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Zulip

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Company health

Employee growth
33% increase in the last year
Web traffic
14% increase in the last quarter
Financing
June 2018 - $975K

Ratings

G2
4.3/5
(42)
Capterra
4.9/5
(114)

Zulip description

Zulip is a team chat app designed for both real-time and asynchronous communication. It allows for organized conversations through threaded messages, making it easy to follow discussions and find information. Zulip is used by various organizations, from small businesses to large enterprises, including those in education, research, and open-source projects. One of its standout features is the ability to self-host, giving users control over their data. Zulip offers a free cloud-based option as well as paid plans with additional features.


Who is Zulip best for

Zulip is a powerful team chat app ideal for organized, threaded conversations. Users love its open-source nature, self-hosting option, and support for LaTeX and code syntax highlighting. However, some find the mobile app clunky and the UI outdated. Best for teams prioritizing asynchronous communication and detailed message history.

  • Best fit for small to enterprise-level companies seeking enhanced team communication.

  • Ideal for Education, IT, and open-source projects, but also suitable for other sectors.


Zulip features

Supported

Zulip offers a free tier with limited features, such as 10,000 searchable messages and 5GB storage.

Supported

Zulip allows searching the entire message history of all public streams, including past messages.

Supported

Zulip supports integrations via webhooks, APIs, and connectors like Zapier.

Supported

Zulip offers native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Supported

Zulip offers native mobile apps for iOS and Android, including push notifications.

Supported

Zulip allows self-hosting, providing full control over data and infrastructure.

Supported

Zulip supports threaded messages organized around topics, but replies are displayed linearly, not nested.

Qualities

We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software

Ease of Use

Strongly positive
+1

Zulip reviews

We've summarised 147 Zulip reviews (Zulip TrustPilot reviews, Zulip Capterra reviews and Zulip G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.

Pros of Zulip
  • Threaded conversations (streams and topics) keep discussions organized.
  • Open-source and self-hostable, offering flexibility and control.
  • Free for research and academic use.
  • Excellent support for LaTeX and code syntax highlighting.
  • Reliable and rarely experiences downtime.
Cons of Zulip
  • Mobile app is clunky and lacks features compared to desktop.
  • UI is outdated and not visually appealing.
  • Difficult integration with some external services.
  • Initial learning curve for new users unfamiliar with threaded messaging.
  • Limited voice and video chat integration.

Zulip pricing

The commentary is based on 24 reviews from Zulip Capterra reviews and Zulip G2 reviews.

Zulip offers a valuable proposition with its free cloud hosting for open-source projects and academic research. Many reviewers highlight the free standard cloud plan and self-hosting options as significant advantages, making it a cost-effective alternative to Slack. While some mention it being a "paid app," the free options are repeatedly praised for their value.

Users sentiment

Strongly positive
+1

See the Zulip pricing page.

  • Zulip has a free plan.

Free
Free

10,000 messages of search history, File storage up to 5 GB total, Complete team chat solution, Hundreds of integrations, Advanced roles and permissions, Guest accounts

Standard
$6.67/user/month billed annually

Unlimited search history, File storage up to 5 GB per user, Flexible permissions with custom groups, Message retention policies, Brand Zulip with your logo, Priority commercial support, Public access option

Plus
$10/user/month billed annually

All Standard plan features, SSO with SAML (Okta, OneLogIn, etc.), SCIM user sync, Custom domain, Limit user list access for guests, Priority commercial support

Free
Free

Complete team chat solution, with all Zulip features included, Mobile notifications for organizations with up to 10 users

Basic
$3.50/user/month billed monthly

Complete team chat solution, with all Zulip features included, Unlimited mobile notifications, Support Zulip's open-source development

Business
$6.67/user/month billed annually

Complete team chat solution, with all Zulip features included, Unlimited mobile notifications, Email and chat support for: SSO with SAML, Azure AD, AD/LDAP user sync, Guests with configurable access, Full and compliance data exports, Data retention policies, And much more!

Enterprise
Custom

Complete team chat solution, with all Zulip features included, Unlimited mobile notifications, Email, chat and phone support for: SSO with OpenID Connect, AD/LDAP group sync, SCIM sync, Implementation consulting, Custom feature development, Advanced deployment options, And much more!


Zulip alternatives


Zulip FAQ

  • What is Zulip and what does Zulip do?

    Zulip is a powerful team chat application specializing in threaded conversations for organized communication. It offers real-time and asynchronous messaging, integrations, and self-hosting options. Ideal for software development, education, and open-source projects, Zulip facilitates productive team collaboration in diverse environments.

  • How does Zulip integrate with other tools?

    Zulip integrates with numerous tools through webhooks, APIs, and connectors like Zapier. This allows for streamlined workflows and connection with various external services, enhancing its versatility for different team needs.

  • What the main competitors of Zulip?

    Top alternatives to Zulip include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, and Zoho Cliq. These platforms offer similar features like team chat, file sharing, and integrations. Tipi focuses on asynchronous communication, while Ably Realtime provides real-time infrastructure for app development.

  • Is Zulip legit?

    Yes, Zulip is a legitimate and safe team chat app. It's known for its threaded messages and self-hosting option, making it a popular choice for organized communication. Zulip offers a free version and paid plans for enhanced features.

  • How much does Zulip cost?

    Zulip's cloud pricing includes a free plan, a Standard plan at $6.67/user/month, and a Plus plan at $10/user/month billed annually. Self-hosting offers free and paid plans starting at $3.50/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom. Zulip is worth it for teams seeking robust, open-source communication.

  • Is Zulip customer service good?

    Users praise Zulip's excellent customer support, particularly for open-source projects and research groups. They describe the support as "amazing," "instant," and readily available with "personal recommendations." This positive feedback suggests Zulip prioritizes customer satisfaction and provides helpful assistance.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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