There are so many software programs you likely use on a daily basis. With Slack integrations, you can connect software that you use daily to integrate with the productivity app.

Google Hangouts lets you communicate with your team via instant messaging, voice calls, and video calls. This integration allows you to easily start a Hangout with the members of a channel.To star. Google Chat, formerly known as Google Hangouts Chat, breaks conversations down into rooms, similar to channels in Slack. Conversations are forced into threads, which helps keep things organized. Your company can add as many rooms as they want, and users can easily join and leave rooms.

From your calendar app to your CRM, there is always a data point that is siloed in another software that you can’t immediately reach.

Wouldn’t it be nice if they could all communicate, making it easier for you to know what’s happening across the board? You’ll get alerts, improve processes, and be able to access what you need in just a few clicks.

But with so many Slack integrations out there, which ones should you pick?

In this article, we’ll review 20+ Slack integrations that you can implement to improve your Slack productivity.

Ready? Let’s get started!

What Is a Slack Integration?

Slack integrations are add-ons and custom applications that help you connect Slack to various other software solutions that you use to power your business.

Slack integrations

Such integrations can send you alerts, make it easier to use other programs within the app and unify data from many different platforms.

They make your workspace more collaborative and help improve your productivity. You’ll save time by no longer having to log into other software platforms.

Similar to Gmail add-ons, Slack integrations bring everything you need right in your chat app. By personalizing your workspace and continuously adding more integrations that suit your objectives, hopefully, you’ll work more efficiently and get more done.

How Many Integrations Does Slack Offer?

Slack offers more than 2,000 integrations that you can install to personalize and shape your Slack experience into one that is right for you.

The system offers integrations with numerous leading software options including Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Twitter, Box, Dropbox, Zoom, and more.

Chances are the program you use on a daily basis already has a Slack integration in the marketplace, or in their product roadmap for the future.

Releasing an integration for Slack is a valuable selling point for companies that want to make their products ubiquitous and more intertwined with the customer’s daily life, increasing retention and overall usage.

How to Add a Slack Integration

Is all this talk about Slack integrations making you want to add one for yourself?

Thankfully, adding a Slack integration (or a dozen) is quite easy. Users can download integrations in Slack’s App Directory, an online marketplace full of a variety of options.

Slack’s app directory

There are integrations covering a broad spectrum of uses. From calendars to bookkeeping, there are plenty of different options that can help you save time and work more efficiently.

Each integration will have its own instructions clearly listed out for you to follow as you complete the installation process.

However, most involve the following steps:

After selecting the integration, click the “Sign In to Install” button. If you’re already signed-in, the button will say “Open in Slack.”

Once you’re logged in, you’ll be able to click, “Open in Slack” and the integration will appear in your Slack window.

Typically, it will explain the integration, share Slack shortcodes (if used by the app) and ask you to authorize the integration:

Onboarding and activation process for Slack integrations

Click “Authorize” and you’re all set!

In a few clicks, you’ll be on your way with a more integrated interface that is customized for your needs.

25 Top Slack Integrations You Need to Download

To get the most optimal experience out of Slack, you need to customize the platform so it does what you need it to do. This involves downloading the right integrations to connect all your existing software into the Slack workspace.

Improve your efficiency with these top apps for your calendar, communication, productivity, writing, and administrative work.

Calendar Integrations

Never miss a meeting or obligation with a calendar app for your Slack workspace. These integrations will keep your day moving ahead with no hiccups or missed connections.

1. Google Calendar

Google Calendar app for Slack

Google Calendar connects your daily schedule to your Slack workplace and provides status updates, reminders, and event changes right in Slack.

One key benefit of Google calendar is that it enables users to accept or deny event requests in the platform and allows them to create new events in just a few clicks.

You can sync your Google Calendar to your Slack status to notify the team when you are busy and unable to communicate. No longer will you have to manually update your status; these changes are automatic and will save you time.

In addition, you can get notifications right in Slack for when a meeting is starting. You’ll get all the information you need, including the link or dial-in number to join a Hangout, Zoom, Webex, or Microsoft Teams meeting directly in the Slack notification.

