Switching from Slack to Microsoft Teams
Slack-to-Teams is the more automated direction of this pair, thanks to Microsoft’s official Slack-to-Teams migration tool — though it’s explicitly limited to public channels.
Why teams switch from Slack to Microsoft Teams
Consolidating chat with an existing Microsoft 365 investment
Companies already licensing Microsoft 365 for email and Office apps often view a second paid chat tool as redundant once Teams is available.
Microsoft provides an official migration tool
Microsoft’s Slack-to-Teams migration tool automates moving public channel messages and files, reducing the manual burden compared to a fully from-scratch rebuild.
Unified identity and compliance controls
Consolidating chat into Teams lets IT manage retention, eDiscovery, and access policies through the same Microsoft compliance center used for email and files.
Switching Cost & Friction Estimator
Estimate the real hidden cost of moving from Slack to Microsoft Teams — not just the subscription price.
How to migrate your data
Microsoft’s official migration tool covers public channels; everything else still needs a manual process.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Run Microsoft’s Slack-to-Teams migration tool | Use Microsoft’s official migration tool to move public channel messages, threads, and files from Slack into corresponding Teams channels. |
| 2. Map channels to teams | Decide how Slack channels map onto Teams’ team-and-channel structure, since Teams organizes channels under teams rather than a flat channel list. |
| 3. Manually handle private channels and DMs | Export what you can from Slack’s private channels and direct messages and manually recreate critical conversations, since the official tool explicitly does not migrate these. |
| 4. Recreate integrations and bots | Rebuild Slack app integrations and bots as their Teams equivalents, since third-party app connections don’t carry over automatically. |
| 5. Reapply channel membership and permissions | Manually add members and set channel permissions in Teams to match who had access to each corresponding Slack channel. |
| 6. Run a parallel period before retiring Slack | Keep Slack accessible in read-only mode for a transition period while teams fully adopt Teams for day-to-day communication. |
Pricing during the transition
Here’s how Slack and Microsoft Teams plans stack up as of late 2026, from free tier to the mid-market plan most switching teams land on.
| Plan | Slack | Microsoft Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free: $0 — 90-day searchable message history limit | Teams Free: $0 — chat, calling, and basic meetings for individuals/small groups |
| Entry paid tier | Pro: around $7.25-8.75/user/month | Teams Essentials: around $4/user/month (billed annually) |
| Mid tier | Business+: around $15-18/user/month, adds SAML SSO and compliance exports | Microsoft 365 Business Basic (bundles Teams + email + 1TB storage): around $7/user/month (billed annually) |
If your organization already licenses Microsoft 365 seats that include Teams, the real savings come from dropping the Slack bill entirely, not from a like-for-like plan comparison.
Feature-parity checklist
Teams bundles chat with calling, meetings, and Microsoft 365 files; Slack remains more focused purely on messaging and third-party integrations.
| Feature | Slack | Microsoft Teams equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Chat + calling + meetings in one app | Chat-focused, calling/meetings via Slack Huddles are lighter-weight | Full chat, calling, and meetings in one app |
| Threading model | Flexible threaded replies within channels | Threaded replies, generally viewed as less flexible than Slack’s |
| Third-party app/bot ecosystem | Very large third-party app marketplace | Growing but smaller marketplace, strong on Microsoft 365 apps |
| External guest/vendor chat | Slack Connect for cross-company channels | External access via Teams guest accounts, more setup involved |
| Bundling with existing software stack | Standalone product, separate billing | Bundled into Microsoft 365 subscriptions |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft’s migration tool move our private Slack channels?
No — it’s explicitly scoped to public channels only, so private channels and direct messages need to be manually exported and recreated if you need to preserve them.
What happens to our Slack DMs?
They aren’t migrated by the official tool at all; if DM history matters for compliance or reference, you’ll need to export Slack data separately (subject to your Slack plan’s export permissions) before cancelling.
Do our Slack bots and workflow automations transfer?
No, custom Slack apps, bots, and Workflow Builder automations need to be rebuilt as Teams equivalents; they don’t have a direct one-click equivalent.
Is Teams’ free tier good enough during a migration pilot?
Teams Free covers basic chat and small meetings, which can work for a small pilot group, but most companies migrate directly onto a paid tier tied to their Microsoft 365 subscription.
How long does migrating public channel history typically take?
It depends on total message and file volume, but Microsoft’s tool is designed for bulk transfer and can typically complete within a day or two for a mid-size organization’s public channels.
Canonical data for the tools on this page
Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page — with the date each figure was last verified.