Overview: Slack's User Base and Engagement
Before getting started, let’s cover the most important facts and stats on Slack’s user base and engagement.
Rising user base
Slack's daily and monthly active users will witness significant growth in the upcoming years. By 2025, it's predicted to have 47.2 million daily and 79 million monthly active users.
Time spent in Slack
Users spend about 9 hours logged in Slack on weekdays.
It's clear that Slack isn't just a tool anymore; it's a major part of the workday. This marks a significant shift in the dynamics of remote and collaborative work environments.
The sheer volume of time spent on Slack underlines its vital role in the daily workflow, fostering communication, collaboration, and team productivity.
The #1 communication platform for SMEs
When it comes to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Slack is certainly making waves. There's something about it that is in tune with these businesses.
Teams communicate in real time, share files easily, and even divide conversations into channels for better organization in Slack. It's perfect for SMEs that need to stay agile and efficient, especially when team members might be working from different locations.
Plus, it integrates with many other business tools, so everything feels connected. With Slack, SMEs are finding that they can streamline their processes, improve teamwork, and keep everyone in the loop, making it a big hit in the business world.
Among Slack’s 318,632 customers, 125,828 companies (40%) with 20-49 employees use Slack the most in the communication category. They're closely followed by smaller businesses with 0-9 employees, totaling up to 105,474 companies (33%).
Companies with a larger workforce, 100-249 employees, also love Slack, with 55,390 companies on board. Clearly, Slack is winning the game by helping teams of all sizes communicate, collaborate, and finish the job.
Industry breakdown of Slack customers
According to the most recent studies, the Information Technology and Services industry accounts for 25% of Slack customers, followed by Computer Software industry with 24%.
This highlights that Slack is popular in tech-related sectors, likely due to the industry's predisposition for digital tools and remote collaboration.
Followed by Marketing&Advertising (14.8%) and Internet (11.6%) industries which often have project-based workflows and remote teams, which could explain the extensive use of Slack.
The ability to streamline workflow, foster instant collaboration, and integrate with other marketing tools - like Google Analytics, MailChimp, or HubSpot- resonates with marketing professionals across the board.
The use of Slack in non-tech industries such as Retail(5%), Real Estate(3.3%), and Construction(3.2%), also suggests that digital transformation is affecting a wide range of sectors. Even with the low ratios, it shows that these type of industries also see the benefits of collaborative platforms like Slack.
Slack App Directory Stats
Slack's rich ecosystem of apps covers a wide range of categories, making it a versatile platform for all kinds of teams and workflows.
According to Slack, over 2,600 apps are in the Slack App Directory to support whatever work you do. In fact, These Slack apps can be classified into multiple categories, from Productivity to Sales and Marketing.
💡 There are more than 650,000 custom apps used by organizations besides those available publicly on the Slack App Directory.
We’ve researched which categories Slack app builders most commonly build apps for. Then we’ve dived deep into the main 18 categories in the Slack app directory.
Here is what we found:
Productivity category: The main focus of Slack app builders
Productivity is at the heart of Slack, underscored by a whopping 1,335 apps listed under the Productivity category in the Slack app directory.
More than 50% of Slack apps are categorized as Productivity apps.
These apps cover a broad spectrum of needs, with tools like Google Drive, Trello, Asana, and ClickUp for collaboration and Simple Poll and Polly for quick team polling.
Calendar apps help keep everyone's schedules aligned, while Notion-like ones enhance note-taking and collaboration.
These integrations enable teams to streamline workflows and focus on tasks to increase productivity.
Communication category: Improving conversations
Following closely is the Communication category, boasting an impressive 819 apps.
Essential communication tools like Zoom and Google Hangouts allow for seamless video meetings, while Gmail, Mailchimp, and Outlook simplify email management from Slack.
Video messaging tools like Loom offer an alternative to text-based messages in Slack and real-time video meetings.
HR & Team Culture category: Building a vibrant team culture
Regarding HR and Team Culture, Slack doesn't fall short. Out of 653 apps in this category, apps like HeyTaco, Lunchkin, Perkforce, MinQi, and GuineaPig stand out.
These apps help to build a stronger, happier, and more engaged team culture, promoting interaction, rewarding performance, integrating relaxation moments, and even facilitating guided breaks.
