The best Slack apps for your workspace in 2025

I've worked remotely for years, using Slack to collaborate on projects, meet deadlines, and yes, share cute dog pics. I've seen firsthand how a well-run Slack server can translate a chaotic jumble of conversations into a streamlined, efficient workspace. One of the key differentiators? The most efficient Slack servers I've joined all use Slack apps. 

Slack apps aren't just about boosting efficiency, though: they also sprinkle some personality throughout your workday and help remote teams feel more connected. Whether it's automating reminders or starting random watercooler chats, Slack apps are unsung heroes in the quest for an engaging and productive work environment.

The best Slack apps for your company will depend on the apps you use outside of Slack and the kind of work you do on Slack. With that in mind, I'll share my favorite Slack apps, and hopefully some of them will work for you.

• The best Slack apps for project management

• The best Slack apps for productivity

• The best Slack apps for communication

• The best AI Slack apps

• The best Slack apps for engagement and team building

• The best Slack apps for fun

What is a Slack app?

A Slack app is a helpful add-on that works with Slack to automate tasks and workflows, integrate third-party tools, or enhance the overall user experience within your Slack workspace. Think of it as a virtual assistant that lives within your Slack channels, ready to jump into action on command. 

Slack apps can perform a wide range of functions, from scheduling meetings and managing to-do lists to syncing with software like Google Drive and Salesforce. By handling repetitive tasks and streamlining communication, Slack apps save time and create a more organized, interactive online work environment.

How to add a Slack app to your workspace

Here's a quick step-by-step guide to adding a Slack app:

1. Visit the Slack marketplace to browse all the Slack apps available. (You can also find Slack bots to add from within your Slack workspace, by clicking Add Apps at the bottom of your sidebar.)

   

2. Install the app you want by clicking Add to Slack.

   

3. Configure your app settings within Slack. The bot will walk you through everything you need to do.

   

The best Slack apps at a glance

Slack has more than 2,500 apps in its app directory. I, of course, haven't tested every single one of them, so while I'm calling these the "best," keep in mind that there are thousands of options available—if you use a SaaS app, it probably has a Slack app. (And if it doesn't, you can connect it using Zapier.)

The best Slack apps for project management

Slack apps bring the power of your project management tool right into the heart of your Slack workspace, keeping updates, tasks, and notifications flowing smoothly between the two platforms. 

The best Slack app for project management is whichever project management tool your team already uses, so definitely start there.

Trello

If you visualize project tasks as a board of moving parts, the Trello app for Slack is a match made in heaven. It allows you to create new cards, update existing ones, and receive notifications directly within Slack. Imagine discussing a project in a Slack channel and being able to create a Trello card from a message on the fly without switching windows or tabs. 

Asana

Like Trello, the Asana Slack app allows you to easily create tasks, assign them to team members, and set due dates directly from your Slack conversations. You can also link a project to a specific Slack channel, which posts project updates directly to that channel in real time, keeping everyone on the same page without leaving Slack.

And if you subscribe to one of Asana's paid plans, you can also bring the power of Asana AI to Slack to get AI-powered summaries, insights, and recommendations.

ClickUp

The ClickUp Slack app allows you to create tasks, add them to specific projects, and even update task statuses without ever leaving your Slack workspace. You can also convert Slack messages into actionable tasks, or leave comments on tasks directly from Slack. ClickUp's rich link previews are especially helpful, making it easy to understand a project's context with a quick glance.

Workast

Trello, Asana, and ClickUp make it easy to turn Slack conversations into actionable tasks, but Workast lets you manage those tasks from within Slack too. You can create checklists and to-do lists in Slack using simple slash commands like /todo or /checklist, and then see an overview of all of your tasks from the Workast Slack app home screen. 

While you can also access all of this in Workast's web app, you don't necessarily need to: Workast's notification system is designed to keep everything Slack-centric (no emails!), and the one-click installation means your entire team can start using it immediately.

The best Slack bots for productivity

Slack can enhance your productivity—or totally drain it. These Slack apps integrate into your day-to-day work life, acting like your personal assistant and making all your workflows easier. The best Slack bots for productivity are the ones that fit perfectly into your existing routines, so be picky about which ones you choose.

Google Calendar

The Google Calendar app for Slack keeps you on schedule without leaving Slack. It helps you start every day on the right foot by giving you a view of your daily agenda right within Slack, and pings you with reminders when it's meeting time. You can even respond to meeting invites and join your calls all directly from within Slack, without opening a new Google Calendar window. 

The Google Calendar app is particularly useful for teams working across different time zones, as it simplifies scheduling and keeps everyone aligned. It also automatically updates your Slack status to "In a meeting" when you're occupied, so anyone messaging you knows that you're unavailable for the moment.

