Slack vs Zello (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 features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
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
Zello
Push-to-talk voice messaging for frontline teams
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 Zello if
- Fits if you run drivers, crews or shifts that need to talk at the push of a button
- Works for teams that want location tracking next to voice
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want transcription, translation, AI or message storage, which need Plus at $12.75
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since there is only a 14-day trial
- Watch out: SSO, MDM sign-in and on-premise servers are Enterprise only, sold through sales
- Skip it if you want a browser version, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.8GPASlackGood | 2.2GPAZelloFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CCore is $6.80 per user a month billed yearly, near the $7 middle. Plus is $12.75, right at the top quarter. |
| 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. | C14-day trial with no card, and no free plan. First responders may qualify for free use. |
| 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. | CLive voice, channels, an admin console, location and an API. Storage, transcription, translation and panic buttons need Plus. |
| 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. | CNo rating on record. An admin sets up the network, channels and users. |
| 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. | BiPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, with an API and SDK. No web version. |
| Best for | channel-based chat that plugs into everything | push-to-talk for frontline teams |
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 Zello. How we grade
Price against what you get
Slack starts at $7.25 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zello starts at $6.80 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Slack scores higher, and starts $0.45 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Slack for less, and 18 score higher than Zello for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Slack also covers workflow automation, documents, video calls and file sharing.
- Zello also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Slack | Zello | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7.25 per user / month, billed annually | $6.80 per user / month, billed yearly ($8.00 billed monthly) |
| 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 | 14 days free, no credit card required. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Slack Technologies, LLC, a Salesforce company | Zello Inc. |
| Price read from | slack.com | zello.com |
| 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.
Zello
- Transcription, translation, AI features, message storage and panic buttons need the Plus plan.
- SSO, MDM sign-in and on-premise servers are Enterprise only, sold through sales.
- The pricing page says Zello is free for qualifying first responders.
- Built around voice on phones and desktops; there is no browser version in the platform list.
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.
Zello
- Live push-to-talk
- Hold a button to send voice live to one person or a channel, with texts and photos in the same conversation.
- Channels and admin console
- Unlimited channels on every plan, managed from a console. Multiple admins, sub-admin permissions and bulk import are listed in the plan comparison.
- Location tracking
- Real-time location on a map from Core; historical breadcrumb tracking and Google Maps traffic are in the comparison table for higher plans.
- Transcription and translation
- Plus converts voice messages to text and translates them. The vendor also lists AI summaries and a knowledge-base assistant.
- Dispatch tools
- A Dispatch Hub for PC and Mac, a shared call queue and channel analytics for teams with a dispatcher.
- Emergency alerts and Message Vault
- Panic buttons send a channel-wide alert with audio and location; Message Vault stores communications in the cloud for review.
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.
Zello
Core$6.80
per user / month, billed yearly ($8.00 billed monthly)
Live voice, text and photo messages, unlimited channels, a management console, real-time location tracking and API and SDK access.
Plus$12.75
per user / month, billed yearly ($15.00 billed monthly)
Everything in Core, plus message storage, panic buttons, transcriptions and translations, AI summaries, an AI assistant and location history.
EnterpriseCustom
Sold through sales. Adds an account manager, SSO and MDM sign-in, automated user provisioning, on-premise server options and priority support.
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.
Zello
- Annual discount
15% off with yearly billing
The pricing page shows a Bill yearly toggle marked -15%: Core is $6.80 yearly against $8.00 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Slack or Zello?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zello is cheaper to start with: $6.80 a month for each person, against $7.25 a month for each person for Slack. Slack starts at $7.25 per user / month, billed annually, and Zello starts at $6.80 per user / month, billed yearly ($8.00 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Slack or Zello?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Slack has a free plan. Zello does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Slack and Zello run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Slack lists a web app and a Linux app. Both list 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.