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#1 Guide to Slack Apps in 2024

Katreena
December 13, 2022
4 Min Read
Photo by
Sushama Patel

Table of Contents:

Slack Apps are a powerful addition to any workspace. This comprehensive guide is designed to help you master the basics of Slack Apps to make the most out of your workspace and optimize your workflow. We will go over understanding Slack Apps for businesses, finding the best apps for your needs, the benefits of integrating them into your workflow, and tips for making the most out of Slack Apps. We will also showcase our top 10 picks for popular and valuable Slack Apps that you can take advantage of today. With this guide, you'll have all the tools you need to make your workspace work better for you and your team.

Slack is a powerful business collaboration tool that allows teams to communicate and collaborate more effectively. Slack apps are a key element of the platform, allowing users to automate workflow tasks, integrate with other applications and services, customize notifications, and even manage advanced workflows. With the right set of Slack Apps for your business, you can bring crucial functions together in one place and optimize the way your team works. Slack Apps make it easier for you to get work done faster and better. They can help you with simple tasks like organizing documents and more complicated ones like automating workflow processes.

What are Slack apps?

A Slack integration app is an application that can be integrated with a workspace on the messaging platform Slack. It allows users to customize their experience by adding tools and functionality to their workspace. Slack apps are available from several third-party providers or can be created using existing integrations like Dropbox, Google Drive, and more. Slack apps enable users to access their data, manage tasks, and efficiently share information.

One of the primary benefits of using Slack apps is its scalability. It can be used by small teams or large organizations, making it a powerful collaboration tool that works for everyone. In addition to providing valuable features, Slack apps can help increase productivity and improve communication between team members. By connecting teams with the right tools, users can get more done in less time. In addition, Slack apps are often free and easy to set up, making them one of the most convenient solutions for businesses of all sizes. With these features, it's no wonder that Slack apps are becoming increasingly popular.

By integrating the right set of tools and features, Slack apps can help businesses operate more effectively and increase the productivity of their teams. As such, they remain an invaluable asset for any organization looking to improve its operations. With the ever-expanding selection of Slack apps available today, businesses can choose from plenty of options. Companies can now find the perfect Slack app that meets their needs and helps them stay connected with their team.

Why are Slack apps important?

Slack apps are an essential part of any team's productivity. Slack Apps provide easy access to essential tools and data, enabling teams to take action quickly on projects or issues that arise. With the use of Slack Apps, teams can automate tasks and remove tedious manual steps, which saves precious time. Furthermore, with the availability of dedicated Slack App resources, teams can access essential tools and data without having to waste time searching for them.

Slack Apps also provide an excellent way for teams to collaborate on projects, share ideas and information quickly, and get feedback easily. By using Slack Apps, teams can communicate more efficiently with each other, enabling them to get up-to-date information quickly, take action faster and produce better results. Slack Apps also help teams stay organized and keep track of tasks and projects more efficiently. With the use of Slack Apps, teams can maximize their productivity and achieve their goals in shorter time frames than traditional methods.

Overall, Slack Apps are an invaluable tool for any team that wants to keep up with the pace of modern workplaces. By using Slack Apps, teams can save time, increase collaboration and productivity and achieve better results. With the right Slack apps, any team can stay organized and make their work more accessible than ever before.

Benefits of Slack apps

Slack apps provide a range of benefits to both employers and employees. For employers, Slack apps offer an efficient way to manage teams and projects without installing any additional software. In addition, the real-time messaging platform allows employers to easily assign tasks, post updates, and reminders, send direct messages, and other collaborative workflows.

Furthermore, Slack apps can also help employers keep track of their employees' activities, allowing for greater oversight and control.

Slack apps provide employees with an easy way to stay organized and on top of team tasks. With the ability to set up individual task lists and reminders, users can break down projects into manageable chunks and ensure deadlines are met, making it easier to stay productive and organized. Slack apps also offer a range of integrations that allow users to link content from other applications, enabling employees to access critical information quickly.

Slack apps provide employers and employees with a powerful platform for collaboration, communication, and task management. With the proper setup, these tools can help organizations to maximize efficiency and facilitate a productive working environment.

