Slack vs Telegram (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Slack: it is first in our ranking of team communication apps, though Telegram grades higher (3.2 against 2.8) on value for money and the free plan.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Slack grades higher on features. They get the same grade on 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
Telegram
Cloud-based messenger with large groups, channels and bots
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 Telegram if
- Fits if you run a big public group or broadcast channel
- Works for developers who want to build bots for free
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need end-to-end encryption on every chat, as only Secret Chats have it
- Not for you if you want a team workspace, because it has no admin console or team plan
- Tight if you want Premium, as the $4.99 listing price omits the billing period and varies by country
- Watch out: a 4.0 store rating is below most messengers we have graded
How we grade them
| 2.8GPASlackGood | 3.2GPATelegramVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AMessaging, calls, groups and channels are free outright. Premium is $4.99 on the US App Store, with the billing period not shown. |
| 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. | AFree groups of 200,000, channels and files up to 2 GB. Premium adds limits, not the basics. |
| 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. | CLarge groups, channels, cloud sync, calls and bots. Regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted and there are no workspace tools. |
| 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. | C4.0 on the US App Store from about 286,000 ratings. |
| 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, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux, with a free Bot API. |
| Best for | channel-based chat that plugs into everything | large group chats and public channels |
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 Telegram. How we grade
Where they differ
- Slack also covers workflow automation, documents and file sharing.
At a glance
| Slack | Telegram | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7.25 per user / month, billed annually | $4.99 (Premium; billing period not shown in the listing) |
| Free plan | 90 days of searchable message history, up to 10 app integrations, and huddles and external Slack Connect messages limited to 1:1. | Messaging, calls, groups and channels are free; Telegram says features that existed before Premium stay free. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Slack Technologies, LLC, a Salesforce company | Telegram FZ-LLC |
| Price read from | slack.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Telegram
- Regular chats and groups are not end-to-end encrypted; only Secret Chats, which work per device, are.
- It has no workspace admin console or team plan; Premium is a per-account subscription.
- Premium prices vary by country and by where it is bought; the $4.99 figure is the US App Store listing, which omits the billing period.
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.
Telegram
- Large groups and channels
- Groups can have up to 200,000 members with replies, mentions, hashtags and forum-style topics; channels broadcast to unlimited audiences.
- Cloud sync
- Chats are stored in the cloud and open on several devices at once, with files of up to 2 GB each (4 GB with Premium).
- Secret Chats
- Device-specific Secret Chats add end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages; ordinary chats are not end-to-end encrypted.
- Voice and video calls
- End-to-end encrypted voice and video calls, plus group calls for up to 200 participants and voice chats in groups.
- Bot API
- A free Bot API lets developers build bots, including AI bots; bots can charge for services in Telegram Stars.
- Telegram Business
- Business features include opening hours, quick replies, automatic greeting messages and chatbots, without coding.
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.
Telegram
Free$0
Messaging, groups of up to 200,000 members, channels, calls, and files up to 2 GB each.
Telegram Premium$4.99
US App Store listing; billing period not shown
Doubled limits, 4 GB file uploads, voice-to-text and no ads. Bought in the app or via @PremiumBot.
Telegram Premium Annual$35.99
per year
The same Premium features billed yearly; the listing labels it Premium Annual.
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.
Telegram
- Other savings
Cheaper Premium through @PremiumBot
Telegram says subscriptions bought through @PremiumBot cost less because Apple and Google fees do not apply; yearly plans are also discounted.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Slack or Telegram?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Slack starts at $7.25 per user / month, billed annually, and Telegram starts at $4.99 (Premium; billing period not shown in the listing).
Which has a free plan, Slack or Telegram?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Slack and Telegram have a free plan.
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.