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Zulip

zulip.com

From $3.50/mo Free plan Open source WebWindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid
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Spec score 9.4 #3 of 63 in Team chat apps

What it is

Zulip is team chat software that organizes conversations in channels and supports guest access. It runs on the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, and also supports an API. Listed integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Zoom, Jitsi Meet, Zapier, IFTTT, Sentry, and Zendesk. Zulip offers cloud and self-hosted plans. Cloud Free costs nothing and includes 10,000 messages of search history and 5 GB total file storage. Cloud Standard is $6.67 a month, billed annually, with 5 GB file storage per user. Self-hosted Basic is $3.50 a month, billed monthly. Other options include Cloud Plus, Self-hosted Free, Self-hosted Business, and Self-hosted Enterprise. Cloud Plus and Self-hosted Business have minimum user counts of 10 and 25, respectively. Zulip was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States.

Spec sheet

What it does
Zulip is team chat organized for both real-time and asynchronous communication, with conversations separated into named topics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Supported platforms
web,Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,APIRead 20 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Free plan
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Paid from
3.5Read 20 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Integrations
Zulip lists more than 130 native integrations and hundreds more through Zapier and IFTTT.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
License
The Zulip software is released under the Apache License 2.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United StatesRead 28 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Founded
2012Read 28 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Maker
Kandra Labs, Inc. provides Zulip hosting, support and development; its San Francisco address is listed in the terms, and the company was founded in 2016.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Calls
One-to-one and group voice or video calls can use providers such as Zoom, Jitsi and BigBlueButton.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Channels
Channels define the audience for conversations and can be public or private.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Company history
Zulip began as a Cambridge startup founded in August 2012, was acquired by Dropbox in 2014, and was open-sourced in 2015.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.zulip.com
Desktop apps
Desktop clients provide native notifications, multiple-account support and a tray icon on Windows, macOS and Linux.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Documentation
Documentation covers installation, upgrades, APIs, administration, development setup and help-center troubleshooting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.readthedocs.io
Encryption
Clients use TLS over HTTPS, Cloud data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and mobile push content uses end-to-end encryption that hides message metadata from push providers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Extensibility
Custom integrations can use incoming webhooks, interactive bots, the REST API, email-to-channel and chat bridges for Slack, Teams or Matrix.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Formatting
Messages support code syntax highlighting, LaTeX and other expressive formatting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Guest access
YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Limit: Android app issues
Google Play reviewers have reported missing search or read receipts, slow loading, difficult back-button navigation and notification failures after updates.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Limit: interface and integrations
Reviewers mention a less polished interface, occasional bugs and integrations that are less extensive or seamless than larger competitors.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Limit: learning curve
Reviewers repeatedly say streams, topics and manual topic organization take time to learn, especially for people coming from simpler chat applications.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: mobile experience
Independent reviews report weaker mobile navigation and capabilities, unreliable push notifications, and gaps compared with the desktop interface.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Message history
limitedRead 20 Sep 2026 · zulip.com
Notable news
Zulip Server 12.0 was announced on April 27, 2026 with hundreds of changes including end-to-end encrypted mobile push notifications and a Docker upgrade.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.zulip.com
Notable news: foundation
On May 15, 2026, Tim Abbott announced that Kandra Labs would be donated to an independent nonprofit Zulip Foundation while operations continued.Read 15 Oct 2026 · blog.zulip.com
Praise: openness and value
Reviewers commonly cite open-source flexibility, self-hosting, reasonable pricing and responsive support as reasons to choose Zulip.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: organization
Reviewers repeatedly praise topic and stream organization for preserving context, making high-volume discussions searchable and reducing the chaos they associate with Slack or Discord.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on Apple App Store
4.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Capterra
4.9 out of 5 from 196 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
4.6 out of 5 from 117 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on GetApp
4.9 out of 5 from 196 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Google Play
3.6 out of 5 from 700 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Rating on Software Advice
4.9 out of 5 from 196 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Rating on TrustRadius
8.4 out of 10 from 4 reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
REST API
The REST API exposes actions available in the web and mobile clients and supports API keys, bots and ordinary HTTP requests.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.zulip.com
SDK coverage limit
The core team says it lacks resources to provide high-quality maintained libraries for every programming language, so many libraries are community maintained.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.zulip.com
SDKs
Zulip maintains Python and JavaScript client libraries; community libraries exist for Clojure, C#, Go, Java, Kotlin, PHP, Ruby and Swift.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.zulip.com
Search
The product provides message-history search, with the Cloud Free plan limiting searchable history to 10,000 messages.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Security compliance
Zulip states that Cloud is GDPR and CCPA compliant, while self-hosting can support HIPAA and FERPA requirements.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Security controls
Self-hosted deployments can run behind firewalls or on air-gapped networks and offer configurable password, session, timeout, log-rotation and API-rate-limit policies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Self-hosting
Self-hosting is supported with installer scripts, Docker and prebuilt DigitalOcean or Render images, but administrators handle setup, upgrades and maintenance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.zulip.com
Server requirements
Production servers require a dedicated machine or VM, supported Ubuntu or Debian, at least 2 GB RAM, 10 GB free space, DNS and email-sending credentials.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Topic threading
Every conversation is assigned a topic, allowing people to follow or catch up on individual discussions without scanning an entire channel.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Workflow tools
Built-in workflows include polls, to-do lists, reminders, message scheduling, saved snippets and resolved topics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com

Plans and prices

Cloud Free Free 10,000-message search history · 5 GB total file storage · complete chat · hundreds of integrations · guest accounts Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Cloud Standard $6.67 a month per user/month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly Unlimited search history · 5 GB/user storage · custom groups · retention policies · branding · priority support Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Cloud Plus $10 a month per user/month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly 10-user minimum · 25 GB/user storage · SAML SSO · SCIM sync · custom domain · guest-list restriction Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Self-hosted Free Free All Zulip features · unlimited notifications for eligible communities · notifications for up to 10 users otherwise Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Self-hosted Basic $3.50 a month per user/month billed monthly All features · unlimited mobile notifications · 85%+ non-workplace discount · $20/month off first year Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Self-hosted Business $6.67 a month per user/month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly 25-user minimum · unlimited notifications · SAML/Entra SSO · AD/LDAP sync · compliance exports · retention policies Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com
Self-hosted Enterprise Priced on request Contact sales Unlimited notifications · phone/chat/email support · OIDC/SAML/SCIM · implementation consulting · custom development · advanced deployment Read 15 Oct 2026 · zulip.com

Every Zulip plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free cloud plan includes 10,000 messages of search history
  • Available on web, desktop, and mobile platforms
  • Offers cloud and self-hosted plans
  • Integrates with GitHub, Jira, Zoom, and others

Limits

  • Cloud Free limits search history and total file storage
  • Cloud Plus requires at least 10 users
  • Self-hosted Business requires at least 25 users

Who it suits

Zulip suits teams that want channel-based chat with guest access across desktop, mobile, or web. Cloud and self-hosted plans offer different deployment choices.

Verdict

Zulip pairs channel-based team chat with broad platform coverage, integrations, and cloud or self-hosted options. Compare the history and storage allowances, billing terms, and minimum user counts across plans.

Where Specifiction places it

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