Your team’s productivity hinges on how effectively everyone communicates.
While Zulip’s topic-based threaded conversations work well for async teams, it may fall short if you’re looking for deeper integrations, built-in project management tools, or stronger video conferencing support.
There are plenty of flexible team collaboration platforms out there that could be a better fit for how your team actually works. In this blog, we’ll look at the top Zulip alternatives that help keep communication flowing and projects on track, no matter where or when your team works.
🔎 Did You Know? It can take about 23 minutes to refocus after a context switch. Choosing a platform that keeps topics, tasks, and conversations in one place cuts the noise—so your team stays in flow, not in catch-up mode.
Top 11 Zulip Alternatives for Team Communication & Collaboration
- Best Zulip Alternatives at a Glance
- What Is Zulip?
- Zulip Limitations
- The Best Zulip Alternatives to Use
- 1. ClickUp (Best all-in-one collaboration tool with project management)
- 2. Slack (Best for integrations and ecosystem)
- 3. Microsoft Teams (Best for Microsoft 365 users)
- 4. Mattermost (Best for security-conscious organizations)
- 5. Rocket.Chat (Best for self-hosted deployment)
- 6. Discord (Best for community building)
- 7. Twist (Best for asynchronous communication)
- 8. Pumble (Best for small teams on a budget)
- 9. Zoom (Best for video-first communication)
- 10. Flock (Best for streamlined workflows)
- 11. Google Workspace (Best for Google ecosystem users)
- Find Your Perfect Communication Match with ClickUp
Summarize this article for me pleaseBest Zulip Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Best for | Key features | Pricing |
| ClickUp | All-in-one collaboration; AI-powered Task, Doc, Whiteboard creation right from ClickUp Chat | All-in-one collaboration; AI-powered Task, Doc, and Whiteboard creation right from ClickUp Chat | Free plan available; Customizations available for enterprises |
| Slack | Integrations | Channels, threads, 2,400+ integrations | Free; Paid plans start at $7/month |
| Microsoft Teams | Microsoft 365 users | Office integration, calls, channels | Free; Paid plans start at $4/month |
| Mattermost | Security-conscious organizations | Self-hosting, compliance | Free; Paid plans start at $10/month |
| Rocket.Chat | Self-hosted deployment | Open-source, customization | Free; paid plans start at $8/month |
| Discord | Community building | Voice channels, servers | Free; Customizations available for enterprises |
| Twist | Asynchronous communication | Thread-first, focus-friendly | Free; Paid plans start at $8/month |
| Pumble | Small teams on budget | Unlimited history, channels | Free; Paid plans start at $3/month |
| Zoom | Video-first communication | HD video, Team Chat | Free; Paid plans start at $17/month |
| Flock | Streamlined workflows | Built-in productivity tools | Free; Paid plans start at $3/month |
| Google Workspace | Google ecosystem users | Gmail, Drive, Meet integration | Paid plans start at $3/month |
How we review software at ClickUp
Our editorial team follows a transparent, research-backed, and vendor-neutral process, so you can trust that our recommendations are based on real product value.
Here’s a detailed rundown of how we review software at ClickUp.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is Zulip?
Zulip is an open-source team communication software that organizes conversations into streams and specific topics. Unlike traditional messaging apps that structure chats chronologically, Zulip uses a unique threading system that combines the immediacy of real-time communication with the organization of email threading.
The platform offers features like:
- Topic-based threading for organized discussions
- Powerful search functionality
- Markdown support for rich text formatting
- File sharing capabilities
- Integrations with various tools and services
- Cross-platform support, including mobile apps
Zulip is particularly popular among developer teams and organizations that prefer open-source alternatives with strong privacy controls.
👀 Did You Know? A Finnish doctor built the first team chat. In 1988, Jarkko Oikarinen created Internet Relay Chat (IRC) while working at a hospital in Finland to improve communication among doctors.
Summarize this article for me pleaseZulip Limitations
Zulip’s streams and topics model offers a distinctive approach to team communication. Still, this unique system has several notable drawbacks that may impact your team’s productivity and collaboration effectiveness.
- Steep learning curve: Streams and topics can confuse users familiar with traditional chat layouts
- Limited video conferencing: No robust native option; relies on third-party integrations
- Basic task management: Supports task creation but lacks full project management features
- Mobile experience: Mobile apps can feel less polished than their desktop counterparts
- Smaller community: Fewer integrations and a smaller support ecosystem than major competitors
- User interface: UI may feel outdated next to more modern collaboration platforms
- Notification management: Notification settings can be less intuitive than in other tools
As teams scale and communication needs become more complex, these limitations often become more pronounced, driving organizations to explore alternative platforms.
