Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Slack VS WebRTC

Compare Slack VS WebRTC and see what are their differences

Slack logo Slack

A messaging app for teams who see through the Earth!

WebRTC logo WebRTC

WebRTC is a free, open project that enables web browsers with Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities via simple JavaScript APIs. The WebRTC components have been optimized to best serve this purpose.
  • Slack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-18
  • WebRTC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-19

Slack features and specs

  • Real-Time Communication
    Slack allows for instant messaging and real-time communication, which facilitates quick decision-making and immediate problem solving among team members.
  • Channel Organization
    Users can create channels for different teams, projects, or topics, keeping discussions organized and easy to follow.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Slack integrates with a variety of other tools and services, such as Google Drive, Trello, and GitHub, allowing seamless workflow management.
  • Search Functionality
    Slack’s powerful search feature makes it easy to find specific messages, files, or information within your team's communication history.
  • Custom Notifications
    Users can tailor their notification settings to minimize distractions while ensuring they stay informed about important discussions.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Slack is available on multiple platforms, including desktop, web, and mobile, ensuring that team members can stay connected from anywhere.

Possible disadvantages of Slack

  • Information Overload
    With constant streams of messages and notifications, Slack can sometimes lead to information overload, making it difficult for users to keep up.
  • Cost
    While Slack offers a free tier, many advanced features are only available in the paid plans, which can be costly for larger organizations.
  • Dependency on Internet
    Slack requires a stable internet connection, which can be a limitation for users in areas with unreliable or slow internet service.
  • Potential for Distraction
    The real-time nature of Slack can sometimes be distracting, pulling team members away from deep, focused work.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any digital communication tool, there are potential privacy and security concerns that organizations need to manage.
  • Scalability Issues
    Large teams or companies may find it challenging to manage and scale their usage of Slack effectively as the number of channels and conversations grows.

WebRTC features and specs

  • Real-time Communication
    WebRTC enables real-time voice, video, and data communication directly between web browsers and other devices without requiring plugins or additional frameworks.
  • Open Source
    WebRTC is free and open-source, which allows developers to inspect, modify, and enhance the code to suit their needs without incurring licensing costs.
  • Peer-to-Peer Architecture
    The peer-to-peer architecture of WebRTC reduces latency and can be more efficient than server-based architectures for real-time communication, saving bandwidth and server resources.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    WebRTC operates seamlessly across different platforms (web, mobile, desktop) and operating systems, ensuring broad accessibility and reach.
  • Built-in Security
    WebRTC comes with built-in security features such as encryption of data streams (SRTP) and secure access to media devices, which enhances user privacy and data security.

Possible disadvantages of WebRTC

  • Network Traversal Issues
    WebRTC can face challenges with firewall and NAT traversal, which might require additional setup and infrastructure like TURN servers to relay traffic.
  • Browser Compatibility
    While most modern browsers support WebRTC, there may still be inconsistencies or issues with certain browsers or versions, necessitating thorough compatibility testing.
  • Scalability Challenges
    Handling large-scale implementations or group calls can be challenging with WebRTC's peer-to-peer architecture, often requiring additional signaling servers and infrastructure.
  • Lack of Quality Control
    WebRTC doesn’t have built-in mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the quality of service (QoS), which can lead to variations in audio and video quality especially under poor network conditions.
  • Complexity of Implementation
    Building a complete WebRTC-based application can be complex due to the need for handling signaling, session management, and potential browser-specific issues.

Analysis of WebRTC

Overall verdict

  • WebRTC is generally considered a good solution for real-time communication needs due to its robust features, ease of integration, and strong support from a wide array of browsers and platforms. Its open-source nature also encourages continuous improvements and community support, making it a reliable choice for developers.

Why this product is good

  • WebRTC is a powerful open-source project that facilitates real-time communication directly between web browsers and mobile apps. It enables high-quality audio, video, and data transfer, leveraging technologies like peer-to-peer connections without requiring plugins or external software. This makes WebRTC a versatile and efficient option for developers looking to implement seamless real-time communication capabilities in their applications.

