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Slack vs Zulip
Slack vs Zulip
A side-by-side look at Slack (the paid SaaS) and Zulip (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Slack | Zulip | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Team messaging with channels, threads and integrations. | Threaded team chat with topics. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing | Free tier limited to 90 days of history; Pro from $7.25/user/month. | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | iOS, Android |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
Async-heavy teams who like threaded topics.
Zulip strengths
- Topic-based threading prevents channel noise.
- Great for async and open-source communities.
- Powerful search and history.
Zulip weaknesses
- Topic model has a learning curve.
- Smaller ecosystem of third-party integrations.
- UI feels less polished than Slack.
What's the catch with Slack?
- Free tier message history cap makes it unusable for serious teams.
- Data residency concerns for EU and regulated industries.
- Per-seat pricing scales expensively.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Slack: see Slack alternatives, or learn more about Zulip on its project page.