Zulip
Open-source team chat organized by topic threads
FreeOpen SourceOther2 impressions
Zulip is a free alternative to Slack.
Zulip is an open-source team chat app that organizes conversations by topic threads for async collaboration.
- for
- Distributed teams, engineers, educators, open-source communities
- pricing
- freemium
- license
- Apache-2.0
Key features
- Topic-based threading — Each message is labeled with a topic, keeping discussions organized and easy to follow.
- Unlimited search (Standard+) — Search full chat history without limits on Standard and higher plans.
- File storage per user — 5 GB per user on Standard, 25 GB per user on Plus.
- Advanced permissions — Custom groups, flexible roles, and granular admin controls.
- Integrations & bridges — 130+ native integrations plus bridges to Slack, Teams, Matrix, Zapier, IFTTT.
- Self-hosting option — 100 % open-source code can be deployed on-premises for full data sovereignty.
Use cases
- Coordinate multiple projects across time zones without losing context
- Run virtual stand-ups and async meetings for remote teams
- Manage large community discussions for open-source projects
- Provide a secure chat platform for education and research labs
Zulip pricing
- Free$010,000 messages of search history · 5 GB total file storage · Hundreds of integrations · Guest accounts
- Standard$0Unlimited search history · 5 GB per user storage · Custom groups and permissions · Priority commercial support
- Basic (self-hosted)$0Complete chat features · Unlimited mobile notifications · Open-source development support · 85 % discount for non-workplace users
Zulip vs alternatives
 Zulip |  Slack |  Rocket.Chat | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Topic-based threaded chat | Hosted team chat with a big app directory | Self-hosted Slack-style chat | Self-hosted chat with omnichannel support |
| Pricing | Freemium | Subscription | Free | Free |
| DevHunt upvotes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Launched | — | — | — | — |
- Zulip vs Slack: Slack uses channels and is hosted only; Zulip threads by topic and is open source.
- Zulip vs Mattermost: Mattermost uses Slack-style channels; Zulip uses topic threads.
- Zulip vs Rocket.Chat: Rocket.Chat adds livechat and omnichannel features.
Zulip FAQ
How can I try Zulip for free?+
You can sign up for the Free cloud plan or self-host the open-source software at no cost.
Can I import data from other chat tools?+
Yes, Zulip provides import tools for Slack, Teams, Mattermost, Rocket.Chat and other platforms.
What’s the difference between Zulip Cloud and self-hosting?+
Cloud is a managed service kept up-to-date; self-hosting gives you full control over data and deployment.
Are there discounts for non-profit or educational users?+
Free or heavily discounted plans are available for open-source projects, academic research, non-profits and community groups.
How does the limited search history on the Free plan work?+
The Free plan retains the most recent 10,000 messages for search; upgrading removes this limit.
Summarized by DevHunt from zulip.com · Oct 4, 2026. Details may change; check the official site.
About this listing
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