# Page 3 | Zulip Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 3 - Is Zulip the right Team Communication solution for you? Explore 196 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/197945/Zulip/reviews

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Zulip

4.9 (196)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/197945/Zulip/alternatives/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Page 3 - Reviews of Zulip

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 51-75 of 196 Reviews

Sort by:

Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

NT

Ngoc T.  
CTO  
E-Learning  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Best Open-Source Slack Alternative"

December 6, 2024

5.0

I use it for academic and small-team communication purpose instead of Slack.

Pros

Open-source, free tier is fantastic, ease of use, conversation labels make it fairly easy to find threads

Cons

I think Slack thread UI is a little more intuitive. I miss being able to branch off from an existing conversation and see number of replies to that thread.

Switched from

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

I use Slack for mainstream work, I find having to constant switch between the company's Slack and my personal workspace very annoying. Coming from academia I've used Zulip before, so I just use Zulip.

Review Source

GC

Grant C.  
CEO  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Zulip ROCKS!"

December 8, 2024

5.0

It is the best chat system. I've used Microsoft Teams, Slack, Discord, Google Chat (Hangouts) and many others. Zulip is the best.

Pros

The interface with Channels, Topics, and Private chats

Cons

It's missing a notes feature, but that's not its core function.

Alternatives considered

[Signal](https://www.capterra.com/p/231395/Signal/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Mostly because it is free and open source

Switched from

[Telegram](https://www.capterra.com/p/180347/Telegram/)

Privacy matters to us and it is a free open source project

Review Source

EH

Edgar H.  
Frontend Developper  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Zulip's top features are named threads"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Pros

Zulip's top feature is the ease with which you create named threads, you just type in the thread title, and then start a conversation. By using named threads, conversations are way easier to search, and feel less like a chat, more live a live forum.

Cons

Everything was great for me, I have recommended Zulip to my past employer and there are still using it, and I'm now using it in my team as well.

Alternatives considered

[Microsoft Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/168668/Microsoft-Teams/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Because threads are way easier to follow on Zulip

Switched from

[Mattermost](https://www.capterra.com/p/170524/Mattermost/)

Because we found out about threads that are way easier to manage

Review Source

JL

Jonathan L.  
RD Director  
Telecommunications  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "So far so good"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Our team went from hipchat to zulip (we also looked at alternatives) and after a few years I must say I really like zulip. We use it mainly for text chat, document exchange, code snippets reviews. The tool gets regular updates and works like a charm. Hope it continues that way.

Pros

Reliable. Easy to use. Powerful Search. Threaded Conversations. Integration with other tools (jenkins, ...)

Cons

Not plug and play for a small team but once setup it's OK.

Alternatives considered

[Trello](https://www.capterra.com/p/211559/Trello/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Threads. Price. Platform support. Open source.

Switched from

[Microsoft Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/168668/Microsoft-Teams/)

Hipchat was ended and we were looking for something more user friendly.

Review Source

AL

Ash L.  
Founder  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Slack, but Free and Superior"

December 6, 2024

5.0

We've had a pretty seamless and positive experience with Zulip.

Pros

It's such high-quality software for it to be an open-source tool. Despite some advanced features requiring payment, you can get most of the fundamentals along with some really cool tools on the completely free plan.

Cons

It would be nice if you could attach your personal Zoom room to the "Start Meeting" button. This may already be a feature, or be a paid feature, but I'm not entirely sure that it's available. The channel structure of Zulip relying on topic threads does require slightly more manual organization than a continuously running channel.

Switched from

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Slack is too expensive and not really worth the investment, especially for small teams. It also has a clunky design.

Review Source

Ryan S.  
Associate Professor  
Information Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Zulip is great for communicating with students"

December 10, 2024

5.0

Zulip is fantastic software written by people who clearly use it themselves.

Pros

I use Zulip to communicate with classes of 25–40 students. It is far more efficient than using the communication tools in Canvas, and the mobile app is great for students and for me. Plus there is fantastic support for Markdown, code blocks, images and videos, etc.

Cons

There is really nothing I find lacking about this software.

Switched from

[Canvas](https://www.capterra.com/p/127214/CANVAS/)

Zulip’s far superior communication tools

Review Source

ED

Eduard D.  
EUDR Specialist - FSC and PEFC auditor  
Environmental Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Our organisation can't lvie without it anymore!"

December 10, 2024

5.0

I first tried to install it myself on an ARM64 system, but I couldn't get it to work. Then went for the hosted version and our organization was up and running with Zulip in no time!

Pros

The fact that it's free for small companies... It's an ideal way to try out and see whether it is a good fit for our organization. Zulip is very intuitive: all our 9 employees were able to start working with it without any training or instruction.

Cons

There's nothing I don't like about Zulip.

Alternatives considered

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Well, Slack is very expensive and for the functionality we need, Slack also seemed overkill.

Review Source

IP

Inessa P.  
Open Source Program Manager  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Delightful, reliable, open source"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Using Zulip has been a delightful experience, and its open source model makes it an even more compelling choice.

Pros

Zulip's unique threading model stands out as its strongest feature, making it easy to follow multiple conversations within a single channel without losing context. The ability to search across streams and topics with advanced filters is another highlight for me.

Cons

The mobile app occasionally lags behind in performance compared to the desktop version.

Switched from

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

The changes to the free plan rendered it impractical for our needs.

Review Source

SG

Siddhartha G.  
Professor  
Research  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Zulip just works for Maths and Code"

December 6, 2024

5.0

I learnt of Zulip because of its use by the Lean community, where it has been superb. Over the years I have seen software communities (mainly scala earlier) move between various discussion forums, always trying to tradeoff. With Zulip everything is essentially as it should be, allowing asynchronous coordination of workflows involving code and mathematics in an intuitive and clean fashion. Except for the phase when Gitter was well maintained, Zulip is the first forum which just works.

Pros

\* It has excellent support for code and mathematics, and also images. \* Its markdown-based composition support is also excellent, including nice features like timezone independent times. \* It has a very convenient streams and threads model, allowing for focussed discussions over time. \* The apps are good, especially the desktop app. \* The developers are responsive to feature requests and issues raised.

Cons

I have not faced any real issues with Zulip.

Review Source

JF

Jean-Patrick F.  
Founder  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Fantastic tool for indie hackers or young startup"

December 2, 2024

5.0

I followed the documentation (very clear) to get it installed. I had a couple of questions, and I got a fantastic support on Github and by email. I now use Zulip to communicate with other developers while we're building our startup. I love the experience, it seems to be doing everything we need.

Pros

As a software engineer, I'm used to Slack (that's what I use at work). With Zulip, I can get the same thing, but with total control over my data and my deployment. I would even say that Zulip feels less business-y and more indy hacker than Slack. It's simpler and neater. It's the perfect tool for a small company or a group of friends.

Cons

The docker image didn't get the same attention as the normal, more classical install, or at least not yet. It's not too bad, it works, but a bit more love wouldn't work. I use the Docker image with Kubernetes and I had to fiddle a bit to get it to work. Maybe a simple Kubernetes manifest would help too.

Alternatives considered

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Slack is proprietary and way too expensive (£7/user/month).

Review Source

VJ

Vijayvithal J.  
CEO  
Semiconductors  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Best opensource IM app for team communication"

December 6, 2024

5.0

I switched to zulip from slack! I use zulip to manage communication with a team of 30+ interns. Zulip met my requirements for team communication

Pros

Threaded/Topic View. It is a good mix of email and IM

Cons

Nothing. The application met all my requirements.

Alternatives considered

[Mattermost](https://www.capterra.com/p/170524/Mattermost/)[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Better product which met my requirements.

Switched from

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

This was fitting my requirements better than slack

Review Source

JL

Jinci L.  
PhD student  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Excellent experience "

December 6, 2024

5.0

It's very good. Our team migrants from Slack to Zulip because Slack will charge a fee. It took something to get used to using Zulip but overall it is very good.

Pros

free, keep all information, good connection with email

Cons

i don't think i can view pdf attachments without downloading them. I would appreciate this feature.

Switched from

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Slack charge a fee and as a PhD student we don't have extra money to pay the monthly fee.

Review Source

SM

Stephane M.  
Professor  
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Fun experience on Zulip"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Excellent. It has provided a significant boost to my team and some colleagues start adopting it.

Pros

Very easy to use and portable to all platforms. My students love it.

Cons

No complaint so far. Easy to manage on top of it.

Review Source

JG

Jan G.  
Assistant Professor  
Research  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Great for research groups"

December 8, 2024

5.0

Great for research groups! The free tier is sufficient for us and all alternatives would be very costly

Pros

The threading model works very well, the native support of LaTeX is also super helpful

Cons

The android app works but looks very outdated. Many of my colleagues post into "(no topic)" when using it by accident.

Switched from

[Microsoft Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/168668/Microsoft-Teams/)[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Slack is too expensive and doesn't have LaTeX support + the threading model in Zulip is better. MS Teams does not allow for easy outside collaboration with people who need to be logged in to Teams at their own organization.

Review Source

JA

João A.  
Manager  
Consumer Electronics  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Without a doubt, the best option"

December 6, 2024

5.0

I've been using Zulip for two years and it was, without a doubt, the only application that was as easy to use as I found. I undoubtedly recommend it

Pros

its versatility, ease of use and quality of service provided.

Cons

Not being a very negative detail in itself, perhaps the design of the application. If it were a little more appealing, it could have more advantages

Switched from

[Discord](https://www.capterra.com/p/240238/Discord/)

I work with Linux and cannot install apps on my company computer. Discord did not work through the browser, like zulip

Review Source

MJ

Malak J.  
Founder  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Cool idea, lots left on the table for execution"

December 6, 2024

4.0

Pros

Loads of UI config options, has a native mobile app that pairs with it. I haven't yet found a bug in how the software is intended to work. Messaging is speedy and reliable. Super easy to move messages from one channel/place to another, so if you're re-organizing you both don't lose things and also can better consolidate knowledge that accidentally got spread around in different areas.

Cons

Super confusing UI, even after going through all of the config to make it look/act more like you'd expect from a typical modern chat app. Constantly losing threads of conversation in different places, even after thoughtfully consolidating channels. Even the mobile app push notifications are weird because if you get more than one message you can no longer tap the notification to go to the message.

Alternatives considered

[Discord](https://www.capterra.com/p/240238/Discord/)[Proton Mail](https://www.capterra.com/p/201276/ProtonMail/)[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Security, primarily. The ability to self-host was important to other people on the team. OSS was a nice touch.

Review Source

DG

David G.  
none  
Think Tanks  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Old men using Zuilp "

December 6, 2024

4.0

Very positive, our little global social group , would not survive without it.

Pros

The simple clean interface , and ease of managing diverse topics

Cons

No strong dislike, Im not a web developer, so would like so see more , easier to integrate features

Alternatives considered

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

It was not over complex like some other products

Switched from

[WhatsApp](https://www.capterra.com/p/180345/WhatsApp/)

Zulip was more intuitive for topic management

Review Source

AS

Adam S.  
Director  
Research  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Productive Workspace + Knowledge Management"

December 9, 2024

5.0

Self-hosting knowledge management, onboarding working and learning community.

Pros

Fast and simple! A complete delight to use.

Cons

Still some opportunities to make self-hosting cleaner... but amazing docs and process. And the search could be improved. We've fixed ours with an integration to Danswer.

Review Source

CL

Christine L.  
Chair and president  
Primary/Secondary Education  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "User friendly tech solution for most communication platform issues"

December 6, 2024

5.0

We love it, its been great. Would highly recommend for any other not for profit, volunteer run organization, or otherwise!

Pros

The ease of everything. Organization, ease of access, emails with message details. Its all really great

Cons

For those less familiar with software like slack or teams, it can be a little bit challenging to learn.

Alternatives considered

[Microsoft Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/168668/Microsoft-Teams/)[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Functionality and document management primarily

Switched from

[Zoom Workplace](https://www.capterra.com/p/144037/Zoom-Video-Conferencing/)

Not everyone had access to a premium subscription, making communications challenging

Review Source

UO

Umut O.  
Assistant Professor  
Research  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Simplicity and Power"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Pros

Zulip provides excellent flexibility to structure the communications in an organization, thanks to its channel/topic perspective. This is so good, but what is even better is that this structure is not enforced. You can use as much detailed structure as needed. Therefore, you have a simplicity and power at the same time.

Cons

It would have been great if Zulip allowed to edit the messages in an external editor of choice with seamless integration.

Review Source

KB

Keith B.  
Principal Designer  
Architecture & Planning  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "It's a great platform!"

December 6, 2024

5.0

We've used Zulip for about five years and it has served us well that whole time.

Pros

It's a great back channel private communication platform.

Cons

I don't have any real critique...it's been a very useful platform for our small custom house design company, as one of my employees moved to a different town hundreds of miles away...and it's as if he's just around the corner.

Review Source

CH

Colin H.  
CEO  
Internet  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Zulip is my favorite alternative product"

December 6, 2024

5.0

At Mojeek we have been using Zulip for many years. We have never found any problems

Pros

No tracking. We don't want our data accessible or monetisable by Big Tech.

Cons

That it's not so well known. Were it so, would more integrations be available?

Review Source

JR

Jan R.  
CEO  
Computer Networking  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Recommendation"

December 9, 2024

5.0

We are highly satisfied with Zulip and recommend it to others.

Pros

Zulip is a user-friendly communicator with many features.

Cons

We are satisfied and have no comments. Thank you.

Switched from

[Rocket.Chat](https://www.capterra.com/p/161575/Rocket-Chat/)

Because our friends liked Zulip more and that is why is better for us.

Review Source

AV

Alberto V.  
MD  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Best collaboration solution out there!"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Pros

It’s the perfect alternative to Slack and it’s free!!

Cons

The UI isn’t super intuitive, and it’s not simple to understand which users are in specific channels.

Switched from

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Merely pricing, I don’t see the point paying for a messaging tool.

Review Source

RR

Rodolfo R.  
Researcher  
Research  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Using Zulip for Education staff"

December 6, 2024

5.0

Our team has been using it successfully, and we like it. The limited messages based on volume rather than on time is great, and it is overall easy to use. Notifications could be more intuitive, and a feature to pin messages would be desirable.

Pros

Free and open-source is a big plus, and easy to setup.

Cons

Notification settings across channels and topics were unintuitive.

Alternatives considered

[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/)

Reason for choosing Zulip

Zulip was free and open-source, so it aligned better with our values, and had limited messages based on volume rather than on time.

Switched from

[WhatsApp](https://www.capterra.com/p/180345/WhatsApp/)

Ease to follow higher volume and more complex conversations on a variety of topics.

Review Source

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