Project management category: Keeping track of tasks right in Slack
466 apps are listed under the Project management category in the Slack app directory. Trello, Standup.ly, and Miro are the most popular apps in this category.
They are followed by the apps by Atlassian, like Jira Cloud and Confluence Cloud, which allow efficient task tracking and documentation within Slack. Workast and Asana come further by enabling task creation, assignment, and progress tracking in Slack.
Then Figma and FigJam appear in the list, allowing design-centric teams to track project updates.
Developer tools category: Using Slack to ship code faster
Developer tools category is The 5th most popular in the Slack app directory.
448 apps are listed, starting with GitHub, Jenkins CI, Bitbucket Cloud, and GitLab apps for Slack. These apps are purposed to send notifications to developers about code changes, builds, and PR updates.
These categories and their respective apps transform Slack into a comprehensive workspace, boosting productivity and fostering a positive and engaging team environment.
Social & fun category: Bringing joy to the workplace
380 apps are available in the Social & Fun category of the Slack app directory. These Slack apps promote engagement, camaraderie, and interactivity within teams.
Accordingly, around 15% of Slack apps are designed to make work fun. They let teams play games together, adding a bit of joy to the workday. They serve as a refreshing break from work while fostering unity and joy among teams.
Giphy and Gfycat in this category allow users to find and share a vast range of high-quality animated GIFs, adding a fun element to team communications. Meanwhile, Bitmoji enables users to express themselves through unique, personalized stickers. HeyTaco! encourages team bonding and appreciation by enabling members to send each other digital "Tacocos" as a form of recognition.
Donut is another innovative app fostering spontaneous and informal 'watercooler' connections among remote team members.
Apps like Simple Poll and Polly provide the most fun teams to play games and trivia to boost engagement while having a break, besides being a survey tool. Likewise, Dicebot offers a unique spin to online interactions, allowing users to roll virtual dice, possibly for team games.
Birthday & Anniversary celebration apps ensure every special occasion is remembered, keeping track of office birthdays and anniversaries and sending automatic reminders.
These apps collectively help build a more engaged, stronger, and happier team environment within Slack.
How else are Slack apps used?
Slack is a versatile platform used across industries and departments for diverse purposes.
Employees often leverage Slack apps for social interaction and fun, creating channels dedicated to non-work-related chats, sharing memes, or planning social events.
They’re also a boon for customer support teams, allowing them to handle customer queries promptly.
Office management uses apps in Slack for coordinating office logistics, while the analytics team utilizes its integrations with data analysis tools for real-time reporting.
In the marketing and sales departments, Slack apps are used for brainstorming campaigns, tracking leads, and integrating with CRM systems.
For security & compliance, there are also apps ensuring secure data exchanges and compliance with regulatory standards. Voice & video calling apps for Slack foster better team collaboration, while its integrations with various file management systems streamline document sharing. For the Finance category, Slack apps are used for finance to track budgets, payments, and other financial transactions.
The versatility truly shines when observed across various professional areas. They enhance efficiency and streamline communication, regardless of whether an app is used for social interaction, customer support, file management, etc.
A complete list of the categories and # of Slack Apps
We have listed the main 18 Slack app categories below with the respective numbers of apps for each. Slack apps can be listed under multiple categories. For example, Miro is assigned 4 categories; Featured, Design, Productivity, and Project Management.
- Productivity: 1,335 apps
- Communication: 819 apps
- HR & team culture: 653 apps
- Project management: 466 apps
- Developer tools: 480 apps
- Social & fun: 380 apps
- Customer support: 302 apps
- Office Management: 302 apps
- Analytics: 285 apps
- Marketing: 225 apps
- Sales: 199 apps
- Security & compliance: 187 apps
- Health & Wellness: 92 apps
- Voice & video: 84 apps
- File management: 83 apps
- Design: 76 apps
- Media & news: 48 apps
- Finance: 40 apps
AI-powered apps in Slack
Incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into productivity tools like Slack has transformed the landscape of workplace productivity, with significant improvements in efficiency, collaboration, and task automation.
According to the Slack State of Work 2023 report, those who are most productive are 242% more likely to use AI than their less-productive counterparts.
By reducing time spent on daily tasks and information overload, AI enables employees to focus more on creative and strategic work, increasing overall productivity.
Currently, there is no category of Artificial Intelligence, but we’ve found approximately 80 apps in the Slack app directory powered by AI.
