Google Chat vs Slack: Can Google’s Team Chat Compete Against the Market Leader?

While Google Chat might not be the newest feature in the Google Suite, it’s still a top choice for team chat apps. Its seamless integration with Google’s ecosystem makes it really easy to use, which is why it’s a great choice for anyone who uses Google services. Google Chat is still seen as an effective chat application in the market.

If you’ve been following our blog, you may have noticed that we love comparing team chat apps in our team chat wars. While getting familiar with other apps, we learn about them and find out how to make something better with Chanty. If you’re interested in a workplace chat app that is simple, easy to use, and affordable, consider giving Chanty a try!

Today, we’re going to look at the showdown between Google Chat and Slack —  the current leader in the team chat space. Let’s take a look at how these two platforms measure up against each other and what makes each one special in the Google Chat vs. Slack comparison.

Google Chat vs. Slack: overview

Compared to Hangouts, Slack is kind of a dinosaur. Launched in August 2013, Slack was created by Steward Butterfield, co-founder of Flickr. Seven years later, Slack is one of the most successful startups in the world and the fastest-growing software company ever.

In comparison, Google Chat is much younger. It was launched in 2017 for early adopters, with the official release happening in February 2018. Ever since, Google has added a large number of useful features, including notification snoozing and emoji reactions.

If you’re in a hurry, here is a table of a quick overview of Slack and Google Chat:

Now, let’s go into more detail.

Google Chat vs. Slack: pricing

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Google Chat has a free version that has improved significantly in 2024, making it a viable option for teams not looking to invest immediately. This version offers features such as direct messaging, group messaging, and task management, along with seamless integration with Google Workspace tools.

If you do want to spend some cash, it’s worth considering Hangouts. Bear in mind that it doesn’t come as a separate product – it actually comes with Google Workspace. If you’re already using Google Workspace, it’s a no-brainer to try this tool out. If not, it’s worth considering the extra perks of Google Workspace such as more file storage and the ability to use all of the tools that come besides Hangouts.

To make it clearer, here is a table comparing the pricing of Slack and Google Chat:

Slack

Google Chat (Google Workspace editions):

Google Chat vs. Slack: onboarding

The onboarding process in the two apps is fairly similar. Both tools will welcome you with a few modal The onboarding process in Slack and Google Chat is fairly similar. Both platforms greet users with helpful modal boxes that introduce essential features once they join a workspace.

In Google Chat, the onboarding experience is integrated with Google Workspace tools, guiding users through account setup and features like chat rooms and task management bots. Users receive prompts to engage with colleagues and seek feedback.

Slack offers a straightforward onboarding process that includes personalized welcome messages and collaboration channels. Its six-stage approach encourages early interactions through one-on-one meetings and team activities, fostering connections among team members.

A box with pointers in Slack

Google Chat vs. Slack: design and UX

Both group chats have vertical layouts with just two basic fields: contacts, bots and settings on the left and conversations on the right. Also, both Slack and Google Chat come with a smaller horizontal panel for search and additional features.

Google Chat layout

Google Chat simply does not allow workspace customization in its web version. Slack, on the other hand, offers its users this flexibility.

Options for customizing your workplace in Slack

Google Chat’s latest update is a game-changer. It introduces a floating bottom bar with a pill-shaped tab indicator, making it more visually appealing and easy to find.

The improved message summarization on this platform allows users to catch up on unread conversations with ease. In contrast, the streamlined Slack sidebar and improved channel management offer users an efficient navigation and searching experience.

Google Chat vs. Slack: messaging

When it comes to messaging, Google Chat and Slacks are very similar. Both platforms provide spaces for group conversations —  Rooms in Google Chat and Channels in Slack. Both have special places for group conversations: they are called Rooms in Google Chat and channels in Slack. Both apps let you send private messages (one-to-one), as well as group ones. However, there are some differences.

First, Rooms in Google Chat are private by default. No one outside of your Google Workspace can see them or join them unless they are invited. On the other hand, when you create channels in Slack, you choose between making them public or private.

Moreover, Hangouts doesn’t have something similar to public channels in Slack.

Two, Google Chat structures all public communication around threaded conversations. Every discussion is a threaded conversation. This design is essential for tracking topics, as users are fully engaged in a continuous dialogue. In contrast, Slack threads are an optional feature.

They allow for focused conversations within channels without cluttering the main discussions.

Slack allows users to create posts within a message and add code snippets, offering more text formatting options. This flexibility allows for varied presentation styles. Furthermore, Slack supports threads, which are optional and designed for more focused discussions on specific topics. Each channel serves as a dedicated chatroom, while threads help manage extended conversations without cluttering the main channel. If you want to spread the conversation, you can open up a thread. However, this is not a primary feature in Slack.

Threads in Slack

Third, Google Chat has Smart Reply. This feature is similar to what you might find in Gmail. The algorithm will anticipate what you want to write and offer you smart reply suggestions, which can be rather neat and save some time every day.

Slack has something unique too – you can create posts within a single message, as well as add code snippets. Also, something else that some users may appreciate: Slack has more text formatting options so you can edit your text in a variety of ways.

Formatting options in Slack

If you want to do some message formatting in Google Chat, you have to snoop around a little bit to find this feature. If you don’t know the usual text formatting commands (such as adding an asterisk before and after a word to make it bold), you’ll have to search a bit to find the text formatting features in Hangouts.

