Zero-KvsZulip
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Zero-K | Zulip | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 23 in Gaming | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 877 | 26 134 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +26 | +184 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 6 |
| Latest release | — | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Lua | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Zulip scores 82/100 against 62/100 for Zero-K, so it is the safer default.
Zulip ships more often: 6 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Zero-K.
If you want the quickest setup, Zero-K is easier to run; Zulip needs more configuration.
Zulip is growing faster right now (+184 stars in 30 days).
Zero-K details →Zulip details →
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