Comparison
Poly vs Slack Code for working with an AI agent as a team
Both put the whole team around one agent. Slack Code does it inside Slack; Poly does it in a room built for it.
Slack Code and Poly both put a team around one AI coding agent that everyone can see and steer. Slack Code, launched by Slack on August 20, 2026, opens a temporary code channel when someone mentions a supported coding agent; channel members direct the agent in plain language, comment on its diffs and see a live preview, and the agent comes from a partner such as Claude, Devin, GitHub Copilot or Replit. Poly (usepoly.co) is a browser room built around one AI: every member prompts in one timeline, approves each change before it happens and gets a receipt per turn, with Claude, GPT, Grok, Kimi or Muse included and no separate agent to buy. Slack Code fits companies that already live in Slack. Poly fits a group that wants a dedicated room, and a side conversation the AI never reads.
| Poly | Slack Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | A browser room | A temporary Slack channel per task |
| Several people steer one agent | Yes, any member prompts | Yes, any channel member |
| Approve before the AI acts | Yes, per change, any member | Sign-off before high-stakes actions |
| Chat the AI cannot read | Yes | No; the agent reads the channel |
| Who spent what | Receipt per turn, per person | With each agent's vendor |
| Agents and models | Claude Code and Codex; Claude, GPT, Grok, Kimi, Muse | A dozen partner agents; each picks its model |
| Live preview | Yes, plus publishing | Live HTML preview |
| Price | Free start; $20 or $50 per AI user | In Slack plans; agents priced separately |
What Slack Code does
When you mention a supported coding agent on a task, Slack opens a code channel with the conversation, the agent's plan, code diffs and a live HTML preview. Members direct the agent in natural language, can pause, redirect or stop it, and can batch comments on the code before the agent makes changes. Before high-stakes actions the agent packages its work for someone to sign off. When the work is done the channel archives itself and stays searchable, and an Agents tab lists the sessions running. Supported agents include Claude, CodeRabbit, Datadog, Devin, Factory, GitHub Copilot, Lovable, Mistral Vibe, NanoClaw, Replit, Rhythms and Vercel, with ChatGPT announced. Slack Code comes with every Slack plan that has a supported agent installed, and it is rolling out gradually. Each agent is bought separately, and the agent decides the model and where the code runs.
Where Slack Code is stronger
- No new tool. It lives in the Slack your company already uses, with Slack's permissions and admin controls.
- Many agents. A dozen partners, from Claude and Devin to GitHub Copilot and Replit.
- A record. Archived code channels stay searchable as a history of what was built and why.
- Easy to follow. People who don't code watch the work in the app they already open every day.
Where Poly is stronger
- A chat the AI can't read. In a code channel the agent reads the conversation, and Anthropic's Claude in Slack docs warn that Claude may follow directions from other messages. Poly's group chat, threads and polls are hidden from the agent.
- Approval per change. Poly can put every proposed file change and command on every member's screen before it happens. Slack Code's sign-off comes when the agent packages its work.
- Receipts. Every Poly turn names who ran it, which model and what it cost. In Slack Code, billing and logs sit with each agent's vendor.
- Models included. Poly runs Claude Code and Codex with five labs' models. Nobody buys a separate agent or holds a subscription.
- Not only for one company's Slack. Cofounders, a client and an agency, or friends: anyone with the link joins a Poly room.
Pricing, side by side
Slack Code: no extra cost on Slack plans; each partner agent is priced separately, and Salesforce says pricing and packaging may change. Poly: free to start; $20 or $50 a month for each person who runs the AI, models included, and everyone else in the room is free.
Which should you pick?
- A company on Slack that wants PMs, designers and engineers to watch and steer agent work in the open: Slack Code.
- A team already paying for Devin, Copilot or Claude that wants those agents in Slack: Slack Code.
- A group that wants a dedicated room, approval before each change, receipts and a side chat the AI never reads: Poly.
- People outside one company's Slack, such as cofounders, a client or friends: Poly.
If you are choosing between Anthropic's options in Slack, see Poly vs Claude Tag. More options are in Multiplayer AI tools.
Common questions
Do I need to buy an agent to use Slack Code?
Yes. Slack Code is included in Slack plans, but it works through a supported partner agent, such as Claude, Devin or GitHub Copilot, that you install and pay for separately. Poly includes the models.
Does the agent in a Slack Code channel read everything in it?
The channel is the agent's conversation, and Anthropic's Claude in Slack docs warn that Claude may follow directions from other messages there. In Poly, the group chat is a separate channel the agent never sees.
Is Slack Code the same as Claude Tag?
No. Slack Code is Slack's code channel for many agent partners. Claude Tag is Anthropic's shared Claude for Claude Team and Enterprise organizations, and it is one way Claude can work in a Slack Code channel on those plans.