# Slack Problems & Issues 2026 - Notifications, Huddles & Pricing

Source: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack
Last analyzed: 2026-10-21
Try or Bye score: 58/100

## Verdict: Try with caution

Slack works for some teams, but users report recurring problems (score 58/100). Most reported issues: Notification overload destroys focus and productivity; Free plan deletes messages after 90 days, permanently after 1 year; Slack search can't find old messages. Not a good fit for: Teams needing message history on a budget; Deep work professionals (developers, writers, designers); Organizations requiring data sovereignty or E2E encryption. Users most often switch to Microsoft Teams, Discord, Zulip.

## What it is

Slack is Salesforce's team chat platform: channels, DMs, huddles (audio/video), Slack Connect for external partners, workflows and built-in AI. It is loved for its integrations and fast onboarding, but users complain about notification overload, the free plan's 90-day message limit, and a June 2025 Business+ price increase tied to bundled AI.

## Common errors & fixes

### Slack Blank or White Screen on Desktop

A blank white, grey or purple Slack window is usually a broken cache or a bad release. Hard-refresh with Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R, then use Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart, and Reset App Data if that fails.

1. **Hard refresh the app** — Press Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) Slack recommended this during the Feb 2026 blank-tab incident
2. **Clear Cache and Restart** — Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart If the menu bar is hidden on Windows, use the ☰ icon top-left
3. **Reset app data** — Help > Troubleshooting > Reset App Data Sign back in to your workspaces
4. **Check status and update** — Check slack-status.com for a known blank-screen incident Update Slack to the newest version
5. **Use the browser while you fix it** — Open app.slack.com in Chrome or another supported browser If the web app works, reinstall the desktop app

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/blank-white-screen

### Slack Free Plan Messages Disappearing After 90 Days

This is a plan limit, not a bug: free workspaces can only see and search the last 90 days of messages and files, and since August 26, 2024 data older than one year is permanently deleted. Upgrading reveals hidden content that is still under a year old.

1. **Upgrade before the one-year cutoff** — Open your workspace menu > Tools & settings > Billing (owners/admins) Upgrade to Pro or higher to unlock full history Content already older than one year cannot be restored
2. **Export what you can see now** — Workspace owners/admins: Tools & settings > Workspace settings > Import/Export Data > Export Download the export and store it outside Slack
3. **Check the retention setting** — Owners: Workspace settings > Settings & permissions > Message & file retention Choose to keep messages for one year instead of deleting after 90 days
4. **Move important decisions out of chat** — Save key files to Google Drive/OneDrive and link them Write decisions into a doc or wiki rather than relying on Slack history

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/free-plan-messages-disappearing

### Slack Using Too Much Memory

Slack's desktop app runs on Electron, so it uses a lot of RAM, and usage grows with every signed-in workspace and long session. Sign out of unused workspaces, clear the cache, restart Slack regularly, or use Slack in the browser.

1. **Sign out of workspaces you rarely use** — Click the workspace icon > Sign out of the workspace Open occasional workspaces in a browser tab instead
2. **Clear the cache** — Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart
3. **Restart Slack regularly** — Fully quit Slack (Cmd+Q / File > Quit) at the end of the day instead of minimizing it Reopen it the next morning
4. **Turn off hardware acceleration if Slack overheats your machine** — Open Preferences > Advanced Disable hardware acceleration and restart Slack (users report this helps with heat/CPU on some Macs)
5. **Use the web app** — Open app.slack.com in a browser you already have running Close the desktop app

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/high-memory-usage

### Slack Huddle Camera Not Working

If your video doesn't show in a huddle, Slack is using the wrong camera or lacks camera permission. Pick the camera in Preferences > Audio & video, allow Slack under your OS camera privacy settings, and plug external cameras in before joining.

1. **Select the correct camera** — Preferences > Audio & video Choose your camera; you should see yourself in the thumbnail
2. **Allow camera access** — Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera > enable Slack Windows: Settings > Privacy > Camera > allow apps and turn on Slack Chrome: Site settings > Camera > allow your workspace
3. **Reconnect and restart** — Plug in external cameras before starting the huddle Quit other apps that use the camera Quit and reopen Slack, then restart your device
4. **Isolate hardware vs Slack** — Test the camera in Slack in Chrome or another calling app If it fails everywhere, update video drivers or check the hardware If your computer slows down, turn off video or noise suppression

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/huddle-camera-not-working

### Slack Huddles Audio Not Working

When people can't hear you (or you can't hear them) in a huddle, the wrong microphone/speaker is selected or Slack lacks microphone permission. Check Preferences > Audio & video, grant mic access in your OS, and use the in-huddle troubleshooting panel.