As you can see,  both platforms are effective for messaging, but the choice between them depends on your specific team needs and preferences. Testing both tools will help you determine which is best for your workflow.

Google Chat vs. Slack: Notifications

To keep it short and simple, Slack’s notifications are much more powerful and diverse than those in Hangouts.

First, you can set up notifications for specific channels and keywords in Slack. Moreover, you can set up your Do Not Disturb mode for certain hours in the day.

Slack DND notifications

On the other hand, Google Chat lets you set up different notifications preferences for your devices – web, email, desktop and mobile.

Notification settings in Google Chat

Slack does the same thing but in a very limited manner – you can only set up notifications for periods when you’re not active on desktop.

Google Chat vs. Slack: search

Here are the basic remarks we have after using the freemium versions of both apps.

First, Slack’s search is more advanced.

Both tools let you specify results for a specific person, channel and file type. However, Slack is more advanced – you can search within a specific time period and you can even exclude some channels from your search.

Search filters in Slack

Second, Slack lets you search within documents.

If someone sends you a document and you forget what it’s called, don’t worry. You can search the document based on the words mentioned. This is really useful if you work with a lot of Word or PDF documents.

I wanted to test out this feature, so I sent a document to a colleague, one of the ebooks which we wrote. I typed the name of the last chapter in the search box, and of course, Slack was able to find it.

A snippet of the book                                                   Slack found it!

On the other hand, if you want the advanced search options in Google Chat, they are only available within the Business and Enterprise packages in Google Workspace. When you upgrade to these plans, you can search your entire company’s content in Google Workspace, which includes Gmail, Drive, Docs, Slides, Calendar and much more.

Integrations

Once again, this section will be sort of lopsided, for one reason. At the moment of writing, Google Chat has around 50 available integrations. Additionally, it’s seamlessly integrated with Google Workspace apps, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Calendar.

This makes it the perfect choice for organizations already using Google’s suite, allowing users to collaborate in real-time on documents directly within the chat interface.

On the other hand, Slack clearly has the upper hand when it comes to integrations. With its over 2,600 third-party integrations, teams can connect a wide range of apps and services tailored to their specific needs.

So it’s a good idea to check your most-used apps and see if they integrate with Slack or Hangouts before choosing them as your team chat app.

I wanted to test out integrations really quickly, so I tried to connect the Reminder Bot with both apps and everything went great. You can easily connect the service in both tools if you just follow the instructions.

Using Reminder Bot in Slack

Both apps have integrations with task management tools like Asana and Trello. Slack has an Actions feature, which lets you create and finish tasks without leaving the app, which is something I didn’t find in Google Chat.

By the way, one app that lets you create and manage tasks directly from your chat is Chanty. Your workflow will be even smoother than it would be if you integrate a third-party app like Asana or Trello. If you’re ready to give Chanty a try, sign up for a free demo today!

Slack vs. Google Chat: voice and video calls

Before going any further, let’s mention one important fact: you cannot invite more than 15 people on a single call in Slack, no matter which plan you choose. If you’re on the free plan, you can only make one-on-one calls.  Slack also has Huddles, which are great for quick, ad-hoc meetings and collaborations among team members. While Huddles are perfect for spontaneous collaboration, they might not have all the structured features of Google Meet, so Google Chat is better for traditional meetings.

Notification about Group calls limit in Slack

If you want to have video calls in Google Chat, you have to use Hangouts Meet. With the most basic Google Workspace account, you can have calls with up to 50 team members. If you upgrade to Business or Enterprise, the number increases to 100 call participants. However, both apps let you bypass this limit by connecting with third-party apps and integrations.

The second difference is that it’s easier to call people in Slack – it’s just one push of a button. In Google Chat, you need to click quite a few buttons to start your call.

Both tools let you talk during the video call, mute your microphone or turn off your camera.

Chanty team is testing video calls in Google Chat.

In Slack, there’s a fun feature unavailable in Hangouts Meet. You can react with emojis to what your colleague said.

Wrapping up

When comparing Slack and Google Chat, the key takeaway is that Slack has more features and Google Chat is easier to use.

If you’re deciding which of them to use, consider the following:

Pricing. Google Chat doesn’t have a premium version and Slack does. The cheapest Google Chat plan is $6 per user per month while Slack’s cheapest plan is $8.75 per user per month.

Messaging. Google Chat is based on threads, while this is merely an extra in Slack.

Notifications. Slack’s notification settings are more diverse. However, both tools have basic notification functionalities.

Search. Both tools let you search messages, links, and file names. Slack has the extra feature of searching within documents, even in the free version. In Google Chat, you can only do this with a Business or Enterprise plan.

Voice and video calls. You can only call up to 15 people in Slack, no matter which plan you are on. In the free plan, you can only make one-on-one calls. In Google Chat, you can talk with up to 250 people, depending on your chosen plan.

If you’re still looking for a great team chat app but you cannot decide between Slack or Google Chat, why not try the third alternative? Chanty is an intuitive team chat app that lets you communicate and collaborate with your team with ease. Besides text messages, it also supports audio and video calls, screen sharing, voice messages, task management, and much more.

What’s more, Chanty offers an unlimited search history and unlimited messages even in the free plan (for up to 5 users). If you want to learn more, book a free demo today!

This article was initially posted in May 2019 and then updated October 2024.