In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
If you already pay for Microsoft 365, use Teams: it is included. Lark suits teams starting fresh or on a tight budget, with a free plan for up to 20 users and Pro at US$12 per user a month (annual). Slack (Pro US$8.75 monthly) suits heavy use of shared channels with other companies.
Lark vs Slack vs Teams at a glance
Prices in US dollars before tax, from Lark's plans page, Slack's Singapore pricing and Microsoft's Teams comparison for Singapore. Approximate, as of October 2026.
Lark
All-in-oneFree; Pro US$12/user/mo (annual)
- Chat, docs, calendar, video, email and Base tables in one app
- Free Starter plan for up to 20 users
- Built-in real-time translation
- Lark Technologies is headquartered in Singapore
Best for: New teams without Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, or multilingual teams.
Slack
Chat add-onFree; Pro US$8.75/user/mo (monthly)
- Best-known app directory and workflows
- Slack Connect channels with other companies
- Free plan keeps 90 days of history
- Sits on top of your existing email and calendar
Best for: Teams living in shared channels with clients and partners.
Microsoft Teams
Included with Microsoft 365From US$7/user/mo with Business Basic
- Chat, meetings and calls with Outlook and SharePoint
- Managed in the same admin centre as email
- No extra subscription if you already pay for Microsoft 365
- Teams Essentials US$4/user/mo for non-Microsoft shops
Best for: Anyone already on Microsoft 365.
Plans and limits compared
Lark's plans page lists four tiers. Prices exclude tax, and the page says yearly billing saves 16.6% compared with monthly.
| Plan | Price (annual) | Users | Storage and history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lark Starter | Free | Up to 20 | 100 GB; 18 months of messages; 1-on-1 video |
| Lark Basic | US$6/user/mo | Up to 500 | 5 TB; unlimited history; 1-on-1 video |
| Lark Pro | US$12/user/mo | Up to 500 | 15 TB; 500-person meetings; 50,000 automations a month |
| Lark Enterprise | Quote | Unlimited | Adds SSO and advanced compliance controls |
| Slack Free | Free | Any | 90 days of history, 10 apps |
| Slack Pro | US$8.75/user/mo (monthly) | Any | Full history; Business+ is US$18 monthly |
| Teams in Microsoft 365 | From US$7/user/mo | Up to 300 on Business plans | Files in OneDrive and SharePoint |
Lark notes that its Basic plan is only available in certain countries; its supported regions list includes Singapore. Slack and Microsoft figures are from our Slack vs Teams vs Google Chat comparison, checked the same week.
Data location and admin controls
For PDPA purposes you want to know where messages and files are stored and whether you can control who sees them. The three handle this differently.
| Question | Lark | Slack | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where data is stored | One residency location per organisation, set by the system; Multi-Geo is a paid add-on | Data residency is listed as a feature; check which plan includes it | Microsoft 365 tenant location, shown in the admin centre |
| Single sign-on | Enterprise plan | SAML SSO from Business+; Pro has Google sign-in | Uses your Microsoft 365 login |
| Same admin console as email | Only if you use Lark Mail | No | Yes |
Lark's data residency article says an organisation's data residency follows system calculation and cannot be modified; admins can view it under Settings, Organization Info. Check the location shown before you move company data in.
Email and calendar: the deciding factor
Chat is the easy part to replace. Email and calendar are what tie a team to a platform.
Lark fits if
- You are setting up email and tools from scratch
- You want docs, approvals and tables in the same app as chat
- Your team works across languages and uses built-in translation
- You want to keep a Google Calendar in sync; Lark supports two-way sync
Teams or Slack fits if
- Your email and calendar already run on Microsoft 365 (use Teams)
- You are on Google Workspace and only need chat (Google Chat or Slack)
- Clients expect a Teams meeting link or Slack Connect channel
- You rely on apps that only integrate with Slack or Microsoft
Lark's help centre describes two-way sync between Google Calendar and Lark Calendar set up by an admin, and an email migration tool for Gmail, Outlook and other providers if you move mail into Lark Mail.
What switching costs
Moving chat tools is mostly time, not money. Count these before you decide:
Switching checklist
If team chat today is a mix of WhatsApp groups and email, our guide to WhatsApp vs Slack vs Teams for team chat explains why moving work chat off personal phones matters.
Do it yourself or get help?
Starting any of the three takes an afternoon. The work that protects you is the admin setup: company-owned admin accounts, MFA, limits on external sharing and a clean offboarding process.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Microsoft 365 / Google Security Lockdown (S$590) enforces MFA, cleans up admin roles and tightens sharing in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, including Teams and guest access. You pay Lark, Slack or Microsoft directly.
Frequently asked questions
Lark's Starter plan is free for up to 20 users, with 100 GB of storage, 18 months of message history, one-to-one video meetings and 1,000 automations a month, as of October 2026. Larger teams or those needing unlimited history move to Basic at US$6 or Pro at US$12 per user a month on annual billing, before tax.
Yes. Lark is run by Lark Technologies Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, and Lark's help centre lists Singapore among the countries where the Basic plan is available. Check the data residency location shown in the admin console after creating your organisation, because Lark says it cannot be changed later.
Usually not. Teams is included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic and higher plans, uses the same accounts and admin centre as your email, and needs no extra subscription. Adding Lark or Slack on top means a second set of accounts to secure and offboard, for features you already pay for.
For a team of up to 20, Lark Starter is free with more history than Slack Free's 90 days. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, Teams costs nothing extra. For paid chat on its own, Lark Basic at US$6 per user a month annually is cheaper than Slack Pro at US$8.75 monthly, as listed in October 2026.
Lark's help centre describes an admin-configured two-way sync between Google Calendar and Lark Calendar, and a sync option with Microsoft Exchange calendars. Lark also offers an email migration tool for Gmail, Outlook and other providers if you move your mail into Lark Mail.