Mattermost vs Zulip
Self-host pick — both replace Slack (Team chat).
Both Mattermost and Zulip self-host as a replacement for Slack (Team chat). Pick Mattermost if you want the lighter footprint — 15min docker-compose, $5 vps handles ~50 daily-active users on the postgres + mattermost server combo. Pick Zulip if you need async teams that hate Slack's flat-channel firehose — 30-60min (their installer script on Ubuntu 22.04) and $10 vps minimum (their installer wants 2gb+ ram).
| Mattermostopen-source | Zulipopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 (Team Edition) / Source Available (Enterprise) | Apache-2.0 |
| Setup time | 15min docker-compose | 30-60min (their installer script on Ubuntu 22.04) |
| Monthly cost | $5 VPS handles ~50 daily-active users on the Postgres + Mattermost server combo. | $10 VPS minimum (their installer wants 2GB+ RAM). |
| GitHub | mattermost/mattermost | zulip/zulip |
| Replaces | Slack + 2 other | Slack |
Good fit for
Mattermost
Engineering teams that want Slack-shaped chat with code blocks and integrations.
Weak at:Voice/video huddles are weaker than Slack's; mobile clients are slower.
Zulip
Async teams that hate Slack's flat-channel firehose.
Weak at:Cultural shift to topic-threaded chat is the actual blocker, not setup.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli slack prints Slack's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Mattermost or Zulip?
Mattermost: 15min docker-compose. Zulip: 30-60min (their installer script on Ubuntu 22.04).
What does each cost to run?
Mattermost: $5 VPS handles ~50 daily-active users on the Postgres + Mattermost server combo.. Zulip: $10 VPS minimum (their installer wants 2GB+ RAM).. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Mattermost and Zulip replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Slack.