OwncastvsZulip
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Owncast | Zulip | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 4 in Live Streaming | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 11 631 | 26 133 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +78 | +190 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 6 |
| Latest release | v0.3.0 · 2 Sept 2026 | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Zulip scores 82/100 against 73/100 for Owncast, so it is the safer default.
Zulip ships more often: 6 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Owncast.
If you want the quickest setup, Owncast is easier to run; Zulip needs more configuration.
Zulip is growing faster right now (+190 stars in 30 days).
Owncast details →Zulip details →