🧠 Fun Fact: The term “Zoom fatigue” gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as people increasingly relied on video conferencing for work, education, and social interactions. Coined by Stanford professor Jeremy Bailenson, the term describes the exhaustion caused by virtual meetings. It’s fueled by constant eye contact, staring at your own face, limited physical movement, cognitive overload, lack of casual breaks, and the pressure to stay “on” all the time.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe Best Zulip Alternatives to Use
Here is our curated list of the best alternatives to Zulip. These tools can help you discover other systems to improve collaboration and communication between diverse teams.
1. ClickUp (Best all-in-one collaboration tool with project management)
Disconnected communication tools stop at conversation. ClickUp, on the other hand, is the world’s first Converged AI Workspace that combines project management, knowledge management, and chat—all powered by fully contextual AI that helps you work faster and smarter.
It’s especially valuable for remote teams, developers, businesses, and professionals who need efficient, real-time communication tightly integrated with their workflows.
The problem with modern chat apps is that they live separately from where you work. You follow up with a coworker on a task, get an update, and then manually update the task to reflect the update. Or else, you’re scouring chat threads line by line just to get the context you need to get work done. All of that ends with ClickUp Chat.
As ClickUp’s built-in messaging app, you can turn chats into ClickUp Tasks instantly, plus assign them to the right person and set a deadline. This makes it easy to capture action items as they come up in conversation, so nothing slips through the cracks. You can also use AI to summarize threads, assign messages, or find related tasks—all directly from Chat.
Because ClickUp unifies team chat with task management, every discussion naturally transforms into assigned work with clear ownership and deadlines.
But that’s not all. You can create ClickUp Docs and ClickUp Whiteboards right from your chat window, without breaking the flow, all with ClickUp AI.
ClickUp’s SyncUps feature further enhances team communication by integrating meetings into your workflow.
Unlike traditional conferencing tools that exist in isolation from your work, SyncUps combine real-time video meetings with collaborative agendas, notes, recordings, and automatic task creation—all directly embedded in your project’s context.
With SyncUps, you can create structured meeting templates, add agenda items collaboratively before the meeting starts, record key discussions for later reference, and instantly convert talking points into assignable Tasks.
Unlike standalone messaging apps like Zulip, you can also share documents, images, and files from your complete integrated work ecosystem directly in ClickUp Chat, so resources are always at your fingertips. This makes the critical stuff easily searchable and accessible. This search functionality is unified across Chat and Tasks and is not limited to chat history.
And if someone asks a question on the group chat, just let your ClickUp Agent answer it. Teams can quickly get answers to workspace questions, generate content ideas, or have repetitive tasks handled with ClickUp AI deeply embedded into Chat. This keeps conversations productive and focused on high-value work.
ClickUp Brain enhances communication between diverse teams by bringing AI capabilities directly into your conversations. It helps you draft responses, summarize lengthy discussions, and generate creative solutions—all within the chat context.
ClickUp Brain MAX, a dedicated desktop AI companion, unifies chat, search, and automation across all your work apps and the web. With multi-model AI chat, contextual answers, and voice-to-text, Brain MAX helps you create, find, and automate work faster—ending the chaos of disconnected AI tools.
With integrated chat, project management, direct messaging, file sharing, and built-in video conferencing, ClickUp streamlines workflows, reduces app fatigue, and ensures that your team’s conversations always lead to action.
ClickUp best features
- Create tasks directly from chat messages and link to tasks or docs for seamless workflow integration
- Get instant answers without human intervention with ClickUp Chat Agents
- Organized project- and task-based channels, group chats, and private direct messaging all within one platform
- Leverage smart notifications and workflow automations to help you stay focused and avoid notification overload
- Use threaded conversations and powerful search to make it easy to follow discussions and find past information quickly.
ClickUp limitations
- You may face a learning curve due to the comprehensive feature set
ClickUp pricing
free forever
Best for individual users
Free Free
Key Features:
60MB Storage
Unlimited Tasks
Unlimited Free Plan Members
unlimited
Best for small teams
$7 $10
Everything in Free +
Unlimited Storage
Unlimited Folders and Spaces
Unlimited Integrations
business
Best for mid-sized teams
$12 $19
Everything in Unlimited +
Google SSO
Unlimited Message History
Unlimited Mind Maps
enterprise
Best for many large teams
Get a custom demo and see how ClickUp aligns with your goals.
