Zulip review

Zulip is the strongest pick for teams that want the option to run their own chat server without paying for an enterprise license. Its plans page lists a free Zulip Cloud plan with 10,000 messages of search history, 5 GB of total file storage, hundreds of integrations, roles and permissions and guest accounts. Cloud Standard costs $6.67 a user a month billed annually, or $8 monthly, and removes the search limit while giving 5 GB of storage per user. Cloud Plus, at $10 billed annually with a 10 user minimum, adds SAML single sign-on, SCIM user sync, a custom domain and 25 GB per user. The self-hosted edition is free and described as 100% open-source software with all features, though most workplaces get mobile notifications for up to 10 users unless they buy Basic at $3.50 a user a month. Zulip says export and import tools let you move between Cloud and your own servers, and it sponsors over 1500 organizations.

Who it is for

engineering, research and open source teams that may want to self-host

Price

Free Cloud plan; Cloud Standard $6.67 a user a month billed annually, or $8 monthly.

$ 6.67 /user/month billed annually or $8 billed monthly
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• Free Cloud plan with 10,000 messages of search history and 5 GB of file storage
• Cloud Standard adds unlimited search history and 5 GB of storage per user
• Cloud Plus adds SAML single sign-on, SCIM sync and 25 GB per user
• Free self-hosted edition is 100% open-source software with all Zulip features
• Export and import tools to move between Zulip Cloud and your own servers

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Self-hosting is free with all features included
• Strength: Zulip says it sponsors over 1500 organizations with free plans
• Strength: Hundreds of integrations listed on the free Cloud plan
• Weakness: Free Cloud search history stops at 10,000 messages
• Weakness: Cloud Plus requires at least 10 users
• Weakness: Free self-hosted mobile notifications cover up to 10 users for most workplaces

Key facts

• Cloud Standard: $6.67 a user a month billed annually, $8 monthly
• Cloud Plus: $10 a user a month billed annually, 10 users minimum
• Self-hosted: Free and 100% open source
• Free Cloud search history: 10,000 messages

Where it ranks

Zulip is No. 4 in our Best Slack Alternatives verdict.