When it comes to workplace communication and collaboration, Slack and Workplace (by Meta) have stood out as popular tools.   

Workplace offered a Facebook-like experience for organizations, bringing feeds, groups, and live video into office communication.   

Slack, on the other hand, has evolved into a robust messaging and collaboration platform with channels, integrations, workflow automations, and enterprise-grade security, making it one of the most widely adopted tools today.  

In this article, we compare their features, strengths, and drawbacks. For readers short on time, here’s a quick comparison table and summary verdict before diving deeper.  

Workplace Vs Slack At A Glance

Feature  Workplace  Slack 
Calling & Messaging   Chat + Rooms with audio/video  Channels, DMs, Huddles, calls + screen sharing 
Tasks & Workflow   Basic task posts, light tracking  Lists, reminders, rich integrations (Asana, Trello, Jira) 
Customer Support   Admin-focused help, tickets  Help Center, tickets, developer support 
Collaboration   Groups, News Feed, Live Video  Channels, threads, Slack Connect, integrations 
Security   Meta infrastructure, SSO, admin tools  Encryption, EKM, audit logs, SOC/ISO certified 
Notifications   Group and push notification settings  Per-channel, per-device, keyword alerts, schedules 
Reporting & Analytics   Group/post engagement data  Analytics dashboard, marketplace apps 

Workplace Overview

Workplace (formerly “Workplace by Facebook”) is a business communication and collaboration platform developed by Meta. It aims to bring features familiar from social media, such as news feeds, groups, and messaging, into a professional context for teams and organizations. Users can post updates, host live video broadcasts, and chat one-on-one or in groups.  

One major development to note: as of September 1, 2025, the Workplace has entered read-only mode, meaning no new content can be created. All Workplace instances are scheduled for deletion by May 31, 2026. 

Workplace Pros and Cons 

Pros   Cons  
  • Strong security measures protect corporate data while ensuring privacy and compliance 
  • Consolidates chat and video, minimizing the need for multiple platforms 
  • Familiar social media features boost user interaction and foster a strong sense of community 
  • The social media-like interface may reduce productivity if not managed effectively 
  • Offers fewer personalization options compared to some enterprise tools 

Slack Overview

Slack is a cloud-based collaboration and communication platform built for teams of all sizes. Acquired by Salesforce, Slack offers channels, direct messaging, file sharing, voice/video calls, workflow automations, and integrations with thousands of third-party apps.   

Its design centers on replacing siloed email threads with real-time and asynchronous conversations organized around specific topics, projects, or teams. Over time, Slack has added features such as Slack AI (for summarization, note-taking, and more) and improved enterprise search capabilities.   

Slack Pros and Cons  

Pros   Cons  
  • Flexible alerts help prevent information overload by prioritizing critical messages 
  • User-friendly interface and robust features encourage teamwork and innovation 
  • Available on desktop and mobile, ensuring teams stay connected from anywhere 
  • New users may struggle with Slack’s settings, making onboarding and training important 
  • Video call capacity is restricted, often requiring other platforms for larger meetings 

Calling and Messaging Capabilities

Workplace offers Workplace Chat, which supports text messaging, group chat, and both audio and video calling (one-on-one and group). You can start a “Room” for an audio or video call directly from chat. It offers an interface that mirrors the familiar look of Facebook, making navigation simple with features like News Feed and Groups that function much like typical social media interactions.

Slack’s calling and messaging system is more modular and richer in features. It supports direct messages (1:1 or group) and channel-based messaging. Additionally, it offers ‘Huddles’ that are lightweight audio (and optionally video) sessions within channels or DMs.

Winner: Winner: Slack takes the lead in this section as it offers more robust calling and messaging capabilities.

Tasks And Workflow Management

In Workplace, you can create Plans within a conversation or add events to your calendar, however, these aren’t true task management tools. Actual task functionality is only available through third-party apps, and only on the paid plan.

Slack has evolved to include task and workflow management features more robustly. Slack offers Lists, a built-in tool that lets teams capture tasks, assign owners, set due dates, and structure work right where conversations happen. It also supports integrations with specialized task or project tools (like Asana, Trello, Jira, etc.) , enabling users to create, assign, and update tasks without leaving Slack.

Winner: Slack clearly wins when it comes to tasks and workflow management. Its lists feature and rich integrations give teams a more structured and scalable way to manage work.

Customer Support

Workplace provides a structured support system aimed especially at administrators and organization managers. Admins can raise support tickets, request phone support, and export support tickets to CSV format for tracking. Workplace Help Center serves as the main hub for documentation, FAQs, guidance articles, and troubleshooting resources.

Slack offers a layered customer support model combining self-service resources with direct contact options. The Help Center hosts extensive documentation, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides. Users can create support requests via a “Contact Us” interface when logged in, enabling direct communication with Slack’s support team.

Winner: M This section ends with a draw as both software offers structured support to the customers.

Collaboration Functionality

Workplace (by Meta) is built to foster social collaboration inside organizations. Its core model revolves around groups, news feed, posts, reactions, and live video. Through groups, teams can share updates, files, documents, and engage in structured discussion threads. It uses familiar social media features to foster an engaging space where employees can collaborate in real time, share updates, and interact seamlessly.

Slack’s collaboration framework is centered around channels, threads, and integrations. Each project, topic, or team typically gets its own channel, which keeps related conversations consolidated. Users can reply in threads (so side discussions don’t clutter the main channel) and use reactions, emoji replies, and @mentions to direct attention or give feedback.

Winner: Slack takes the lead in the collaboration functionality, offering more advanced features for team communication.

