Workplace vs. Slack: A Comparison of Collaboration Hubs

Workplace vs. Slack – which one is better? Which one should my organization choose?

Did you land on this blog because you are currently comparing whether you should choose Workplace over Slack? Not sure which of these collaboration tools will give you the necessary support you’re looking for? Interested in a comparison of Workplace vs Slack?

If you’re starting your journey into collaboration tools, you are at the right place! This blog compares Workplace vs Slack in detail, including a side-by-side chart, a write-up of each platform, and some pros and cons to consider when making your decision. Let’s dive in with no delay!

Workplace vs Slack: A Quick Comparison

Workplace vs slack option 1: WORKPLACE

Designed for organizations who are looking for a productivity and collaboration platform, Workplace by Facebook is built off the same familiar Facebook platform, but is completely separate from its commercial sibling. Enabling seamless top-down communication and knowledge sharing, Workplace by Facebook helps organizations to transform their communications, culture, and workflows, no matter their size, or the industry they fall under.

With its versatile capabilities and easy-to-use features, Workplace can enhance team collaboration by driving employee engagement and providing a platform where your organization can have important, transparent discussions. Regardless of their location, your employees can access Workplace from any device they’re comfortable using. Keep track of key business conversations, easily share files, documents, or project information, and keep all your corporate data secure with customized privacy and security controls.

Simply put, Workplace by Facebook has been lauded as a stellar way to engage your employees and build a solid sense of community within your organization. It’s the perfect tool for you to capture employee sentiments, share upcoming announcements, give kudos to your employees who go above and beyond, and provide a platform to help your employees get to know each other better.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the key Pros and Cons of using Workplace by Facebook:

Pros:

	Workplace is built off the same familiar Facebook platform, so there are minimal training requirements, and very high adoption rates.
	Workplace has a variety of integration capabilities, so you can connect to the tools you already use (i.e. Office 365). Or, you have the option to build your own custom integrations through a Workplace Service Partner.
	Workplace is built off the same familiar Facebook platform, so there are minimal training requirements, and very high adoption rates.
	Multiple languages supported, including English, German, Japanese, French, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

Cons:

	Workplace is Cloud-based, and therefore needs an Internet connection to be able to access the content on it. If your employees are travelling, they may not be able to access it at all times.
	If your employees have subscribed to a number of groups, the notifications for new content can make it more difficult to follow what’s happening.
	Those not familiar with Facebook may be hesitant or slower to adopt this platform and will require additional training.
	Workplace holds fewer integration possibilities than other collaboration hubs, although they still do have a directory of 60+ potential integration capabilities, including Office 365, G Suite, HubSpot, Dropbox, SurveyMonkey, and more.

Workplace vs slack option 2: SLACK

Compatible with a variety of operating systems, Slack helps users simplify communication, stay in touch with one another, and streamline workflows. Teams in your organization can communicate in groups or through semi-private or private chats, share folders or files simply (just drag and drop them into the correct channel), and refer back to previous conversations with the searchable archive that Slack builds.

Integrating with several enterprise productivity tools that are on the market, Slack’s open API also provides your team with the opportunity to build their own apps if they’re so inclined. Slack is also highly customizable, allowing users to change the appearance (theme) of their platform, or change their notification or channel settings if desired.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the key Pros and Cons of using Slack:

Pros:

	Slack is web-based, so users can access it from anywhere using their mobile devices, tablets or desktop – all you need is an internet connection.
	Slack provides an app download center that allows you to search for and download the apps you need.
	Slack for Good offers special discount pricing for qualified non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
	Content on Slack is controlled by your organization’s admin, who can choose to make the data public or private.

Cons:

	Slack does not come with native applications, so all apps will need to be linked to third-party providers.
	Because there are no native applications, there is no built-in calendar or task management capabilities within Slack – you’ll need to download an app for that.
	The free version of Slack does not come with any administrative rights or controls.
	The free version of Slack does not include Shared Channels and Guest Accounts to work with organizations and individuals outside of your team, such as clients, vendors, and partners, or participate in active screen sharing during a call.

Workplace vs slack- WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

In determining which collaboration hub – Workplace vs. Slack – is right for your organization, we recommend to our customers to consider a few important factors:

• What other tools are being used within your organization, and will this new collaboration hub – whether that’s Workplace or Slack – integrate well with your current infrastructure?
• What are your goals that you are trying to achieve by implementing a new collaboration hub? Does one of these tools fit better with what your organization specifically needs?
• What is your current budget for a collaboration hub?

Another recommendation from us is to see a demo of the tool before implementing it. Both Slack and Workplace will provide demos of their platforms to potentially interested customers. 

If you are interested in seeing Workplace in action, check out the short video below, which will show you how you and your team can utilize Workplace throughout your work day, wherever you work from and whichever device you use. Or, contact our LineZero experts to arrange your Workplace demo today!

WORKPLACE BY FACEBOOK: YOUR COLLABORATION HUB!

Interested in learning more about Workplace by Facebook? Drop us a line! LineZero is your go-to Canadian service partner for Workplace by Facebook. At LineZero, we don’t just sell Workplace by Facebook – we use it ourselves! From design, to pilot, to implementation, our team of experts is able to help you understand Workplace by Facebook, get your questions answered, and be with you every step of the way.