Open-source team chat with threads
Visit WebsiteThe Bottom Line
Entry price
Free plan available, paid tiers above
Biggest pro
Organized team chat
Biggest con
UI dated
TL;DR - Zulip
- 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
What is Zulip?
Available on: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Pros & Cons
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
Ratings Across the Web
Zulip holds an aggregate rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 308 reviews across G2 and Capterra, last checked March 18, 2026.
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
Pricing Plans
Pricing checked Aug 24, 2026
Free
- Full-featured chat
- Hundreds of integrations
- 10,000 message search history
- 5GB file storage
- Guest accounts
Standard
$6.67/user/month
- All Free features
- Unlimited search history
- 10GB storage per user
- Message retention policy
- Custom branding
- Priority support
Plus
$10/user/month
- All Standard features
- Stream groups
- 50GB storage per user
- SAML authentication
- SCIM provisioning
- Custom domain
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
No annual discount mentioned, monthly billing only.
Storage limits per user could add up for heavy media users.
Self-hosting requires significant IT resources.
How Zulip Compares to Competitors
Compared to Slack, Zulip's Standard tier at $6.67/user/month is significantly more affordable than Slack's Pro tier at $8.75/user/month (billed annually) while offering similar core features. Microsoft Teams offers a free tier and is often bundled with Microsoft 365, making direct price comparison difficult, but Zulip's dedicated chat features are strong contenders.
Reviews
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Across 308 verified user reviews on Capterra, G2
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Best Zulip Alternatives
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Still deciding?
Most buyers shortlist 2 or 3 tools before committing. Pull a side-by-side comparison or browse the full alternatives shortlist below.
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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?
Source: zulip.com