A-Plan vs Slack: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of A-Plan and Slack to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
A-Plan
5.7/10
A-Plan is Windows desktop software from Germany for project, resource and cost planning, with Gantt charts. It is built for project managers in small and mid-sized organisations.
Slack
7.1/10
Slack is a channel-based messaging platform from Salesforce, with Lists, canvases, huddles and Workflow Builder for team coordination and light task tracking.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.7/10 | 7.1/10 |
| Cost | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 3/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 10/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | €12/user/mo Standard (subscription) | €8/user/mo Pro |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €149/mo SQL (subscription) | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| Client collaboration | ||
| Gantt charts | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | ||
| Task lists | ||
| Task management | ||
| Collaboration tools | Not listed | |
| Docs | Not listed | |
| File sharing | Not listed | |
| Reporting | Not listed | |
| Scheduling | Not listed | |
| Team messaging | Not listed | |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | |
A-Plan vs Slack cost by team size
Slack costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | A-Plan | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €12/moStandard (subscription) | FreeFree |
| 5 users | €60/moStandard (subscription) | FreeFree |
| 10 users | €149/moSQL (subscription) | FreeFree |
| 25 users | €373/moSQL (subscription) | FreeFree |
| 50 users | €745/moSQL (subscription) | FreeFree |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose A-Plan
- Higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Cost score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Includes Gantt charts, which Slack lacks
- Includes Time tracking, which Slack lacks
Why choose Slack
- Has a free plan (A-Plan does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs €149/mo
- Higher Integration score (10/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Scalability score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for remote teams (9/10 vs 3/10)
Pros & Cons
A-Plan
Pros
- The Standard subscription costs about 11.90 EUR per user per month, which is cheap for resource and cost planning.
- It imports and exports MS Project and Excel files, which makes migrating from or working alongside Microsoft tools easier.
- Cost planning, planned-versus-actual comparison and forecasts are built in, not sold as extras.
- Customers can choose between a perpetual licence and a subscription.
- A 30-day free trial is available, and the vendor offers training and consulting.
Cons
- It is a Windows desktop application, and web or mobile access requires the optional WebViewer.
- It has no Kanban boards, agile methods or client portal.
- The vendor's homepage does not show prices, and third-party price figures conflict.
- Most of its materials and its market are German-language.
Slack
Pros
- The app ecosystem is very large, and tools such as ClickUp, Notion, HubSpot and Clockify can post updates into channels.
- Slack Connect lets teams work in shared channels with up to 250 outside organizations on paid plans.
- Compliance coverage is broad, including ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP Moderate and HIPAA configurability.
- Lists add table and board layouts with assignees, due dates and subtasks, without leaving chat.
- Workflow Builder automates routine requests and approvals without code.
Cons
- There are no native Gantt charts, dependencies, time tracking or portfolio reporting, so Slack doesn't replace a dedicated PM tool.
- Frequent notifications and busy channels can interrupt focus, a common complaint in reviews.
- The free plan keeps only 90 days of message history and allows 10 apps.
- Advanced AI features require Business+ or above, and per-user costs add up as teams grow.
- Reviewers report that finding older messages through search can be difficult.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Slack scores higher on our Project Management criteria: 7.1/10 against 5.7/10 for A-Plan. The largest gap is in Integration: 5/10 for A-Plan and 10/10 for Slack.
Slack costs less for 10 users: free on its Free plan, against about €149/mo on its SQL (subscription) plan for A-Plan, billed monthly.
Slack has a free plan; A-Plan does not list one.
Slack is the better fit for remote teams: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 3/10 for A-Plan.
A-Plan has Gantt charts and Time tracking, which Slack lacks. Slack has Client collaboration and Kanban boards, which A-Plan lacks.
