Zulip is an alternative
to Discord
$35/mo (Self-hosted Basic) vs Discord Nitro Basic at $2.99/mo — covering 100% of the 3 compared capabilities.
Same job. Compare the fees.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
10 seats, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
Nitro Basic plan at $2.99/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Self-hosted Basic: 3.5 USD/monthly; 9 extra seat(s) × 3.5 USD.
Discord costs $2.99/mo on the Nitro Basic plan at 10 seats, monthly billing. Zulip costs $35/mo (Self-hosted Basic plan), which is not cheaper than Discord Nitro Basic at $2.99/mo in this scenario.
Capability comparison
Zulip covers 100% of the 3 capabilities compared against Discord. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Zulip | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Channels & group messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| App integrations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Threaded conversations | ✓ | ✓ |
Price at your volume
The same comparison recomputed at three sizes. Plan caps change who is cheapest.
| Usage | Discord | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| 3 seats | $2.99/moNitro Basic | $10.50/mocosts moreSelf-hosted Basic |
| 10 seats | $2.99/moNitro Basic | $35/mocosts moreSelf-hosted Basic |
| 25 seats | $2.99/moNitro Basic | $87.50/mocosts moreSelf-hosted Basic |
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Zulip Cloud Free | Free |
| Zulip Cloud Standard | $8/seat/mo |
| Zulip Cloud Plus | $12/seat/mo |
| Self-hosted Free | Free |
| Self-hosted Basic | $3.50/seat/mo |
| Self-hosted Business | $8/seat/mo |
| Self-hosted Enterprise | Contact sales |
| Free | Free |
| Nitro Basic | $2.99/mo |
| Nitro | $9.99/mo |
Frequently asked
What does Zulip lack compared with Discord?
Nothing among the 3 capabilities we compared.
When were these prices checked?
Discord: 2026-10-26; Zulip: 2026-10-28 — on the official pricing pages.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources & freshness
- https://discord.com/nitro (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- https://discord.com/ (feature_page, checked 2026-10-26)
- https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403205878423-Threads-FAQ (feature_page, checked 2026-10-03)
- Zulip data last verified 2026-10-28