Slack vs Google Chat is a choice between a dedicated chat platform and the chat built into Google Workspace. Slack has a free plan (90 days of message history, up to ten apps) and paid plans with unlimited history and over 2,600 apps. Google Chat sits inside Gmail and comes with Google Workspace plans, so if your team already lives in Gmail, Docs and Drive, it's the simpler fit.
Slack and Google Chat compared
| Slack | Google Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Its own app, on desktop, web and mobile | Inside Gmail or the Google Chat app |
| Free option | Free forever plan with 90 days of message history | Works with a personal Google account; teams use it through Google Workspace |
| Paid plans | Pro and Business+, priced per user | Included in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans |
| Message history | Unlimited on paid plans | Can be on, or off with messages deleted after 24 hours |
| Apps | Up to ten on Free; over 2,600 in the App Directory on paid plans | Apps added from Google's catalogue, subject to your admin |
| Calls | Huddles: 1:1 on Free, group meetings on paid plans | Google Meet, from 100 participants on Business Starter |
As of October 2026, Slack's pricing page lists Pro at US$7.25 per user a month paid annually or US$8.75 paid monthly, and Business+ at US$15 per user a month paid annually or US$18 monthly, with a limited-time discount for new teams. Google Workspace prices vary by country, so check the page in your currency.
Slack's 90 day free limit
Slack's free plan is free forever, but you can only view and search messages and files from the last 90 days. When you hit that limit, Slack starts hiding older messages and files to make room for new ones. Since 26 August 2024, Slack says data such as messages and file history older than one year may be deleted on a rolling basis from free workspaces. So anything important said in Slack Free needs to live somewhere else too.
The free plan also caps you at ten third-party or custom apps, and the free version can restrict you from sending too many messages or files in a short time.
How Google Chat handles history
Google Chat lets people turn history off in a conversation, in which case messages are deleted automatically after 24 hours. With a personal account, you choose. With a work or school account, your organisation decides whether you can use the setting. In spaces, history is always on in spaces grouped by topic and on by default in spaces with in-line threading. When history is on, people added to a space can see messages from before they joined.
Deleting a space is final: Google says you can't recover it, and all messages and tasks in it are deleted, although the Drive files shared there aren't.
What Slack does well
- A huge app library. Over 2,600 apps in the Slack App Directory, from Salesforce and Jira to Google Drive and ChatGPT.
- Working with outside companies. Slack Connect: 1:1 external messages on Free, and channels with up to 250 organisations on paid plans.
- AI built in. Paid plans list AI conversation summaries, meeting summaries with action items and Slackbot as a personal AI agent.
What Google Chat does well
- One less app. Chat opens from the left side of Gmail, so your team doesn't need another tool open.
- It comes with Workspace. The same plan covers business email, Drive storage (30 GB per user pooled on Business Starter) and Meet.
- Gemini across the suite. Workspace plans include Gemini in Gmail and chat with Gemini AI.
Four checks before you pick
- Is your team already paying for Google Workspace? If so, Chat is already there.
- Do you need more than 90 days of searchable history without paying?
- How many outside clients or freelancers will you chat with?
- Which tools must plug in, and are they in each app's catalogue?
New to Google's option? Here's how to use Google Chat, and if you're weighing more options, our round-up of collaboration tools for teams covers the wider field.
Do you make team chat or collaboration software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
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Slack or Google Chat: my take
If you already pay for Google Workspace, start with Google Chat and only move if you hit a wall, such as a client who works in Slack or an integration Chat doesn't have. If you're starting fresh and work with lots of outside people, Slack's worth it, but don't run the business on the free plan: 90 days of history is shorter than most client projects.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Chat free?
Google Chat works with a personal Google account, and business teams get it as part of Google Workspace plans, alongside Gmail, Drive and Meet.
What are the limits of Slack's free plan?
You can view and search messages and files from the last 90 days, add up to ten apps, and data older than one year may be deleted on a rolling basis.
Can Google Chat delete messages automatically?
Yes. If history is turned off in a conversation, messages are automatically deleted after 24 hours. Work or school accounts follow the organisation's settings.
How much does Slack cost?
As of October 2026, Slack lists Pro at US$7.25 per user a month and Business+ at US$15 per user a month when paying annually.
Is Slack or Google Chat better for working with clients?
Slack Connect lets paid workspaces share channels with up to 250 outside organisations. Google Chat suits teams already using Google Workspace who mainly chat internally.