Pricing: This integration is free.

2. Outlook Calendar

The Outlook Calendar integration is designated for those storing events in the Microsoft product. Similar to the Google Calendar integration, you can create new events and receive alerts and updates right in the Slack workspace.

Outlook also offers “slash commands” that add events to your calendar. Type /ocal [today][tomorrow][settings] to see your schedule for today and tomorrow, or to adjust settings.

One drawback: Outlook Calendar for Slack is only available for Office 365. The app is not supported for on-premise Microsoft Exchange customers.

Pricing: This integration is free.

3. CalendarBot

CalendarBot app for Slack

CalendarBot is a super simple Slack app that lets your team know when you are in a meeting. It gives an estimated time for the duration of the meeting, so your teammates will know when to anticipate your return.

With CalendarBot, you can have the whole team use it or you can simply integrate it into your own workspace. Your team will benefit in the long run by knowing when you’re available and when you are not.

Pricing: CalendarBot offers a free trial for 14 days, and then requires a monthly subscription of $2.50/person.

4. Eventbot Calendar

Eventbot is an excellent calendar integration to consider if you want to unify your team’s availability.

You can import existing calendars from multiple programs and Eventbot will show when your team is free for a meeting.

Eventbot has some unique functionalities, including the ability to cancel events from within Slack and export your events into any calendar. It can communicate and work with any calendar platform, including Google and Microsoft.

Pricing: There is a free version available along with paid versions starting at $26 per month.

Communication Integrations

Streamline your voice, face, and written communication with a handful of phone, video chat, and email app integrations.

Without even leaving your Slack window, you can connect with those who are most vital to your business.

5. Zoom

Zoom app for Slack

The Zoom integration helps alleviate some of the hassle of having to open the Zoom platform to get on your next video call. Instead, you can join a Zoom meeting right within your Slack workspace.

Zoom can be set as your default Slack call too, allowing you to automatically open the platform each time you need to make a call.

This app offers a “slash command” in Slack, which means if you type /zoom [help, meeting, join, call], you can initiate one of those actions.

The integration also provides you with a meeting summary and recording.

Pricing: This is a free integration with a paid component, depending on your Zoom plan.

6. Google+ Hangouts

Google+ Hangouts is a necessary integration that will connect your Google+ account with your Slack workspace, making it easier to communicate with your team through voice, instant messaging, and video.

This Slack integration connects directly with your Google+ Hangout account to easily begin a meeting and call your contacts without ever leaving the app. By typing /hangout, you can immediately begin a Hangout with those who need to be in it.

Pricing: This Slack app is free.

7. Microsoft Teams Calls

Microsoft Teams Calls app for Slack

Microsoft Teams Calls helps your team conduct efficient meetings that are frictionless and hassle-free.

The app will alert you when it’s time to start your meeting. In the same message, there will be a button to click that begins your meeting immediately—all from within your Slack window.

You can even kick off a call with the Microsoft Teams Calls slack command. Just type /teams-calls and you’ll be able to join your call and see who has already joined.

Pricing: This integration is free.

Read our Microsoft Teams vs Slack in-depth comparison guide.

8. Email

Email is a Slack app that helps integrate your email communications into the platform more seamlessly.

You can link the email app to send all emails that a specific inbox receives to a designated Slack channel.

For example, if you have a shared [email protected] or [email protected]email address, you can link those inboxes to a specific Slack channel that will showcase your new mail to all who subscribe.

This integration can be easily linked to a form on your website as well.

Pricing: This integration is free.

9. Front

Front app for Slack

Front is a useful integration for shared inboxes. If your team is managing various inboxes that have multiple people assigned to them, Front will provide that visibility in Slack.

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With a shared inbox, your team will be able to share the work and pick up immediately where one leaves off. You’ll enjoy real-time updates on messages that are open within the inbox, providing visibility and up-to-date information.

By connecting Front to Slack, you’ll be able to send messages from Slack into Front, automatically or manually, one at a time.

Pricing: This is a paid app (starting at $9/user/month) that has a 7-day free trial.