These apps mostly focus on summarizing long threads using AI or directly utilizing Chat GPT in Slack to ask conversation-related questions or draft emails & messages.
Staff Picks and App collections in Slack app directory
Aside from the main 18 Slack app categories, Staff picks and App collections are also available in the directory.
App collections are simply the collections of branded apps by the same provider, such as Jira, Bitbucket, OpsGenie, etc., in the Atlassian collection or Sales & Service Cloud, Tableau, and CRM analytics apps in the Salesforce collection.
Staff Picks and its categories are very interesting. So let’s see what’s inside these staff picks:
Slack Staff Picks
- Featured: According to information found in Slack’s Slack community, these featured 65 apps are chosen by the Slack App Directory team and are updated weekly. As an app builder, you can request to feature your app by writing to feedback@slack.com.
- Enterprise-ready apps: These 43 apps can be installed in multiple workspaces by admins simultaneously. Note that this is just available for Enterprise Grid subscriptions.
- Working from home: Slack App Directory has chosen these 77 apps to be eligible for remote teams. You can request to be listed under this category by writing to feedback@slack.com.
- Daily tools: Here, 13 apps are chosen to be the everyday apps, such as your calendar, email, file management, and video conferencing provider, that simplify everyday tasks.
- Essential apps: Slack defines Essential apps as the ones you need when you're just getting started with Slack. The most popular apps used by Slack users are probably these 54.
- New & Noteworthy: These are newbies in the directory and are considered worthy of attention by the Slack App Directory team. You can ask to be listed under this category by emailing feedback@slack.com. Currently, this category has 202 apps.
- Brilliant bots: 67 apps are listed under this category, the list includes chatbots, time bots, to-do bots selected by the Slack App directory team.
Actioner for Slack
Actioner is a comprehensive platform that allows you to merge your full suite of workflows and tools with Slack.
It’s a single source of truth and a gateway to all your Slack integrations.
For teams aiming to enhance their productivity, Actioner is the go-to tool. It empowers you to create apps tailored for Slack with no code, connect any tool using an open API, and share your solutions among a wider community through Actioner.
A directory full of Slack apps
In the Actioner App directory, there are pre-built Slack apps of your favorite tools, such as;
- HubSpot app for Slack-first sales automation: You can enrich & Access CRM data, route leads, and manage deals right in Slack.
- Zendesk app for Conversational ticketing: Create, triage, and solve Zendesk tickets and communicate with requesters within a single Slack thread.
- GitHub Actions Workflows app: Run GitHub Actions and workflows inside Slack and manage CI & CD pipeline with alerts.
- And lots more in the directory.
Unlimited customization capabilities
Actioner’s Visual Workflow Designer tool is the interface where we, as the Actioner team, build workflows in our existing apps. We’ve created them according to the best practices in the related branches.
But, we know every business has its own way of how work flows.
We provide no limits. Go, use them as they are. Or change the design. You can customize a workflow or build a new one from scratch.
Your Gateway to all Apps in Slack
Both apps you install from the Actioner app directory or the apps you built on your own are all accessible through the Actioner app in Slack.
You can use any Slack app built on the Actioner platform just by keeping Actioner as an app in Slack. As a result, there are no constraints on the number of apps you can use in Slack.
You don’t need to worry about the 10-app limitation if you have the free Slack plan.
In today's dynamic business environment, Actioner grants knowledge workers the flexibility and autonomy they require to excel.
FAQ
How many apps are free on Slack?
With Slack's free plan, you can have only up to 10 Slack apps in your workspace no matter if an app is free or not. But you can use as many Slack apps as you desire if you use Actioner.
How many Slack channels can you have?
You can have as many channels as you wish in Slack. But you cannot see messages posted 90 days before in any channel if you have the free plan.
How many people can use Slack for free?
You can have an unlimited number of users in your Slack workspace.
How many hours do people use Slack for?
The average time users spend on Slack on weekdays is 9 hours. In addition, they log into the app for at least 90 minutes a day.
How many Slack apps are there?
There are approximately 652,600 Slack apps out there. 2600 apps are publicly available in the Slack app directory. Since people also build and use custom apps for Slack, there are also publicly unavailable 650,000 Slack apps.
What’s the difference between a Slack bot and a Slack app?
While all Slack bots could be a part of Slack apps, not all apps function as bots. Learn more about Slack bot vs. Slack app here.
