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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Google Hangouts (Classic)

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/AThe classic version of Google Hangouts included messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. It was replaced by the Hangouts Chat collaboration tool, and Google continues to support conferencing via the new Hangouts Meet.N/A

    Slack

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ASlack is a group messaging or team collaboration app that aims to simplify communication for businesses. Features include open discussions, private groups, and direct messaging, as well as deep contextual search and message archiving, and file sharing. Slack integrates with a number of other tools, such as MailChimp, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Slack was acquired by Salesforce in December 2020. The product is free to use, and also has paid plans with more features and greater controls. The…

    $8.75

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Free
    $0
    Pro
    $7.25*
    per month per user
    Business+
    $12.50*
    per month per user
    Enterprise
    Contact Sales
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—*Per active user, per month, when paying once a year. Pro is $8.75 USD per active user when paying month to month. Business+ is $15.00 USD per active user when paying month to month.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Considered Both Products
    Discontinued Products
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Zoom is solid but it's a whole other thing to log in to and limited in what its focus is. Slack has the chat functionality but Google Hangouts is integrated into my every day use and I don't feel like it's yet another thing to manage and keep track of.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    I have used Slack and Skype but both products seem more complex and less user intuitive than Hangouts. They tend to crash a lot and video calling is worse on both systems. Slack is more customizable and has more functionalities but Hangouts is simple and elegant and also it …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Hangouts is inferior to any enterprise product. Video is worse than Zoom. Chat worse than Slack. Calls worse than Grasshopper.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Even if it doesn't have all of the functionalities and possible integrations like Slack, Hangouts is a free alternative that works really well if you use it for communication purposes only. It is better than Skype in almost every aspect. Video and audio quality do not have any …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Slack is much better than Google Hangouts since it lets you have group conversations, having threads within a same conversation and integrating with lots of apps for making the work more fluent. Actually I would recommend trying Google chat that has some features that are …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts is my favorite tool for video and audio. I like Slack for messaging because it can handle very large groups and makes many channels and group messages easy to manage. Google Hangouts is very easy to use because most people have a Google Account. No need to teach …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Slack is most similar to Hangouts in one respect: it has a consumer-like UI and is very user friendly and flexible. However, it has enterprise-level chops and features, though most of those cost money. The other 2 are more traditional corporate clients, which lack Hangouts' …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    We were upgraded from Google Chat, which in some ways is better integrated into our workflow. I personally tried out Slack, but didn't see what all the fuss was about.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Best part of Google Hangouts is its simplicity, and performance. We never had connection problems, or quality interruptions, something that is more frequent with the other tools listed above.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google hangouts (Classic), is a instant message solution with not much more to add, it lacks the screen sharing features, the broad app integration, and the video and audio conferencing of this software.
    As a basic instant messaging communication tool it does what it promises …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    We reserve Zoom for client-facing meetings as it is the "market standard" and many are familiar with it, however for most internal meetings, we use Google Hangouts due to how light and simple it is, plus the integration with Google Calendar.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts [(Classic)] is better than jabber, but way behind all other business chat clients. I would much rather use any of the alternatives I have listed in place of Hangouts.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Since we use Google Suite, Google Hangouts (Classic) was the obvious choice. The ease of use and access to employees makes Google Hangouts (Classic) simple to use and access. Additionally, adding users to an existing Hangout is easy. Google Hangouts (Classic) also doesn't …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    The functionality of Hangouts just isn't for business. Although it has many great functions, communicating for business purposes isn't one of them.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts is a lot better for fast calls. It is very light-weight and easier to call people outside of my organization.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts provides better audio and video experience than seen with Skype. It also has the added benefit of not making you download, install, and update a program. Google Hangouts have a much better mobile application experience than Skype as well. With Skype, users have …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts is easier and quicker to use. It is intuitive and simple. The majority of our organization is on Hangouts, and if anyone is logged into Gmail, they are able to be contacted. There is no additional sign-in required. The app is extremely functional and easy to use.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Favorable across the board. Skype's user interface and user experience are atrocious across the board. The software is not good at all on any platform. Google hangouts works simply in a web browser (though I'd like a better mobile web experience, not just a "download our app …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts is free, fast, reliable and easy to use, the reason why Google Hangouts has a huge benefit against other competitors is that it's free and all the contacts within Google account are synced automatically. Google Hangouts has HD video calls and connections are …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    We selected Google Hangouts because we already use Google for our email system and we already have a variety of Google products which makes integration very simple. There is no need to manually sync across platforms with Google. We simply login with our existing account and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    The mobile app for Skype is much heavier and has a lot of functional issues, Google Hangouts works better with Android and most of the employees of the company are Android users.