10. Send It Later

Send It Later takes control of when your message is sent. Have you ever worked late and didn’t want to disturb a coworker, but really wanted to get something off your plate?

Send It Later allows you to schedule your slack message, so it is sent at the right time. Select the date, time, recipient, and channel for the message all in from your Slack app.

Pricing: This is a paid app (starting at $9/month per workspace) that offers a two-week free trial.

Productivity Integrations

Need help staying on track? Integrate your productivity software within your Slack workspace to keep yourself (and your team) focused on the task ahead.

11. Asana

Asana app for Slack

If you’re already using Asana as your project management tool, the Asana Slack integration will help you keep all your tasks in line.

With this app, you can turn a Slack message request into an Asana task, add messages directly into the software, and receive updates when changes are made. All without ever leaving Slack.

Pricing: This integration is free.

12. Trello

If you’re a Trello user instead, here’s Trello Slack integration. The app enables your team to have the visibility they need within Slack to know exactly where they are in their product build.

In addition, you can create collaborative workspaces, add new cards to your boards, adjust deadlines, and add Slack members to a specific Trello board in just a few clicks.

Pricing: This integration is free.

13. GitHub

GitHub app for Slack

If your company is using GitHub as its preferred code repository, GitHub’s integration enables your team to access the information you need without ever leaving your Slack workspace. With it, you’ll be able to see commits, pull requests, issues, code reviews, and the status of all your deployments in just a few clicks.

This can help triage incidents as they occur and mitigate any negative implications from those events.

Pricing: This integration is free.

14. Google Sheets for Workflow Builder

Google Sheets for Workflow Builder automates tasks right in Slack and formats them into a new Google Sheet document ready for your use. It provides an easy way for you to automate routine tasks right in Slack, so you don’t have to waste time inputting or making sense of data in a Google Sheet.

The app enables you to add, select, update, or delete spreadsheet rows without leaving your Slack workspace.

Pricing: This integration is free.

CRM Integrations

Need to access your latest opportunity? Don’t bother leaving Slack. With these CRM integrations, you’ll be able to have prospect information immediately at your fingertips.

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15. Salesforce

The Salesforce integration provides greater transparency over your deal flow, leads, and open opportunities.

With this integration, you’ll be able to get everyone on the same page. You can review Salesforce records in specific Slack channels and sync customer interactions or internal memos that occur in Slack with their designated account in Salesforce.

Pricing: This integration is free.

16. HubSpot

HubSpot app for Slack

HubSpot, the all in one marketing platform, has an integration to help you keep a pulse on all aspects of your sales and marketing machine.

With this integration, you can turn a Slack message into a new opportunity in HubSpot and respond to incoming chats on your website from directly inside a Slack window.

HubSpot’s Slack integration lets you do it all. From accessing your live chat to sending notifications through workflows in the Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub, you’ll be able to update, review, and understand every aspect of the open opportunities you have at hand.

Pricing: This integration is free.

17. Notion

With Notion‘s Slack integration all your notes, wikis, customer data, leads, and more will be at your fingertips. Specifically, you’ll receive notifications of any changes or edits that were made on your Notion documents and pages to ensure you always have a complete view of the work being done.

In addition, you can change or make edits to any Notion pages, including your CRM, roadmap, or notes, from within your Slack workspace.

Note: you’ll need to follow the instructions on this page to make Slack and Notion communicate.

Pricing: This is a free app.

Storage and Administrative Integrations

Eliminate the hassle of simple administrative tasks by connecting integrations to your Slack workspace that make your life easier.

18. Google Drive

Google Drive app for Slack

At Kinsta, we heavily rely on Google Drive and Google Workspace. Luckily for us (and all companies using Drive), the Google Drive integration brings your saved files into the forefront of your Slack workspace. The integration will publish a new message when someone edits one of your documents, requests access, or shares a file link.

Don’t like the idea to open a Google Doc when someone comments on it? Now, you can reply to those comments directly within Slack. Your replies will automatically show up in the document.

Pricing: This integration is free.

