# Tailchat vs Zulip

> Two self-hosted [Slack alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/slack), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Tailchat | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 63/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #6 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 3 642 | 26 134 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +10 | +184 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | v1.11.18 · 2 Oct 2026 ✓ | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Zulip scores 82/100 against 63/100 for Tailchat, so it is the safer default.

Tailchat ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.

Zulip is growing faster right now (+184 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

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