When you want to seamlessly manage a big team (or just a remote team), it can often result in a headache. This is where good collaboration software usually jumps in and saves you time.
However, app sprawl and tech fatigue are a thing. You’re using so much software in your daily work life that team messaging can be stretched thin across different collaboration tools.
In this post, we’re taking a look at Slack – an ultra-popular team messaging app – and Heycollab, a collaboration hub, to see which is better for seamless communication that gets the job done.
The Comparison Criteria
We’ll be putting the priorities first. We’ll take a look at the main features of Slack and Heycollab which allow you to collaborate with team members.
We’ll also consider the general spirit of teamwork, and see which tool eliminates the need to alternate between hundreds of different browser windows to get some work done.
And let’s not forget about simplicity. Barriers to adoption are high with snazzy new tools popping up every day, so we’re also looking at simplicity, longevity and sustainability.
In short: we’re going to decide which tool gives you and your team what you need.
The Main Differences between Heycollab and Slack
Let’s get this out of the way: Slack suggests it’s a project collaboration platform. However, messaging isn’t the only thing you need to successfully collaborate and get that project done.
You need more.
You need the ability to manage tasks, and assign them to team members, as well as simplify the feedback process.
This is something that Heycollab offers.
It’s a combination of Slack and Trello’s best features. Slack offers the messaging, Trello offers the highly-visual task management Kanban boards, and Heycollab is right there in the middle, making magic.
However, the tool you choose depends on what your team needs but we’re looking at a tool with the best features that can turn it into a real team collaboration hub.
Let’s dive in!
Heycollab vs Slack: General Overview of Features and Pricing
Slack Features Overview
As a collaboration software, Slack is completely focused on its messaging features.
Communication happens through channels you can create for separate teams, projects, and any other division you like. It can take a while to get acquainted with how things work with Slack and it’s easy to get lost in a sea of channels when it comes to big teams or a lot of projects.
The conversations that happen in channels can be searched so if you can’t remember what Janet from Accounting said about expenses two weeks ago, you can search for “expenses.” Just like with Google.
If you’re worried about your conversations being intercepted, Slack offers two-factor authentication and single-sign-on counter-measures.
Finally, it offers integrations with tools like Google Drive and SalesForce.
Slack Pricing
Slack has a free plan which gives you a 10K message storage and limited functionality. For example, you can connect up to 10 apps. You don’t get the channel guest functionality, interactive screen sharing, or calls with multiple participants.
If you want more features, you can opt for the standard plan – $6.67/user/month, or the Plus plan which will set you back for $12.50 per user per month.
Heycollab Features Overview
Heycollab started out as a team collaboration hub, not just one of the numerous apps your team has to use. It’s one (app) & done.
Everything in Heycollab is organized around workspaces. Each workspace comes with its own messaging, task boards and media hub tabs.
The messaging tab gives you all the features of a team messaging tool. You can send messages, share files, and make comments about the projects you’re working on.
The task boards are a pretty robust feature. They build onto the visual task management principle so everything is clear to team members and they can see their tasks neatly outlined. The Kanban-style visuals look good too so if you’re going for the contemporary project management feel, Heycollab offers it!
You can filter through tasks based on deadlines, delegation, completion rate, and other relevant factors.
The media hub is the media library where your team can store and collaborate on files and projects.
Heycollab – Task DetailsThe feedback process is also simplified as team members can add their comments directly to projects and uploads. Everything is one place which gives Heycollab an extra point for convenience.
In short: Heycollab offers the best of Slack, Trello and InVision in one app. And it’s simple: you can get everything set up with a few clicks. The UI is adapted to how we intuitively take care of tasks and communicate.
Most teams need the features of these three platforms in order to really collaborate. However, switching between them can result in losing efficiency by 40%. The costs rise exponentially as well, since every platform has its own pricing model.
Heycollab Pricing
Heycollab’s pricing model is simple. You’ll get the full functionality for $9 per company (unlimited team members).
From task management, messaging, Dropbox-like file management, to visual collaboration similar to what you already know from InVision, you get the whole package.
Slack vs Heycollab for Project Management
Again, Slack isn’t really a workspace so it doesn’t have a horse for this race. It’s great for teams that are heavy on communication and already use different tools for everything else.
If that’s what floats your boat and you just need team messaging, then Slack is a great collaboration software.
However, if you need a full-fledged virtual team workspace, Heycollab is a much better collaboration hub.
You can make Heycollab the HQ of your operations with workspaces that include all the main features (messaging, task management, feedback). Information is fully integrated and accessible by all the relevant team members.
You can do everything from assigning to managing tasks within the virtual workspace.
If you’re chatting with a team member on something related to a project, you can simply pull up the file into the messaging app and discuss it. If you’re bringing something new to the table, upload it to the media hub and hear what your team has to say about it.
It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.
The Winner Heycollab. Slack is good for messaging but you need more for proper collaboration, and Heycollab offers the right features.
Heycollab vs Slack for Task Management
We could wax poetic about task management all day, but the truth is that visual task management is just easier for everyone involved.
In a sea of data and tasks, it’s much easier to understand the priorities and the project status if you can actually see it.
With Heycollab, you can set up boards for specific projects and organize them with multiple cards and tasks. Adding tasks and creating subtasks is just a matter of a single click, and you can even move tasks through stages.
If you want to make sure you’re right on time, you can set the dates by which the tasks have to be finished.
You can also add labels, notes, images and mentions to make sure everyone’s on the same page.
Slack doesn’t offer a task management functionality per se. You can only integrate it with other tools to have notifications pop up in the chat.
The Winner
Heycollab, as it offers all the visual task management features your team needs.
Heycollab vs Slack for Team Communication
With Slack, you can message teammates.
With Heycollab, you can share files with them and leave comments in the Media Hub, @mention them in conversations and files, work together on tasks and monitor the project status, and so much more.
And yeah, you can chat with them about cat memes as well.
We’re constantly rolling out new features so while we offer a lot of cross-team communication features already, you can expect more to come soon.
The Winner
Heycollab. It offers more features for communication and reduces the need to switch between apps.
The Verdict
If you just need a team messaging software, Slack’s your pal.
But if you need an actual collaboration hub, go with Heycollab.
It offers everything you need: team messaging, virtual workspaces, task and project management with Kanban boards and the Media Hub enabling everyone to seamlessly work together across projects and divisions.
And while your team may not always be speaking the same language, Heycollab does. It translates effort into results.