    Lately some versions of desktop Skype came with lot of bugs and some of our clients dismissed its …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    I like Google Hangouts more than Appear, Skype, and Zoom. While Appear is lighter and easier, it's also more limited. Skype is too slow and clunky, plus I have to install the program. And Zoom is complicated, you have to install a program, and it doesn't always work well with …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
    Google Hangouts is just easier to use and provides an integrated Google experience. Also, it is much easier to invite others to a running meeting.
    Incentivized
    Salesforce
    Chose Slack
    Before in the organization, we used Google Hangouts, but it was not well integrated into our team. The functionalities were very limited and could not cover our needs. The advice was very messy and we failed to meet the productivity objectives we had.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack provides a way to monitor and manage channels and groups, which is not an option on Google Hangouts. However, Slack also allows for the admin to check conversations between 2 people on the company, and there is no way for the 2 people to be aware of that happening, this …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack is better than Google Hangouts because there is communication across different modalities. Instead of having an IM system that is private it's easy for public Slack conversations to occur so all levels of the organization are on the same page. Slack is superior because …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    slack is very interactive, real time communication and tracking via channel and threads.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    not much function as Slack offering. Public & Private Groups creation not available in Hangout
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack has the best features and interface as compared to all other similar software that I have used. Features like huddle, channels, conversations, integrations, polls, and surveys make it better than other similar tools. The mobile application of Slack is also smooth and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Because this this tool can be used for several things such as videocalls, shortcut to create tickets in jira and so on.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Way more features on Slack than Google Hangouts!
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Before Slack, I used to use Telegram and Whatsapp, but they both were also my personal platform to chat with friends and family. This mix between personal and professional life was very damaging because it felt like I was always working. Slack gave me the possibility to feel …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    I was not involved in this decision but the decision to use Slack was primarily due to the vast options and functionalities provided by the platform around - collaboration, ability to create channels for specific purposes and effective notification management.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Google products are not very easy to use and difficult to administer. Since moving from Google to Slack for our internal comms, life has been great! Top highlights of Slack over Google are its simple user interface, its brilliant and responsive and also engages work/life …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Provides the huddle feature, sending attachments and get integrated with the meetings scheduled.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack is easier to find people and take away if someone leaves.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack is way faster and easier to use in our opinion. We tried hangouts for a bit, but it just isn't as clean or seamless. We selected Slack because of this. We operate on efficiency and speed. Time is our largest constraint so we try to maximize it, which wouldn't be possible …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack is my favourite tool so far. It is easy to use. It does everything that I need. I love the designer and you are free to use any email address.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack is really easy to use, and it is easy to connect with other companies via Slack since it is so popular.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    In Slack it is easy to backtrack to older conversation people had when you're no the part of the channel. Also the sync-to-device from PC and mobile app is very good.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack is a way better tool as compared to Google Chat or Google Hangout. Pumble gives a Slack alike feel and could be a good option. However, Microsoft Teams can be a tough competitor as Teams has good integrations with all Office products, Outlook, and web conferencing. And …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    In slack, we have the option to create and discuss in various channels very easily.
    UI looks clean from the user's perspective.
    UX is also good considering the feature it possesses.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    The main feature that keeps Slack above them all is the integration of various apps. One can never fully understand how many apps you can integrate with slack and make your professional life a lot simpler. Another important point is the price at which Slack is offered. It is …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Although very similar, Slack seems to be more geared toward professional chats than Google Hangouts.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    With Hangouts, it's difficult to keep all of your chats organized if you're chatting with more than a few people at a time. Slack's interface keeps all of that extremely organized and their notifications make it easy to see who has recently tagged you in something or sent you a …
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    [It has] more functionalities to share and integrate with a team.
