Nheko 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?
Nheko
Desktop Matrix client with native Qt interface
VS
Zulip
Threaded team chat that combines email and chat
| Feature | Nheko | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Team Chat |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,472 | ★ 25,619 |
| First released | 2017 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose Nheko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose Zulip if…
- Excellent conversation organization
- Strong async workflow
- Fully open source
Frequently asked questions
Is Nheko or Zulip better?
Neither is universally better. Zulip has the larger community, while Nheko is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Nheko and Zulip free and open-source?
Yes. Nheko is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Zulip under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nheko and Zulip with Docker?
Nheko: check the project docs for container support. Zulip: yes.