Best Zulip alternatives in 2026
9 direct alternatives to Zulip, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Why people leave Zulip
Zulip organizes conversations with threaded topics. Chat with structure—team communication that doesn't lose context. The threading is the feature. The organization helps. The open-source version works. Teams wanting organized chat use Zulip for threaded team communication.
Common reasons teams switch: pricing as you scale, missing integrations, performance, or a feature gap your team has hit. The alternatives below cover the same core job (team chat) with different trade-offs.
9 alternatives to Zulip
Ranked by editorial score and direct relevance to Zulip.
- 1
Discord
FreemiumYour place to talk and hang out
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Discord → - 2
Microsoft Teams
FreemiumChat, meet, call, collaborate
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Microsoft Teams → - 3
Tribe
FreemiumCommunity platform with customization
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Tribe → - 4
Bettermode
FreemiumCommunity platform with forums and knowledge base
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Bettermode → - 5
Spot
FreemiumCreate immersive virtual spaces for team collaboration and events.
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Spot → - 6
StackShare
FreemiumDiscover the tech stacks of companies and connect with developers.
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs StackShare → - 7
Braver
FreemiumEmpower your team with a secure, private, and customizable internal social network.
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Braver → - 8
Voodle
PaidA mobile selfie video-messaging application for team communication and community engagement.
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Voodle → - 9
Challengermode
FreemiumCompetitive gaming infrastructure for engaging experiences at any scale.
Direct alternativeCompare Zulip vs Challengermode →
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Zulip versus each alternative.
Still considering Zulip?
See the full review, pricing breakdown, and community feedback before you decide.