    Incentivized
    Chose Slack
    Slack was designed specifically to a work/business environment, so it stacks up pretty well against most competitors. I think they actually created a new industry standard. Nobody was controlling the "team/company communications tool" space before. And they are updating the …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    83%
    Would buy again
    44 Answers
    97%
    Would buy again
    503 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    46 Answers
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    426 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    89%
    Happy with the feature set
    47 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    510 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    31 Answers
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    295 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    41 Answers
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    330 Answers
    Features
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Cloud PBX
    Comparison of Cloud PBX features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    6.3
    57 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Hosted PBX6.915 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)7.725 Ratings00 Ratings
    User templates5.022 Ratings00 Ratings
    Call reports9.034 Ratings00 Ratings
    Directory of employee names3.045 Ratings00 Ratings
    Call Management
    Comparison of Call Management features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    8.0
    66 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Answering rules8.033 Ratings00 Ratings
    Call recording7.937 Ratings00 Ratings
    Call park7.018 Ratings00 Ratings
    Call screening9.036 Ratings00 Ratings
    Message alerts8.058 Ratings00 Ratings
    VoIP system collaboration
    Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    8.6
    84 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Video conferencing9.079 Ratings00 Ratings
    Audio conferencing9.079 Ratings00 Ratings
    Video screen sharing7.148 Ratings00 Ratings
    Instant messaging9.052 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile apps
    Comparison of Mobile apps features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    8.0
    85 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Mobile app for iOS8.173 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile app for Android8.071 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    -
    Ratings
    Slack
    7.9
    628 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Task Management00 Ratings7.6430 Ratings
    Gantt Charts00 Ratings6.961 Ratings
    Scheduling00 Ratings7.8363 Ratings
    Workflow Automation00 Ratings8.0396 Ratings
    Mobile Access00 Ratings9.4601 Ratings
    Search00 Ratings8.2608 Ratings
    Visual planning tools00 Ratings7.3275 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    -
    Ratings
    Slack
    8.7
    636 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Chat00 Ratings9.6635 Ratings
    Notifications00 Ratings8.7632 Ratings
    Discussions00 Ratings9.2620 Ratings
    Surveys00 Ratings8.1413 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase00 Ratings7.8412 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting00 Ratings8.9110 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts00 Ratings8.7182 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook00 Ratings8.9120 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Google Hangouts (Classic) and Slack
    Feature
    Google Hangouts (Classic)
    -
    Ratings
    Slack
    8.4
    603 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Versioning00 Ratings8.2326 Ratings
    Video files00 Ratings8.2541 Ratings
    Audio files00 Ratings8.4527 Ratings
    Document collaboration00 Ratings7.9429 Ratings
    Access control00 Ratings8.3411 Ratings
    Advanced security features00 Ratings8.3362 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive00 Ratings9.0211 Ratings
    Device sync00 Ratings9.0455 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Small Businesses
    CallFire
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Flock
    Score9.5 out of 10
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    Fuze
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Troop Messenger
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Call Manager)
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
    Score9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (91 ratings)
    9.1
    (639 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (25 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (7 ratings)
    9.0
    (255 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.0
    (36 ratings)
    10.0
    (68 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.7
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Google Hangouts (Classic)Slack
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Discontinued Products
    Had I completed this review a couple years ago, I would have given a rating of 9 or 10 as Hangouts (Classic) is an excellent product. However, now that Google Chat has succeeded Hangouts, I would not recommend that any new users begin using it where other more modern options are available. Android users who want an internet based instant messaging that also supports calling and video calling could benefit from using Hangouts (Classic) as Google Chat requires the user to also have Google Meet installed to make video calls and there is no voice only calling option.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    Slack is ideal for Scrum and agile teams that need continuous communication during sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, testing, and retrospectives. Slack is well-suited for maintaining team knowledge through searchable conversations and dedicated channels, where experienced team members help onboard new QA analysts.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Discontinued Products
    • Google Hangouts (Classic) is embedded within Gmail's scheduler, so setting up the link is as quick as a click of the button. It's a one-step process.
    • Google Hangouts (Classic) is user-friendly and [has] features to share screens easily.
    • Google Hangouts (Classic) is much easier to use than its competitors.
