The Problem
Why teams leave Slack
Per-user pricing makes company-wide deployment expensive
Message history limits on free plan drove forced upgrades
Salesforce acquisition shifted product priorities
Channel sprawl becomes unmanageable at scale
File storage limits require higher tiers
Huddles and clips are basic compared to dedicated tools
What We Build Instead
Your custom communication tool
Team messaging platform with unlimited users
Channels, threads, and direct messages
File sharing with your own storage backend
Custom integrations with your tools
Audio/video huddles for quick calls
Search across all messages and files
The Math
Slack vs. custom build
Based on 200 seats at $12/seat/month, with ~10% annual SaaS price increases.
Keep paying Slack
Build with 86 SaaS
3-year savings with 200 seats
$26,165
28% less than Slack
Pricing Breakdown
Slack tier pricing vs. one-time custom build
Compare what you pay per seat across Slack's tiers against a single investment in software you own forever.
| Tier | Monthly/Seat | Annual/Seat | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $7/mo | $7/mo | Unlimited message history, Unlimited integrations, Group audio/video calls, Huddles |
| Business+ | $13/mo | $13/mo | SAML-based SSO, Data exports, 99.99% SLA, Compliance certifications |
| Enterprise Grid | $25/mo | $25/mo | Unlimited workspaces, HIPAA compliance, Data residency, Custom retention policies |
| Custom Build by 86 SaaS | $35,000–$60,000 one-time | $0/seat | Unlimited users, full ownership, no recurring fees |
Migration Timeline
From Slack to ownership — week by week
A structured migration plan to move off Slack in 8-14 weeks with zero downtime.
Discovery & Audit
1-2 weeksInventory channels, integrations, bots, and usage patterns
Architecture & Design
2 weeksDesign messaging platform with real-time infrastructure and storage
Core Development
4-8 weeksBuild messaging engine, channels, threads, file sharing, and huddles
Data Migration & Testing
1-2 weeksMigrate message history, channels, files and test real-time performance
Deployment & Training
1-2 weeksRoll out to teams and train on new platform features
Total build time
8-14 weeks
Feature Comparison
What you keep, what you skip, and why
A transparent comparison of Slack features vs. your custom-built alternative.
| Feature | Slack | Custom Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channels & Threads | |||
| Direct Messages | |||
| File Sharing | |||
| Audio/Video Huddles | |||
| Search | |||
| Custom Integrations | |||
| Workflow Builder | |||
| Emoji & Reactions | |||
| Slack Connect (Cross-org) | Use standard federation protocols instead | ||
| Slack App Directory | Build integrations for your specific tools | ||
| Unlimited Users | No per-user pricing — invite everyone |
Your custom build focuses on the features your team actually uses — typically 15-20% of what Slack offers — built exactly for your workflow.
How It Works
From Slack to ownership in 8-14 weeks
Free Audit
We analyze your Slack usage and identify exactly which features your team actually uses.
Scope & Build
We build your custom communication tool with only the features you need. 8-14 weeks.
Deploy & Migrate
We deploy to your infrastructure, migrate your data from Slack, and train your team.
You Own It
Full source code, documentation, and optional maintenance retainer. No vendor lock-in. Ever.