Remote teams and Slack apps

Remote teams have become increasingly popular as technology has advanced, and many organizations have turned to platforms like Slack to manage their remote teams. Slack apps are designed to help teams stay organized, communicate efficiently, and collaborate effectively. These powerful tools can be used to assign tasks, track progress, share files and documents, and even access resources from external applications. Slack apps can also create custom notifications, manage shared documents, and store project data for quick reference. With the help of these tools, distributed teams can stay connected and productive despite their physical distance from one another. Furthermore, many companies have seen an increase in team performance and morale thanks to using Slack apps. This technology is quickly becoming the go-to choice for remote teams looking to stay in sync and reach their goals.

Overall, Slack apps provide an effective way for distributed teams to collaborate from wherever they may be located. These tools can help managers ensure everyone is on the same page, tasks are assigned and completed on time, and resources are easily accessible. In addition, with the help of Slack apps, team members can stay connected no matter where they are located, enabling them to work together efficiently and effectively as a remote team. For this reason, Slack apps have become an essential tool for businesses with distributed teams. They are quickly becoming a must-have for any organization looking to succeed in today's world.

Tips for making the most out of Slack apps

Slack apps are powerful tools that can increase productivity, streamline communication, and help teams collaborate. However, to make the most out of Slack apps, it's essential to understand how they work and what you can do with them. Here are a few tips for using your Slack apps to their fullest:

First, take the time to explore each Slack app's features. Then, use them to their fullest potential by understanding what each one can do and how it works with other tools. Next, have an open dialogue with team members about which apps are most useful in different situations and brainstorm ways they can be used to improve collaboration. Additionally, consider if there are any additional Slack apps you may need, and try to find ones that can integrate easily with the existing tools and processes.

When using Slack apps, remember ways to maximize your team's efficiency. First, establish clear protocols for communication between team members and app users, ensuring everyone understands how different features work. Also, consider automating specific tasks within each app to help streamline processes and save time. Lastly, please keep track of the apps you've added to Slack, so you can easily reference them when needed. With these tips in mind, teams can optimize their use of Slack apps and maximize productivity.

Finding the right Slack app for your needs

When looking for the right Slack app for your needs, it's essential to consider a few factors. One of these is whether you need an app that integrates with existing tools and systems or is designed for a specific purpose. You'll also want to consider what features are important to you, such as security measures, user management, and customizations. Lastly, you should think about how much the app costs and what kind of customer service it offers. These factors will help you narrow down your choices and decide which Slack app is best for your organization's needs.

Once you've decided which Slack app to use, it's important to consider how you can get the most out of your Slack app. Training for new users, setting up automated workflows, and taking advantage of integrations with other tools are a few ways to maximize the value of using Slack apps. Finally, ensure that you have regular maintenance in place to ensure your Slack app remains secure and performs optimally. With the right Slack app, you can increase collaboration with your team and simplify workflows. So start exploring today to find the best Slack app for your needs!

21 popular and useful Slack apps today

Slack apps are an essential part of the modern workplace. They allow for real-time communication and collaboration across teams, as well as providing solutions for a variety of tasks. This article will look at 21 popular and valuable Slack apps that can help your team work smarter and more efficiently. These apps cover everything from project management, task tracking, and automation to team chat, analytics, and the creation of custom bots. In addition, there's a Slack app for every need, from classic Slack integrations like Trello, Asana, and Google Drive to more specialized tools for coding, design, and marketing teams. So whether you're searching for an all-in-one solution or individual tools to address specific needs, these 21 popular and valuable Slack apps have you covered.

We compiled our list of the best Slack apps directly from the horse's mouth (the Slack app Directory). We also reviewed a few other trusted sources to see what apps people are talking about and finding beneficial. 

  1. Google Drive: One of the most popular Slack apps, based on the Slack app Directory, is Google Drive. According to the Slack app Directory, Google Drive is one of the most popular Slack apps. If you already use Drive, you need to integrate it with Slack. Think about how much time you spend leaving Slack to create docs, import files, and read notifications on new comments, files, and access requests.

The Google Drive Slack app allows you to do that and more.

Easily share documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, and other documents with your team. You can even create new files and edit existing ones within the app.

One of our favorite features is the ability to find your files quickly, even if you need help remembering the name, by searching directly in Slack. In addition, Slack automatically indexes the contents of any Google Drive file you share so you can find it when you need it.

