Slack and Asana are two of the most recognizable workplace communication and project management software solutions. Read our side-by-side comparison of Slack vs. Asana to quickly find out which tool is right for your team. We’ll compare the two based on key features, pricing, customer reviews and more.
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Slack vs. Asana: At a Glance
Slack and Asana are both incredibly user-friendly tools, and although there is some cross-functionality with each of them, they each serve different purposes. Slack is a chat communication tool that enables you to communicate with individuals or entire teams in real-time. Meanwhile, Asana is a project management tool that helps you set deadlines, assign tasks and track projects.
Slack
Pricing
$6.67 per user per month
(billed monthly)
Free Plan
Yes
Key Function
Instant messaging
$6.67 per user per month
(billed monthly)
Yes
Instant messaging
Slack is a wildly popular communication tool for businesses, organizations and teams. It functions as an instant messaging app so information flows quickly and easily. One downside can be that it works almost too well and its notifications can get distracting. If you need to work on “head down” projects or don’t want to be distracted after hours, you can adjust the notification settings.
Because Slack is a communication tool, its project management functions are limited. While it is possible to track project status in threads, it is also easy for information to get lost in the shuffle.
- Easy to use with a low learning curve
- Offers an Asana integration
- Free version offers up to 10,000 searchable messages per month and ten app integrations
- Project management functions are limited and clunky
- Notifications can be distracting
- Tracking messages can be difficult
Asana
Pricing
$10.99 per user per month
(billed annually)
Free Plan
Yes
Key Function
Project management
$10.99 per user per month
(billed annually)
Yes
Project management
Asana is a project management tool developed with collaboration in mind. It has several formats available, including task lists, Gantt charts and Kanban boards, and its calendar feature makes it easy to see task due dates and delegate assignments.
Asana’s notifications keep team members up to date and on schedule, but unlike Slack, the notifications are sent via email rather than instant messenger-style. Asana’s My Tasks feature sorts information so users can see their daily tasks and upcoming deadlines easily.
Asana also has several features that enable collaboration with internal teams, such as a shared team calendar, file sharing, time tracking and milestones.
- User-friendly
- Excellent for collaboration
- Clean and minimalist design
- Communications with team members are sent as email notifications
- Cost for Business version can get expensive
How Slack and Asana Stack Up
| Slack | Asana | |
|---|---|---|
|
Free Plan
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Pricing For Paid Plans (Billed Annually)
|
|
|
|
Primary Function
|
Real-time communication
|
Project management
|
|
Integrations
|
Limited integrations, but Asana is one of its integrations
|
More than 150 integrations, including Slack, Microsoft Office and Teams, Google Drive, Gmail
|
|
Ease of Use
|
Little to no learning curve
|
Very slight learning curve
|
|
Reporting
|
Limited
|
Limited, but expanded through integrations
|
|
Customer Service
|
Online contact form
|
Live chat, forum and help center
|
Whether you choose Asana or Slack will ultimately depend on your needs and how you plan to use the software. The two platforms each serve different purposes and function very differently—Slack is a communication tool while Asana is a project management tool.
Both are very user-friendly with uncluttered and customizable designs. They are designed to make your virtual workplace function as smoothly and efficiently as possible, while also creating a cozy digital office space for you. Prices are comparable, but depending on the size of your team and the number of messages you plan to send, the free version of Slack may be sufficient.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a workplace communication tool to make it easy for team members to communicate in real-time, Slack is your best bet. If, on the other hand, you want to track projects, assign tasks and monitor deadlines, then Asana will better meet your needs.
Further Reading: Best Asana Alternatives in 2024
