software
Slack vs Zulip 2026: Cost, Features & Integrations
Slack dominates enterprise adoption with 750,000+ daily active users and superior integrations, while Zulip offers thread-based organization, lower costs ($0-$10/user/month vs $6.67-$12.50), and better message searchability for knowledge-heavy teams.
S
Slack
Cloud-based team messaging platform used by 750,000+ daily active users across enterprises.
Large enterprises, fast-growing startups, teams needing extensive third-party tool integration, organizations with existing Salesforce/Microsoft ecosystem
Score63%
VS
Zulip
Open-source team chat platform emphasizing organized conversations with topic-based threading and 50,000-100,000 active users.
Cost-conscious teams, open-source advocates, knowledge-heavy/documentation-focused organizations, remote-first dev teams, companies requiring self-hosted solutions for compliance
Score63%
201 attributes7 differences16 pros/cons
Quick Answer
AI SummarySlack dominates enterprise adoption with 750,000+ daily active users and superior integrations, while Zulip offers thread-based organization, lower costs ($0-$10/user/month vs $6.67-$12.50), and better message searchability for knowledge-heavy teams.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Slack if your organization prioritizes app ecosystem richness, mainstream vendor ecosystem, and can absorb higher costs for superior market integration and brand recognition. Choose Zulip if you value message organization, searchability, budget efficiency, want self-hosting control, or operate a knowledge-intensive team that benefits from topic-based threading and full message history access.
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S
Slack
7.7/10
Zulip
7.3/10
S
Choose Slack if
Best pickLarge enterprises, fast-growing startups, teams needing extensive third-party tool integration, organizations with existing Salesforce/Microsoft ecosystem
Choose Zulip if
Cost-conscious teams, open-source advocates, knowledge-heavy/documentation-focused organizations, remote-first dev teams, companies requiring self-hosted solutions for compliance
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Monthly Subscription Cost (per user):✓ Zulip wins($0 - $10.00 vs $6.67 - $12.50)
- Daily Active Users Worldwide:✓ Slack wins(750,000+ vs 50,000-100,000)
- Third-party App Integrations:✓ Slack wins(2,000+ vs 150+)
Key Facts & Figures
136 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Slack | Zulip | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Integrations(count) | 2,600+ | — | — |
| Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD) | $87 (billed yearly) | — | — |
| Third-Party App Integrations(count) | 2,400+ | — | — |
| Video Meeting Capacity(participants) | Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | — | — |
| Mobile App Feature Parity | 95% | — | — |
| Monthly Cost per 20-Person Team(USD) | $3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user) | $140 (Cloud Standard flat-rate) | |
| Global Market Share(%) | 65% | 2-3% | |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 7 days | 14 days + unlimited self-hosted | |
| Message History Retention on Free Plan(count) | 10,000 most recent | 100% unlimited | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users) | — | — |
| Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants) | Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) | — | — |
| Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5) | 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) | — | — |
| Google Workspace Integration Level | 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | — | — |
| AI Features Count (2026)(features) | 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Business+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | — | — |
| Available Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — | — |
| Price Stability (2024-2026)(months) | No increases for 33 months | — | — |
| Free Tier Cost(USD) | Free | — | — |
| Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(count) | 2,000+ | — | — |
| Years Price Stable (2026)(months) | 33+ months | — | — |
| Native Integrations Available(platforms) | 2200+ | — | — |
| Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD) | $150 (billed monthly) | — | — |
| Free Tier Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages) | 0 (not native feature) | — | — |
| Enterprise Uptime SLA(%) | 99.99% | — | — |
| User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces) | 1 workspace | — | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants) | 3 participants | — | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user) | $8.75 | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) | $12.50 per user/month | — | — |
| Free Message History(days) | 90 days maximum | — | — |
| Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz) | 16 kHz | — | — |
| Third-party Integrations(count) | 2,000+ | — | — |
| Maximum Video Call Participants(people) | 15 participants | — | — |
| Total Registered Users(millions) | 750 million | — | — |
| Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | — | — |
| Free Plan Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB) | 10 GB | — | — |
| Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) | $0 self-hosted / $100-500 flat cloud | |
| Active Workspaces(workspaces) | 750,000+ | 5,000-10,000 estimated | |
| Message History Searchable(years) | 10 years standard | Unlimited (self-hosted) | — |
| Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps) | 50+ | Custom via integrations (~15 standard) | |
| Native App Integrations Available(count) | 2,400+ apps | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD) | $412.50/month | — | — |
| Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces) | 750,000+ paid workspaces | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD) | $150/month ($1,800/year) | — | — |
| Pre-Built Integrations(count) | 2,400+ integrations | — | — |
| Message History on Free Plan(days) | 90-day limited access | — | — |
| Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000+ active workspaces | — | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD) | $12.50/user (Pro plan) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost (10-person team)(USD) | $80-150 | — | — |
| Cost for 50-person team(USD/month) | $400-750 | — | — |
| Real-time Messaging Speed(ms (message delivery latency)) | 50-100ms (instant) | — | — |
| File Storage Included(GB) | 5GB (Free), varies by plan | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Team(days) | 0.5-1 hour | — | — |
| Max Video Conference Participants(people) | 1000 | — | — |
| Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10)) | 7.5 | — | — |
| Time to Deploy(seconds (average)) | 3-7 | — | — |
| Uptime Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $8.75 (annual) | — | — |
| Video Conference Max Participants(participants) | 150 | — | — |
| Free Tier File Storage(GB per user) | 1 GB shared workspace | — | — |
| Message Search History (Free Tier)(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)(USD) | $10,500 | — | — |
| Desktop App Memory Usage(MB) | 280 MB | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) | $12.50 | — | — |
| Native Third-Party Integrations(count) | 2,000+ | 150+ | |
| Message Search Response Time(seconds) | 2-4 seconds | <1 second | |
| User interface satisfaction rating(out of 10) | 9.2/10 | — | — |
| Maximum video call participants (free tier)(people) | 100 participants | — | — |
| Service uptime SLA guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Message history retention (free plan)(days) | 90 days searchable | — | — |
| Enterprise app marketplace size(applications) | 2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory) | — | — |
| Team Size Cost Efficiency Threshold(team members) | Cost-effective until ~12 users | — | — |
| Average User Adoption Time(days) | 1-3 days | — | — |
| Global Active Users(millions) | 750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)(USD) | $8.25 | — | — |
| Message Delivery Latency(milliseconds) | <100ms | — | — |
| File Upload Limit(GB) | 20GB | — | — |
| Message History Retention (Free Tier)(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars) | 4.5/5 | — | — |
| Video Meeting Participant Limit(participants) | 2000 | — | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost per User(USD) | $12.50 | — | — |
| File Storage Per User(GB) | 100 (workspace) | — | — |
| Free Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes) | 40 | — | — |
| Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)(people) | Limited (typically 3-4) | — | — |
| G2 User Interface Rating(out of 5) | 4.6/5 (12,400 reviews) | — | — |
| Daily Active Users(millions) | 21 million | — | — |
| Message History (Free Plan)(days) | 90 days | — | — |
| Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)(USD/month) | $8/month | — | — |
| Organizations Using Platform(count (thousands)) | 750,000+ | — | — |
| Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)(USD) | $7.25 | — | — |
| Cloud Storage Included Per User(GB) | 0 GB (integrations only) | — | — |
| Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)(participants) | 2 | — | — |
| Third-Party App Integrations Available(apps) | 2,300+ | — | — |
| Message Search History(messages) | 10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid) | — | — |
| Base Cost Per User/Month(USD) | $8.99 | — | — |
| Native Integrations(count) | 2,000+ | ~400 | |
| Active Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000 | — | — |
| iOS App Rating(stars out of 5) | 4.7 | — | — |
| Available Integrations(integrations) | 2,000+ | 150+ | |
| Monthly Cost Per User (Standard)(USD) | $8-15 | — | — |
| Active Organizational Users(organizations) | 750,000+ workspaces | — | — |
| Message History Search (Self-Hosted)(messages) | 10,000 (free), unlimited (paid) | — | — |
| Enterprise Support SLA | 1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid) | — | — |
| File Storage (Free Plan)(GB) | 5GB | — | — |
| Base Monthly Pricing (Annual Billed)(USD per user) | $8 | — | — |
| Active Workspaces (2024)(thousands) | 750,000+ workspaces | — | — |
| Paying Organizations/Enterprise Customers(thousands) | 750 (in thousands = 750,000 paying orgs) | — | — |