  1. Zoom: Everyone knows what Zoom is, the video call app that took the world by storm during the pandemic. It allows teams to communicate quickly and efficiently. Within Zoom, users can record meetings, add polls and surveys, create custom backgrounds, and integrate third-party tools like Salesforce and Zendesk. 

The Zoom + Slack integration makes this process smoother, allowing users to join a video conference without leaving their Slack workspace.

Features like breakout rooms, screen sharing, and chatbot integration make the experience more immersive. In addition, without needing to leave the app, users can count on an added layer of security when sharing data and documents.

Two features you'll like:

  • You can send a Zoom Whiteboard to any Slack channel or direct message with ease.
  • With the /zoom slash command, you can begin Zoom meetings and create Zoom phone calls with perfect video and audio quality from any Slack channel, private group, or direct message.

 Zoom and Slack are both known for their performance, scalability, and reliability, so they're a match.

Need a streamlined way to collaborate over video conferences? Then use Zoom.

  1. Trello: The Trello Slack app is a great way to link the two platforms together. With the app, you can quickly and easily add new tasks and projects, assign them to team members, set due dates, comment on tasks, and more – without leaving Slack. Think about all of the time you spend doing the "tab tango"?

If your team needs to manage tasks, projects, and team assignments on Trello, here are a few of our favorite features:

  • Trello add allows users to add new cards to boards directly from Slack.
  • Receive automated card and board previews, including members, descriptions, and comments within your channel.
  • Quickly turn messages into tasks in Trello with message shortcuts.
  • Get Trello due date notifications within Slack with Butler By Trello App.
  1. Google Calendar (+ Calendar for team events): We've helped you build a bridge between project management, meeting setup, and data management. What about your calendar?

The Google Calendar Slack app allows users to keep track of their upcoming events, tasks, and meetings within their Slack workspace. The app will enable users to display their calendars for quick reference, create and manage events, share those with team members, set reminders for upcoming tasks, and view past events.

The Google Calendar Slack app eases people's friction when managing multiple projects with multiple teammates across various platforms.

For example:

  • No longer worry about getting pinged while in meetings.
  • Use a simple Slack command to get a rundown of your schedule delivered each morning or a night in advance.
  1. Zapier: If you see value in the time saved from automating tasks and streamlining workflows, you need the Zapier Slack app. This app allows users to create automated "zaps" that trigger actions in other applications, such as sending Slack notifications when certain events occur. With this highly advanced workflow builder, teams can quickly and easily set up complex processes requiring a lot of manual work.

Here are a few of our favorite "Slack Zaps":

  • Bring calendar events, social media mentions, or new lead details into a Slack conversation.
  • Automatically create a to-do list item when you save a Slack message.
  • Post details of new orders in your eCommerce app to a Slack channel.
  • Send form responses to a Slack channel.

Don't worry about this tool looking like the inside of the NS-5 robot from iRobot. Zapier's best feature isn't its 1,000's integrations (many of which are compatible with the Slack API) but that almost anyone can access them with basic tech skills and time.

Whether in marketing, sales, or engineering, Zapier allows you to turn already robust tools like Slack, Google Calendar, and Asana into time-saving machines.

  1. Loom: Except for a few of our recommended Slack apps, they are helpful standalone tools outside of Slack. Loom is no exception.

If you're tired of sitting in meetings that people could distill into short videos or emails, you'll love Loom. This app lets you quickly record and share screen recordings using a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.

Somewhere between meetings and emails, there's a class of information that is too complex for an email but doesn't necessitate a meeting. For example, our team frequently records Loom's to go over SOPs so teammates can watch them as much as they'd like.

So what can Loom do for you within Slack?

The Loom Slack app will allow you to record, preview, and share Looms in Slack, watch recordings directly from Slack and embed videos in Slack.

  1. Workast: The Workast Slack app helps teams on Slack organize their work, delegate tasks, manage projects, run meetings, streamline processes, and gain visibility of what your team is working on.

Sound familiar with other project management tools like Asana and ClickUp?

It should be because the Workast team designed it to serve a similar function — with one key difference. Workast is explicitly intended for Slack teams so they can say goodbye to inboxes flooded with emails every time a new task is created, edited, or completed.

Think you want to add Workast to your rotation of Slack apps? You can install it in less than one minute and collaborate without invitations, separate accounts, or emails.

