# OpenViking vs Zulip

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

| | OpenViking | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #8 of 209 in AI Agents | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 41 062 ✓ | 26 134 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +2 496 ✓ | +191 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 55 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | v0.5.2.1 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenViking and Zulip score the same (82/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

OpenViking ships more often: 55 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.

OpenViking is growing faster right now (+2 496 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [OpenViking](https://selfhost.directory/project/openviking) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openviking.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/openviking-vs-zulip