Slack vs Symphony (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Slack: it is first in our ranking of team communication apps, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Slack grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Slack
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI
Which one is for you
Pick Slack if
- Fits if your team wants conversations sorted by channel instead of email threads
- Works for teams that share channels with outside partners or plug many apps into chat
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, as only 90 days of messages stay searchable and you get 10 apps
- Skip it if you want group huddles or Slack Connect for free, as both are 1:1 until Pro, which has no trial
- Pricey if you need single sign-on, SCIM or AI search, which start at Business+ for $15 a user a month
- Watch out: enterprise search and data loss prevention are on Enterprise+ at $45 a user, bought through sales
- Not for you if you'd run huddles in a browser other than Chrome or Firefox, as they aren't supported there
Pick Symphony if
- Fits if you work at a regulated financial firm that needs compliant chat
- Makes sense if you need to message other firms through federation
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to see a price, as none is published
- Skip it if you want to sign up yourself, as logins are set up by the firm or its IT team
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial
- Watch out: Federation Virtual Numbers come from Umony, a separate company
How we grade them
| 2.8GPASlackGood | 2.2GPASymphonyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $7.25 a user a month billed annually, $8.75 monthly, which is a shade above the $7 this category typically starts at. The parts people actually ask for next, SAML single sign-on and AI search, wait for Business+ at $15, double the middle figure. | CNo price is published, so it sits at the middle by default; the site directs buyers to a demo. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free plan keeps only 90 days of messages searchable, which for a team is the cap that hurts: ask what was decided in March and it's gone. Add 10 app integrations and huddles and external messages limited to 1:1, and there's no trial of Pro either. | FNo free plan or trial; the site offers a demo request. |
| Features | AChannels, direct messages, threads, huddles with screen sharing, clips, canvases, lists and a no-code Workflow Builder, and two things its rivals here don't list: more than 2,600 apps in the directory, and Slack Connect shared channels with up to 250 other organizations. | BMessaging, federation between firms, Teams interoperability, voice, directory, analytics and APIs. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | C4.1 on the App Store from about 53,000 ratings, the lowest of the big three here. Channels are simple enough to join, but a workspace left to itself sprawls, and the canvases, lists and Workflow Builder are each another thing to learn. | CAccounts are provisioned by a firm or IT team and use a company-specific pod name, so there is set-up before use. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus the biggest app directory in the category at 2,600-odd, Salesforce, Google Drive, Jira, Asana, Notion, GitHub, Zendesk and HubSpot among them. One oddity: in a browser, huddles work only in Chrome and Firefox. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, with developer APIs and links to Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, WeChat and LINE. |
| Best for | channel-based chat that plugs into everything | secure messaging for regulated firms |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Slack and Symphony. How we grade
Where they differ
- Symphony is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Slack also covers documents, video calls and file sharing.
- Symphony also covers whatsApp messaging.
At a glance
| Slack | Symphony | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $7.25 per user / month, billed annually | Not published |
| Free plan | 90 days of searchable message history, up to 10 app integrations, and huddles and external Slack Connect messages limited to 1:1. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Slack Technologies, LLC, a Salesforce company | Symphony |
| Price read from | slack.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Slack
- The Free plan keeps only 90 days of message history searchable, allows 10 apps, and limits huddles and Slack Connect to 1:1.
- SAML single sign-on and SCIM start at Business+; ongoing Slackbot access is on Business+ and Enterprise+, with a limited trial on Free and Pro.
- Enterprise search, multiple SAML configurations and native data loss prevention are limited to Enterprise+, listed at $45 per user / month paid annually and bought through sales.
- In a browser, huddles are supported only in Chrome and Firefox.
Symphony
- No prices are published on the site; buyers are directed to request a demo or contact the company.
- Pricing is unverified here, and Federation Virtual Numbers are provided by Umony, a separate company.
- Logins use a company-specific pod name, so accounts are set up by the customer's firm or its IT team.
Key features
Slack
- Channels and direct messages
- Conversations are organized into channels for each project, topic or team, alongside direct messages. Paid plans keep the full message and file history searchable; Free keeps 90 days.
- Huddles and clips
- Huddles are audio and video meetings with screen sharing, 1:1 on Free and for groups on paid plans. Clips are recorded audio or screen updates shared in a conversation.
- Slack Connect
- Message people outside the company. Free allows 1:1 external direct messages; paid plans add group chats and shared channels with up to 250 organizations.
- Canvases and lists
- A canvas holds text, files, images and video inside Slack, and lists are used to manage projects and organize tasks with teammates.
- Workflow Builder and apps
- Workflow Builder automates routine processes without code, and the app directory lists more than 2,600 apps. A Free workspace can connect up to 10 of them.
- AI in Slack
- Pro includes AI conversation summaries. Business+ adds AI search, daily recaps, file summaries, workflow generation and the Slackbot personal agent, subject to plan limits.
Symphony
- Messaging for regulated firms
- Secure chat and workflow software with information barriers, auditability and data archiving, aimed at financial services.
- Federation
- Lets staff message clients on WhatsApp, SMS, Microsoft Teams, LINE and WeChat in a compliance-enabled way, using a single virtual number.
- Embedded mode and Teams interoperability
- Messaging can be embedded in other applications, and Symphony Messaging can be connected to Microsoft Teams.
- Voice, directory and analytics
- Cloud9 trader voice, an Enhanced Directory of market counterparties and an analytics platform sit beside messaging.
- Developer APIs
- The site links API documentation and training from its developer relations team.
Plans
Slack
Free$0
90 days of message history, up to 10 app integrations, and 1:1 huddles and external messages.
Pro$7.25
per user / month, billed annually ($8.75 billed monthly)
Unlimited message history and app integrations, group huddles, Slack Connect channels with up to 250 organizations, and AI conversation summaries.
Business+$15
per user / month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
Adds AI search, daily recaps, file summaries and workflow generation, the Slackbot agent, SAML single sign-on and SCIM user management.
Enterprise+$45
per user / month, billed annually
Bought through sales. Adds enterprise search across connected apps, multiple SAML configurations, EMM support, native data loss prevention and unlimited workspaces.
Symphony
Pricing could not be confirmed. See symphony.com.
Ways to pay less
Slack
- Annual discount
About 17% less with annual billing
Pro is $7.25 per user / month paid annually against $8.75 paid monthly, and Business+ is $15 against $18. Salesforce's Slack pricing page puts the saving at approximately 16%.
- Other savings
50% off the first 3 months for new teams
A limited-time offer for teams that buy Pro or Business+ online within 7 days of creating the workspace. It applies to monthly billing only, and standard pricing follows after 3 months.
- Nonprofit
Free or 85% off for eligible nonprofits
Eligible nonprofits get a free Pro upgrade for workspaces with 250 or fewer members and 85% off above that size. Business+ is 85% off at any size.
- Education
85% off for educational institutions
The Slack for Education program gives approved institutions an 85% discount on the Pro or Business+ plan, applied at checkout.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 Slack's pricing page showed a reader in India Pro at ₹245.25 per user / month paid yearly, beside a crossed-out ₹545. Its US page lists Pro at $7.25 per user / month paid annually.
Symphony
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Slack or Symphony?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Slack starts at $7.25 per user / month, billed annually, and Symphony has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Slack or Symphony?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Slack has a free plan. Symphony does not.
Which platforms do Slack and Symphony run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Slack lists a Linux app. Both list a web app and macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.