Google Drive

For teams that rely heavily on Google Drive, the Google Drive Slack app is a must-have. It notifies you about changes to documents, comments, and shared files directly in Slack, making collaboration smoother. You can even set up notifications for specific folders or documents, ensuring you stay updated on the need-to-knows for critical projects. It essentially bridges the gap between your files and your conversations, making it easier to share updates and get feedback with less context switching.

If you use a different file management system, like Box or Dropbox, they have Slack apps too.

Zapier

Zapier takes Slack productivity to another level by connecting your workspace with thousands of other apps and services. With the Zapier Slack app, you can automate workflows between Slack and all the other tools your team uses, including CRMs, email marketing platforms, and project management tools. Whether it's automatically creating Slack messages based on activity in other apps or posting updates from Slack to other platforms, Zapier makes it possible to automate almost any task.

Learn more about how to automate Slack with Zapier, or get started with one of these pre-made workflows.

Clockwise

When Slack notifications arrive at the wrong moment, they can be annoying (or panic-inducing) rather than helpful. Whether you're trying to get deep work done, sharing your screen during a presentation, or just want to enjoy your leftover spaghetti in peace during your lunch break, the Clockwise Slack app can help. It syncs to your calendar and automatically puts you in "Do Not Disturb" mode during certain events.

You can also auto-update your Slack status to let your team know what you're doing, subtly nudging them to wait a bit if they need you. If you're out of working hours, doing a block of focused work, or in a meeting, your colleagues will see that information in your Slack status (along with a relevant emoji).

You can also use Clockwise's AI assistant features to streamline meeting management. By messaging the Clockwise assistant with a meeting request (like "book 30 minutes with @Tiffany on Thursday"), Clockwise will review each person's calendar, consider their scheduling preferences, and select a time automatically.

Approveit

Approval workflows can quickly become bottlenecks in remote teams. The Approveit Slack app automates approval processes directly in Slack, making it easier to handle everything from invoice approvals to time-off requests.

In cases where multiple people need to sign off on a decision, Approveit can notify all stakeholders and then update the requester once everyone has signed off. You can even delegate your approval authority to someone else while you're out of office (so you can avoid getting hit with a tsunami of unprocessed requests after getting back from vacation).

The best Slack bots for communication

Typing messages all day can feel limiting. Sometimes you need to see faces, hear voices, or show rather than tell. But blocking off 30-minute chunks of time on every team member's calendar isn't always the right solution, either. Whether you need to see people face-to-face or want to save time with async updates, these communication-focused Slack apps add new ways for your team to connect.

Zoom

The Zoom app for Slack is like an insta-teleportation device for your team, bringing everyone together with the click of a button, no matter where they are in the world. With this integration, you can start or join video meetings directly from your Slack workspace. It simplifies the process of scheduling and joining calls, making it easier to move discussions from text to face-to-face conversations. Just type a simple slash command (/zoom), and your meeting can begin.

Loom

The Loom Slack app takes a different approach to communication by allowing you to share video messages asynchronously, instead of typing out long, detailed text messages. With Loom, you can easily record your screen, yourself, or both, and share these videos directly within your Slack channels or private messages. This not only saves time, but also adds a layer of personal interaction that text can't always necessarily convey.

Calendly

If most of your meetings are with external clients or partners, there's a good chance you use Calendly to schedule them. The Calendly Slack app keeps you updated with automatic meeting notifications directly in Slack whenever something is scheduled, rescheduled, or canceled—perfect for helping you adapt your schedule to last-minute changes.

The Calendly Slack app offers rich link previews with important information about your meeting. You can also see all your scheduled Calendly meetings for the day from within Slack on the app's home page.

Geekbot

If you've ever experienced the dreaded "meeting that should have been an email," you know how important it is to proceed with caution when asking for space on your colleagues' calendars. With Geekbot's async standups and check-ins, you can stay fully updated on what your team is doing without disrupting their day. 

Geekbot's Slack app accommodates different time zones and work schedules, and team members are free to respond when it works for them. Plus, AI-powered insights help identify blockers and track team sentiment over time. You can also use Geekbot for retrospectives, polls, and surveys, and there are ready-made templates for common use cases like product development and HR processes.

The best AI Slack bots

AI tools are most helpful when they're where you already spend your time. Toggling between multiple AI tools and Slack creates unnecessary friction in your workflow. AI Slack apps bring powerful artificial intelligence features right into your Slack channels, letting you generate content, analyze data, and get smart answers with a quick slash command.

