Choosing between Zulip Cloud and self-hosting

This page will help you decide whether signing up for Zulip Cloud or self-hosting Zulip best fits the needs of your organization. For additional guidance, reach out to sales@zulip.com.

Advantages of Zulip Cloud

No setup or maintenance overhead: Zulip Cloud is a simple SaaS solution, so you don’t need to set up your own server. It only take a minute to sign up.
Always up to date: Zulip Cloud is updated every couple of weeks with the latest version of Zulip. In contrast, new features are released for self-hosted installations twice a year (with maintenance releases in between).
Operated by experts: Zulip Cloud is operated by the core team developing Zulip, with deep expertise in running your mission-critical chat software with minimal downtime.
Free to get started: Zulip Cloud Free makes it easy to get started, and has all the features you need for casual use.

Under your control: Retain full control over your data and simplify compliance by self-hosting Zulip behind your firewall.
Access to all of Zulip’s features: All self-hosted plans offer the same 100% open-source software. Organizations that do not require support with their installation can always use Zulip for free with no limitations.
Simple set-up process: It’s easy to install Zulip directly on Ubuntu or Debian Linux, in Docker, or with prebuilt images for Digital Ocean and Render.
Easy to maintain: Zulip offers convenient tools for backing up, and maintaining a self-hosted Zulip server.
Customizable: Customize Zulip for all your needs. It’s easy to develop and maintain custom integrations and features.
Budget option: For organizations with expertise in self-hosting their tools and a tight budget, the Zulip Basic plan can be a great choice.

Free or heavily discounted pricing is available for most non-business uses. Learn how to apply for a sponsored Cloud or self-hosted plan.