Zulip is 100% cheaper
than Slack
$0/mo (Zulip Cloud Free) vs Slack Pro at $87.50/mo for 10 seats ($8.75/seat) — covering 57% of the 14 compared capabilities.
Same job. Way less money.
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.
Pro plan at $87.50/mo ($8.75/seat × 10 seats), the cheapest paid plan.
Zulip Cloud Free: 0 USD/monthly.
Slack costs $87.50/mo on the Pro plan at 10 seats, monthly billing. We found 1 assessed alternative that is cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 14 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
Zulip covers 57% of the 14 capabilities compared against Slack. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Zulip | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Channels & group messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Threaded conversations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited message history | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio/video calls & screen sharing | ◐ | ✓ |
| App integrations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Guest & external collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI search & summaries | ◐ | ✓ |
| Workflow automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| SAML single sign-on | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compliance exports & audit logs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Docs & wikis | ✗ | ✓ |
| SSO & SCIM provisioning | ✗ | ✓ |
| AI assistant | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow automations | ✗ | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Slack has that Zulip lacks.
- Unlimited message history — Search and access message history without a retention limit.Missing from Zulip.
- Workflow automation — Automate routine steps directly within chat.Missing from Zulip.
- Docs & wikis — Create shared documents and a team wiki alongside tasks.Missing from Zulip.
- SSO & SCIM provisioning — Sign in through your company's SSO with SCIM provisioning.Missing from Zulip.
- AI assistant — Get AI help drafting updates or summarizing project status.Missing from Zulip.
- Workflow automations — Automate repetitive workflow steps.Missing from Zulip.
Price at your volume
The same comparison recomputed at three sizes. Plan caps change who is cheapest.
| Scenario | Slack | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| 3 seats | $26.25/mo | $0/mo (Zulip Cloud Free) |
| 10 seats | $87.50/mo | $0/mo (Zulip Cloud Free) |
| 25 seats | $218.75/mo | $0/mo (Zulip Cloud Free) |
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/mo |
| Self-hosted Business | $8/seat/mo |
| Self-hosted Enterprise | Contact sales |
| Free | Free |
| Pro | $8.75/seat/mo |
| Business+ | $18/seat/mo |
| Enterprise+ | Contact sales |
Share this comparison
For Zulip: use the verified claim in your own marketing — card, badge, or link. The numbers stay tied to this evidence page.
Frequently asked
How much cheaper is Zulip than Slack?
100% cheaper in our scenario (10 seats, monthly billing): $0/mo on Zulip Cloud Free vs $87.50/mo on Pro. That is $1050 a year.
What does Zulip lack compared with Slack?
Unlimited message history, Workflow automation, Docs & wikis, SSO & SCIM provisioning, AI assistant, Workflow automations — 6 of the 14 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Slack: 2026-08-26; Zulip: 2026-09-07 — on the official pricing pages.
Sources & freshness
- https://slack.com/pricing (official_pricing, checked 2026-08-26)
- https://slack.com/pricing#main_focusable (official_pricing, checked 2026-08-26)
- Zulip data last verified 2026-09-07