Slack vs Lark
Slack is team messaging platform with channels, threads, and integrations for workplace communication, while Lark is integrated workspace combining messaging, video, docs, and project management from ByteDance. The biggest difference up front: Lark is free, while Slack starts at $7.25/user/mo. Slack is built for teams that need organized, searchable communication, whereas Lark targets teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite.
At a glance
|
Slack
|
Lark
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams that need organized, searchable communication | Teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite |
| Starting price | $7.25/user/mo | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Calendar | — | ✓ |
| Channels | ✓ | — |
| Docs | — | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✓ | — |
| Huddles | ✓ | — |
| Integrations | ✓ | — |
| Messenger | — | ✓ |
| OKRs | — | ✓ |
| Threads | ✓ | — |
| Video | — | ✓ |
Slack
Strengths
- Massive integration ecosystem with 2,400+ apps
- Excellent search across all messages and files
- Familiar interface that most people already know
- Strong API for custom bots and workflows
Weaknesses
- Expensive at scale — costs add up fast with large teams
- Can become noisy and distracting with many channels
- Free tier limits message history to 90 days
- Desktop app is resource-heavy
Lark
Strengths
- Includes Messenger as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
- Includes Video as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
- Free for up to 50 users — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Includes docs alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Feature-rich interface takes time to learn — not the simplest option for quick adoption
- Notification overload is a real problem as the number of channels grows
- Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish
The bottom line
Pricing: Lark is completely free (Free for up to 50 users), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Slack starts at $7.25/user/mo, but Free for small teams, 90-day history. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Slack offers Channels, File Sharing and Huddles that Lark lacks. Lark brings Calendar, Docs and Messenger that Slack does not have.
Team fit: Both tools target any size teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.
Where each tool shines: Slack's biggest strengths are: massive integration ecosystem with 2,400+ apps. excellent search across all messages and files. Lark's biggest strengths are: includes messenger as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows. includes video as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows.
Watch out for: With Slack, users commonly note that expensive at scale — costs add up fast with large teams. With Lark, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Slack if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that need organized, searchable communication
- You specifically need Channels and File Sharing
- You care about excellent search across all messages and files
- The free tier works for you: free for small teams, 90-day history
Choose Lark if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting an all-in-one collaboration suite
- Budget is a hard constraint — Lark is free, Slack is not
- You specifically need Calendar and Docs
- You care about includes video as a core feature, purpose-built for team communication workflows
- The free tier works for you: free for up to 50 users
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