Wire vs Zulip
Wire
wire.com
Zulip
zulip.comSide by side
| Figure | Wire | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €7.45/mo | $3.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 7 |
| Spec score · Team chat apps | 9.1 (#6) | 9.4 (#3) |
| Spec score · Instant Messaging Software | 8.4 (#12) | 8.6 (#9) |
| Spec score · Business Instant Messaging - Enterprise Software | 8.4 (#9) | 8.6 (#8) |
| Spec score · Business Instant Messaging - Midmarket Software | 8.4 (#11) | 8.6 (#9) |
| Spec score · Team Communication Software | 8.4 (#12) | 8.6 (#8) |
| Spec score · Remote Working software | 8.5 (#13) | 8.6 (#12) |
| Spec score · Team Collaboration Software | 8.4 (#16) | 8.6 (#12) |
| Channels | Yes | Channels define the audience for conversations and can be public or private. |
| Encryption | Wire says messages, conference calls, and files are end-to-end encrypted, and only conversation participants can decrypt the information. | 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. |
| Founded | 2012 | 2012 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Guest access | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Integrations | The pricing page lists deploying third-party integrated apps (bots) as an SMB and Enterprise feature. | Zulip lists more than 130 native integrations and hundreds more through Zapier and IFTTT. |
| Supported platforms | web,Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,API | web,Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,API |
Plans
Wire
- Wire for FreeFree
- Wire for SMB€7.45 a month
- Wire for EnterprisePriced on request
- Wire for PartnersPriced on request
Zulip
- Cloud FreeFree
- Cloud Standard$6.67 a month
- Cloud Plus$10 a month
- Self-hosted FreeFree
- Self-hosted Basic$3.50 a month
- Self-hosted Business$6.67 a month
- Self-hosted EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Wire
Wire is a communications platform for organizations that combines messaging, calls, conferencing, and file sharing with end-to-end encryption. Messages support group conversations, search, sketches, reactions, shared files, and audio and video messages. Conferences support up to 150 participants, with screen sharing and moderation tools. File management and online document collaboration keep files in conversations tied to verified group membership. Wire says only conversation participants can decrypt messages, calls, and files. It lists ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and Cyber Essentials certifications, and says its servers are in Germany and Ireland. Organizations can choose cloud, private cloud, or on-premises deployment, including offline or air-gapped environments. Wire is available on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android; its Linux binary is described as experimental with community support. The free plan is for up to five people. Wire for SMB costs €7.45 per person/month with annual payment, or €8,94 per person/month with monthly payment.
Zulip
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.