The Slack alternative with meetings, files and AI built in.
Channels, threads and DMs like the ones your team knows, plus video meetings, a calendar, file storage and private client rooms in the same workspace, with SphereOne Assist inside every conversation. Your Slack history comes with you.
The short answer
SphereOne is a Slack alternative for businesses that want team chat, video meetings, file storage, a calendar and client rooms in one workspace instead of several tools. Its AI assistant, SphereOne Assist, summarizes channels and drafts replies on every paid plan. An admin can import a Slack export with its channels, threads and reactions, check a preview before anything is written, and undo the import.
Why teams switch from Slack
What changes when chat, meetings, files and clients share one workspace.
SphereOne vs Slack at a glance
Slack’s prices change and differ by region, so we link to them rather than quote them.
| Capability | SphereOne | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Team chat | Channels, DMs, threads, polls and voice notes | Channels, DMs, threads, huddles and canvases |
| Video meetings | Built in: calls, screen sharing and guest links, up to 300 people on Business | Huddles for quick calls, 1:1 only on the Free plan |
| Calendar | Built in, with Google and Outlook events alongside | Through calendar apps from Slack’s directory |
| File storage | SphereOne Box, with expiring links, versions and trash recovery | Files shared in conversations |
| Clients and partners | Client accounts that only reach the rooms you add them to; guests join calls by link | Guests, and Slack Connect channels with other companies on paid plans |
| AI assistant | SphereOne Assist on every paid plan; not on Free | Varies by plan; the fullest set on Business+ and Enterprise+ |
| Free plan | Free: up to 10 people, 30 days of history, no AI | Last 90 days visible, up to 10 apps, data older than a year deleted |
| Longest message history | Unlimited on Business and Enterprise | Full history on paid plans |
| Single sign-on | SAML or OpenID Connect on Business and up | SAML single sign-on on Business+ and up |
| Pricing | Free plan; Starter US$8 and Business US$15 per person a month | Free plan; paid plans on Slack’s pricing page |
It’s time to switch if
- You pay for Slack plus a separate meetings app, file storage and a scheduling tool, and want one place to work and search.
- You work with clients and want each one in a room of their own, limited to what you add them to.
- Your team has outgrown Slack’s Free plan and is choosing a paid plan anyway.
- You want an AI assistant that only reads what each person can already open.
Slack may still fit better if
- Your work depends on apps from Slack’s directory or on Workflow Builder automations.
- You run many Slack Connect channels with partner companies that won’t move.
- Your engineers rely on Slack bots and integrations they built in-house.
Switch with your Slack history
Nothing is written until an admin confirms the preview, and any import can be undone.
The full Slack import guide- Export your Slack workspace. A Slack workspace owner or admin makes one export of the whole workspace.
- Check the preview. SphereOne shows the rooms, people and message counts it found. Nothing is written yet.
- Decide people and rooms. Link each person to a member, invite them or keep their name only. Create each room fresh, merge it into one you have, or skip it.
- Import, and undo if you need to. Set a cut-off date for the day you switch. Undo removes only what the import created.
Questions about moving from Slack
What is the best Slack alternative for business?
It depends on what you need beyond chat. If you want chat, video meetings, files, a calendar and client rooms in one workspace with AI on every paid plan, SphereOne is built for that. If you must host it yourself, Mattermost or Rocket.Chat fit better, and if your company already runs on Microsoft 365, Teams may already be paid for.
Can I move my Slack history to SphereOne?
Yes. A Slack owner or admin exports the workspace and uploads the ZIP in SphereOne. Channels, people, messages, threads and reactions come over, and files come over when you add a Slack user token. You see a preview before anything is written, and any import can be undone. Imports run for workspace admins on Starter and up; on a free trial you can upload an export and see the full preview first.
Is SphereOne cheaper than Slack?
SphereOne is Starter US$8 and Business US$15 per person a month billed monthly, and both plans include meetings, files, the calendar and Assist. Compare that with what you pay today for Slack plus the meetings, storage and scheduling tools you would no longer need. Slack’s current prices are on its pricing page.
Does SphereOne have a free plan like Slack?
Yes. Free covers up to 10 people with 30 days of message history, 5 GB of storage and meetings of up to 5 people; it doesn't include AI. Paid plans are Starter US$8 and Business US$15 per person a month, and you can try Business free for 14 days.
Can we run SphereOne and Slack side by side while we switch?
Yes. Exporting changes nothing in Slack. Set a cut-off date for the day you switch, and if you import again later, merge into the rooms you already have; duplicate messages are skipped.
Comparing something else?
- Microsoft Teams alternative
SphereOne vs Microsoft Teams
Chat, meetings and files in one place, with Outlook events alongside and your Teams history.
- WhatsApp alternative
SphereOne vs WhatsApp
Client and team groups the company owns, instead of chats on personal phones.
- Google Chat alternative
SphereOne vs Google Chat
Fuller chat and client rooms, with Google Calendar events and Meet links kept.
- Mattermost alternative
SphereOne vs Mattermost
Channels and threads without servers to run, plus meetings, files and client rooms.
- Discord alternative
SphereOne vs Discord
Company accounts, single sign-on and client rooms, instead of personal Discord logins.
- Telegram alternative
SphereOne vs Telegram
Work accounts and client rooms the company controls, instead of personal numbers.
Facts about Slack come from Slack’s own pages, checked on October 30, 2026. They can change, so check them before you decide. Product names and logos belong to their owners; SphereOne isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Switch from Slack with your history
Start free and see the full preview of your import, or book a walkthrough with our team.