Slack Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Slack pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $18 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Slack's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 90 days of message history
- Up to 10 apps
- 1:1 meetings
- 1:1 external messages
- Basic AI features
- AI conversation summaries
- Slackbot (personal AI agent)
- AI workflow generation
- AI search
- AI daily recaps
- AI file summaries
- SAML-based single sign-on
- SCIM user management
- EMM integration support
- Native data loss prevention
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Unlimited message history
- Unlimited app integrations
- Group meetings
- Group external messages
- All Free features
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| messageHistory | 90 days | Unlimited/Higher |
| apps | 10 | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Unlimited message history or Unlimited app integrations
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Slack branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Pro Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Pro $8.75/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 15 included | 6+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Slack branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Small teams getting started with chat | Growing teams with extensive messaging needs |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Slack free?
Yes, Slack offers a forever free plan with 15 core features included. However, there are limits on messagehistory, apps that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Slack's free plan?
Slack's free plan includes: 90 days of message history, Up to 10 apps, 1:1 meetings, 1:1 external messages, Basic AI features, and 10 more features. Key limits include messageHistory: 90 days, apps: 10.
03 What's NOT included in Slack's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Unlimited message history, Unlimited app integrations, Group meetings, Group external messages, All Free features. You'll also have Slack branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Slack's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Unlimited message history or Unlimited app integrations, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $8.75/user/month.
05 Is Slack's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Slack's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Slack pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.