19. OneDrive and Sharepoint

The OneDrive and SharePoint integration eliminates the hassle of digging for your files and copying the link in order to simply share them with a coworker. Instead, you can locate and share your files directly within Slack and adjust access control to manage who can view and edit them.

The best part: the integration will make sure everyone in the channel has access to the file when it is shared. No more time is wasted having to adjust the settings!

Pricing: The integration is free.

20. Dropbox

Dropbox app for Slack

Dropbox offers a Slack integration that enables you to easily access all your Dropbox files directly within your workspace. You can share these with other members of your team effortlessly from within the Slack interface.

In addition, the integration offers previews of your files in Slack conversations and also activity feeds, so you can understand who is accessing your files and how it is being shared.

Pricing: This integration is free.

21. Box

Thanks to the Box integration, your Box files will be imported into Slack, so you can view and share everything you need with colleagues and team members.

The added benefit of the Box integration is the ease of access and editing. In fact, your imported files are automatically updated in real-time, making it convenient to access, update, and share files that are saved to your online storage provider.

Pricing: This integration is free.

22. HelloSign

HelloSign app for Slack

HelloSign offers a Slack integration to help you stay up-to-date with all your contracts and documents that require signatures. When one of your contracts is signed, you’ll receive a notification in Slack.

This will help you keep track of which clients, partners, or employees need to sign their contracts, so your team can follow-up appropriately.

Pricing: This integration is free.

Remote Work Integrations

23. Disco

Sometimes, company culture and employee engagement efforts may fall by the wayside. With Disco, you can keep a data-driven pulse on your employee’s moods, successes, and achievements, so you all can celebrate along the way.

With it, you can celebrate your employees in real-time, discover employee trends, and share team statistics and successes.

Pricing: This is a paid integration (starting at $3/month per employee) with a free trial.

24. Loom

Loom app for Slack

Loom helps you go beyond plain-text writing by sending a recording to a coworker to give feedback, explain a project, or deliver a message. Loom’s integration enables all of this to happen within Slack.

With the Loom app, you can view Loom videos, check video timestamps to direct the user to a specific moment in time, and mention a channel or user that needs to review the video.

Pricing: This integration is free.

25. Doodle Bot

Doodle Bot eliminates the back and forth of finding a mutually-beneficial time for a meeting or hangout.

With this Slack app, everyone involved can suggest or select what time works best for them. You’ll be able to see what others pick and find the winning time slot to meet up.

Pricing: This integration is free.

Summary

Slack is a useful communication tool that can improve your workday, increase your efficiency, and facilitate better communication among your colleagues.

However, to fully maximize the benefits of using Slack, you need to customize your workplace.

To achieve this, Slack’s App Directory and our list of selected Slack integrations are a great place to start your research. With them, you can get more done without ever leaving your Slack window.

Now it’s your turn: which Slack apps and integrations do you think are must-have? Let us know in the comments!

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Before the 2018 winter holidays broke in and the business world went silent anticipating the Christmas, we’ve got some loud news from Google. Apparently, the ‘classic’ version of Hangouts will be closed soon, as explicitly confirmed by Scott Johnson, the product lead in G Suite. What we know for sure, though, is that Hangouts users will be eventually transferred to Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.

This news seems like a perfect occasion for shedding some light on Google’s messaging platform for teams. Hangouts Chat has a similar functionality with Slack, so it seems reasonable to compare the tools in our team chat wars series.

As you probably know, our team loves exploring different communication apps. Learning about their pros and cons helps us in building Chanty team chat – an easy-to-use, fast and agile Slack-alternative jam-packed with some cool goodies, such as unlimited message history and a built-in task manager. If you are looking for a business communication tool for your team, we encourage you to give Chanty a try and join our community of early adopters.

So here’s a brief comparison of Hangouts Chat to Slack. Have a read.

Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: overview

When compared to Hangouts Chat, Slack seems like an old timer. The tool, introduced by Flickr Cofounder Stewart Butterfield, launched in August 2013 as a slick app for teams able to eliminate their need for email. After 5 years, Slack grew to become one of the highest-valued startups in the world and the fastest-growing enterprise software ever.