1. **Select the right mic and speaker** — Profile picture > Preferences > Audio & video Choose your microphone and speak; the voice meter should move Click Test next to the speaker to hear a chime In a huddle: three dots > Test speaker
2. **Grant microphone permission** — Mac: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone > enable Slack (toggle off and on if already enabled) Windows: Settings > Privacy > Microphone > allow apps and turn on Slack Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone > allow your workspace
3. **Use the huddle troubleshooting panel** — During the huddle, click the troubleshooting icon bottom-left Follow any warnings shown on each tab Turn on Audio-only mode if your connection is weak
4. **Run Slack's audio/video test** — Preferences > Audio & video > Troubleshooting > Run test (desktop app or Chrome)
5. **Fix network and devices** — Switch to wired Ethernet or move closer to the router Disconnect VPN to test Windows: Settings > System > Sound > set your headset as output device Update audio drivers and restart your computer
6. **Try another client** — Join the huddle from Slack in Chrome or the mobile app If mobile works but desktop doesn't, check antivirus/firewall on the computer

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/huddles-audio-not-working

### Slack Messages Not Sending

Messages stuck with a 'not sent' warning are usually a connection problem on your side or a Slack outage. Check slack-status.com, then clear the cache, restart Slack and test without VPN/proxy.

1. **Check for an outage** — Open slack-status.com During an incident, wait; Slack queued undelivered messages for resend after the Feb 2025 outage
2. **Retry and restart** — Click the failed message and choose to retry Fully quit Slack (or close the browser) and reopen On mobile, swipe the app away and reopen
3. **Clear the cache** — Desktop: Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart Web: clear your browser cache and reload
4. **Fix network issues** — Disconnect VPN/proxy temporarily Switch to a wired or different network Run slack.com/help/test and share errors with IT
5. **Fix bot posting failures** — Invite the app to the channel with /invite @AppName For private channels, a channel member must add the app

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/messages-not-sending

### Slack Notifications Not Working on iPhone or Android

Mobile Slack notifications are most often blocked by battery optimization, missing Google Play Services notifications (Android) or a stale app state. Run Slack's built-in Troubleshoot Notifications test, then disable battery optimization and reset the cache.

1. **Run Slack's notification test** — Open Slack and tap your profile picture Tap Notifications > Troubleshoot Notifications Run the test; if the checks pass but no test notification arrives, reinstall Slack and run it again Send the report to Slack Support from the same screen if it still fails
2. **Send mobile notifications immediately** — In Slack, tap your profile picture > Notifications Set mobile notifications to send as soon as you are inactive on desktop
3. **Disable battery optimization (Android)** — Open Settings > Apps > Slack > Battery Choose Unrestricted (or Don't optimize) Turn off Battery Saver while testing
4. **Enable Google Play Services notifications (Android)** — Open Settings > Apps > Google Play Services Make sure notifications are allowed; Slack relies on it for push delivery
5. **Restart, reset cache, reinstall** — Force quit Slack and restart your phone Android: profile picture > Preferences > Advanced > Reset Cache If nothing helps, uninstall and reinstall Slack

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/mobile-notifications-not-working

### Slack Not Loading or Can't Connect

First check slack-status.com. If Slack is up, the fix is usually Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart, followed by checking VPN, proxy, firewall or antivirus that blocks Slack's WebSocket connections.

1. **Check Slack's status page** — Open slack-status.com If there is an active incident, wait for the fix; local troubleshooting will not help
2. **Clear the desktop cache** — Open Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart (Windows: the ☰ menu top-left) Wait for Slack to relaunch and reload your workspace
3. **Run Slack's connection test** — Open slack.com/help/test in your browser If it reports errors, send them to your network administrator
4. **Rule out VPN, proxy and firewall** — Temporarily disconnect from VPN or proxy and reload Ask IT to allow WebSockets and not block wss-primary.slack.com, wss-backup.slack.com and wss-mobile.slack.com Pause antivirus web filtering to test
5. **Try Slack in a private browser window** — Open your workspace in an Incognito/private window If it works there, disable browser extensions one by one Make sure your browser is up to date
6. **Collect net logs for Slack Support** — Help > Troubleshooting > Restart and Collect Net Logs Reproduce the problem, then click Stop Logging Send the zip from your Downloads folder via slack.com/help/requests/new

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/not-loading

### Slack Notifications Not Working on Desktop

Usually Slack's notifications are paused or your OS (Focus, Do Not Disturb, notification permissions) is blocking them. Resume notifications in Slack, allow Slack in system notification settings, and turn off Focus/Do Not Disturb.

