Katmai vs Slack (2026): Virtual Office or Team Chat?
Slack is team chat: written channels and messages, with huddles for quick audio and video. Katmai is a virtual office: your team works together all day in a photorealistic 3D office on live video. They do different jobs. Slack keeps the written record, and Katmai replaces the "got a minute?" messages and short calls that clutter it. Most teams that use a virtual office keep a chat tool for anything written.
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Katmai |
Slack |
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Built for |
Being together during the workday |
Written conversation |
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How you reach someone |
See who is around and talk to them |
Send a message, or start a huddle |
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What you see |
Live video of real people in a photorealistic 3D office |
Messages and channels |
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Guests |
Free guests, joining by link |
Shared channels |
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Price |
$25 per user per month, every feature included |
See Slack's pricing page |
Choose Katmai if
- quick questions in chat keep turning into long threads
- your team wants to feel like it shares an office
Keep Slack for
- written decisions, documentation and anything you need to search later
- work across time zones, when people aren't online together
FAQ
Can Katmai replace Slack?
Not fully. Katmai replaces quick back-and-forth and short calls. Most teams keep a chat tool for written, searchable conversation.
What is the difference between Katmai and Slack huddles?
A huddle is a quick call started from a chat channel. Katmai is an office your team stays in all day, on live video in a photorealistic 3D space.
Do teams use Katmai and Slack together?
That is the common setup: Slack for writing, Katmai for being together.
Related: Can a virtual office replace Slack and Zoom? · Every Katmai comparison · Book a Katmai demo