Slack vs Zulip

Slack

• Teams that want conversations organized by channel rather than email threads
• Companies that work with outside partners in shared channels
• Organizations that already run on Salesforce
• Teams that connect many third-party apps to their chat

Zulip

• Distributed teams that prefer asynchronous, topic-organized conversations
• Open-source projects, research groups and communities seeking sponsored plans
• Organizations that want to self-host open-source chat
• Classes and schools, which get education pricing

Slack

• The Free plan keeps only 90 days of message history searchable, allows 10 apps, and limits huddles and Slack Connect to 1:1.
• SAML single sign-on and SCIM start at Business+; ongoing Slackbot access is on Business+ and Enterprise+, with a limited trial on Free and Pro.
• Enterprise search, multiple SAML configurations and native data loss prevention are limited to Enterprise+, listed at $45 per user / month paid annually and bought through sales.
• In a browser, huddles are supported only in Chrome and Firefox.

Zulip

• Zulip Cloud Free searches only the most recent 10,000 messages and has 5 GB of file storage for the whole organization.
• SAML single sign-on and SCIM on Zulip Cloud need the Plus plan, which has a 10-user minimum; self-hosted Business has a 25-user minimum.
• Voice and video calls depend on an outside provider such as Zoom or Jitsi.
• Self-hosted Free limits mobile push notifications to 10 users unless the organization registers as an eligible community.

Slack

Channels and direct messages

Conversations are organized into channels for each project, topic or team, alongside direct messages. Paid plans keep the full message and file history searchable; Free keeps 90 days.

Huddles and clips

Huddles are audio and video meetings with screen sharing, 1:1 on Free and for groups on paid plans. Clips are recorded audio or screen updates shared in a conversation.

Slack Connect

Message people outside the company. Free allows 1:1 external direct messages; paid plans add group chats and shared channels with up to 250 organizations.

Canvases and lists

A canvas holds text, files, images and video inside Slack, and lists are used to manage projects and organize tasks with teammates.

Workflow Builder and apps

Workflow Builder automates routine processes without code, and the app directory lists more than 2,600 apps. A Free workspace can connect up to 10 of them.

AI in Slack

Pro includes AI conversation summaries. Business+ adds AI search, daily recaps, file summaries, workflow generation and the Slackbot personal agent, subject to plan limits.

Zulip

Topic-based threading

A new conversation starts by giving it a brief topic inside a channel, and replies stay in that context. Messages can be moved between topics, and topics marked as resolved.

Cloud or self-hosted

The same 100% open-source software runs on Zulip Cloud or on your own server, and export and import tools let an organization move between them.

Apps for every platform

Zulip has a web app for any modern browser, desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a terminal app.

Calls through a provider

1:1 and group voice and video calls open in a configurable call provider such as Zoom, Jitsi or BigBlueButton.

Integrations and API

More than 130 native integrations, thousands more through Zapier and IFTTT, custom webhooks, a REST API, and chat bridges to Slack, Microsoft Teams and Matrix.

Formatting and lightweight workflows

Messages support code syntax highlighting and LaTeX, plus polls and to-do lists, scheduled sends, reminders and extensive keyboard shortcuts.

Slack

• Free$0

  90 days of message history, up to 10 app integrations, and 1:1 huddles and external messages.

• Pro$7.25

  per user / month, billed annually ($8.75 billed monthly)

  Unlimited message history and app integrations, group huddles, Slack Connect channels with up to 250 organizations, and AI conversation summaries.

• Business+$15

  per user / month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)

  Adds AI search, daily recaps, file summaries and workflow generation, the Slackbot agent, SAML single sign-on and SCIM user management.

• Enterprise+$45

  per user / month, billed annually

  Bought through sales. Adds enterprise search across connected apps, multiple SAML configurations, EMM support, native data loss prevention and unlimited workspaces.

Zulip

• Free$0

  On Zulip Cloud: 10,000 messages of search history and 5 GB of storage in total. Self-hosted: every feature, with mobile notifications for up to 10 users.

• Self-hosted Basic$3.50

  per user / month, billed monthly

  Self-hosted server with all Zulip features and unlimited mobile notifications.

• Cloud Standard$6.67

  per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)

  Unlimited search history, 5 GB of file storage per user, message retention policies, custom groups and priority commercial support.

• Self-hosted Business$6.67

  per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)

  25 users minimum. Email and chat support for SAML and Entra ID single sign-on, AD/LDAP user sync, compliance exports and retention policies.

• Cloud Plus$10

  per user / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)

  10 users minimum. Adds 25 GB of file storage per user, SAML single sign-on, SCIM user and group sync, and a custom domain.

• Self-hosted EnterpriseCustom

  Email, chat and phone support, OpenID Connect single sign-on, group sync, implementation consulting and custom feature development.

Slack

• Annual discount

  About 17% less with annual billing

  Pro is $7.25 per user / month paid annually against $8.75 paid monthly, and Business+ is $15 against $18. Salesforce's Slack pricing page puts the saving at approximately 16%.

• Other savings

  50% off the first 3 months for new teams

  A limited-time offer for teams that buy Pro or Business+ online within 7 days of creating the workspace. It applies to monthly billing only, and standard pricing follows after 3 months.

• Nonprofit

  Free or 85% off for eligible nonprofits

  Eligible nonprofits get a free Pro upgrade for workspaces with 250 or fewer members and 85% off above that size. Business+ is 85% off at any size.

• Education

  85% off for educational institutions

  The Slack for Education program gives approved institutions an 85% discount on the Pro or Business+ plan, applied at checkout.

• By country

  Lower price shown to buyers in India

  On October 9, 2026 Slack's pricing page showed a reader in India Pro at ₹245.25 per user / month paid yearly, beside a crossed-out ₹545. Its US page lists Pro at $7.25 per user / month paid annually.

Zulip

• Annual discount

  About 17% less with annual billing

  Cloud Standard and self-hosted Business cost $6.67 per user / month billed annually against $8 billed monthly, and Cloud Plus is $10 against $12.

• Other savings

  $20 a month off self-hosted plans in year one

  The plans page advertises $20 per month off the self-hosted Basic and Business plans for the first year.

• Nonprofit

  Free Standard plan for eligible organizations

  Open-source projects, academic research, non-profit events and non-profits with no paid staff are generally eligible for a free Zulip Cloud Standard plan, by application.

• Education

  Education pricing from $0.67 per user

  Standard for Education costs $0.67 per user / month for non-profit institutions and $1 for for-profit ones with annual billing, or $0.80 and $1.20 billed monthly.