Zulip
Zulip is team chat software that organizes conversations in channels and supports guest access.
What Zulip 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 supports an API. Listed integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Zoom, Jitsi Meet, Zapier, IFTTT, Sentry, and Zendesk. Zulip offers both 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 costs $6.67 a month, billed annually, with 5 GB of file storage per user. Self-hosted Basic costs $3.50 a month, billed monthly, and includes unlimited mobile notifications. Other listed options include Cloud Plus, Self-hosted Free, Self-hosted Business, and Self-hosted Enterprise. Zulip was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Good
- Available on web, desktop, and mobile platforms.
- Supports guest access and channels.
- Offers cloud and self-hosted plans.
- Integrates with tools including GitHub, Jira, and Zoom.
Watch out
- Cloud Free search history is limited to 10,000 messages.
- Cloud Free includes 5 GB total file storage.
- Cloud Standard costs $6.67 a month, billed annually.
- Self-hosted Business requires at least 25 users.
Who it suits
Zulip suits teams that want channel-based chat across desktop, mobile, and web platforms. Its cloud and self-hosted options provide different deployment choices.
Verdict
Zulip combines channel-based team chat with broad platform support and both cloud and self-hosted plans. Compare the free history limit and the billing terms of paid plans with your team's needs.
Plans and prices
From Zulip's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Free | Free | 10,000-message search history · 5 GB total file storage · complete chat · hundreds of integrations · guest accounts |
| Cloud Standard | $6.67 a month | Unlimited search history · 5 GB/user storage · custom groups · retention policies · branding · priority support · per user/month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly |
| Cloud Plus | $10 a month | 10-user minimum · 25 GB/user storage · SAML SSO · SCIM sync · custom domain · guest-list restriction · per user/month billed annually, or $12 billed monthly |
| Self-hosted Free | Free | All Zulip features · unlimited notifications for eligible communities · notifications for up to 10 users otherwise |
| Self-hosted Basic | $3.50 a month | All features · unlimited mobile notifications · 85%+ non-workplace discount · $20/month off first year · per user/month billed monthly |
| Self-hosted Business | $6.67 a month | 25-user minimum · unlimited notifications · SAML/Entra SSO · AD/LDAP sync · compliance exports · retention policies · per user/month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly |
| Self-hosted Enterprise | Priced on request | Unlimited notifications · phone/chat/email support · OIDC/SAML/SCIM · implementation consulting · custom development · advanced deployment · Contact sales |
The facts
Each one read from Zulip's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Calls
- One-to-one and group voice or video calls can use providers such as Zoom, Jitsi and BigBlueButton.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Channels
- Channels define the audience for conversations and can be public or private.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- Documentation covers installation, upgrades, APIs, administration, development setup and help-center troubleshooting.checked 15 Oct 2026
- 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Custom integrations can use incoming webhooks, interactive bots, the REST API, email-to-channel and chat bridges for Slack, Teams or Matrix.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Formatting
- Messages support code syntax highlighting, LaTeX and other expressive formatting.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Guest access
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- Zulip lists more than 130 native integrations and hundreds more through Zapier and IFTTT.checked 15 Oct 2026
- License
- The Zulip software is released under the Apache License 2.0.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: interface and integrations
- Reviewers mention a less polished interface, occasional bugs and integrations that are less extensive or seamless than larger competitors.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: learning curve
- Reviewers repeatedly say streams, topics and manual topic organization take time to learn, especially for people coming from simpler chat applications.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: mobile experience
- Independent reviews report weaker mobile navigation and capabilities, unreliable push notifications, and gaps compared with the desktop interface.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Message history
- limitedchecked 20 Sep 2026
- 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
- 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Paid from
- 3.5checked 20 Sep 2026
- Praise: openness and value
- Reviewers commonly cite open-source flexibility, self-hosting, reasonable pricing and responsive support as reasons to choose Zulip.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Company history
- Zulip began as a Cambridge startup founded in August 2012, was acquired by Dropbox in 2014, and was open-sourced in 2015.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2012checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
- 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Desktop apps
- Desktop clients provide native notifications, multiple-account support and a tray icon on Windows, macOS and Linux.checked 15 Oct 2026
- 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.checked 15 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
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