Hangouts Chat is a much younger tool. Its early adopter program was introduced in March 2017, while its public release took place in February 2018. As of the end of 2018, Google is constantly adding new features to Hangouts Chat, such as emoji reactions and notification snoozing.

For those of you in a hurry, here’s a brief comparison of Slack and Hangouts Chat:

Now let’s explore the tools in more details.

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Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: pricing

Let’s state the obvious – Hangouts Chat doesn’t have a Freemium version (at least so far) while Slack does. So if you are not ready to empty your pockets for using a team chat tool and you’re choosing between these tools only, your decision is clear.

If you are up to spend some cash, however, consider that Hangouts Chat sits in G Suite. This means you can’t purchase the messaging platform alone – you’ll have to subscribe to a G Suite edition, which means you’ll also be able to use some of its perks, like extended file storage and Hangouts Meet tool.

Here are two tables with pricing and some features provided within different tiers of both tools:

Slack Hangouts Tutorial

Slack

Hangouts Chat (G Suite editions):

Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: onboarding

The onboarding process in Hangouts Chat and Slack is very similar. Both tools welcome new users with a couple of modal boxes containing basic information to kick up the team chat experience. When already in the workspace, Hangouts Chat and Slack bring in boxes with pointers for introducing the key features.

A box with pointers in Slack

Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: design and UX

Hangouts Chat and Slack – have the vertical layouts with two basic panels: the left one is for contacts, bots, and settings and the right one, which is primarily for conversations. Both tools provide also a smaller horizontal panel for search and some other features.

Hangouts Chat layout

I didn’t find the possibility to customize the workspace in the web version on Hangouts Chat, while it’s certainly possible in Slack.

Options for customizing your workplace in Slack

Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: messaging

When it comes to messaging, Hangouts Chat and Slack have many similar features. Both tools have dedicated spaces for group conversations: Rooms in Hangouts Chat and Channels in Slack. You can also send private one-to-one or group messages in either of team chats.

As for the differences, let’s mention the following.

1) Rooms in Hangouts Chat – are private by default. No one in your G Suite can view or join them unless invited.

At the same time, when creating a Channel in Slack you can choose whether to make it public or private.

Within this context, Hangouts Chat has no direct analogue of Public Channels in Slack.

2) The public communication in Hangouts Chat is based on threads. In Slack, threaded conversations are the additional feature.

In Hangouts Chat, once you start chatting, you are communicating in a thread (though you might not be aware of it). You can begin a new thread at any time.

In Slack, threads are a specific feature you can use if you like. The Channels are like chatrooms with a single-topic discussion. If a conversation diverges, a thread can appear. But this is not the feature Slack is based on.

Threads in Slack

3) Hangouts Chat has ‘Smart Reply’ feature. In Slack, you can create posts, add code snippets.

Some features are unique for either of tools so far.

E.g. Google brings in its Smart Reply feature. If you’ve used it in your Gmail inbox, you know what to expect. You’ll be offered Smart Reply suggestions to reply with.

In Slack you can create posts within a message and add code snippets. (I didn’t find these features in Hangouts Chat) Slack also has more text formatting options than in the Google’s tool – the prompts appear once you start typing in the message box.

Formatting options in Slack

In Hangouts Chat, there are no such prompts. I didn’t even know messages can be actually formatted within the tool until exploring G Suite learning center tips. So unless you know the usual commands for simple text formatting, such as putting an asterisk before and after a text snippet to make it bold, you may not be able to use it.

As you see, messaging features in both tools are somewhat different, so consider your needs carefully when deciding which app suits your team best.

Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: Notifications

In a word, notification settings are more diverse in Slack than in Hangouts Chat.

First, Slack has keywords and Channel-specific notifications that Hangouts Chat doesn’t have. Also, in Slack, you can adjust time settings for Do Not Disturb mode.

Slack DND notifications

At the same time, Hangouts Chat allows you to fine-tune your notifications for Web, Desktop, Mobile and Email.

Notification settings in Hangouts Chat

Slack wraps up this kind of notifications under ‘When I’m not active on desktop“ section.

