Last Updated on February 27, 2025
Which one is better?
In this guide, let’s talk about Viva Engage and Slack, their key features, pricing structures, and more.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents:
Platform Overview
You’re probably familiar with them, both are designed for workplace communication and collaboration.
Just a little overview before we compare their features and details:
Viva Engage
Engage is an enterprise social networking platform from Microsoft designed to foster connections among its community.
Its key features include:
- Communities or spaces for discussions, file sharing, events, etc.
- Storyline where users can share their experiences, their thoughts, etc.
- Leadership corner
- Answers in Viva (a Q&A platform)
- Campaigns and live events
- Analytics
The reason it looks familiar is that Engage was built upon the foundation of Yammer, just an evolved version of it.
Since it’s within Microsoft, you can integrate it with other tools to create a cohesive and efficient user experience.
Note that Engage is part of the Viva platform, which is an employee experience platform with core components like Engage.
Slack
Slack though is more of a channel-based messaging platform made to simplify team communication and collaboration.
Its key features include:
- Channels, which can be organized by topics, projects, departments, etc.
- Direct messages or chats
- Integrations with other third-party services like Google Drive
- File sharing
- Search functionality
It also offers “Huddles” for lightweight audio or video conversations, and “Canvases” for collaborative document creation.
Teams can stay connected and productive from anywhere especially since it’s available on multiple devices.
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Key Features Comparison
They share similar objectives, but their key features actually cater to different organizational needs and preferences.
Starting with this first one:
Communication Styles
Engage and Slack offer distinct internal communication styles.
For Viva Engage, it’s more about having community-centric communication, much like how social media works.
It also highlights leadership-employee engagement by providing platforms like virtual town halls and AMA sessions.
The exchange of ideas, knowledge, and solutions is encouraged, which then builds a company culture of collective learning.
In contrast, Slack’s approach is by using channels dedicated to specific teams, projects, or topics to simplify communication.
But at the same time, it also supports private one-on-one or group conversations, still by using channels.
With Slack, the center is on real-time communication and flexibility, which allows teams to customize their workspace.
In summary:
- Engage focuses on fostering community and leadership engagement within the Microsoft environment
- Slack offers a versatile, integration-rich platform for real-time team communication
Integrations
Viva Engage seamlessly connects with Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook, which lets users “Engage” from those tools.
For example, you can install and use Viva Engage right inside Microsoft Teams:
Other examples:
- Feeds from Engage can be incorporated into SharePoint pages
- Tasks can be automated by integrating with Power Automate
- Improve CRM capabilities by embedding Viva Engage discussions
Any of these integrations, especially with existing Microsoft tools, will position Engage as a central hub for communication.
Slack though has a vast marketplace of integrations, which includes tools like Asana, Miro, Notion, and Jira.
For other integrations:
- You can implement custom integrations via API and build personalized apps and workflows
- Integrate with file management systems like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box
- Connect with customer support platforms like Zendesk and Freshdesk
- Link Slack with CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot
As you can see, diverse integration with Slack is possible as it allows teams to customize their workflows.
In summary:
- Engage excels within the Microsoft ecosystem, with deep connections with Microsoft 365 applications
- Slack offers flexibility through its extensive third-party app directory and customizable API
User Interface
For the user interface, both platforms offer unique user interfaces made to improve workplace communication.
As I showed you earlier, you can access Engage directly within Microsoft Teams, with no need to switch applications.
Engage also features a feed highlighting community posts, announcements, and events, which connects employees.
Like Facebook and LinkedIn, user profiles have storylines where they can share updates and stories and promote engagement.
For Slack, there’s a unified home view, which consolidates all channels, direct messages, and apps into a single location.
There’s also a section for dedicated direct messages, as well as activity and later tabs where notifications and mentions go.
In summary:
- Engage offers a community-oriented interface integrated into Microsoft Teams
- Slack provides a flexible, real-time messaging environment with a focus on direct communication and customization
Pricing Structures
Microsoft Viva Engage and Slack offer distinct pricing structures to cater to various organizational needs.
Viva Engage
Engage’s pricing structure accommodates different organizational needs, with options for standard and premium experiences.
For the pricing:
- Microsoft Viva in Microsoft 365 (essential features only)
- Employee communications and communities (includes premium community experiences)
- Workplace analytics and employee feedback (custom insights tools)
- Viva Suite
Viva Suite encompasses all the features from all the available plans like insights, feedback surveys, and more.
Your organizations can select the plan that best aligns with their communication objectives and budgetary considerations.
Slack
Slack also offers a variety of pricing plans to accommodate different needs, from small teams to large enterprises.
What’s different is that organizations can practically start using Slack for free, though it’s a little limited.
Their most expensive plan is the enterprise grid plan, which supports unlimited workspaces and workflows.
Which platform to use?
If you’re still on the fence about whether to use Engage or Slack, I’ve got a few suggestions on when to use either one.
I recommend you use Engage if:
- Your organization is running the Microsoft 365.
- You prioritize company-wide engagement.
- Community building is a focus.
For Slack, I recommend it if:
- You need fast, real-time messaging.
- Your team needs various third-party tools to function.
- Customizable workflows are important.
In short, if your organization is deeply embedded in Microsoft’s ecosystem, Engage might be the best choice for you.
Do you have any questions about Viva Engage vs Teams? Let me know in the comments below.
For any business-related queries or concerns, contact me through the contact form. I always reply. 🙂