| Free Plan App Integrations(apps) | 10 maximum | — | — |
| Pro/Standard Plan Cost per User/Month(USD) | $12.50/user/month | — | — |
| Countries Supported(countries) | 150+ | — | — |
| Languages Supported(languages) | 10+ | — | — |
| Time to Operational Team Setup(hours) | Less than 1 hour | — | — |
| Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD) | $8.75 | — | — |
| Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale) | 9.5 | — | — |
| Max Group Video Call Participants(users) | 3 (free tier) | — | — |
| Enterprise Security Certifications(count) | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Teams(minutes) | 15-20 | — | — |
| User Base Size(millions of developers) | 21 million daily active | — | — |
| Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale) | 7.5 | — | — |
| Free Plan Video Participants(participants) | 2 participants | — | — |
| Free Plan Meeting Duration Limit(minutes) | 60 minutes | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations) | 2,000+ | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $6.67 | $0 | |
| Maximum Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $12.50 | $10.00 | |
| Daily Active Users Worldwide(users) | 750,000+ | 50,000-100,000 | |
| Message History Searchability | Limited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid | Full history search across all plans | — |
| Video Conference Capacity(participants) | 15 | Requires third-party integration | — |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
S
2SlackZulip leads1 tie
Slack
Attribute
Zulip
- $6.67 - $12.50Monthly Subscription Cost (per user)$0 - $10.00(winner)
- 750,000+(winner)Daily Active Users Worldwide50,000-100,000
- 2,000+(winner)Third-party App Integrations150+
- Reply threads (recent addition)Message Threading ModelTopic-based threading (native)(winner)
- Basic search, limited free historyMessage Search CapabilityFull-text search across all history(winner)
- NoneOpen Source OptionYes (self-hostable)(winner)
- Pro plan and aboveEnterprise SSO/SAML SupportStandard plan and above
- Monthly Subscription Cost (per user)
Slack
$6.67 - $12.50
Zulip
$0 - $10.00(winner)
- Daily Active Users Worldwide
Slack
750,000+(winner)
Zulip
50,000-100,000
- Third-party App Integrations
Slack
2,000+(winner)
Zulip
150+
- Message Threading Model
Slack
Reply threads (recent addition)
Zulip
Topic-based threading (native)(winner)
- Message Search Capability
Slack
Basic search, limited free history
Zulip
Full-text search across all history(winner)
- Open Source Option
Slack
None
Zulip
Yes (self-hostable)(winner)
- Enterprise SSO/SAML Support
Slack
Pro plan and above
Zulip
Standard plan and above
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Slack | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| App Integrations(count) | 2,600+ | — |
| Third-Party App Integrations(count) | 2,400+ | — |
| Video Meeting Capacity(participants) | Up to 2,000 (with paid plan) | — |
| Native Office Integration | Limited (third-party connectors) | — |
| AI Copilot Features | Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing) | — |
Show 34 more attributesMessage History Retention on Free Plan(count) 10,000 most recent 100% unlimited Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants) Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants) — Native Video Conferencing Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing — Meeting Recording & Auto-Transcription Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services — Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5) 5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history) — Third-Party Integrations Available(count) 2,000+ — Enterprise AI Features Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation — Free Plan Message History(days) 90 days — Free Message History(days) 90 days maximum — Free Plan Message History Retention(days) 90 days — Free Plan External Guest Collaboration(capacity) Unlimited external guests via workspace invite — Email Service Included No — Message History Searchable(years) 10 years standard Unlimited (self-hosted) Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps) 50+ Custom via integrations (~15 standard) Pre-Built Integrations(count) 2,400+ integrations — Message History on Free Plan(days) 90-day limited access — Message History Retention(status) 10,000 messages (free); unlimited (paid) — Built-in Project Management(status) No (requires integrations) — Max Video Conference Participants(people) 1000 — Video Conference Max Participants(participants) 150 — Message Search History (Free Tier)(days) 90 days — Message Search Speed (Free Tier)(indexing scope) All messages indexed instantly — Message History Retention (Free Tier)(days) 90 days — Video Meeting Participant Limit(participants) 2000 — Self-Hosting Capability Not available — Cloud Storage Included Per User(GB) 0 GB (integrations only) — Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)(participants) 2 — Message History Search (Self-Hosted)(messages) 10,000 (free), unlimited (paid) — File Storage (Free Plan)(GB) 5GB — Free Plan App Integrations(apps) 10 maximum — Max Group Video Call Participants(users) 3 (free tier) — Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale) 7.5 — Offline Message Functionality(yes/no) Limited — Message History Searchability Limited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid Full history search across all plans | ||
| Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo) | $7.25 | — |
| Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month) | $7.25 | — |
| Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD) | $87 (billed yearly) | — |
| Monthly Cost per 20-Person Team(USD) | $3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user) | $140 (Cloud Standard flat-rate)(winner) |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users) | — |
| Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD) | $7.25 | — |
Show 32 more attributesBusiness+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $12.50 — Price Stability (2024-2026)(months) No increases for 33 months — Free Tier Cost(USD) Free — Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month) $7.25 — Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $7.25 — Years Price Stable (2026)(months) 33+ months — Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD) $150 (billed monthly) — Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user) $8.75 — Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) $12.50 per user/month — Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $12.50 — Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month) $7.25 — Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $8-12.50 (Pro/Business+) $0 self-hosted / $100-500 flat cloud Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD) $412.50/month — Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD) $150/month ($1,800/year) — Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD) $12.50/user (Pro plan) — Base Monthly Cost (10-person team)(USD) $80-150 — Cost for 50-person team(USD/month) $400-750 — Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) $8.75 (annual) — Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)(USD) $10,500 — Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Plan)(USD) $12.50 — Team Size Cost Efficiency Threshold(team members) Cost-effective until ~12 users — Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)(USD) $8.25 — Pro Plan Monthly Cost per User(USD) $12.50 — Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)(USD/month) $8/month — Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)(USD) $7.25 — Base Cost Per User/Month(USD) $8.99 — Monthly Cost Per User (Standard)(USD) $8-15 — Base Monthly Pricing (Annual Billed)(USD per user) $8 — Pro/Standard Plan Cost per User/Month(USD) $12.50/user/month — Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD) $8.75 — Starting Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $6.67 $0 Maximum Monthly Cost Per User(USD) $12.50 $10.00 | ||
| Message Search Speed(seconds) | Excellent - optimized search indexing | — |
| Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz) | 16 kHz | — |
| Maximum Video Call Participants(people) | 15 participants | — |
| Real-time Messaging Speed(ms (message delivery latency)) | 50-100ms (instant) | — |
| Time to Deploy(seconds (average)) | 3-7 | — |
Show 4 more attributesUptime Guarantee(percent) 99.99% — Desktop App Memory Usage(MB) 280 MB — Message Search Response Time(seconds) 2-4 seconds <1 second Message Delivery Latency(milliseconds) <100ms — | ||
| Mobile App Feature Parity | 95% | — |
| Global Market Share(%) | 65%(winner) | 2-3% |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 7 days | 14 days + unlimited self-hosted(winner) |
| Self-Hosting Available | No | Yes (open-source) |
| Self-Hosted/On-Premises Option | No (cloud-only) | — |
| Time to Operational Team Setup(hours) | Less than 1 hour | — |
| Self-Hosting/On-Premises Option | Not available (cloud-only) | Yes (open-source) |
| Google Workspace Integration Level | 2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native) | — |
| AI Features Count (2026)(features) | 30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements) | — |
| Available Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — |
| Native Third-Party Integrations(count) | 2,000+(winner) | 150+ |
| Third-Party App Integrations Available(apps) | 2,300+ | — |
| Native Integrations(count) | 2,000+(winner) | ~400 |
| Available Integrations(integrations) | 2,000+(winner) | 150+ |
Show 1 more attributeThird-Party Integrations Available(integrations) 2,000+ — | ||
| Deployment Options | Cloud-based SaaS only | — |
| Deployment Options | Cloud-only SaaS | — |
| GDPR & Data Sovereignty Compliance | Compliant but data on Salesforce servers | — |
| End-to-End Encryption Available | DMs only, Enterprise+ plan | — |
| End-to-End Encryption Default(null) | Not available | — |
| Source Code Availability | Proprietary/closed | — |
| End-to-End Encryption | Partial (DMs only, beta feature) | — |
Show 1 more attributeEnterprise Security Certifications(count) SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR — | ||
| Maximum Meeting Participants(participants) | Unlimited group chats | — |