Recommended for

  • Video conferencing applications
  • Online gaming with live interactions
  • Collaborative tools and platforms
  • Educational software with live communication features
  • Peer-to-peer file sharing

Slack videos

Review: How & Why We Use Slack At Our Office

More videos:

  • Review - What is Slack?
  • Tutorial - Slack App Tutorial: How & Why We Use SLACK For Our Remote Team

WebRTC videos

Google WebRTC project update & Stadia review

More videos:

  • Tutorial - WebRTC Tutorial - How does WebRTC work?
  • Demo - Use Case - WebRTC Bill Review Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Slack and WebRTC)
Communication
97 97%
3% 3
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Group Chat & Notifications
Video Conferencing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Slack and WebRTC. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Slack and WebRTC

Slack Reviews

  1. San93
    · Director at Polar credit ·
    Essential for Team Collaboration but Needs Better Notification Management

    Slack has transformed how we communicate at Polar Credit, making collaboration faster and more organized. The channel-based messaging, direct integrations with essential tools, and real-time notifications keep our teams connected, reducing reliance on long email threads. The search function is a major plus, helping retrieve past conversations and shared files effortlessly.

    🏁 Competitors: Discord
    👍 Pros:    Organized team communication through channels and threads|Seamless integrations with apps like google drive, trello, and zoom
    👎 Cons:    Initial setup and implementation take time|Limited message history on the free plan
  2. EllaSvensson
    · Marketing Manager at Freelancer ·
    A Must-Have for Teamwork

    Slack has completely transformed how our team works together. The channels keep conversations organized, and we never lose track of important discussions.

    It integrates with tools like Google Drive and Zoom, making collaboration effortless. Sharing files is easy, and the search feature saves so much time when finding old messages.

    Slack is simple, customizable, and keeps everyone connected—whether we’re in the office or remote. It’s the perfect tool for teamwork!

    🏁 Competitors: Discord, Microsoft Teams
  3. Khansa1103
    · Email marketer at Webflicky ·
    Best app for getting in touch with my colleagues

    Slack is best platform to be used for professional purposes. It helps me keep my professional and personal life separate.

    🏁 Competitors: Microsoft Teams
    👍 Pros:    Bulk messaging
    👎 Cons:    Sometimes the download is slow

Top 12 Online Collaboration Tools for Smart Working
Slack is a cloud-based app built to simplify communication and teamwork. As one of the essential team collaboration tools, it enhances communication and productivity within teams. It’s packed with features that help teams stay connected, collaborate, and stay on top of things. A standout feature is the ability to create channels—dedicated spaces for conversations around...
Source: niftypm.com
7 best Mattermost alternatives for secure business messaging
Slack has a mobile and desktop app that supports remote teams to communicate seamlessly. On Slack, you can send files, documents, images, and videos. with your teammates.
Source: www.rocket.chat
20 Telegram Alternatives to Chat With in 2024
Slack works more like a forum than Teams does – falling somewhere in between a forum and a chat software. It lets you organize discussions into different channels, as well as by thread. You can invite others into a thread by @mentioning them, and it lets you add lots of different types of content. Slack works really well for 1:1 audio meetings, “huddles,” that give you the...
Why we switched to Mattermost
Now, obviously core messaging functionality is critical. Mattermost is great there, but so is Slack. In fact, Slack features like third-party integrations and threaded messaging were missed greatly (thank you, Mattermost, for recently adding threaded messaging). So the relative parity between the solutions from a ‘speeds and feeds’ perspective was table stakes, but we...
Source: netfoundry.io
Microsoft Teams Vs Clariti: Which one should you choose?
The main reason behind the sudden rise of Teams is it is being offered at no added cost to Office 365 users. This strategy paid for Teams as it was able to increase its market share and overtake its potential rival Slack in no time. Though Microsoft is not earning any revenue (they may actually be losing money in selling Teams), they are able to sustain due to their deep...
Source: clariti.app

