Recal vs Slack AI
Actionable outcomes vs quick catch-ups
Slack AI is great for quickly catching up on conversations. But what about the action items? The decisions that need tracking? The tasks that should be in Linear or Notion?
Slack AI helps you read less. Recal helps you do more.
The core difference
Slack AI summarizes conversations.
Recal extracts action and exports it.
Slack AI
Built-in summarization
Slack's AI helps you catch up on channels and threads quickly. Get summaries of what happened, key topics discussed, and conversation highlights.
Limitations
Recal
Outcomes + exports
Recal turns conversations into structured outcomes. Extract action items with owners, push tasks to Linear/Notion, and schedule automatic recaps — all from Slack.
How Recal works
From conversation to tracked action in three steps.
Run /recal in any thread or channel
Type /recal to summarize a thread, or set up automated channel recaps. Works in any channel you add the bot to.
AI extracts structured outcomes
Get highlights, decisions, blockers, and action items — each with owners and deadlines when mentioned. Not just a summary, but actionable outputs.
Export to your tools or schedule delivery
Push action items to Linear/Notion/Jira in one click, or schedule recaps with customizable templates to arrive automatically in any channel or DM.
How Slack AI works
Built-in AI features that help you catch up on conversations.
Channel catch-up
Ask Slack AI to summarize what you missed in a channel. Good for quick overviews.
Thread summaries
Get the gist of long threads without reading every message.
Huddle recaps
Automatic transcripts and summaries of Slack huddles (requires Pro+).
Note: Slack AI features require Slack Pro or Business+ plans. Recal works with any Slack plan, including free workspaces.
Feature comparison
Side-by-side capabilities breakdown.
| Feature | Slack AI | Recal |
|---|---|---|
| Channel summaries | ||
| Thread summaries | ||
| Huddle transcripts | Pro+ | |
| Action items with owners | ||
| Deadline extraction | ||
| Export to Linear | ||
| Export to Notion | ||
| Export to Jira | ||
| Scheduled automatic recaps | ||
| Customizable recap templates | ||
| Structured sections (decisions, blockers) | ||
| Works with free Slack | ||
| Meeting recordings support |
When to use each
They solve different problems. Here's when each tool shines.
When to use Slack AI
Quick catch-ups and conversation overviews
- Quick skim of what happened in a channel
- Getting the gist of a long thread
- Searching for specific information
- Catching up after a few hours away
When to use Recal
Actionable outcomes and structured workflows
- Extracting tasks with owners and deadlines
- Creating Linear/Notion issues from conversations
- Weekly team recap automation
- Tracking decisions made in discussions
- Processing meeting recordings
- Structured reporting for leadership
Integrations Slack AI doesn't have
Push action items directly to your project management tools.
Linear
Push action items as issues
Notion
Sync recaps to databases
Jira
Create tickets automatically
Common questions
Do I need Slack AI to use Recal?
No. Recal works independently of Slack AI and is available on any Slack plan, including free workspaces. You can use both tools together — Slack AI for quick catch-ups, Recal for actionable outcomes.
What does Recal do that Slack AI doesn't?
Recal extracts action items with owners and deadlines, exports to Linear/Notion/Jira, provides scheduled automatic recaps, organizes content into structured sections (decisions, blockers, action items), and works with meeting recordings.
Can I use both Slack AI and Recal?
Absolutely. They're complementary. Use Slack AI for quick conversation overviews and Recal when you need to extract tasks, export to project management tools, or set up automated team recaps.
How much does Recal cost compared to Slack AI?
Slack AI requires Slack Pro ($8.75/user/month) or Business+ ($15/user/month). Recal starts free with 5 recaps/month. Pro is $19/month (not per user) with 50 recaps, and Premium is $49/month for unlimited recaps.
Does Recal work with private channels?
Yes. Invite the Recal bot to any private channel you have access to, and you can use all features — summaries, action item extraction, and exports — just like public channels.
Learn more about our main product:
Slack Recap
Automated Slack channel recaps with AI-powered digests
Ready for more than summaries?
Get action items, export to your tools, and never lose a commitment buried in Slack again.