Slack
Slack offers a Linux desktop app, still labelled beta on its own download page, plus the full browser version.
Our verdict
Slack for Linux exists and Slack publish it themselves, but they have labelled it beta on their download page for years. Day to day that label overstates the problem. Channels, direct messages, threads, emoji reactions and file sharing behave exactly as they did on Windows.
Where it wobbles is calls. Huddles and screen sharing drop out more often here, and notifications occasionally go quiet until the app is restarted. If your team lives in Slack calls rather than Slack messages, keep that in mind.
Installer files for Ubuntu-style and Fedora-style systems are on Slack's own download page. The browser version is a perfectly good alternative and avoids the beta question entirely.
What's good
- Slack provides official Linux installer files and a Snap package
- Channels, direct messages, huddles and file sharing all work
- The browser version is fully featured if you prefer not to install anything
- Free tier is the same as on Windows
What to know first
- Slack's own download page still calls the Linux app a beta
- Calls and screen sharing are less reliable than on Windows
- Notifications sometimes stop working until you restart the app
- The Flathub listing is a community wrapper that Slack does not verify
The details
- Cost
- Free with paid extras
- Open source
- No (Proprietary)
- How you install it
- .deb installer, .rpm installer, App store (Snap), App store (Flatpak), In your browser
Windows apps it can replace
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