WebRTC Reviews

SignalR Alternatives
SignalR is basically used to allow connection between client and server or vice-versa. It is a type of bi-directional communication between both the client and server. SignalR is compatible with web sockets and many other connections, which help in the direct push of content over the server. There are many alternatives for signalR that are used, like Firebase, pusher,...
Source: www.educba.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Slack should be more popular than WebRTC. It has been mentiond 223 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Slack mentions (223)

  • How to Build a Blog with Laravel (& Send Slack Notifications)
    In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a blog with Laravel and ButterCMS. Then, you’ll add integration into ButterCMS’ webhooks that will send notifications directly to your Slack channel of choice whenever a new post is published. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • 10 Must-Have AI Tools to Supercharge Your Software Development
    10. Slack AI and Microsoft Teams AI These platforms enhance team collaboration by offering intelligent insights, task reminders, and integration suggestions. Slack AI provides automated alerts and recommendations, improving communication and productivity. Microsoft Teams AI offers meeting summaries, suggested tasks, and automated workflows, making it a powerful tool for distributed teams. Both tools integrate with... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Empowering Open Source: The Role of Funding Workshops
    A thriving community is intertwined with sustainable funding. Workshops emphasize effective communication through platforms like Slack and Discord, as well as recognizing contributors to maintain engagement. For more strategies on building a sustainable community, consider exploring open source project sponsorship tips. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Building a Slack Clone with Next.js and TailwindCSS - Part One
    In this three-part series, we will build a Slack clone—an app that helps teams stay in touch with instant messaging, video calls, and channels. We’ll build this application using React (Next.js), TailwindCSS, Prisma, and Stream SDKs. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Best Status Page Software for Incident Communication
    Flexible Notification Options: Customers can subscribe to updates on specific components or services, avoiding unnecessary communication while staying GDPR-compliant. Notifications integrate seamlessly with tools like email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and SMS. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

WebRTC mentions (49)

  • SSE, WebSockets, or Polling? Build a Real-Time Stock App with React and Hono
    For real-time communication used mostly for video and voice calls, check out WebRTC. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • 17 Reasons Why JavaScript is Essential for Real-Time Applications
    One of the most visible aspects of JavaScript for interactive web applications is its ability to make user interactions feel seamless and instantaneous. For example, form validation, auto-suggestions, and real-time data visualization are all powered by JavaScript, allowing users to engage with web apps more fluidly. These instant interactions reduce frustration and keep users engaged. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Mastering Real-Time Collaboration: Building Figma and Miro-Inspired Features with Supabase
    So before we dive into the implementation, I would like to share a few things about this project(my personal exp.). During this project I studying a ton about webRTC. I started studying webRTC from scratch, like what is webRTC? How is the connection formed? How the data transfer takes place. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Show HN: I built a website to share files and messages without any server
    WebRTC it is: https://webrtc.org/ Yes only the network layer encryption. No file encryption as it will cost client browsers a lot in case of encrypting and then decrypting that at other end. I have written more about it here: https://dikshantraj2001.medium.com/nat-stun-turn-and-ice-466dabbc2fdb Currently, I am using the public STUN servers only. If the IPs are not reachable, it would show an error and won't work... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • WebSocket vs. HTTP communication protocols
    You might also consider assessing complementary or alternative technologies; WebSocket and HTTP aren’t the only options when it comes to real-time communication, after all. WebRTC is similar to WebSocket, with the key difference being that it’s used to implement peer-to-peer connections without relying on a server. That can be especially helpful for video calls, allowing participants to communicate directly... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Slack and WebRTC, you can also consider the following products

Telegram - Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s superfast, simple and free.

Zoom - Equip your team with tools designed to collaborate, connect, and engage with teammates and customers, no matter where you’re located, all in one platform.

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

WebEx - Cisco WebEx Web Conferencing, Online Meetings, Desktop Sharing, Video Conferencing

Asana - Asana project management is an effort to re-imagine how we work together, through modern productivity software. Fast and versatile, Asana helps individuals and groups get more done.

ClickMeeting - Collaborate with partners and clients using ClickMeeting professional web conferencing software. Try it now, FREE!