# Appwrite vs Zulip

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

| | Appwrite | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 15 in Backend as a Service | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 57 786 ✓ | 26 133 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +334 ✓ | +190 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | 1.9.10 · 24 Oct 2026 ✓ | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Appwrite scores 84/100 against 82/100 for Zulip, so it is the safer default.

Appwrite ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.

## Details

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

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