A Big Change for Slack Free Workspaces

Make Sure Your Org is Ready.

Slack has become the comms tool of choice for orgs large and small — but there’s an update on the way that might have a big impact on operations. IT departments and admins will want to make sure their business is ready.

Let’s take a look at what’s changing in terms of Slack’s free offering and what that might mean for you.

What is Changing?  

Starting August 26th, 2024, Slack will no longer store data older than one year for free workspaces! This includes all messages, files, and other content. Free workspaces will continue to have full access to the past 90 days of message history and file storage. This change will not affect workspaces on paid plans.

Who Uses Free Slack Workspaces  

The free version of Slack is popular among small teams, startups, freelancers, non-profit organizations, and even some huge operations, due to its cost-effectiveness and basic yet sufficient features for communication needs. It appeals to users looking to minimize expenses while still accessing essential tools like direct messaging, group channels, and file sharing.

The documentation provided by the Slack community further enhances its appeal by providing resources for troubleshooting without the need to commit for additional funds.

Should I Switch to a Paid Version?  

To keep access to content older than a year, your workspace will need to switch to a paid Slack plan. However, you may want to check their FAQs for more in-depth answers to commonly asked questions during this transition. Depending on your use-case a free workspace will continue to work as intended. Review each workspace's data requirements, primarily history retention, before the new policy goes into effect to make a decision.

Conclusion  

Anyone using a free workspace will need to evaluate their requirements as this change will impact their daily operations moving forward. Join the Slack community and connect with others going through this transition.

If you have additional insights on this topic please share it in the comments below.

And until next time, keep working hard, smart, and happy! We’ll see you in the cloud.