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Head-to-head · Team Chat Apps

Microsoft Teams vs Zulip

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Microsoft Teams #1 in Team Chat Apps 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Try Microsoft Teams
Zulip #6 in Team Chat Apps 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Zulip

Microsoft Teams 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 scoreMicrosoft Teams · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth

Microsoft Teams scores higher on our rubric for team chat apps: 9.4 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

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

Microsoft Teams is the better fit for organizations using Microsoft 365. Zulip is the better fit for teams that prefer topic-based discussions.

  • Microsoft Teams fits best

    Organizations using Microsoft 365

  • Zulip fits best

    Teams that prefer topic-based discussions

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Side by side

Feature Microsoft Teams 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Zulip 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.7
Ranking #1 in Team Chat Apps #6 in Team Chat Apps
Best for Organizations using Microsoft 365 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, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support Phone, Docs, Community Email, Live chat, Phone, Community, Docs
Compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, 2FA GDPR, SSO/SAML
Integrations 250+ integrations 130+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft Teams 2/2 · Zulip 2/2
Channels ✓ ✓
Guest access ✓ ✓
Specs
Message history Unlimited Limited
Integrations Microsoft 365, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Exchange, Planner, Forms, Power BI, OneNote, Power Apps, Power Automate, LinkedIn GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Zoom, Jitsi Meet, Zapier, IFTTT, Sentry, Zendesk
Supported platforms web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API
Maximum members 25000 users Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes unlimited chat and group calling for 100 participants
  • Channels, meetings, recordings, workflows, guest access, and AI in one workspace
  • Works across web, desktop, mobile, Linux, and API environments
  • 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
  • Paid plans and features vary by country, subscription, and license
  • Teams Premium requires an eligible Teams license
  • The 25,000-member limit applies per team, not an unlimited workspace
  • 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

Microsoft Teams combines one-to-one and group chat, channels, audio and video calling, online meetings, webinars, file sharing, collaborative apps, and external collaboration. It is suited to organizations that want communication and…

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. Microsoft TeamsTeam Chat Apps 9.4Free plan
  2. ZulipTeam Chat Apps 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Microsoft Teams — where it wins

    • Free plan includes unlimited chat and group calling for 100 participants
    • Channels, meetings, recordings, workflows, guest access, and AI in one workspace
    • Works across web, desktop, mobile, Linux, and API environments

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid plans and features vary by country, subscription, and license
    • Teams Premium requires an eligible Teams license
    • The 25,000-member limit applies per team, not an unlimited workspace

  • 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