Everything in Business +
White Labeling
Conditional Logic in Forms
Subtasks in Multiple Lists
* Prices when billed annually
The world's most complete work AI, starting at $9 per month
ClickUp Brain is a no Brainer. One AI to manage your work, at a fraction of the cost.
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (10,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about ClickUp?
A G2 review says:
💡 Pro Tip: Consider using ClickUp features like “@mentions” to get someone’s direct attention, but avoid overuse to prevent notification overload and unnecessary distractions. Practicing good chat etiquette fosters a respectful and efficient communication environment, enhancing team collaboration and productivity.
2. Slack (Best for integrations and ecosystem)
Slack remains a popular choice for team communication, organizing conversations into channels for projects, topics, or departments.
Its extensive integration ecosystem connects with over 2,000 third-party apps, streamlining workflows directly within conversations. Unlike Zulip’s topic-focused threads, Slack uses channels and threads to reduce clutter.
Slack’s workflow builder enables custom automation without coding, while its AI-powered search and summarization tools help teams find information and catch up on missed discussions. It also offers a solid search functionality across all messages and files, huddles for quick audio/video calls, and canvas docs for collaborative documentation.
Slack best features
- Organize conversations into public and private channels
- Launch instant audio discussions with screen sharing
- Customize notifications based on keywords and importance
- Improve collaboration in the workplace with Slack Connect
Slack limitations
- Can become overwhelming with numerous channels and notifications
- Limited task management capabilities and AI functionality compared to project-focused tools
Slack pricing
- Free
- Pro: $7/month per user
- Business+: $15/month per user
- Enterprise+: Custom pricing
Slack ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (34,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (23,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Slack?
A Capterra review says:
📮 ClickUp Insight: 64% of employees occasionally or frequently work outside their scheduled hours, with 24% logging extra hours most days! That’s not flexibility—that’s never-ending work. 😵💫
Pigment, a business planning platform, switched to ClickUp to solve their fragmented communication challenges. Using ClickUp Chat, ClickUp Tasks, and ClickUp Automations, they reduced communication overhead by 40% and improved team communication efficiency by 20%, accelerating their development cycles.
3. Microsoft Teams (Best for Microsoft 365 users)
From casual chat to document collaboration, Microsoft Teams eliminates the boundaries between communication and productivity by deeply embedding Office applications into conversations. Teams lets you discuss things like quarterly projections while viewing the actual Excel file, making decisions quicker and more informed, as long as you’re working within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
For these organizations, it brings chat, files, and meetings into one space. Teams also offers a comprehensive collaboration hub with deep integration into Microsoft’s productivity suite.
Microsoft Teams best features
- Embed essential apps and tools within communication channels
- Protect sensitive conversations with advanced security controls
- Create more engaging meetings with Together mode
- Facilitate small group discussions with dedicated breakout rooms
- Host large-scale broadcasts with comprehensive live event tools
Microsoft Teams limitations
- Can be resource-intensive and slow on older hardware
- More complex user interface compared to dedicated chat tools
Microsoft Teams pricing
- Free
- Microsoft Teams Essentials: $4/month per user, billed annually
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6/month per user, billed annually
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50/month per user, billed annually
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $22/month per user, billed annually
Microsoft Teams ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (12,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (8,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Microsoft Teams?
A G2 review reads:
🧠 Fun Fact: The first set of 176 emojis was created in 1999 by Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita for NTT DoCoMo’s mobile internet platform. These emojis, used frequently in workplace chats today, aim to enhance digital communication by adding emotional nuance.
📖 Also Read: Top Microsoft Teams Alternatives & Competitors
4. Mattermost (Best for security-conscious organizations)
“How can we enable modern collaboration without compromising security?” This question challenges security-conscious organizations daily. Mattermost addresses this through its self-hosting capabilities and enterprise-grade security features, which provide complete data sovereignty. It does this without sacrificing the collaborative experience teams expect.
Mattermost offers an open-source team communication platform with enterprise-grade security and compliance features. Similar to Zulip’s commitment to privacy, Mattermost focuses on providing a secure, self-hosted alternative to cloud-based chat platforms.
