compare
Rocket.Chat vs Zulip
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Rocket.Chat | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Licence | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 46k | 26k |
| Latest | 8.9.0 | 12.3 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Release cadence | too few releases | about 45 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 31+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 52+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Mattermost. Alternatives to Mattermost →
Full replacementRocket.ChatChannels, threads and federation, self-hosted.
Full replacementZulipConversations split into topics inside each channel.
Both replace Slack. Alternatives to Slack →
Full replacementRocket.ChatChannels, threads and federation on your own server, with an importer for Slack exports.
Full replacementZulipConversations split into topics inside each channel, with an importer for Slack exports.
Rocket.Chat
- 8.9.02026-10-058.9.0 LTS
- 8.9.0-rc.52026-10-03Node: >=22.22.3 <23 || >=24.15.0 <25pre-release
- 8.9.0-rc.42026-10-01Node: >=22.22.3 <23 || >=24.15.0 <25pre-release
- 8.9.0-rc.32026-09-30Node: >=22.22.3 <23 || >=24.15.0 <25pre-release
- 8.9.0-rc.22026-09-28Node: >=22.22.3 <23 || >=24.15.0 <25pre-release
Zulip
- 12.32026-09-21Zulip Server 12.3
- 12.22026-08-10Zulip Server 12.2
- 12.12026-06-26Zulip Server 12.1
- 12.02026-04-27Zulip Server 12.0
- 12.0-beta22026-04-26Zulip Server 12.0-beta2pre-release
Rocket.Chat
unsigned The latest release, 8.9.0, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
Loading the security report
Zulip
unsigned The latest release, 12.3, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
Loading the security report