1. **Resume paused notifications** — Look for a Z/snooze icon next to your profile picture Click your profile picture and choose Resume notifications Open Preferences > Notifications and check your Do Not Disturb schedule
2. **Allow Slack notifications on Mac** — Open System Settings > Notifications Select Slack and turn on Allow Notifications Set alert style to Banners or Alerts Enable notifications when mirroring or sharing the display if you present often Open Control Center and make sure Do Not Disturb/Focus is off
3. **Allow Slack notifications on Windows** — Open Settings > System > Notifications Turn on notifications from apps and other senders and make sure Slack is on Turn Focus Assist / Do Not Disturb off, or add Slack to the priority list
4. **Check Slack for an active incident and update** — Visit slack-status.com to see if a notification issue is listed Update Slack to the latest version (Slack fixed the Feb 2026 Windows pop-up bug by rolling back the release) Quit and reopen Slack
5. **Allow notifications in the browser (Slack web)** — Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications and allow your workspace Safari: Settings > Websites > Notifications and allow your workspace Keep the Slack tab open; the web app only notifies for open workspaces

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/notifications-not-working

### Slack Screen Share Not Working in Huddles

On Mac, screen sharing fails when Slack's Screen Recording permission is missing or stuck; remove Slack from the Screen & System Audio Recording list (or run tccutil reset) and re-grant it. On Windows, extra monitors or a closed laptop lid can cause a black share.

1. **Re-grant Screen Recording on Mac** — System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording Select Slack and click the minus (-) button to remove it Quit and reopen Slack, start a share and allow access when prompted
2. **Reset the permission with Terminal** — Open Applications > Utilities > Terminal Run: tccutil reset ScreenCapture com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap Quit and reopen Slack and allow screen recording when asked
3. **Switch to the direct-download app** — Uninstall the Mac App Store version of Slack Download Slack from slack.com/downloads/mac and move it to Applications Sign in and try sharing again
4. **Fix black screen on Windows** — Open your laptop lid if it is closed Unplug or undock external monitors and share again
5. **Test with Slack's tools** — Preferences > Audio & video > Troubleshooting > Run test Check upload speed; share from Chrome to compare

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/screen-share-not-working

### Slack Search Not Finding Messages

Slack search misses messages when they are hidden by the free plan's 90-day limit, are in channels you are not a member of, or when keywords are too vague. Use search modifiers (in:, from:, before:, after:, has:) and quotes, and sort by oldest.

1. **Use search modifiers** — Add in:#channel or in:@person to narrow the location Add from:@name to filter by sender Use before:, after: or during: with dates (e.g., after:2026-01-01) Use has:link or has:pin to filter content types
2. **Search exact phrases** — Wrap the phrase in quotes to match words in order Remove extra words that might not appear in the message
3. **Change result sorting** — In search results, switch the sort from Best match to Most recent or Oldest first
4. **Check plan and retention limits** — On the free plan, only the last 90 days are searchable Ask an admin whether a retention policy deletes messages
5. **Wait for indexing** — If the message was just sent, wait a few minutes and search again

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/slack/issues/search-not-finding-messages