Perplexity

I can hardly remember a time when AI tools couldn't access the web. Now, LLMs are my go-to source for research and work questions (and, let's be honest, for figuring out when the next season of The Last of Us drops). But if you're trying to turn Slack into a work superapp and cut down on context-switching, that means it's important to bring some of those AI tasks into Slack itself.

Perplexity's Slack app can help. Since it understands the context of your team's Slack conversations, you can ask it questions like "how does our social media plan compare against industry best practices" or "does the Q4 launch plan make sense? What are some risks I'm not seeing?"

Adobe Express

What if you could iterate on visual content from right within Slack? The Adobe Express Slack app is perfectly suited for those #design and #brainstorming Slack channels where visuals are more powerful than text. You can quickly generate images, create flyers, or design social media posts without leaving the conversation where the request originated. Adobe Express isn't quite as sophisticated as ChatGPT's image generator yet—it often generates gibberish instead of normal text, for example—but it's great for brainstorming.

Adobe's shared brand kits store your brand's logos, colors, and templates, making it easy for anything your team generates to maintain a consistent visual language. You also get access to millions of royalty-free Adobe Stock assets.

The best Slack apps for engagement and team building

Digital workspaces require as much team building as in-person ones, if not more. The key to a vibrant, inclusive, and collaborative team environment lies in all those little interactions that happen every day. Slack apps designed for engagement and culture can play a pivotal role in nurturing these interactions, turning a collection of remote individuals into a close-knit community. From gathering feedback with polls to celebrating achievements and facilitating casual meet-ups, these bots help keep the team spirit alive and kicking. 

Simple Poll

Simple Poll offers an effortless way to create polls within your Slack channels, enabling teams to make decisions together, gather opinions, or just have fun with light-hearted questions. Whether you're deciding on the next team outing, choosing a project name, or simply finding out everyone's favorite pizza topping, Simple Poll makes it easy to engage everyone's voice. 

Polly

Polly takes team engagement a step further by allowing for more complex surveys and polls, complete with analytics and insights. You can use Polly to measure team sentiment, conduct stand-ups or regular check-ins, or even run fun quizzes to break the monotony of the workday. With its customizable templates and scheduled polls, Polly helps managers and team leaders stay connected with their team's pulse and ensure that everyone feels valued.

Donut

Donut strengthens team bonds by pairing team members for virtual coffee breaks, lunches, or mentorship sessions. These randomized pairings encourage casual intros and connections that might not happen in the usual course of work, especially in a remote setting. It can also spark fun watercooler conversations, asking everyone to chime in on a question-of-the-day that's not strictly work-related.

Slackbot

You can tailor Slack's built-in Slackbot for any purpose, like helping to promote inclusive language in your work environment. All you have to do is designate specific words as triggers for Slackbot to remind teammates to use more inclusive language, and it will chime in whenever necessary.

The best Slack bots for fun

Amid deadlines and meetings, it can be easy to forget that work can also be a source of joy and laughter. Injecting a bit of fun into the workday is crucial for keeping spirits high and fostering a positive, engaging work culture. Slack apps like BirthdayBot and GIPHY are perfect for this, adding a layer of light-heartedness and spontaneity to your team's interactions. 

BirthdayBot

Remembering and celebrating team members' birthdays in a remote work environment can be challenging, but BirthdayBot makes it a breeze. It automatically notifies your team about upcoming birthdays and posts celebratory messages in a team channel on the day of. By adding a personal touch, BirthdayBot offers a simple yet effective way to show team members they're appreciated.

GIPHY

Everyone loves a good GIF. The GIPHY Slack app brings animated GIFs into your Slack channels. Whether it's celebrating a win, offering support, or just sharing a laugh, a well-timed GIF can lighten the mood and strengthen team bonds. With the /giphy slash command, you can search for and post a GIF for any occasion.

Build your own Slack bot

It's unlikely you won't find what you need in Slack's massive app directory. But sometimes you need something a little more bespoke. That's where the magic of Zapier comes into play, allowing you to build your own customizable Slack bot.

With Zapier, you can create a Slack bot that does exactly what you need, the way you need it done. Imagine a bot that can pull analytics from your sales platform into a Slack channel every morning, or one that automatically organizes project submissions into a shared folder and notifies the team via Slack. Or you could create a chatbot that integrates with ChatGPT to bring the power of AI to your workspace. 

Related reading:

• 5 advanced features for Slack power users

• Slack Workflow Builder: 9 Slack workflow examples to automate your business

• How to send a Slack message from a webhook

• How to break your bad Slack habits

• What are Slack lists?

• Use Slack MCP to take action in your AI tools

This article was originally published in March 2024 by Hsing Tseng. The most recent update was in April 2025.