| Built-in Task Management(features) | No: messaging-only, requires integrations | — |
| Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 2000+ | — |
| Native Integrations Available(platforms) | 2200+ | — |
| Native Microsoft 365 Integration | API-based (basic) | — |
| AI Features (2026) | Workflow automation, search enhancement | — |
| Real-Time Translation | Not available | — |
| Asynchronous Communication | Optimized with threads and archives | — |
| Zoom Rooms Cost(USD per room/month) | N/A | — |
| AI Assistant Capability | Slack AI (optional on paid plans) | — |
| AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages) | 0 (not native feature) | — |
| AI Meeting Assistant | Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting) | — |
| AI Transcription Included(support level) | No native feature | — |
| Google Workspace Native Integration | Limited (requires custom setup) | — |
| Third-party Integrations(count) | 2,000+ | — |
| Workflow Automation Complexity | Advanced with conditional logic | — |
| Storage Per User (Standard Plan)(GB) | Variable by plan | — |
| Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB) | 10 GB | — |
| File Storage Included(GB) | 5GB (Free), varies by plan | — |
| Free Tier File Storage(GB per user) | 1 GB shared workspace | — |
| Message history retention (free plan)(days) | 90 days searchable | — |
Show 2 more attributesFile Upload Limit(GB) 20GB — File Storage Per User(GB) 100 (workspace) — | ||
| Open Source | No, proprietary | — |
| Maximum Video Length (Free Tier)(minutes) | N/A | — |
| Maximum Video Resolution(pixels) | Requires 3rd party | — |
| Free Tier Message History Retention(days) | 90 days | — |
| Enterprise Uptime SLA(%) | 99.99% | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — |
| Service uptime SLA guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — |
| User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces) | 1 workspace | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants) | 3 participants | — |
| Maximum Meeting Participants (Paid)(participants) | Unlimited (slide deck view only) | — |
| FedRAMP Authorization(Yes/No) | No | — |
| HIPAA Compliance Certified | Yes (Business+ plan required) | — |
| SOC 2 Type II Certified | Yes | — |
| Custom Workflow Automation | Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations) | — |
| Users Per Workspace(count) | Unlimited | — |
| Total Registered Users(millions) | 750 million | — |
| Global Active Users(millions) | 750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations | — |
| Paying Organizations/Enterprise Customers(thousands) | 750 (in thousands = 750,000 paying orgs) | — |
| Daily Posts Published (Organic)(millions) | N/A | — |
| Active Workspaces(workspaces) | 750,000+(winner) | 5,000-10,000 estimated |
| Active Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000 | — |
| GitHub Stars (Community)(stars) | N/A (proprietary) | — |
| Active Organizational Users(organizations) | 750,000+ workspaces | — |
| User Base Size(millions of developers) | 21 million daily active | — |
| Threading Model | Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels) | Topic-based (complete conversation isolation within streams) |
| Open-Source | No (proprietary) | Apache 2.0 open-source |
| Mobile App Type | Native iOS/Android with feature-parity | Web-based with limited native apps |
| Native Video/Audio Calls | Yes (Slack Huddles) | — |
| Native App Integrations Available(count) | 2,400+ apps | — |
| Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces) | 750,000+ paid workspaces | — |
| Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count) | 750,000+ active workspaces | — |
| Active Workspaces (2024)(thousands) | 750,000+ workspaces | — |
| Daily Active Users Worldwide(users) | 750,000+(winner) | 50,000-100,000 |
| Setup Time for New Team(days) | 0.5-1 hour | — |
| Learning Curve(difficulty rating) | 2 | — |
| Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale) | 9.5 | — |
| Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10)) | 7.5 | — |
| User interface satisfaction rating(out of 10) | 9.2/10 | — |
| Average User Adoption Time(days) | 1-3 days | — |
| G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars) | 4.5/5 | — |
| G2 User Interface Rating(out of 5) | 4.6/5 (12,400 reviews) | — |
| iOS App Rating(stars out of 5) | 4.7 | — |
| Maximum video call participants (free tier)(people) | 100 participants | — |
| Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)(people) | Limited (typically 3-4) | — |
| Free Plan Video Participants(participants) | 2 participants | — |
| Free Plan Meeting Duration Limit(minutes) | 60 minutes | — |
| Meeting Recording Storage (Pro)(storage capacity) | N/A | — |
Show 1 more attributeScreen Sharing Quality(resolution) 1080p (30 fps) — | ||
| Enterprise app marketplace size(applications) | 2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory) | — |
| Free Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes) | 40 | — |
| Message Search Capability(text) | Full-text indexed across all messages | — |
| Daily Active Users(millions) | 21 million | — |