## Common problems

- **Notification overload destroys focus and productivity** (usability): Notification noise is the most repeated complaint on G2: roughly 600 reviews mention excessive notifications in busy channels and large teams, and about 660 say channel management becomes overwhelming. The always-on chat culture pushes people to respond instantly, which hurts focused work.
- **Free plan deletes messages after 90 days, permanently after 1 year** (pricing): On the free plan you can only view and search the last 90 days of messages and files. Since August 26, 2024, Slack also permanently deletes free-workspace data older than one year on a rolling basis, so upgrading later cannot bring it back. Owners can only choose between keeping data for one year or deleting it after 90 days.
- **Slack search can't find old messages** (usability): Slack becomes hard to search once a workspace has years of traffic: results depend on exact keywords, channels you belong to and search modifiers most people never learn. On the free plan anything older than 90 days simply does not appear. Users describe Slack as a place where decisions get lost.
- **Slack raised Business+ price 20% in 2025 (now $15/user)** (pricing): On June 17, 2025 Slack raised Business+ from $12.50 to $15 per user/month billed annually ($15 to $18 monthly), justified by bundled AI features and Salesforce integrations. Existing self-serve customers were moved to the new price at their first renewal after August 17, 2025, and turning AI off does not lower the bill.
- **Customer support is slow and stringent with bureaucratic policies** (support): Reviewers on G2 and Capterra report slow replies, difficulty reaching a human, and policies that require the primary workspace owner for many account requests. Free workspaces get only help-center self-service, so most issues must be fixed with in-app troubleshooting tools.
- **Slack threads get lost and conversations become chaotic** (usability): Threads hide replies from the main channel, so people either miss them or avoid threads entirely. Combined with channel sprawl (a top G2 complaint), context gets scattered and important decisions are hard to find later.
- **Is Slack secure? No end-to-end encryption** (security): Slack encrypts data in transit and at rest but does not offer end-to-end encryption; customer-managed keys (EKM) are an Enterprise+ add-on. In May 2024 Slack faced backlash because its privacy principles let it use customer data for ML models by default, with opt-out only by the workspace owner emailing Slack. Slack clarified it does not train its generative AI LLMs on customer messages.
- **Slack outages: messages not sending and Slack not loading** (reliability): On February 26-27, 2025 a major outage stopped messages from sending or loading, broke workflows and API events, and took most of a day to recover; Slack attributed it to database shard problems. Shorter incidents (blank screens, failed loads) appear on slack-status.com several times a year and halt teams that run entirely on Slack.
- **Best Slack AI features locked behind Business+** (pricing): The old $10/user Slack AI add-on is no longer sold; AI is now bundled by plan. Free and Pro get only basic AI (summaries, huddle notes) and a trial of Slackbot, while AI recaps, translations, file summaries and the full Slackbot agent require Business+ or Enterprise+. Teams that want AI for a few people must upgrade everyone.
- **Why is Slack using so much memory?** (performance): Slack's desktop client is built on Electron, which loads a full browser engine. Memory grows with every signed-in workspace and long-running session; Slack's 2019 rewrite cut usage roughly in half, but users with several workspaces still see heavy RAM use next to other Electron apps.
- **Slack notifications not working or delayed** (reliability): Missed notifications are a long-running complaint on every platform. On Android, battery optimization and Google Play Services settings delay pushes; on desktop, Focus/Do Not Disturb and OS permissions block them. Slack itself shipped a Windows desktop release in February 2026 where sounds played but pop-ups never appeared, fixed by a rollback.
- **Enterprise Grid is effectively a one-way upgrade** (pricing): Licensing guides consistently describe Enterprise Grid (now sold as Enterprise) as having no downgrade path: workspaces are migrated into the org in full, and moving back to a single Business+ workspace is not a supported self-serve option. Treat a Grid migration as a long-term commitment and confirm exit terms with sales.

## What users like

- **2,600+ integrations connect to virtually any work tool**: Slack's integration ecosystem is unmatched with 2,600+ apps including Google Drive, Zoom, Trello, Jira, Salesforce, GitHub, and more. This makes it a central hub for work notifications and actions. Companies using non-Microsoft software find Slack's broad integration ecosystem far more valuable than competitors.
- **Intuitive interface with fast onboarding**: Slack's streamlined, intuitive interface allows new team members to be onboarded in minutes versus hours for competitors like Microsoft Teams. The clean design, emoji reactions, and casual tone align well with startup and creative agency cultures.
- **Real-time collaboration with channels, threads, and huddles**: Slack excels at real-time team communication with organized channels, threaded conversations, and quick audio/video huddles. It's particularly strong for remote teams needing instant communication and quick decisions.
- **Strong uptime and performance for enterprise scale**: Slack handles very large deployments and outages are relatively rare for its size, with a public status page (slack-status.com) and quick rollbacks of bad releases.
- **Discounts for nonprofits and education**: Slack runs discount programs for qualifying nonprofits and educational institutions, and new teams can get introductory discounts on monthly Pro and Business+ billing.
- **Built-in AI summaries and huddle notes even on cheaper plans**: Since mid-2025 conversation and thread summaries and huddle notes are included without a separate AI add-on, and basic AI features are listed on the Free and Pro plans.

