We were pretty happy to use Skype during the last decade. Skype has become synonymous with instant communication, just like Xerox became a term for photocopying.
We’d ask people to meet on Skype and add our Skype names to the email signature. It’s also been a key part of our professional lives.
But then, in 2013, Slack came along and changed the world of business communication.
It wasn’t the first of its kind – there were already other apps like HipChat – but it made a big impact. So, what makes Slack stand out as a pioneer in this space?
What made it such a success?
Some claim it’s the ambitious marketing—Slack initially positioned itself as an “email killer.”
Others say it’s the powerful network of people that Stewart Butterfield (the founder) was initially able to introduce the app.
No matter what, Slack has become the trendsetter in the niche and the business communication tool everyone is talking about.
What surprises me, though, is that many people still don’t understand Slack’s true value, and use it simply because it’s popular.
On the other hand, Skype, which still has a lot of brand recognition, has faced challenges in maintaining its position in the business world. Skype for Business, which was once a big player, has declined as more specialized platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams have taken the spotlight.
Thanks to Chanty, a simple team chat tool, our team was able to do a really in-depth analysis of our competitors. This allowed us to identify their strengths and weaknesses from the customer’s perspective.
We aimed to create a cleaner, more user-friendly chat alternative. If you’re curious, we’d love for you to explore what we’ve built and share your thoughts!
Today, I’m going to compare Slack and Skype in detail, explain what makes them different, and look at the pros and cons of using them for business.
Slack vs Skype. What are Slack’s major advantages?
1. Closed team space
With Skype, you can connect with anyone, not just your colleagues. The list of contacts isn’t limited to those working in your company, which makes it a versatile tool for personal and business communication alike. In 2024, Skype still remains popular with many users thanks to its video calls and messaging features.
At the same time, it’s pretty strict in Slack—it’s just you and your team. Your workplace is at the center of the platform. You can invite guests or external collaborators to specific channels. This structure reduces distractions and minimizes time-wasting chit-chat. As businesses focus on efficiency, Slack’s closed teams are a good way to streamline communication and boost productivity.
2. Single notification center
Numerous integrations are another key to Slack’s success. Many Slack users are unaware of the full potential that these integrations offer.
Here’s a simple explanation. We are inundated with notifications from the tens of apps we use daily.
Unless you are a highly stress-tolerant person, the level of anxiety will drive you crazy.
Luckily, apps like Slack let you combine all your work apps and get notifications in one place.
Imagine receiving MailChimp, Zendesk, or Salesforce notifications directly in your communication app.
This helps to stay on top of things without getting overwhelmed.
What’s cool about Slack is that they’ve integrated with pretty much all the major apps (more than 2600) available online.
3. Powerful search
Slack’s search functionality is powerful enough to find what you need within the documents. It’s pretty good at sifting through messages, files, and shared content, so it’s a useful tool if you’re trying to remember something but can’t quite recall the title of a document.
I can’t say this was a feature of high demand by our Chanty team while using Slack.
However, it might come in handy when you don’t remember the title of the document but can recall the context of the file you are looking for.
At the same time, Skype’s search capabilities will be more limited in 2024. You can search for text within chats, but you can’t search through files stored in folders. Instead, you can only view these files, so it’s harder to find important information when you need it. Slack is a better choice for teams that need to find information quickly.
Skype vs Slack. What are Skype’s major advantages?
1. The price
Well, Skype is free.
Skype charges only for telephone numbers as well as outgoing landline/mobile calls.
They also show you ads to make a living.
But there’s no ‘per user’ payment or any limits when it comes to a searchable message history.
At the same time, the 90-day message limit often causes pain for many using Slack’s free plan.
Unfortunately, not every company is ready to pay $8.75 per user per month to get rid of it in Slack.
2. Higher quality free video calls
For years, Slack video calls were a headache.
You had to integrate with Google Hangouts or Skype to start a video conference.
Now that Slack has introduced built-in video calls, it seems like they’ve closed the issue.
However, we still had some connection issues during a video call in Slack, whereas we had no issues at all in Skype.
Moreover, in the free Slack plan, you are only allowed to have one-on-one video calls with no screen-sharing feature.
Would you like multiple teammates along with a screen-sharing option?
Upgrade to the Slack paid plan or use Skype for free, which lets you talk to up to 100 people.
3. Sending text messages and calling landline/mobile number
One of the cool Skype advantages is the ability to send a text message or call your colleague at work.
Although Skype charges for this functionality, it’s still very useful, especially when you are in a different country on a business trip with an expensive roaming plan.
At the time, Slack doesn’t support this feature.
Skype vs Slack: key takeaways
Nowadays, with the wide variety of communication apps available, it’s hard to make up your mind.
Skype is a tool we’ve been using for years.
It’s been a great tool for customers, and it’s still great for casual communication, but it might be time to move on to team chat tools that are meant to increase productivity and connect with other apps you use at work.
Although Slack is quite popular, there are multiple more affordable Slack alternatives that we’ve given our team feedback on.
If you are looking for a team communication app, you should definitely take a look at Chanty – a simple yet powerful team chat and a single notification center.
In Chanty, you can enjoy unlimited public, private group, and one-to-one conversations, just like in Slack. We also deliver high-quality audio and video calls, which is what Skype is famous for. At the same time, Chanty has a built-in task manager—a feature neither Slack nor Skype has.
We are building our tool with love, passion, and our customers in mind. It is designed to save your time and increase your team’s productivity. Feel free to book a demo with our team to experience all the benefits of the Chanty team chat:)
This article was originally written in November, 2022.
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