Slack pricing can be confusing. The real-time messaging app offers a lot of features, but there are some hidden costs and gotchas you need to know about when choosing a team communication tool. Like any business, Slack is trying to convince you to use its product. However, its website isn’t very clear and things change all the time.
Here’s how it breaks down:
Quick Pricing Overview
- Free: $0 (90-day message history)
- Pro: $7.25/month annually or $8.75/month monthly
- Business+: $15/month annually or $18/month monthly
- Enterprise+: Custom pricing (new tier with AI features)
- Enterprise Grid: Custom pricing (permanent upgrade - no downgrades available)
Complete Pricing Table
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Message History | Integrations | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 90 days | 10 apps | Basic messaging, 1-on-1 huddles |
| Pro | $8.75/user | $7.25/user | Unlimited | Unlimited | Guest accounts, group calls |
| Business+ | $18/user | $15/user | Unlimited | Unlimited | AI features, SSO, 99.99% SLA |
| Enterprise+ | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited | Advanced AI, enhanced Salesforce integration |
| Enterprise Grid | Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited | Multiple workspaces, permanent upgrade |
Plan Details
Free Plan: The 90-Day Memory Wipe
Cost: $0
Features:
- 90 days of message history
- 10 app integrations
- One-on-one huddles only (no group calls)
- Basic file sharing
- Unlimited users
The Catch: Messages disappear after 90 days
Pro Plan: The Sweet Spot for Small Teams
Cost: $7.25/month per user (annual) or $8.75/month (monthly) Minimum: 3 users (that’s $21.75/month minimum)
Features:
- Unlimited message history
- Unlimited integrations
- Group audio/video calls
- Guest accounts for clients
- Custom retention policies
What you don’t get:
- SSO (single sign-on)
- Any service level guarantees
- Priority support
- The new AI features
Business+ Plan: Where AI Lives Now
Cost: $15/month per user (annual) or $18/month (monthly)
Features:
- All Pro features
- AI-powered conversation summaries
- Automatic huddle notes with action items
- SAML SSO for enterprise login
- 99.99% uptime SLA
- 24/7 priority support
- Enhanced Salesforce integrations
Note: Slack moved all their AI features into Business+ in 2025
Enterprise+ Plan: The New AI Powerhouse
Cost: Call sales (translation: expensive)
Features:
- Everything from Business+
- “Advanced AI capabilities”
- Enhanced Salesforce integrations
- Dedicated customer success manager
- Custom terms of service
New for 2025: Exclusive AI capabilities for massive Salesforce shops
Enterprise Grid: The Point of No Return
Cost: Completely custom Warning: You can never downgrade from Grid
Features:
- Unlimited workspaces under one umbrella
- Centralized administration
- Advanced security (HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.)
- Data residency options
- Custom user provisioning
- Domain claiming
Important: Once you upgrade to Enterprise Grid, you’re locked in. No downgrades. Ever.
Slack Hidden Costs and Pricing Gotchas
Key Limitations:
- 3-user minimum: Even if you’re a team of 2, you pay for 3 on Pro and Business+
- Annual commitment pressure: 17% savings when paying annually vs monthly
- Integration limits on Free: Those 10 app limits fill up fast
- Guest pricing: Multi-channel guests count as paid users
- Enterprise Grid lock-in: No downgrades possible once upgraded
Money-Saving Tips:
- Education discount: 85% off Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Grid
- Nonprofit discount: 85% off eligible plans through TechSoup
- Multi-year contracts: Save up to 25% with 2-3 year commitments on Enterprise plans
- Timing negotiations: Better deals during end of quarters (April, July, October, January)
Slack AI Pricing Changes in 2025
July 2025 Updates:
- Discontinued $10/user AI add-on for new customers
- Rolled basic AI features into all paid plans
- Put advanced AI into Business+ and Enterprise+
- Raised Business+ prices to compensate
- Existing AI add-on customers grandfathered until renewal after August 17, 2025
Consider an alternative: Cushion + Slack Connect
Slack has unbeatable network effects, it’s the default for most companies. However, the UX and pricing can be a nightmare. Also, it’s often distracting and cumbersome for internal discussion and project work.
Unlike Slack, Cushion doesn’t have the same limitations - you get full message history from day one and at a much cheaper price point. No 90-day memory wipes, no 3-user minimums, and no artificial limitations on integrations.
We find that our customers often use Slack alongside Cushion. Keep Slack to use Slack Connect in your client or customers workspace. Whereas all your internal, deep discussion is kept on Cushion. It’s also very easy to create a link between the two with Webhooks.
You get to keep Slack for what it’s good at (network effects) but also use Cushion for what it beats Slack at (team collaboration).
But the best part? You’ll never have to worry about posting the wrong message in the wrong channel and risk embarrassing yourself.
How to Choose the Right Slack Plan for Your Team
Stick with Free if:
- Your team has fewer than 10 members
- Three-month conversation history meets your needs
- You rely on external platforms for long-term documentation
- Operating with zero communication software budget
Upgrade to Pro if:
- Complete message archive is essential
- Team size ranges from 3-50 people
- You want to connect unlimited third-party tools
- Enterprise security features aren’t required
Move to Business+ if:
- Single sign-on is a security requirement
- AI-powered meeting summaries would boost productivity
- Service level guarantees are important for your business
- Your workflow heavily integrates with Salesforce
Evaluate Enterprise+ or Grid if:
- Organization exceeds 500 employees
- Multiple workspace management is necessary
- Regulatory compliance is mission-critical
- Budget flexibility allows for premium features
TLDR
Slack’s 2025 pricing structure appears simple but contains several important gotchas that can impact your budget.
The jump to Business+ at $15/user represents a significant 107% price increase, but it’s your only option if you need single sign-on, AI features, or service level guarantees since Slack consolidated all AI tools into this tier.
Avoid Enterprise Grid unless you absolutely need multiple workspaces – it’s a one-way upgrade with no possibility of downgrading.
But for most teams, maximize the free plan’s potential first. Try to use Slack for its integrations with your customers and try cushion for internal discussion. You’ll save money, keep your message history, and spend less time worrying about Slack’s pricing.