HowsThisGoing is an AI-powered standup and project management assistant that lives entirely inside Slack. Built for distributed and async-first teams, it replaces the daily ritual of scheduling check-in meetings by automating the collection, summarization, and analysis of team updates. The tool was created by Kanishk Razdan out of a personal frustration: no existing tool offered clear visibility into what was done, when, and how long it took. This HowsThisGoing review will help you decide if it belongs in your workflow.
What is HowsThisGoing?
HowsThisGoing sits in the growing category of asynchronous standup tools — products designed to replace or supplement synchronous daily stand-up meetings with structured, recurring check-ins. Unlike generic project management platforms, it's deliberately Slack-native, positioning itself less as a standup bot and more as a conversational AI project manager. Teams interact with it inside the communication channel they already use, which cuts the friction of opening yet another dashboard. The platform targets engineering teams, remote squads, and any manager tired of chasing status updates across threads and spreadsheets.
Key features
Automated standup workflows
Setting up a standup workflow takes less than a minute. Pick participants, define the questions, set a schedule — done. HowsThisGoing then runs those check-ins automatically on your chosen cadence, whether daily, weekly, or at a custom interval. Teams can create multiple workflows for different groups or projects. A custom testing mode lets you experiment with question sets and timing before rolling out changes to the whole team, so you're not running a live experiment on your colleagues every time you tweak a prompt.
AI-generated summaries and custom reporting
Once responses come in, HowsThisGoing synthesizes them into readable summaries and can broadcast those to any Slack channel or thread. You can write custom prompts to shape the tone and format — a genuinely useful feature for managers who need summaries pitched at different stakeholders. The Basic plan covers immediate and daily summaries. The Ultimate plan adds weekly and monthly AI summaries, giving leadership a longer view of team progress. That's a meaningful step beyond simple response collection.
Ask AI Anything — conversational team insights
The "Ask Anything" feature lets managers query the assistant directly in plain language. Ask "What did the frontend team work on this week?" or "Show me all current blockers" and you get answers drawn from standup data and connected integrations. No interrupting your team. The Ultimate plan includes 50 of these queries per month. For more context on how this kind of capability works, see our guide on what AI agents actually do.
GitHub integration and upcoming connections
HowsThisGoing currently integrates with GitHub, pulling in data on pull requests, commits, and code changes to fill out the picture of team progress. This is available on the Ultimate plan and makes the tool particularly relevant to software development teams who want code context alongside standup responses. Integrations with Notion, HubSpot, Jira, and Linear are listed as coming soon, which would significantly broaden its appeal beyond engineering. Atlassian's research on standups consistently shows that teams benefit most when check-in data connects to actual work artifacts — which is exactly the direction HowsThisGoing is heading.
Pricing and plans
HowsThisGoing offers two paid tiers and appears to have a free entry point for teams getting started. The Basic plan is priced at $30 per month (or $240 per year, effectively giving four months free) and includes unlimited workflows, unlimited participants, immediate and daily AI summaries, Slack integration, channel and thread reports, file and image uploads up to 5 GB, and a dashboard with analytics. The Ultimate plan runs $50 per month (or $400 per year) and adds weekly and monthly AI summaries, 50 "Ask AI Anything" queries per month, GitHub integration, and priority support, with Notion, HubSpot, and Jira integrations listed as forthcoming. Pricing is transparent with no hidden fees. Teams evaluating how to run effective async standups in Slack will find HowsThisGoing's plans competitively positioned for small to mid-size teams.
Pros and cons
HowsThisGoing brings a focused, well-executed set of strengths for teams already operating in Slack. Here is what works in its favour:
That said, there are some genuine limitations to weigh before committing:
Alternatives on HyperStore
EZClaws is worth considering if your team wants to deploy private AI agents with minimal technical overhead. It's not a standup tool, but it offers a flexible agent framework that can be configured for team workflows and internal automation. A good fit for engineering teams who want more control over their AI tooling than a SaaS standup product provides.
For teams whose daily check-ins bleed into content and social communication, Buffer offers AI-assisted scheduling and analytics across social platforms. It doesn't replace a standup tool, but for marketing or content teams managing external communication alongside internal updates, Buffer complements a tool like HowsThisGoing well.
If your team's async workflow extends into code-heavy environments and you're evaluating the broader AI tooling landscape, 30characters shows how AI can handle another form of structured, repetitive writing — ad copy — with comparable speed and customization. It's a useful reference point for how AI specialization in narrow, high-frequency tasks tends to outperform general-purpose tools.
EZClaws aside, teams that want something even lighter for coordination may also explore PerfectGift as a creative use of AI for team culture — employee gifting and recognition programs that complement the morale benefits of transparent, low-friction standups.
Frequently asked questions
Does HowsThisGoing work outside of Slack?
No. HowsThisGoing is exclusively Slack-native. There are no integrations with Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, or other messaging platforms right now. If your team doesn't use Slack as its primary communication hub, this tool isn't a fit — though the roadmap may expand platform support down the line.
How long does setup take?
According to the HowsThisGoing website, setup takes less than a minute. You authorize the app via "Add to Slack," then select participants, customize your questions, and set a schedule. The core workflow can be running almost immediately, though teams that want fine-tuned custom prompts and reporting will invest a bit more time in configuration.
What is the difference between the Basic and Ultimate plans?
Basic covers unlimited workflows with immediate and daily AI summaries, plus the analytics dashboard. Ultimate adds weekly and monthly summaries, the "Ask AI Anything" conversational query feature (50 queries per month), GitHub integration, and priority support. Ultimate is the better fit for teams that need longer-horizon reporting and want to query their standup data interactively.
Is there a free tier or trial?
The website indicates a free starting point with an option to upgrade to paid plans. A free tier is available, though it comes with limitations on workflow frequency and reporting capabilities. Teams are encouraged to start for free and evaluate the tool before committing to a monthly or annual plan.
How does the AI summary feature work?
When team members respond to a standup workflow in Slack, HowsThisGoing collects those responses and runs them through an AI layer that generates a readable summary. You can write custom prompts to control the style and focus. The finished report can then be posted to any Slack channel or thread you designate, keeping stakeholders informed without forwarding individual messages.
Can HowsThisGoing replace a full project management tool?
Not entirely — and the product doesn't position itself as a replacement for tools like Jira or Asana. It's best understood as an intelligence and communication layer that sits on top of your existing workflows. Its GitHub integration and "Ask AI Anything" feature extend it toward project visibility, but teams with complex sprint planning and issue tracking needs will still want a dedicated project management platform alongside it.
HowsThisGoing fills a specific and genuine gap: the daily grind of collecting, reading, and summarizing team updates. For Slack-based teams frustrated by meeting overhead or scattered async updates, it's a focused, fast-to-deploy solution with real AI utility. The roadmap — especially Jira, Notion, and HubSpot integrations — will determine how far it can grow beyond its standup roots.
