Slack vs Lark: which is better for your team?
A plain comparison of Slack and Lark by what is bundled, cost model and who each suits, with a self-hosted option.
The short answer
Slack is chat-first with the largest app marketplace. Lark bundles chat, meetings, docs, tasks, calendar and email in one suite. Both are hosted, and both charge per user on paid plans. Choose Slack for its integrations and Lark if you want one suite instead of several tools.
We do not quote prices for either, because plans change and vary by region. Compare each vendor's current pricing page and count the other tools each one replaces.
Side by side
| Slack | Lark | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Slack's cloud | Lark's cloud |
| Cost model | Per user on paid plans | Per user on paid plans |
| Bundled | Chat and huddles | Chat, meetings, docs, tasks, calendar, email |
| Strongest at | Integrations, bots, ecosystem | One suite for the whole team |
| Self-hosting | No | No |
What decides it
Do you pay for other tools?
If you also pay for meetings, docs and tasks, a bundle may cost less overall.
Do you rely on integrations?
Slack's marketplace is larger.
Who is on your team?
Check regional availability and language support.
Data location
Both keep data in the vendor's cloud.
A third option
Dock is self-hosted: chat, meetings with recording and transcripts, docs, tables, calendar, tasks and a drive, with no per-seat licence and a Lark history import. It also connects Notion, GitHub, Claude and Codex, and has an MCP server for AI agents. You run the server, and the integration list is smaller than Slack's.
See Dock vs Slack, Dock vs Lark and the pricing comparison.
Questions
Is Lark better than Slack?
For an all-in-one suite, many teams prefer Lark. For integrations and bots, Slack is stronger.
Can I move from Slack to Lark?
Both offer export tools. Pilot with one team before moving everyone.
Is there a self-hosted option?
Neither is self-hosted. Dock and a few open-source tools are.