Zulip
Claim this toolOpen-source team chat with threads
From $6.67/user/mo, billed yearly (free plan available)Positions Zulip holds among the tools of each category it belongs to (Toolradar data, Oct 2026):
- #1 (joint) rated in Team Chat, out of 27 tools with 20+ reviews in Team Chat. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
- #2 (joint) rated in Internal Comms, out of 24 tools with 20+ reviews in Internal Comms. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
The Bottom Line
- Price
- From $6.67/user/mo, billed yearly (free plan available). Compare plans
Key facts
- Zulip is an open-source team chat with threaded conversations
- It organizes discussions by topic for better context and search
- Free self-hosted option, Cloud from $6.67/user/month
Pros
- Organized team chat
- Topic threading
- Open source
- Self-hostable
- Good for large teams
Cons
- UI dated
- Learning curve
- Less adoption than Slack
- Mobile apps basic
- Threading confusing initially
What is Zulip?
Available on: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Ratings Across the Web
Zulip holds an aggregate rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 313 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked September 17, 2026.
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
- Team chat
- Threading
- Topics
- Search
- Self-hosted
- Open source
Pricing Plans
Pricing checked Oct 14, 2026. Source: zulip.com/plans, read Oct 14, 2026
| Plan | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 |
+2 more Show less
|
| Standard | $6.67/user/month, billed annually | $8 billed monthly.
+3 more Show less
|
| Plus | $10/user/month, billed annually | $12 billed monthly. Minimum 10 users.
+3 more Show less
|
Is Zulip worth the price?
Zulip's pricing is quite fair and competitive, especially with a generous free tier.
The Standard tier at $6.67/user/month offers excellent value for growing teams needing unlimited history and more storage. The Plus tier at $10/user/month is well-priced for larger organizations requiring advanced security and management features.
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Storage limits per user could add up for heavy media users.
How Zulip's pricing compares
Zulip starts at $6.67/user/mo, billed yearly. Its direct competitors are priced on a different basis (per user, or in another currency), so each entry price below is shown with its own unit and currency and is not ranked against the others.
Entry paid plan, monthly price (billing term shown per row), in each tool's own currency. Pricing checked Oct 14, 2026.
Recent pricing updates
Changes we detected on the Zulip pricing page.
- Cloud Standard $6.67 and Plus $10 per user per month billed annually ($8 and $12 billed monthly), confirmed.
Zulip by the numbers
Toolradar data: Zulip's entry paid plan ($6.67/user/mo, billed yearly) ranks #7 of 15 (joint) for price among the Internal Comms tools with a verified entry price per user, where the median is $6.67/user/mo. As of Oct 2026.
- #1 (joint) rated in Team Chat, out of 27 tools with 20+ reviews in Team Chat. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
- #2 (joint) rated in Internal Comms, out of 24 tools with 20+ reviews in Internal Comms. Source: Toolradar data, Oct 2026.
| Metric | Zulip | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $6.67/user/mo, billed yearly | $6.67/user/mo | #7 of 15 (joint) tools priced per user, verified price |
| Free plan | Yes | 28 of 38 have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 8 tools | 5 | #13 of 38 (joint) |
| User rating | 4.8/5 (across the web, 313 ratings) | 4.5/5 | #2 of 24 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 26 visits | 47 | #7 of 9 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare Zulip with Discord (last 30 days, Oct 2026).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All Internal Comms data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Zulip by the numbers”, Oct 2026.
Reviews
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Across 313 verified user reviews on Capterra, G2
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Still deciding?
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Zulip FAQ
How does Zulip facilitate organized team communication?
Which teams benefit most from using Zulip?
How does Zulip compare to Microsoft Teams for team communication?
What kind of trade-offs should users consider when adopting Zulip?
Does Zulip include a free tier for new users?
Can Zulip be self-hosted for enhanced control?
How does Zulip pricing compare with other Internal Comms tools?
Source: zulip.com