FigJam vs Slack: Which One Does Your Team Actually Need?

FigJam is a visual whiteboard for brainstorming and workshops. Slack is a messaging app for daily team communication. Here's how they differ and when you might need both.

Updated 2026-10 · 2026

FigJam

Online whiteboard for brainstorms, workshops, and diagrams

Freeeditor/month (paid seat $3-5/editor/month annual/monthly)

Strengths

+Real-time collaborative whiteboard with sticky notes, voting, and templates
+Deep integration with Figma for design handoff
+Great for retros, mapping, flowcharts, and workshops

Weaknesses

-Not built for persistent, searchable team communication
-No threaded conversations or DMs for daily chatter
-Free plan limits you to 3 files and view-only for extra editors

Best for

Design teams, product teams running workshops, brainstorming sessions, and visual planning.

Slack

Messaging platform for team communication and workflow automation

Freeuser/month (Pro $7.25/user/month annual, $8.75 monthly)

Strengths

+Channels, threads, and DMs for structured, searchable conversation
+Huge app/integration ecosystem (Google Drive, Zoom, GitHub, etc.)
+Workflow Builder for simple automations without code

Weaknesses

-Free plan only keeps 90 days of message history
-Can become noisy and distracting without channel discipline
-Not designed for visual brainstorming or diagramming

Best for

Any team that needs daily async/sync communication across channels, projects, or departments.

Feature Comparison

Feature	FigJam	Slack
Primary use case	Visual whiteboarding and brainstorming	Team messaging and communication
Real-time co-editing	Yes, core feature (cursors, stickies, shapes)	No (Canvas feature is limited and secondary)
Message threads / channels	No	Yes, core feature
Free plan history limit	3 files, unlimited history on those files	90 days of message history
Video/audio calls	No native calling	Huddles (built-in)
Templates (retros, mapping, etc.)	Yes, large built-in library	No
Workflow automation	Limited (widgets/plugins)	Workflow Builder, native automations
Integrations ecosystem	Figma, limited plugin marketplace	2,000+ apps (Zoom, Drive, GitHub, Jira, etc.)
Search across history	Search within a file/board	Full workspace search (paid plans search further back)
Mobile app	Yes, view/edit on mobile	Yes, full-featured
Entry price for paid tier	$3/editor/month (annual, FigJam seat)	$7.25/user/month (annual, Pro)

The Verdict

FigJam and Slack solve completely different problems — this isn't really an either/or decision. If you're comparing them because you're trying to cut tools, keep Slack for daily communication and use FigJam only when you need a visual whiteboard for workshops or brainstorming; don't try to replace one with the other. Most teams end up using both, with Slack as the always-on hub and FigJam pulled out for specific sessions.

How to switch from FigJam to Slack

1Export each FigJam board you want to preserve: open the file, use the main menu > Export, and save as PNG, SVG, or PDF depending on whether you need an editable or static copy.
2Decide what actually needs to move to Slack — usually just summaries, decisions, or links, not the whole board, since Slack can't host live whiteboards.
3Create a dedicated Slack channel (e.g. #workshops or #brainstorms) to post exported FigJam images, PDFs, or shareable links after each session.
4Set up the Figma-Slack integration from the Slack App Directory so comments and file updates in connected Figma/FigJam projects notify the right channel automatically.
5Recreate any lightweight workflow automations (reminders, voting prompts) using Slack's Workflow Builder instead of FigJam plugins.
6Run one parallel workshop using both tools to confirm the team knows where to find exported boards in Slack before fully retiring old FigJam links.

FigJam vs Slack: common questions

How do I export my FigJam boards before switching workflows?+

Open the FigJam file, go to the main menu and choose 'Export' — you can save boards as PNG, SVG, or PDF for static records. There's no direct FigJam-to-Slack import since they're different tool types; you'd typically just share the exported image/PDF in a Slack channel or pin the FigJam link itself.

What do I lose if I stop using FigJam and rely only on Slack?+

You lose real-time visual collaboration — sticky notes, voting, mapping, and diagramming that Slack simply doesn't do. Slack's Canvas feature can hold static notes and links but isn't a substitute for live whiteboarding sessions with multiple cursors.

Is Slack's free plan enough for a small team?+

For a team under 10 people with light usage, yes — but the 90-day message history limit is the main constraint, since older messages become unsearchable. If your team references past conversations often, the Pro plan at $7.25/user/month (annual) removes that limit.

What integrations do I need to recreate if I move workflows from FigJam to Slack?+

If your team used FigJam boards linked to Figma files for design reviews, set up the Figma-Slack integration so file updates and comments post directly into Slack channels. You'll also want to recreate any plugin-based automations (timers, voting) manually, since Slack has no equivalent whiteboard widgets.

Does using both FigJam and Slack cost more over time than picking one?+

Yes, but they're not substitutes, so the comparison is apples-to-oranges — a 10-person team pays roughly $30-50/month combined for both at basic paid tiers (FigJam seats + Slack Pro). Dropping either one to save money usually means losing a core capability, not consolidating tools.