Free Slack apps can provide a range of benefits for businesses and organizations without incurring additional costs. These apps can help to improve communication, organization, and overall performance and can be used to integrate with other tools and services, automate repetitive tasks, and provide valuable resources and features. 

For example, free Slack apps can be used to schedule meetings, set reminders, and track project progress, which can help teams stay on track and meet deadlines more efficiently. 

Additionally, many free Slack apps offer community-driven features. Matter is a free Slack app that promotes peer recognition, constructive feedback, and a positive work environment. Other free apps provide knowledge sharing, where users can share information and learn from each other. Overall, free Slack apps can help teams improve efficiency, organization, and performance without additional costs, making it a cost-effective solution for any team.

The following Slack apps have free versions but offer incredible functionality without requiring an upgrade. 

  1. Todoist: Many of us need help managing tasks and staying productive in distraction-filled, fast-paced work environments. Todoist is an app that allows users to combat this by organizing their tasks into categories and priority levels.

With advanced features such as recurring tasks, reminders, natural language processing (NLP), labels, filters, and project templates, Todoist makes it easy for users to create personalized task lists and manage them. Through these features, users can easily manage their tasks more efficiently.

Need to track time spent on a project? You can do that with Todoist.

Users can also set up a notification to remind themselves of upcoming deadlines and ensure they complete tasks on time.

So, how "free" is this Slack integration?

Free users can work on up to five projects with five collaborators per project. Upgrading won't cost you an arm and a leg either, with their middle and top tiers costing $4 and $6/month, respectively. 

Pretty economical compared to many of the free Slack apps on this list.

  1. Freshdesk: Freshdesk is an innovative customer service and support platform that helps teams provide an excellent customer experience. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to help teams manage customer inquiries efficiently.

Freshdesk makes managing customer support easier when you have tools like automated ticket creation and routed support requests to customize the customer service experience. 

Freshdesk also includes powerful reporting and analytics capabilities, which enable teams to monitor their performance and make informed decisions about their customer service operations.

The best feature is Freshdesk's Slack integration, a powerful combination of two project management tools. With this integration, users can now collaborate, track progress and manage customer support inquiries directly from the popular messaging platform. 

Freshdesk's integration with Slack allows team members to stay up-to-date on tickets and receive notifications for new questions in their DMs or Slack channel.

Freshdesk is free for up to ten support agents.

  1. Arc Analytics: Arc Analytics is an advanced analytics platform that combines AI and data science to give teams insights into their performance. Integrating with Slack allows users to track and measure key performance metrics such as customer satisfaction, engagement, utilization rates, and more in real-time.

From within the Slack platform, users have access to a wide range of features, including:

  • Personalized dashboards, automated alerts, reports, and visualizations from the best analytics tools like Google Analytics.
  • Benchmarking capabilities to compare team performance against industry standards.
  • Project management and tracking capabilities to help teams stay up-to-date on tasks and projects across multiple workspaces.
  • Custom automation rules for improved efficiency and accuracy in operations management.
  • Secure data encryption for the secure transfer of sensitive data across different apps and systems.

Arc Analytics also provides advanced insights into individual team member productivity by analyzing emails sent from within the platform to provide a comprehensive overview of user activity.

Arc Analytics plans start at no cost and work up in increments of $12 per project you add.

  1. Timetastic: Timetastic is an employee scheduling and leaves tracking system that makes it easy for teams to stay organized and in sync. No more filling in paper forms or updating messy spreadsheets to get a day off work.

With Timetastic, users can create and manage employee schedules, plan staff holidays and vacations, track time-off requests, and manage shift swaps or cover requests.

Timetastic puts everything related to holidays and absence into one place. A few clicks to request time off and an up-to-date calendar of absences. Everything is updated and logged instantly.

With Slack, this powerful functionality is in the same place your team already spends its time. Timetastic's Slack integration brings the power of its employee scheduling platform directly into Slack.

Teams can now quickly access their staff's rota from within their Slack channel, get notified when shifts are filled or swapped, and respond promptly to leave requests without leaving their chat window.

  1. TrackingTime: TrackingTime is a comprehensive time and project management solution to help teams stay productive and organized. It features a robust set of tools that allow teams to track their time on tasks, measure performance, keep projects on budget, and maximize employee productivity.

Here's some of what you can do with TrackingTime:

  • View their team's progress in real-time.
  • Create detailed reports that visualize key data points such as utilization rates or utilization costs over time
  • Allocate resources more efficiently, ensuring everyone meets their deadlines.