| Monthly Active Users(millions) | ~50 million (daily active) | — |
| Message History (Free Plan)(days) | 90 days | — |
| Message Search History(messages) | 10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid) | — |
| Organizations Using Platform(count (thousands)) | 750,000+ | — |
| GDPR Compliance | Certified (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR) | — |
| Maximum Video Length (Free Plan)(minutes) | N/A | — |
| Free Tier Video Storage(videos) | Unlimited (90-day history) | — |
| Enterprise Support SLA | 1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid) | — |
| Real-Time Chat Capability(support level) | Full-featured messaging | — |
| Message History (Pro Plan)(days) | Unlimited | — |
| Asynchronous Workflow Optimization(design focus) | Secondary feature | — |
| Countries Supported(countries) | 150+ | — |
| Languages Supported(languages) | 10+ | — |
| Setup Time for New Teams(minutes) | 15-20 | — |
| AI-Powered Features(count) | Slack AI assistant included | — |
| Threading Model Type | Channel + Reply threads | Channel + Topic threads (native) |
| Video Conference Capacity(participants) | 15 | Requires third-party integration |
SSlack
ZulipApp Integrations(count)
2,600+
—
Third-Party App Integrations(count)
2,400+
—
Video Meeting Capacity(participants)
Up to 2,000 (with paid plan)
—
Native Office Integration
Limited (third-party connectors)
—
AI Copilot Features
Slack AI (summarization, search, assisted writing)
—
Show 34 more attributes
Message History Retention on Free Plan(count)
10,000 most recent
100% unlimited
Free Tier Meeting Participant Limit(participants)
Unlimited (Slack Huddles for video limited to 50 participants)
—
Native Video Conferencing
Huddles for brief video, limited to 50 participants; requires external tool for full conferencing
—
Meeting Recording & Auto-Transcription
Not native; requires integration with Otter.ai or similar third-party services
—
Asynchronous Communication Strength(scale 1-5)
5 out of 5 (core feature with channels, threads, and history)
—
Third-Party Integrations Available(count)
2,000+
—
Enterprise AI Features
Advanced AI assistant, smart summaries, automation
—
Free Plan Message History(days)
90 days
—
Free Message History(days)
90 days maximum
—
Free Plan Message History Retention(days)
90 days
—
Free Plan External Guest Collaboration(capacity)
Unlimited external guests via workspace invite
—
Email Service Included
No
—
Message History Searchable(years)
10 years standard
Unlimited (self-hosted)
Workflow Automation Steps(built-in steps)
50+
Custom via integrations (~15 standard)
Pre-Built Integrations(count)
2,400+ integrations
—
Message History on Free Plan(days)
90-day limited access
—
Message History Retention(status)
10,000 messages (free); unlimited (paid)
—
Built-in Project Management(status)
No (requires integrations)
—
Max Video Conference Participants(people)
1000
—
Video Conference Max Participants(participants)
150
—
Message Search History (Free Tier)(days)
90 days
—
Message Search Speed (Free Tier)(indexing scope)
All messages indexed instantly
—
Message History Retention (Free Tier)(days)
90 days
—
Video Meeting Participant Limit(participants)
2000
—
Self-Hosting Capability
Not available
—
Cloud Storage Included Per User(GB)
0 GB (integrations only)
—
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Standard Plan)(participants)
2
—
Message History Search (Self-Hosted)(messages)
10,000 (free), unlimited (paid)
—
File Storage (Free Plan)(GB)
5GB
—
Free Plan App Integrations(apps)
10 maximum
—
Max Group Video Call Participants(users)
3 (free tier)
—
Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale)
7.5
—
Offline Message Functionality(yes/no)
Limited
—
Message History Searchability
Limited on free plan (10,000 messages); full search on paid
Full history search across all plans
Paid Starting Price(USD/user/mo)
$7.25
—
Standalone Monthly Pricing (Pro Tier)(USD per user per month)
$7.25
—
Annual Cost per User (Pro Tier)(USD)
$87 (billed yearly)
—
Monthly Cost per 20-Person Team(USD)
$3,600 (Pro plan at $15/user)
$140 (Cloud Standard flat-rate)
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$8.25 (Pro plan, min 3 users)
—
Base Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$7.25
—
Show 32 more attributes
Business+ Tier Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$12.50
—
Price Stability (2024-2026)(months)
No increases for 33 months
—
Free Tier Cost(USD)
Free
—
Pro/Standard Monthly Cost(USD per user/month)
$7.25
—
Minimum Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$7.25
—
Years Price Stable (2026)(months)
33+ months
—
Pro Plan Annual Cost(USD)
$150 (billed monthly)
—
Pro Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD per user)
$8.75
—
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)
$12.50 per user/month
—
Enterprise Plan Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$12.50
—
Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month)
$7.25
—
Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$8-12.50 (Pro/Business+)
$0 self-hosted / $100-500 flat cloud
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan, 50 users)(USD)