Hangouts Chat vs. Slack: search

When comparing the Freemium version of Slack with the Hangouts Chat in G Suite Basic edition, here are things to note:

1) In Slack, the search is more specific.

In both tools you can specify results within a particular person and channel (room) or file types. However, in Slack only you can search within a particular time period or exclude from the search the channels you are not in.

Search filters in Slack

2) In Slack, you can search within documents.

If someone sent you a document and you forgot its name, but remember, let’s say, its chapter title or just a phrase from it, you can type a text snippet in the search box to find it.

Just to test this feature, I sent to my colleague our ‘50 ways to improve team communication’ e-book in pdf. format. Then I typed the name of the last chapter ‘Thinking outside the box’ to find out whether I can find it via search. And – voila – Slack found it!

A snippet of the book Slack found it!

In Hangouts Chat, the advanced search options are available within G Suite Business and Enterprise only. Google claims that when upgrading to these editions, you can search across your company’s content in G Suite, from Gmail and Drive to Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and more. Alas, I didn’t manage to test this feature, as I have the Basic G Suite account.

Integrations

In a word, Hangouts Chat has much fewer integrations (50+ as of December 2018; no integrations with Zapier so far) than Slack (1000+). So if you are up to start using Google’s messaging platform, make sure it can connect to your most-needed third-party apps.

Just to quickly test integrations, I tried to connect Reminder Bot to both apps. Everything went smoothly. You just follow the commands to connect and manage the service in both tools.

Using Reminder Bot in Slack

Slack vs. Hangouts Chat: voice and video calls

The obvious difference between voice and video meetings in both tools is that no matter which Slack plan you choose, you can invite no more than 15 colleagues to a meeting. Moreover, in the Freemium plan, you’ll be able to make 1-to-1 calls only. When trying to add more people, you’ll get a notification.

Notification about Group calls limit in Slack

In Hangouts Chat, video calls are provided via Hangouts Meet. You can have calls with up to 25 teammates if you have Basic G Suite account and up to 50 if you have Business or Enterprise plans. However, in both tools, you can try to get around this restriction using integrations with third-party voice and video tools.

The second difference is that in Slack you need to push just one button to ring up your colleague. In Hangouts Chat you need to click on ‘add a meeting’ to get a link for your conversation space. By sending it to a room or private conversation you invite your colleagues to join you.

Both – Hangouts Chat and Slack – provide the possibility to chat during the call or switch off the camera or the sound.

Chanty team is testing video calls in Hangouts Chat.

Slack Vs Hangouts

In Slack, there’s a fun feature unavailable in Hangouts Meet. You can react with emojis to what your colleague said.

Wrapping up

In a word, Slack is richer in features while Hangouts Chat tends to be easier-to-use. But Google’s messenger falls back in functionality.

Slack Vs Hangouts 2020

When deciding which app to choose, consider these points:

Pricing. Unlike Slack, Hangouts Chat has no Freemium version. The lowest price tag is $5 per user, per month – the tier will give you perks of the G Suite Basic edition. Slack’s Standard version starts at $6.67 per active user, per month.

Messaging. The communication in Hangouts Chat is based on threads, while in Slack threaded conversations are just a feature.

Notifications. Notification settings are more diverse in Slack than in Hangouts Chat. However, all the basic preferences are provided by either of platforms.

Search. In both tools, you can search within messages, links and file names. But Slack provides you with search within the content of documents even in the Freemium version, while in Hangouts Chat you can search within G Suite content only if you have Business or Enterprise tier.

Slack Chat Google Hangouts

Voice and video calls. Slack limits the number of conference members to 15 people. (In the Freemium version only 1-to-1 calls are available). In Hangouts Chat you can invite up to 50 people depending on the G Suite edition you are subscribed to.

Slack Hangouts Chrome

If you are still not sure which team chat app to choose, we strongly recommend you to try out Chanty – simple AI-powered team chat. We are well aware of the existing messengers’ pros and cons. We’ve considered them all while building the better business chat – Chanty. Sign up for free and give us a try 😉