Zulip
Business instant messaging software
Internal communications software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if Zulip and its alternatives fit your requirements.
$3.50 per user per month
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Information technology and software
- Education and training
- Media and communications
What is Zulip
Zulip is a team chat and internal communications platform that organizes conversations into streams and topics to keep discussions searchable and easier to follow over time. It is used by engineering teams, open-source communities, and organizations that want threaded, asynchronous communication with strong message history. Zulip is available as a hosted cloud service and as a self-hosted open-source deployment, which can be important for organizations with data residency or customization requirements.
Topic-based conversation structure
Zulip’s stream-and-topic model keeps discussions segmented, which reduces cross-talk compared with flat channels. This structure makes it easier to catch up asynchronously and to locate prior decisions without relying on ad hoc conventions. It is particularly useful for teams that run many parallel workstreams and need durable, searchable context.
Self-hosting and open-source option
Zulip provides an open-source server that organizations can deploy on their own infrastructure. This supports internal compliance needs such as tighter control over data storage, retention, and access. It also enables deeper customization and integration work than products that are only offered as managed SaaS.
Strong search and history
Zulip is designed for long-lived message history and retrieval, with conversations organized in a way that supports later discovery. Teams can use it as an internal knowledge trail for decisions and technical discussions. This can reduce reliance on separate documentation for short-form context and status updates.
Learning curve for new users
The stream/topic workflow differs from the channel-centric patterns many users expect in business chat tools. Teams often need onboarding and norms (e.g., topic naming) to avoid fragmentation or misfiled conversations. Without consistent usage, the organizational benefits can be reduced.
Admin overhead when self-hosted
Running Zulip on-premises requires ongoing operational work such as upgrades, monitoring, backups, and security patching. This can be a barrier for smaller teams without dedicated IT or DevOps support. Hosted deployment reduces this burden but may not meet every organization’s control requirements.
Fewer bundled enterprise suites
Zulip focuses on messaging rather than bundling meetings, telephony, and broad work-management capabilities into a single suite. Organizations that want an all-in-one workplace package may need additional tools for video conferencing, task management, or advanced compliance workflows. This can increase integration and vendor-management effort.
Plan & Pricing
Zulip Cloud (managed)
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 10,000 messages of searchable history; 5 GB total file storage; complete team chat solution; hundreds of integrations; advanced roles & permissions; guest accounts. |
| Standard | $6.67 per user/month (annual) or $8 per user/month (monthly) | Unlimited search history; 5 GB file storage per user; flexible permissions; message retention policies; brand Zulip with your logo; priority commercial support; public access option. |
| Plus (10 users minimum) | $10 per user/month (annual) or $12 per user/month (monthly) | All Standard features plus 25 GB file storage per user; SSO with SAML; SCIM user/group sync; custom domain; guest user list access controls; priority commercial support. |
Zulip Self-hosted (install on your servers)
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Community | Free | Full Zulip feature set (open-source); mobile push notifications for organizations with up to 10 users; many qualifying non-commercial organizations eligible for Community sponsorship (unlimited push notifications). |
| Basic | $3.50 per user/month (billed monthly) | Full Zulip feature set; unlimited mobile push notifications; supports open-source development. $20/month off for the first year (promotion). New customers are eligible for a 30‑day free trial of the Basic plan. |
| Business (25 users minimum) | $6.67 per user/month (annual) or $8 per user/month (monthly) | Full Zulip feature set; unlimited mobile push notifications; email & chat support; SSO (SAML, Microsoft Entra ID); AD/LDAP user sync; guests with configurable access; compliance/export features; $20/month off for the first year (promotion). 30‑day trial availability noted in Zulip docs/blog. |
| Enterprise | Contact sales (custom pricing) | All Business features plus phone support on request, advanced deployment, implementation consulting, custom feature development; pricing and terms via sales. |
Additional notes:
- Discounts and special pricing available for education, non-profits, organizations in developing countries, and other qualifying organizations (documented on Zulip's official billing/help pages).
- All plans provide the same 100% open-source Zulip software; supported features vs. self-maintained features indicated on Zulip's site.
Seller details
Zulip, Inc.
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
2015
Private
https://zulip.com/
https://x.com/zulip
https://www.linkedin.com/company/zulip/