$412.50/month
—
Monthly Cost (10 Users, Annual)(USD)
$150/month ($1,800/year)
—
Price Per User Per Month (Pro/Standard)(USD)
$12.50/user (Pro plan)
—
Base Monthly Cost (10-person team)(USD)
$80-150
—
Cost for 50-person team(USD/month)
$400-750
—
Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$8.75 (annual)
—
Annual Subscription Cost (Pro, 100 users)(USD)
$10,500
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)
$12.50
—
Team Size Cost Efficiency Threshold(team members)
Cost-effective until ~12 users
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Standard)(USD)
$8.25
—
Pro Plan Monthly Cost per User(USD)
$12.50
—
Cost Per User (Annual, Lowest Paid Tier)(USD/month)
$8/month
—
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard Tier, Annual Billing)(USD)
$7.25
—
Base Cost Per User/Month(USD)
$8.99
—
Monthly Cost Per User (Standard)(USD)
$8-15
—
Base Monthly Pricing (Annual Billed)(USD per user)
$8
—
Pro/Standard Plan Cost per User/Month(USD)
$12.50/user/month
—
Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD)
$8.75
—
Starting Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$6.67
$0
Maximum Monthly Cost Per User(USD)
$12.50
$10.00
Message Search Speed(seconds)
Excellent - optimized search indexing
—
Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz)
16 kHz
—
Maximum Video Call Participants(people)
15 participants
—
Real-time Messaging Speed(ms (message delivery latency))
50-100ms (instant)
—
Time to Deploy(seconds (average))
3-7
—
Show 4 more attributes
Uptime Guarantee(percent)
99.99%
—
Desktop App Memory Usage(MB)
280 MB
—
Message Search Response Time(seconds)
2-4 seconds
<1 second
Message Delivery Latency(milliseconds)
<100ms
—
Mobile App Feature Parity
95%
—
Global Market Share(%)
65%
2-3%
Free Trial Duration(days)
7 days
14 days + unlimited self-hosted
Self-Hosting Available
No
Yes (open-source)
Self-Hosted/On-Premises Option
No (cloud-only)
—
Time to Operational Team Setup(hours)
Less than 1 hour
—
Self-Hosting/On-Premises Option
Not available (cloud-only)
Yes (open-source)
Google Workspace Integration Level
2 out of 5 (available via integration, not native)
—
AI Features Count (2026)(features)
30+ (CRM tools, meeting summaries, automation, SlackBot enhancements)
—
Available Integrations(integrations)
2000+
—
Native Third-Party Integrations(count)
2,000+
150+
Third-Party App Integrations Available(apps)
2,300+
—
Native Integrations(count)
2,000+
~400
Available Integrations(integrations)
2,000+
150+
Show 1 more attribute
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)
2,000+
—
Deployment Options
Cloud-based SaaS only
—
Deployment Options
Cloud-only SaaS
—
GDPR & Data Sovereignty Compliance
Compliant but data on Salesforce servers
—
End-to-End Encryption Available
DMs only, Enterprise+ plan
—
End-to-End Encryption Default(null)
Not available
—
Source Code Availability
Proprietary/closed
—
End-to-End Encryption
Partial (DMs only, beta feature)
—
Show 1 more attribute
Enterprise Security Certifications(count)
SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
—
Maximum Meeting Participants(participants)
Unlimited group chats
—
Built-in Task Management(features)
No: messaging-only, requires integrations
—
Third-party Integrations(integrations)
2000+
—
Native Integrations Available(platforms)
2200+
—
Native Microsoft 365 Integration
API-based (basic)
—
AI Features (2026)
Workflow automation, search enhancement
—
Real-Time Translation
Not available
—
Asynchronous Communication
Optimized with threads and archives
—
Zoom Rooms Cost(USD per room/month)
N/A
—
AI Assistant Capability
Slack AI (optional on paid plans)
—
AI Transcription Languages Supported(languages)
0 (not native feature)
—
AI Meeting Assistant
Slack AI (search, summarization, drafting)
—
AI Transcription Included(support level)
No native feature
—
Google Workspace Native Integration
Limited (requires custom setup)
—
Third-party Integrations(count)
2,000+
—
Workflow Automation Complexity
Advanced with conditional logic
—
Storage Per User (Standard Plan)(GB)
Variable by plan
—
Cloud Storage (Base Plan)(GB)
10 GB
—
File Storage Included(GB)
5GB (Free), varies by plan
—
Free Tier File Storage(GB per user)
1 GB shared workspace
—
Message history retention (free plan)(days)
90 days searchable
—
Show 2 more attributes
File Upload Limit(GB)
20GB
—
File Storage Per User(GB)
100 (workspace)
—
Open Source
No, proprietary
—
Maximum Video Length (Free Tier)(minutes)
N/A
—
Maximum Video Resolution(pixels)
Requires 3rd party
—
Free Tier Message History Retention(days)
90 days
—
Enterprise Uptime SLA(%)
99.99%
—
Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent)
99.99%
—
Service uptime SLA guarantee(percent)
99.99%
—
User Workspace Limit (Free Tier)(workspaces)
1 workspace
—
Maximum Meeting Participants (Free)(participants)
3 participants
—
Maximum Meeting Participants (Paid)(participants)
Unlimited (slide deck view only)
—
FedRAMP Authorization(Yes/No)
No
—
HIPAA Compliance Certified
Yes (Business+ plan required)
—
SOC 2 Type II Certified
Yes
—
Custom Workflow Automation
Advanced (Workflow Builder, automations)
—
Users Per Workspace(count)
Unlimited