    • Google Hangouts (Classic) have [a] good connection time and there are few glitches.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Customer issues: Threads feature allows us to group a particular issue in a single thread and discuss within that thread. I can use the thread link to embed in JIRA ticket for tracking progress in JIRA (which is our details engineering tracking system).
    • Ability to add folder to Slack channel helps keep important information, documents easily accessible. e.g., we use this to keep a "ramp up" folder that can be used by any new joiner.
    • Global search is effective when I forget which group a particular message was in.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Discontinued Products
    • I would like to see improved video support, so that saved videos can be sent back and forth via Hangouts more easily, without having to start a separate meet chat
    • More pronounced notifications of messages would be helpful; pop up notifications are good, but once there is one, additional messages do not pop up
    • Custom muting times would be great, so that if I am in a 90 minute Zoom meeting, I can set it for that time; right now, it is 1 hour or 2 hours. Easy to forget.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Would love a better integration with GitHub. For example, notifications when your PR is updated, when review is requested, @-mention in comments, etc.
    • Improved "Later" tab, for example the ability to create to-do lists or making the "Later" tab into a more powerful to-do list (annotate items with notes)
    • More powerful integrations, e.g. Google Calendar could render a calendar view within Slack, rather than sending the daily schedule
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    To be more transparent, I give 10 because Slack serves our collaboration needs. It provide us a good platform for team communication relaying important update within the company, it has even mobile app where you can install in your phone to monitor any updates within that team that needs your immediate attention and intervention.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Discontinued Products
    The tool is almost self-implemented. It is likely to be available in every pc or mobile device a user or potential user might have, and all you need to do is adding the company's account and you are done. Once you are setted up, you have almost all actual communication methods available in one tool
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    Slack has good usability. Devs that are not familiar with the platform are able to jump into conversations and start sharing code and links within just minutes. Non developers are also able to understand the layout such as the Project Managers that are keeping the projects on track. We have not seen any tickets where employees are having trouble understanding Slack.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    Yes, the app works 24/7. I don't even recall having any period that we could not use since the implementation. Even the maintenance periods are barely noticeable and our work is not impacted by it when it happens.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    Slack is a soft app, we don't have many issues with it. I recall one or two people complaining about something during our usage period, but I didn't have a bad experience. When the app is slow, usually the problem is with my computer or my internet. The app works just fine.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Discontinued Products
    Google Hangouts works great and does not require a lot of work to troubleshoot. Everything is simple and easy to use. Google provides all of the tools that one requires to utilize Google Hangouts and any information can be found in the built-in help tools. There is also a forum for users to report issues and typically, Google responds well and will try to work out any issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    Whenever I've had to troubleshoot an issue with Slack (which, to be honest, has not happened very often), their online documentation has been easy to locate, easy to understand, and effective in resolving my issue. Slack's ever-growing popularity also means that there's a large community of practice out there that can be depended upon.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Discontinued Products
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    I was not part of the implementation team, but I recall being 100% happy and excited to learn and use a new tool. I'm still am to be honest.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Discontinued Products
    Google is the white cotton socks of the conferencing world. It’s a great ad-hoc tool, but not too much more. If you are not looking to spend money or operate completely on WiFi (without data charges), it’s a great free option as well. The benefit of being free and open is also the liability. It doesn’t have a great integration story with other corporate tools, but [it doesn’t have to] if you aren’t looking for that. All in all, it’s as helpful and ubiquitous as a public payphone…without the pay…and with a video capability.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    I like Slack better than ClickUp, because I would spend 30-60 minutes a day updating my ClickUp tasks. The way ClickUp was used was very micromanaging. I billed by the hour, so I was willing to put in the time to alert the boss what tasks I was working on.
    One of my jobs used Hive - I mostly just ran it in the background in case anyone messaged me. I did not use it often.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Discontinued Products
    • I believe it was part of the google suite that was purchased. It was worth the cost as it was cheaper. I believe it is now free, but also becoming deprecated. It is much better to use Teams, Discord, Telegram, etc. Google does not provide enough support or features to make using hangouts worth it these days.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Slack has been incredibly helpful in connecting various tech apps and ecosystems, creating a more streamlined and responsive process.
    • Slack has made it significantly easier to communicate with our team members across multiple time zones, creating a more engaging environment for our all-remote team.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots