# 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 --- Zulip 4.9 (196) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/197945/Zulip/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * 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 VR Verified Reviewer Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "We really like it!" December 6, 2024 5.0 Radically improved my team's communication. Pros You can move conversations between topics. Totally a game-changer for us. Cons This is a really small thing, but the "follow this topic" thing is something I'd like to turn off – I just want to follow all topics. Also, it would be nice if you could use check boxes to select message that you'd like to move (as opposed to just "all following" or "only this one"). Alternatives considered [Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/) Reason for choosing Zulip Moving threads was a cool feature that we wanted to try. Review Source JC Jim C. Board Member Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Used by management board of charitable association " December 10, 2024 5.0 We are a charitable association with 300 members and a managing board of about 12 people. We use the tool for communications between members of the management board and it allows us to avoid the well known "Respond to all" trap with conventional e-mail Pros The flexibility of setting up different group discussion channels along with the availability of private communications between individuals. We also like the ability to post a message in a channel from an e-mail source. Cons The android, while quite usable when you get familiar with it could be improved for first users. Upon opening of the app, if there are no new messages, the blank screen and the icons do not visual clues about how to use the app. Also the zulip icon on the Android launcher screen sometimes fails to show an remindera new message has arrived. Switched from [Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/) Slack changed its user policies when acquired. 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 SS Steve S. Owner Luxury Goods & Jewelry Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An underlooked gem" December 6, 2024 5.0 I have had a wonderful experience. It is very good for communicating code and math. Pros It is a very powerful messaging platform that allows text, image, video, latex, markdown, and code blocks with syntax highlighting. Cons I have had a hard time getting others to adopt it, even though it is very good and free. Alternatives considered [Gmail](https://www.capterra.com/p/202338/Gmail/) Reason for choosing Zulip I don't want to feed my data to the AI thank you. I want privacy. Switched from [Rocket.Chat](https://www.capterra.com/p/161575/Rocket-Chat/) Rocket requires we pay money for push notifications, which was a deal breaker. Review Source ES Eric S. Senior Manager Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great instant messenger" December 6, 2024 5.0 Great. It's the best instant messenger application I've used and preferred within the company Pros Easy to use, allows you to organize instant messages with teams. Self hosting option is great, we wouldn't be as productive and quick active as we do without zulip. WWE also have Teams, Slack, Zoom, and zulip is by far the best and everyone's preference. Mobile app works great to Cons None. We haven't found any issues with it. We don't have it integrated with video calls, but I know that's something we can do easily with a plug-in. Alternatives considered [Microsoft Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/168668/Microsoft-Teams/) Reason for choosing Zulip Usability, price, simplicity, efficiency 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 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 SJ Swaroop J. Professor Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great open source app for team communication " December 6, 2024 5.0 Pros I’ve been using Zulip as an open source alternative to slack. I use it for quick communication with my research group of 15-20 students. It provides easy navigation and organisation into channels and topics. Unlike slack, it does not delete messages after 90 days! Cons Some actions don’t feel intuitive. IIRC, various roles in the organisation have not worked as expected. New posts get added to a ‘no topic’ - and need to be moved manually. Adding a new person to a DM creates a new conversation- they can’t see older messages. Switched from [Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/) Price and my support for open source projects 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 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 DK Dave K. Director of Programs Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Fantastic! A+++" December 7, 2024 5.0 Pros It's a wonderful, smooth, secure alternative to Slack - perfect for our growing community. Cons Nothing - all great! I only wish I had found it earlier. Alternatives considered [Discord](https://www.capterra.com/p/240238/Discord/)[Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/) Reason for choosing Zulip Ease of use. Functionality. Cost. Display of math. Switched from [Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/) Security, cost and ease of displaying math 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 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 Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.