## Pricing

- **Free**: $0.00 (free) — hidden costs: Messages and files older than 90 days are hidden; data older than 1 year is permanently deleted (since Aug 26, 2024) and cannot be recovered by upgrading
- **Pro**: $7.25 (yearly) — hidden costs: $8.75/user/month if billed monthly; billed per active member; advanced AI and full Slackbot require Business+
- **Business+**: $15.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: $18/user/month billed monthly; raised from $12.50/$15 in June 2025; turning AI off does not reduce the price; extra Slackbot usage via Flex Credits
- **Enterprise+**: $45.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: Annual billing only via sales; Enterprise Key Management and frontline add-ons priced separately

## Who should and shouldn't use it

- **Teams needing message history on a budget** — Avoid: The free plan's 90-day message limit and permanent 1-year data deletion makes Slack unusable for teams that need to reference past conversations. If you can't afford $7.25/user/month, you'll lose critical context and institutional knowledge.
- **Deep work professionals (developers, writers, designers)** — Avoid: Slack's notification-heavy culture with interruptions every 5 minutes on average destroys focus time. The pressure to respond immediately and constant pings from multiple channels make deep work nearly impossible. Consider async-first tools instead.
- **Organizations requiring data sovereignty or E2E encryption** — Avoid: Slack has no end-to-end encryption and customer-managed keys are an Enterprise+ add-on. For highly sensitive communications, self-hosted tools such as Mattermost or Rocket.Chat give more control.
- **Very small teams on a tight budget** — Avoid: The free plan's 90-day history and 10-app limit hurt quickly, and Pro costs $7.25-$8.75 per user per month. Discord or Google Chat (if you already pay for Workspace) can cover basic chat for less.
- **Companies considering Enterprise Grid** — Depends: A Grid migration moves workspaces into one org and is described as having no downgrade path. Only commit if you are sure you need multi-workspace architecture long term.
- **Microsoft 365 heavy organizations** — Depends: If your organization already pays for Microsoft 365 with Teams, Slack is an extra per-user cost; Teams integrates more deeply with Outlook, SharePoint and Office files.
- **Startups and tech companies with diverse tool stacks** — Good fit: Slack's 2,600+ integrations make it ideal for companies using varied SaaS tools. The casual culture, emoji reactions, and streamlined interface fit startup environments well. Onboarding is fast and intuitive.
- **Salesforce-centric organizations** — Good fit: As a Salesforce product, Slack integrates deeply with the Salesforce ecosystem. If you're already a Salesforce customer, bundling Slack can provide discounts and unified workflows.
- **Engineering teams needing focus time** — Avoid: Constant pings and channel sprawl make deep work hard unless the team enforces notification schedules, thread etiquette and async norms.
- **Sales teams** — Good fit: Real-time communication essential for sales. Slack Connect for client channels, Salesforce integration, quick deal updates. Sales thrives on instant communication Slack provides.
- **Customer support teams** — Good fit: Fast internal escalation, integration with Zendesk/Intercom, shared channels with clients. Support teams benefit from Slack's speed and searchable history.

## Alternatives

- **Microsoft Teams** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/microsoft-teams): Companies switch because Teams comes with many Microsoft 365 plans they already pay for. Gain: no extra per-user cost, native Office/SharePoint integration, built-in meetings. Trade-off: heavier, clunkier UX and fewer third-party integrations.
- **Discord** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/discord): Startups and tech teams switch for better free tier and voice features. Gain: unlimited message history free, superior voice channels, screen sharing. Trade-off: less professional appearance, no enterprise compliance.
- **Zulip**: Teams prioritizing async work switch for topic-based threading. Gain: conversations organized by topic not time, open source, self-hostable. Trade-off: smaller ecosystem, less polished UI.
- **Mattermost**: Organizations switch for self-hosted option, open source codebase, and data sovereignty. Popular with security-conscious companies and those needing on-premise deployment.
- **Google Chat**: Google Workspace users switch because Chat is included in their subscription, integrates with Gmail/Calendar/Drive, and provides adequate functionality without extra cost.
- **Rocket.Chat**: Teams that need self-hosting or strict data control switch to this open-source chat platform. Gain: on-premise deployment and full data ownership. Trade-off: you run and maintain the server, and the app ecosystem is far smaller.