—
Total Registered Users(millions)
750 million
—
Global Active Users(millions)
750+ million messages daily across 750k+ organizations
—
Paying Organizations/Enterprise Customers(thousands)
750 (in thousands = 750,000 paying orgs)
—
Daily Posts Published (Organic)(millions)
N/A
—
Active Workspaces(workspaces)
750,000+
5,000-10,000 estimated
Active Workspaces/Deployments(count)
750,000
—
GitHub Stars (Community)(stars)
N/A (proprietary)
—
Active Organizational Users(organizations)
750,000+ workspaces
—
User Base Size(millions of developers)
21 million daily active
—
Threading Model
Channel-based threads (contextual loss in active channels)
Topic-based (complete conversation isolation within streams)
Open-Source
No (proprietary)
Apache 2.0 open-source
Mobile App Type
Native iOS/Android with feature-parity
Web-based with limited native apps
Native Video/Audio Calls
Yes (Slack Huddles)
—
Native App Integrations Available(count)
2,400+ apps
—
Paid Workspaces/Users (Enterprise Adoption)(workspaces)
750,000+ paid workspaces
—
Active Global Workspaces/Deployments(count)
750,000+ active workspaces
—
Active Workspaces (2024)(thousands)
750,000+ workspaces
—
Daily Active Users Worldwide(users)
750,000+
50,000-100,000
Setup Time for New Team(days)
0.5-1 hour
—
Learning Curve(difficulty rating)
2
—
Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale)
9.5
—
Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10))
7.5
—
User interface satisfaction rating(out of 10)
9.2/10
—
Average User Adoption Time(days)
1-3 days
—
G2 Ease of Use Rating (2024)(stars)
4.5/5
—
G2 User Interface Rating(out of 5)
4.6/5 (12,400 reviews)
—
iOS App Rating(stars out of 5)
4.7
—
Maximum video call participants (free tier)(people)
100 participants
—
Maximum Video Conference Participants (Free)(people)
Limited (typically 3-4)
—
Free Plan Video Participants(participants)
2 participants
—
Free Plan Meeting Duration Limit(minutes)
60 minutes
—
Meeting Recording Storage (Pro)(storage capacity)
N/A
—
Show 1 more attribute
Screen Sharing Quality(resolution)
1080p (30 fps)
—
Enterprise app marketplace size(applications)
2,000+ apps (Slack App Directory)
—
Free Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes)
40
—
Message Search Capability(text)
Full-text indexed across all messages
—
Daily Active Users(millions)
21 million
—
Monthly Active Users(millions)
~50 million (daily active)
—
Message History (Free Plan)(days)
90 days
—
Message Search History(messages)
10,000 (free tier); unlimited (paid)
—
Organizations Using Platform(count (thousands))
750,000+
—
GDPR Compliance
Certified (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR)
—
Maximum Video Length (Free Plan)(minutes)
N/A
—
Free Tier Video Storage(videos)
Unlimited (90-day history)
—
Enterprise Support SLA
1-4 hours (Enterprise Grid)
—
Real-Time Chat Capability(support level)
Full-featured messaging
—
Message History (Pro Plan)(days)
Unlimited
—
Asynchronous Workflow Optimization(design focus)
Secondary feature
—
Countries Supported(countries)
150+
—
Languages Supported(languages)
10+
—
Setup Time for New Teams(minutes)
15-20
—
AI-Powered Features(count)
Slack AI assistant included
—
Threading Model Type
Channel + Reply threads
Channel + Topic threads (native)
Video Conference Capacity(participants)
15
Requires third-party integration
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
S
S
Slack
+5-3
Pros
- 2,000+ pre-built integrations including Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot, Zendesk
- Largest app ecosystem with dedicated app discovery marketplace
- Native video/voice calling and screen sharing with up to 15 participants
- Advanced workflow automation with Slack Workflow Builder
- Superior mobile app experience with offline messaging
Cons
- Higher cost at $6.67-$12.50 per user/month (60-80% more expensive than Zulip)
- Limited message history on free plan (10,000 most recent messages only)
- Poor conversation organization — conversations spread across channels and threads without inherent topic grouping
Zulip
+5-3
Pros
- Topic-based threading system keeps conversations organized within channels without cluttering the main feed
- Full-text search across entire message history at no extra cost (unlimited retention)
- Significantly lower pricing: free tier with unlimited users, paid tiers at $0-$10/user/month
- Open-source and self-hostable (on-premises deployment option)
- Built-in Markdown support, code block syntax highlighting, and API-first design for developers
Cons
- Significantly smaller ecosystem with only 150+ integrations vs Slack's 2,000+
- Niche market adoption — 90% smaller user base limits network effects and vendor partnerships
- Weaker mobile app experience; less optimized for mobile-first teams
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Zulip is significantly cheaper. For 50 users: Slack costs $167-$312/month (at $6.67-$12.50/user); Zulip's Pro plan costs $99/month flat rate or $0 with self-hosting. Annual savings with Zulip: $800-$2,556 per year for a 50-person team.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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