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Head-to-head · Team Chat Apps

Mattermost vs Zulip

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Mattermost #4 in Team Chat Apps 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Mattermost
Zulip #6 in Team Chat Apps 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Zulip

Mattermost leads on 0 checks, Zulip on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreMattermost · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth

Mattermost scores higher on our rubric for team chat apps: 8.9 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

On message history, Mattermost gives you Unlimited where Zulip offers Limited.

Mattermost is the better fit for self-hosted technical teams. Zulip is the better fit for teams that prefer topic-based discussions.

  • Mattermost fits best

    Self-hosted technical teams

  • Zulip fits best

    Teams that prefer topic-based discussions

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Side by side

Feature Mattermost 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Zulip 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.7
Ranking #4 in Team Chat Apps #6 in Team Chat Apps
Best for Self-hosted technical teams Teams that prefer topic-based discussions
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $3.50/user/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Email, Tickets, Community, Docs Email, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs
Compliance ISO 27001, GDPR GDPR, SSO/SAML
Integrations 700+ integrations 130+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Mattermost 2/2 · Zulip 2/2
Channels ✓ ✓
Guest access ✓ ✓
Specs
Message history Unlimited Limited
Integrations GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, Outlook, ServiceNow, Zoom, Pexip, Splunk, Zapier GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Zoom, Jitsi Meet, Zapier, IFTTT, Sentry, Zendesk
Supported platforms web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API, self-hosted web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API
Maximum members Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Self-hosting supports on-premises, private-cloud, and air-gapped deployments
  • Combines messaging, calls, boards, automation, APIs, and AI agents
  • Integrates with GitLab, GitHub, Jira, Jenkins, and Microsoft Teams
  • Topic-based threads keep discussions organized and searchable
  • 130+ native integrations plus API, webhooks, Zapier and IFTTT
  • Cloud and self-hosted options support varied deployment needs
Cons
  • Entry limits message history to 10,000 messages
  • Paid Professional and Enterprise plans require sales contact
  • Advanced capabilities are concentrated in higher-tier plans
  • Cloud Free limits searchable history to 10,000 messages
  • Cloud Plus requires a 10-user minimum
  • Self-hosted Free has limited mobile notifications for some organizations
Our verdict

Mattermost is an open-source collaboration platform for technical, operational, defense, and critical-infrastructure teams. It brings public and private channels, direct and group messaging, file sharing, threaded discussions, search,…

Read the review →

Zulip is an open-source team chat application for organizations ranging from small teams to thousands of users. Its central design is topic-based threading inside channels, which supports both real-time and asynchronous communication.…

Read the review →
  1. MattermostTeam Chat Apps 8.9Free plan
  2. ZulipTeam Chat Apps 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Mattermost — where it wins

    • Self-hosting supports on-premises, private-cloud, and air-gapped deployments
    • Combines messaging, calls, boards, automation, APIs, and AI agents
    • Integrates with GitLab, GitHub, Jira, Jenkins, and Microsoft Teams

    Where it doesn't

    • Entry limits message history to 10,000 messages
    • Paid Professional and Enterprise plans require sales contact
    • Advanced capabilities are concentrated in higher-tier plans

  • Zulip — where it wins

    • Topic-based threads keep discussions organized and searchable
    • 130+ native integrations plus API, webhooks, Zapier and IFTTT
    • Cloud and self-hosted options support varied deployment needs

    Where it doesn't

    • Cloud Free limits searchable history to 10,000 messages
    • Cloud Plus requires a 10-user minimum
    • Self-hosted Free has limited mobile notifications for some organizations

More comparisons

All team chat apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update