## FAQ

### Is Slack worth the price in 2026?

For teams that live in chat and rely on integrations, yes: Pro at $7.25/user/month (annual) unlocks unlimited history, group huddles and unlimited apps. It is harder to justify if you already pay for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, which include Teams or Google Chat, or if you only need basic chat that the free plan or Discord covers.

### What happens to old Slack messages on the free plan?

On the free plan you can only see and search the last 90 days of messages and files. Since August 26, 2024, data older than one year is permanently deleted on a rolling basis, so upgrading later restores only what is less than a year old.

### Can you downgrade from Slack Enterprise Grid?

Licensing guides describe Enterprise Grid as having no downgrade path, because workspaces are migrated into a single org. Slack does not offer a self-serve way back to Business+, so confirm exit terms with your account executive before migrating.

### Why is Slack so expensive compared to alternatives?

Slack charges per active user: Pro $7.25, Business+ $15 and Enterprise+ $45 per user/month billed annually (more when billed monthly). Business+ rose from $12.50 in June 2025, and the best AI features are only on Business+ and above. Teams and Google Chat are bundled with suites many companies already pay for.

### Is Slack secure for sensitive business communications?

Slack encrypts data in transit and at rest and offers SSO, data loss prevention and audit tools, but it does not offer end-to-end encryption. Customer-managed encryption keys are an Enterprise+ add-on. In 2024 Slack was criticized for using customer data for ML models by default with an email-only opt-out; it says it does not train its generative AI on customer messages.

### Why are Slack notifications so overwhelming?

Busy channels, @here/@channel mentions and an expectation of instant replies create constant pings; notification overload is the most common complaint in G2 reviews. Set channel notifications to mentions only, mute noisy channels, schedule Do Not Disturb hours and use threads.

### How much does Slack AI cost?

There is no separate Slack AI add-on any more. Basic AI (summaries, huddle notes, AI search) is included on Free and Pro, while advanced AI such as recaps, translations, file summaries and the Slackbot agent requires Business+ ($15/user/month annually) or Enterprise+.

### Why is Slack using so much RAM on my computer?

The desktop app runs on Electron (a bundled browser engine), and memory grows with each signed-in workspace and long sessions. Sign out of workspaces you rarely use, use Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart, quit Slack fully once a day, or use Slack in the browser instead.

### Should my company use Slack or Microsoft Teams?

Choose Teams if you already pay for Microsoft 365 and work mostly in Office files. Choose Slack if you use many non-Microsoft SaaS tools, collaborate with external partners via Slack Connect, or run on Salesforce. Slack is generally faster to learn; Teams is cheaper if it is already in your bundle.

### What are the hidden costs of Slack?

Main ones: monthly billing costs about 20% more than annual; Business+ went up in 2025 and turning AI off does not lower the price; advanced AI requires upgrading everyone to Business+; multi-channel guests count as paid members; and on the free plan, history older than 90 days is hidden and older than a year is deleted.

### Why are my Slack notifications not working?

Check that notifications are not paused (a Z next to your name), that Do Not Disturb or Focus is off in your OS, and that Slack is allowed to send notifications in system settings. On mobile, run Profile > Notifications > Troubleshoot Notifications. On Android, disable battery optimization for Slack.

### Why is Slack not loading?

First check slack-status.com for an outage. If Slack is up, use Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart in the desktop app, run the connection test at slack.com/help/test, and try Slack in a browser or with VPN/proxy disabled.

### Is Slack down right now?

Slack posts incidents at slack-status.com. Large outages, such as February 26-27, 2025 when messages failed to send, are listed there with updates; if the status page is clear, the problem is usually local cache, network or firewall.

### Does Slack free plan include huddles?

Yes, but only 1:1 huddles. Group huddles need a paid plan (Pro or above).

### Did Slack raise its prices?

Yes. On June 17, 2025 Business+ went from $12.50 to $15 per user/month billed annually ($15 to $18 monthly). Pro stayed at $7.25 annual / $8.75 monthly. Existing self-serve Business+ customers moved to the new price at their first renewal after August 17, 2025.

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Try or Bye aggregates problem patterns from user reviews, forums, and app stores. Methodology: https://www.tryorbye.com/methodology