The messenger service Slack is raising prices for the first time. But there are also some changes for the popular free version.
Slack is an instant messenger that is primarily – but not exclusively – used for office communication. The service has been on the market since 2014 and is now raising its prices for the first time. And also for the users of the free version, which will continue to exist, some changes are pending.
New pricing for Slack Pro
“To reflect the added value and ensure we can continue to invest in innovation going forward, today we are announcing our first price increase since the product was launched in 2014.” With those words announces Slack its new pricing structure. Accordingly, the cost of a monthly subscription increases from 8 to 8.75 US dollars (8.25 euros). Those who take out an annual subscription will pay 7.25 (6.75 euros) instead of 6.67 US dollars per month.
Users of the Pro version can, among other things, send and receive unlimited messages and integrate unlimited apps. There is also more storage space available and more people can take part in an audio or video meeting. Slack support also prioritizes paying users.
The price adjustments will come into effect on September 1st. Anyone who takes out a corresponding annual subscription by then is exempt from the change or only pays from the following accounting year.
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Changes for free version
While the price increase is of course only relevant for paying users, there are also some changes for the free model. The old rule that Slack storage space is limited to 10,000 messages and 5 GB will apply until the end of September. From then on, Messenger will delete from the oldest message. In the future, a time limit of 90 days will apply instead. Depending on how many messages are sent in a Slack workspace, this can be an advantage or disadvantage.
In addition, users will have more access to video and voice messages in the future. This makes it easier to send screen and meeting recordings, for example. Teams can also set a retention period for sent files.