Mattermost best features
- Format messages with Markdown for rich communication
- Search comprehensively across all historical messages
- Automate workflows with custom slash commands
- Connect directly with Active Directory and LDAP
- Customize functionality with open-source plugins
- Track compliance with comprehensive audit logging
Mattermost limitations
- Self-hosting requires technical expertise and infrastructure
- The user interface isn’t as polished as some commercial alternatives
Mattermost pricing
- Free
- Professional: $10/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Mattermost ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (300+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (160+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Mattermost?
A G2 review reads:
📮ClickUp Insight: Only 10% of our survey respondents use voice assistants (4%) or automated agents (6%) for AI applications, while 62% prefer conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude. The lower adoption of assistants and agents could be because these tools are often optimized for specific tasks, like hands-free operation or specific workflows.
ClickUp brings you the best of both worlds. ClickUp Brain serves as a conversational AI assistant that can help you with a wide range of use cases. On the other hand, AI-powered agents within ClickUp Chat channels can answer questions, triage issues, or even handle specific tasks!
5. Rocket.Chat (Best for self-hosted deployment)
Self-hosting gives organizations complete control over their communication data, and Rocket.Chat makes this possible by keeping everything within your own infrastructure. This setup is handy for teams with strict security requirements or those needing a highly customizable platform.
Unlike cloud-only tools that lock you into predefined features, Rocket.Chat offers the flexibility to build a collaboration experience that fits your team. Like Zulip, it gives organizations control over their communication stack while still supporting a full range of team chat features.
Rocket.Chat best features
- Secure sensitive conversations with end-to-end encryption
- Collaborate with external partners through controlled guest access
- Engage customers directly with integrated live chat
- Share and preview files seamlessly within conversations
- Manage permissions with customizable user roles
- Integrate with external systems through a comprehensive API
Rocket.Chat limitations
- Requires technical resources for self-hosting and maintenance
- User interface can feel dated compared to commercial alternatives
Rocket.Chat pricing
- Starter: Free
- Pro: $8/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Rocket.Chat ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (330+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (150+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Rocket.Chat?
A Capterra reviewer says:
6. Discord (Best for community building)
Discord is a versatile communication platform, supporting both text and voice channels within customizable servers. Originally built for gamers, it now serves diverse communities with features like high-quality screen sharing, Go Live streaming, and Stage Channels for large audio events.
Discord offers rich text formatting, custom emojis, role-based permissions for granular access control, and bots that add functionality from moderation to music playback.
Unlike Zulip’s structured threading, Discord organizes conversations into servers, channels, and threads with powerful voice chat capabilities.
Discord best features
- Signal availability with rich presence indicators
- Structure conversations with in-channel threading
- Organize multiple workspaces with server folders
- Automate tasks with extensive bot capabilities
- Present to large groups with dedicated stage channels
Discord limitations
- File sharing size limits on the free tier
- A less formal appearance may not suit professional environments
Discord pricing
- Free
- Nitro Basic: Custom pricing
- Nitro: Custom pricing
Discord ratings and reviews
- G2: No ratings available
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (400+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Discord?
A Capterra review says:
📖 Also Read: Best Discord Integrations (Reviews & Pricing)
7. Twist (Best for asynchronous communication)
The constant ping of notifications, the pressure to respond immediately, and the feeling that you can never catch up? Twist ends with a notification system that encourages focused work by batching updates, and the inbox feature helps users catch up on important threads without scrolling through endless chat logs.
Twist champions asynchronous communication, organizing discussions into threads rather than chaotic real-time streams. Similar to Zulip, Twist organizes conversations into channels and threads, but with an even stronger emphasis on focused and thoughtful discussions. Each thread maintains a clear topic with chronological messages, making it easy to follow conversations even after time away.
The platform features channels for different teams or projects, direct messaging, and comprehensive search across all conversations.
Twist best features
- Find any information with a powerful cross-conversation search
- Integrate with popular tools like GitHub, Zapier, and Todoist, while supporting file sharing and markdown formatting.
- Compose thoughtful messages with an email-like editor
Twist limitations
- No native video conferencing
- Less feature-rich than all-in-one platforms
Twist pricing
- Free
- Unlimited: $8/month per user
Twist ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.9/5 (70+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (30+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Twist?
A Capterra review says:
8. Pumble (Best for small teams on a budget)
Budget-conscious teams love Pumble for its unlimited message history and core communication features, which come without enterprise-level pricing.
Instead of compromising on essential functionality, small teams can deploy a complete communication solution that grows with their needs. This Slack alternative offers a cost-effective team communication platform with unlimited message history, even on its free plan.
Unlike Zulip’s specialized threading approach, Pumble offers a straightforward, Slack-like experience that focuses on essential communication features without a premium price tag.