The TrackingTime Slack integration helps teams stay connected and in sync with just one click. With it, users can easily access their team's performance metrics within a Slack channel and receive notifications when someone completes or adds a task.

They can also quickly respond to messages about project timelines or deadlines without ever having to leave the chat window.

Here's what else you can do from within the Slack app:

  • Compare data points such as costs per hour worked over a period for improved financial planning.
  • Receive an automated notification when members are behind schedule or if they have exceeded their hourly budget limits so staff members can take corrective action before it becomes an issue.

TrackingTime's easy-to-use features and handy Slack integration make managing complex projects more straightforward while giving employees the flexibility they need to work smarter and faster.

Why not have fun with everyone and bring you closer to your team? To increase employee engagement and team cohesion, try these apps from our complete list of fun slack apps.

  1. Dicebot: Want to inject a bit of fun into your teams day-to-day? The Dicebot Slack app is a virtual dice-rolling game that allows any Slack user to quickly and easily play games with their team members in Slack. This app will enable users to customize their dice with images, colors, and custom text message.
  2. Trivia: Trivia is the perfect way for your team to relax and have fun. A trivia quiz will be sent to your team's Slack every week. Trivia quizzes are asynchronous, meaning each person can do them on their own time. No one has any excuse not to show off what they know best! Trivia makes it easier for teammates to learn about one another's interests, hobbies, and abilities.
  1. Giphy: The Giphy Slack app is a fantastic tool for teams looking to inject fun and humor into their workspace. This app lets users quickly and easily access the world's most extensive library of GIFs, stickers, and memes. With its integration into Slack, users can search for content by keyword or browse through collections of trending images. Everyone uses GIFs, so why not add them to our Slack worlds?
  1. Slackmojis: The Slackmojis Slack app is an excellent way for teams to lighten the mood and add a touch of fun and humor to their workspace. With this app, users can quickly access the world's most extensive library of custom emojis and stickers explicitly designed for use in Slack. The app's expansive library includes

There's only one way to know how your employees feel – asking them directly. Regular temperature checks let you know how engaged, motivated, and relaxed employees are, but there are a few problems. First, asking employees directly can be a bit invasive sometimes, so they'd instead share their feelings anonymously. Secondly, as important as this is, you can't deny that it takes time. 

These four slack survey apps are a great start.

  1. Standup.ly: Standup.ly is an automated stand-up check-in software for Slack that makes it easy for teams to stay on the same page by staying in sync. The Standuply Slack app helps teams stay organized, connected, and productive with its automated check-ins that prompt team members to share their progress, goals, roadblocks, and more.
  1. Geekbot: Geekbot is an automated stand-up check-in software for Slack that provides teams with a powerful tool to stay organized, connected, and productive. It allows users to quickly set up automated stand-up meetings, complete check-ins either in the channel or by private messages, and track progress over time. It also enables users to build custom check-in forms with questions tailored to their team's needs and preferences.

Need detailed analytics and reports? Gain valuable insights into your team's progress without leaving the Slack app.

In addition to Slack, Geekbot integrates with popular tools like Jira, Trello, Asana, and Google Sheets, allowing users to save time when gathering data from multiple sources.

What good is a metric if you don't assign a follow-up task? Geekbot enables users to set up reminders for each participant so they can stay on top of their duties without missing out on important updates.

  1. Polly.ai: The Polly.ai Slack app is an incredibly powerful tool for teams looking to increase the efficiency of their surveys, polls, and feedback processes. This app allows users to quickly and easily create Slack surveys distributed directly within their Slack workspaces. It allows users to customize the survey questions and choose from multiple answer types.
  1. Simple Poll: The Simple Poll Slack app is a powerful and intuitive tool for teams that need an easy way to collect feedback from their colleagues. This app allows users to quickly set up polls in Slack and distribute them to their team members. It has various customizable features, including multiple answer types such as text, multiple choice, or numbers.
  1. Matter: If you're interested in enhancing your company's experience on Slack, then you might be interested in Matter. A free Slack app, Matter allows employees to send Kudos to peers and offer constructive feedback remotely. It can positively affect the workplace by promoting a healthy work environment. 

Consider trying Matter for free today if you're looking for the best Slack app for employee recognition and rewards!

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