Element Web vs Zulip
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Element Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
VS
Zulip
Threaded team chat that combines email and chat
| Feature | Element Web | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Team Chat |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,353 | ★ 25,619 |
| First released | 2016 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose Zulip if…
- Excellent conversation organization
- Strong async workflow
- Fully open source
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or Zulip better?
Neither is universally better. Zulip has the larger community, while Element Web is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Element Web and Zulip free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zulip under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and Zulip with Docker?
Element Web: yes. Zulip: yes.