discounts for nonprofits and education. Apply here.

What happens if I downgrade?

• Pro → Free: Messages older than 90 days are hidden (not deleted)
• Business+ → Pro: Lose SSO, compliance exports, SLA

Can I export my data if I cancel?

Yes, if you're on Pro or higher. Free plans can't export data.

Is there a trial for paid plans?

Not officially, but Slack often offers "free trial" promotions. Check with sales.

Final Recommendations

• Startups/SMBs: Start with Pro
• Regulated industries: Go straight to Business+
• Large enterprises: Enterprise Grid (but budget for it)
• Testing Slack: Free is fine, but plan to upgrade once you hit 90 days

Need Help Managing Slack Data?

If you're on Business+ or Enterprise Grid and need to export, search, or review Slack data for compliance or legal reasons, check out ViewExport.

What ViewExport does:

• Search Slack exports (JSON) instantly
• Export to PDF, CSV, HTML
• Support for eDiscovery and legal holds
• Free trial to start

👉 Try ViewExport free

Conclusion

Slack's 2026 pricing is straightforward: Free for testing, Pro ($7.25/user/month) for most teams, Business+ ($12.50/user/month) for compliance, and Enterprise Grid (custom) for large orgs.

Key takeaways:

• Free is limited by 90-day history
• Pro is the sweet spot for most teams
• Business+ adds SSO and compliance exports
• Enterprise Grid is for 500+ users with strict legal/compliance needs

If you need help exporting or searching Slack data, contact us or try ViewExport free.