Cisco Webex vs Slack
A side-by-side look at 2 directory tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
W
webex.com
Best for Enterprises needing secure video meetings with Cisco ecosystem integration
Enterprise messaging, meetings, and calling from Cisco.
Visit Cisco Webex
S
slack.com
Best for Teams wanting best-in-class messaging and integrations
Where work happens — team chat and collaboration.
Visit SlackPricing compared
Cisco Webex
$14.5/user/month
Slack
$7.25/user/month
Head to head
| Cisco Webex | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ||
| Starting price | $14.5/user/month | $7.25/user/month |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 | — |
| Founded | 1984 | 2013 |
| HQ | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Team size | 10000+ | 2000-5000 |
Pros & cons
Cisco Webex
Pros
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance (HIPAA, FedRAMP)
- Deep integration with Cisco hardware and software
- Built-in messaging, calling, and meetings in one app
- Excellent whiteboarding features
- Strong phone support and SLAs for enterprise
Cons
- More expensive than Zoom for equivalent features
- Interface can feel dated compared to Zoom
- Steeper setup and learning curve
- Smaller third-party integration ecosystem than Zoom
Slack
Pros
- Best-in-class messaging UX
- 2,600+ app integrations
- Powerful search across messages
- Strong developer API and workflow automation
- Excellent mobile apps
Cons
- Can get expensive for large teams
- Notifications can be overwhelming
- No built-in project management
- Free plan limits message history to 90 days
Features compared
| Cisco Webex | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans & pricing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Free trial | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing model | Free; Webex Meet $14.50/user/mo; Business $25/user/mo; Enterprise custom | Free; Pro $7.25/user/mo; Business+ $12.50/user/mo; Enterprise Grid custom |
| Money-back guarantee | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Platforms & access | ||
| Web app | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Mobile apps | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Desktop app | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Self-hosted option | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Offline mode | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Public API | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Webhooks | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Native integrations | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Slack, Cisco hardware | 2,600+ apps including Google Workspace, GitHub, Jira, Zoom, Salesforce |
| Automation (Zapier/Make) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Security & compliance | ||
| SSO / SAML | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Two-factor auth | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SOC 2 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GDPR compliant | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Encryption at rest | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Collaboration | ||
| Team workspaces | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Role-based permissions | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Guest access | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Support | ||
| Email support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Live chat support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Phone support | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Knowledge base | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SLA | 99.99% uptime SLA for enterprise plans with dedicated support | 99.99% uptime SLA on paid plans |