Ease Of Use And UI

Workplace by Facebook mirrors Facebook’s interface, making it intuitive and easy to use with little to no training required. Its social media–like design creates a community-focused experience that encourages interaction.

Slack, on the other hand, is built for efficiency. With customizable themes and a productivity-driven layout, it allows users to tailor their workspace for streamlined workflows.

Winner: This section ends with a tie. Both platforms are user-friendly, but their focus differs: Workplace emphasizes social connection and community, while Slack prioritizes functionality and efficiency.

Security

Workplace is built on Meta’s infrastructure, which inherits ‘world-class security, infrastructure, and features’ intended to protect organizational data. It also offers administrative controls like security logs, monitoring dashboards, role-based permissions, and governance tools for admins to manage, delete, or recover data.

Slack emphasizes a defense-in-depth security model, protecting data at every layer. It encrypts data in transit (e. g. , via TLS) and at rest and offers Enterprise Key Management (EKM) for organizations needing more control over encryption keys. Additionally, it also supports identity and device management features: single sign-on (SSO), domain claiming, and integration with enterprise mobility management (EMM) to ensure only authorized devices access the workspace.

Winner: Slack holds the clear advantage in security and compliance. Its encryption, governance, identity controls, auditability, and compliance certifications offer a more robust and transparent security posture.

Notifications

Workplace lets users tailor what notifications they receive and how (email, push, group, event) so they stay updated without being overwhelmed. Users can turn push notifications on or off via mobile settings, mute group chat notifications, enable Do Not Disturb mode, and set priority notifications for certain groups.

Slack offers a rich, flexible notification system so users only get alerts for messages they care about. You can choose whether to be notified for all messages, direct messages, mentions & keywords, or nothing. Slack also supports keyword alerts (so if a topic you care about is mentioned anywhere, you’ll be notified), and you can mute entire channels or customize notification behavior per channel.

Winner: Slack wins in the notifications category. Its granular controls—per channel, per device, keyword alerts, and customizable schedules—allow users to fine-tune what they see and when.

Reporting And Analytics Capabilities

Workplace’s reporting and analytics capacity is less about detailed internal engagement metrics and more broadly tied to “workplace analytics” solutions—especially in contexts where organizations are tracking behavior, collaboration patterns, and employee sentiment.

Slack provides a more direct and practical analytics infrastructure embedded in the platform. A Slack analytics dashboard allows workspace admins (and, depending on permissions, members) to view metrics such as active users, messages sent, channel usage patterns, app integrations, and feature utilization.

Winner:

Workplace Vs Slack Pricing Comparison

Workplace  offers a ‘Core’ plan is priced at $4/user/month. Charges apply to all employees in your community, regardless of whether they sign in with a corporate email domain.  

Slack offers the following pricing plans: 

  • Free - $0 (Free forever) 
  • Pro - $8.75/user/month 
  • Business+ - $18/user/month 
  • Enterprise+ - Custom pricing 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.  

Who Is Workplace Best For?

Workplace was originally best suited for large organizations and enterprises that wanted a familiar, social-media-style interface for internal communication. Companies with a strong focus on engagement, culture building, and cross-team updates benefited most, since its feed, groups, and live video features mirrored consumer platforms that employees were already comfortable using. It worked well for firms seeking a quick-to-adopt solution without steep training requirements.  

Who Is Slack Best For?

Slack is best suited for small to large teams that prioritize structured, real-time communication, cross-functional collaboration, and integration with existing workflows. Startups, SMBs, and enterprises alike benefit from its scalable channel/thread model and the ability to integrate with thousands of third-party tools. It also fits well for organizations that collaborate externally, thanks to Slack Connect.  

Its flexibility makes it a strong choice for industries ranging from tech and creative teams to healthcare, finance, and education, especially where quick decision-making, organized communication, and workflow automation are critical.  

Which One May Suit Your Needs Better?

Choosing between Workplace and Slack largely depends on what your organization values most in a collaboration platform.  

Workplace  was once a good fit for enterprises seeking a familiar, social-style interface to boost engagement and foster company culture through feeds, groups, and live video. However, with its impending discontinuation in 2026, Workplace is no longer a sustainable long-term option. Businesses currently using it will need to migrate sooner rather than later.  

Slack , on the other hand, is a future-proof solution designed for both small and large teams. Its channel-based structure, integrations, workflow automation, analytics, and enterprise security make it a reliable choice for organizations that want organized, scalable communication. Slack is particularly strong for teams that juggle multiple projects, rely on external collaboration, or need visibility into how their communication tools are being used.   

What Are The Alternatives?

Not every organization will find Workplace or Slack to be the perfect fit. Whether it’s because of Workplace’s upcoming shutdown or Slack’s pricing and complexity, there are several strong alternatives worth considering.  

Alternatives To Workplace 

Since Workplace is being discontinued by May 2026, organizations should prioritize migration. Here are some popular alternatives: 

  • Microsoft Teams: Offers deep integration with Microsoft 365, video conferencing, chat, and enterprise-grade collaboration 
  • Viva Engage: Provide integration with Gmail, Docs, and Meet for seamless collaboration across Google Workspace 
  • Mattermost:   Open-source alternative with strong security and customization for technical teams 

Alternatives To Slack  

If Slack’s pricing or features don’t fully match your organization’s needs, these platforms provide strong communication and collaboration capabilities: 

  • Discord : Popular among startups and communities for voice, video, and text channels 
  • Zoho Cliq : Affordable tool with chat, video, and integrations within Zoho’s ecosystem 
  • Google Chat And Spaces : Great for organizations already invested in Google Workspace