A detailed comparison of Slack and Zulip to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Business communication platform for team messaging and collaboration.
| Plan | Slack | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ 90-day message history | ✓ Free (self-hosted or cloud) |
| Lowest Paid | $8.75/user/mo | $6.67/user/mo |
| Enterprise | $12.50/user/mo | Custom pricing |
| Feature | Slack | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | ✓ | — |
| Direct messages | ✓ | — |
| Huddles | ✓ | — |
| Clips | ✓ | — |
| Workflow Builder | ✓ | — |
| App integrations | ✓ | — |
| File sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Threads | ✓ | — |
| Canvas | ✓ | — |
| Topic-based threading | — | ✓ |
| Streams | — | ✓ |
| Markdown support | — | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Integrations | — | ✓ |
| API | — | ✓ |
| Bots | — | ✓ |
| Mobile apps | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.4 | ⭐ 4 |
Choose Slack if: You need teams of all sizes. Slack excels with its industry standard and massive integration ecosystem.
Choose Zulip if: You need teams needing organized, threaded conversations. Zulip stands out with its unique threading model and open source.
Best free option: Both Slack and Zulip offer free tiers. Slack offers "90-day message history" while Zulip offers "Free (self-hosted or cloud)".
It depends on your needs. Slack is better for teams of all sizes, while Zulip is better for teams needing organized, threaded conversations. Both are excellent tools rated 4.4 and 4 respectively.
Slack starts at $8.75/user/mo while Zulip starts at $6.67/user/mo. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying Zulip's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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