# apisix vs Zulip

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | apisix | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 39 in API Gateway | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 17 261 | 26 134 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +100 | +191 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Latest release | 3.19.0 · 28 Sept 2026 ✓ | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Zulip scores 82/100 against 78/100 for apisix, so it is the safer default.

Zulip ships more often: 6 stable releases in the past year, against 5 for apisix.

## Details

- [apisix](https://selfhost.directory/project/apisix) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/apisix.md)
- [Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/project/zulip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zulip.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-zulip)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/apisix-vs-zulip