WhatsApp is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.6. WhatsApp wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Slack on 2.
Anyone who wants one free app to reach family, friends and local businesses
Teams and companies that run their daily work through chat and integrations
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Messaging & Calls | Messaging & Calls |
| Category rank | #2 of 8 | #4 of 8 |
| Developer | Meta | Salesforce |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | — | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
WhatsApp
- Almost everyone you know is already on it
- Messages and calls are encrypted by default
- Reliable on weak connections and older phones
- Meta collects metadata like who you talk to and when
- Ads and promoted channels now appear in the Updates tab
WhatsApp is the messenger most of your contacts already use, and that alone makes it hard to beat. Chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted, the apps are fast and reliable, and communities, channels and business chats cover nearly everything. The catch is Meta: it collects metadata, and the Updates tab now shows ads. Use it for everyday chats and keep Signal for anything sensitive.
Full WhatsApp review
Slack
- Fast, well-organized channels and threads
- Huge integration directory for dev and business tools
- Slack Connect shares channels with other companies
- Free plan only shows the last 90 days of messages
- Per-seat pricing gets expensive for growing teams
Slack is still the best place for teams to talk. Channels keep conversations organized, huddles start a quick call without a meeting link, and a deep app directory plus Workflow Builder take care of routine work. The catch is price: the free plan only shows the last 90 days of messages, and paid seats add up fast. Pick it if your team lives in chat all day.
Full Slack review