Pumble best features
- Collaborate with external partners through guest access
- Access communications on iOS and Android mobile apps
- Format messages with rich text capabilities
- Find past conversations with a comprehensive search
- Control interruptions with customizable notifications
- Connect through video calls with screen sharing capabilities
Pumble limitations
- Limited advanced features compared to premium alternatives
- Fewer integrations with third-party tools
Pumble pricing
- Free
- Pro: $2.99/month per user
- Business: $4.99/month per user
- Enterprise: $7.99/month per user
Pumble ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews available
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (180+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Pumble?
A Capterra review says:
📖 Also Read: Pumble Alternatives for Chat & Team Communication
9. Zoom (Best for video-first communication)
Text messages can only go so far—tone, emotion, and nuance often get lost in translation. That’s why conversations over chat can quickly spiral into long threads of back-and-forth clarifications. It slows everyone down.
Zoom gets this. It puts face-to-face interaction front and center, making it easy for teams to transition from chat to video with zero friction—no need to switch apps or find meeting links. While Zulip focuses on structured text, Zoom takes a more real-time, human approach with video as the star and chat as a helpful sidekick.
Zoom best features
- Present ideas clearly with advanced screen share capabilities
- Create smaller discussion groups with breakout rooms
- Personalize video experience with virtual backgrounds
- Capture important meetings with recording and transcription
- Schedule efficiently with calendar integration
- Collaborate visually with interactive whiteboarding
Zoom limitations
- Chat features aren’t as robust as dedicated platforms
- The organization of conversations can become unwieldy
Zoom pricing
- Free
- Pro: $16.99/month per user
- Business: $21.99/month per user
Zoom ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (56,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (14,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Zoom?
A G2 reviewer says:
10. Flock (Best for streamlined workflows)
Every chat conversation ends with the same problem: “Who’s doing what by when?”
Flock solves this fundamental collaboration challenge by embedding productivity tools directly where conversations happen. When your team chat naturally extends into polls, tasks, and reminders, the workflow remains unbroken, and accountability becomes automatic.
Flock combines direct messaging with integrated productivity tools to create seamless workflows. Unlike Zulip’s focus on structured threading, Flock emphasizes practical efficiency. It surrounds conversations with action-oriented features that help teams move from discussion to execution without switching contexts.
Flock best features
- Connect face-to-face with video conferencing
- Create custom mailing lists for targeted communications
- Coordinate schedules with shared calendar integration
- Find information fast with advanced search capabilities
- Automate workflows with custom slash commands
- Connect with external tools through robust integrations
Flock limitations
- Less intuitive and user-friendly interface than some competitors
- Mobile experience doesn’t match desktop functionality
Flock pricing
- Free
- Pro: $3/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Flock ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (300+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Flock?
A G2 review reads:
11. Google Workspace (Best for Google ecosystem users)
Google makes teamwork feel natural by putting chat right where the work is—inside Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Meet. That means fewer app switches and more conversations happening in context, not in random silos. It cuts down the usual distractions and keeps everyone focused.
Google Chat is part of this setup. It’s built into Google Workspace, so if your team already uses Google tools, it’s a good fit. Unlike Zulip’s more structured threads, Google Chat is seamless and straightforward, allowing teams to talk without disrupting their workflow.
Google Workspace best features
- Launch Google Meet video calls with a single click from chat
- Share and collaborate on Drive files without leaving conversations
- Assign and track tasks within communication spaces
- Find any message or file with Google’s powerful search capabilities
- Collaborate in real-time using Smart Canvas and integrated Google Docs
- Access communications seamlessly across all devices with synchronized apps
Google Workspace limitations
- Less feature-rich than dedicated team chat platforms
- Threading and organization options are more limited than specialized tools
Google Workspace pricing
- Business Starter: $3/month per user
- Business Standard: $12/month per user
- Business Plus: $24/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Google Workspace ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (42,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (17,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Google Workspace?
A G2 reviewer says:
Summarize this article for me pleaseFind Your Perfect Communication Match with ClickUp
Each platform has its strengths, but ClickUp stands out as a well-rounded option for communication and collaboration. It’s a strong alternative to Zulip, especially for remote teams, developers, and businesses looking for an all-in-one workspace.
Unlike single-purpose communication tools, ClickUp eliminates the fragmentation that occurs when conversations take place on one platform while work is done on another.
Try ClickUp for free today and experience the power of truly unified team communication and project management!
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
