Bytedesk vs Zulip

Comparing two open source alternatives to Slack. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Bytedesk

AGPL-3.0

Open source AI-powered omnichannel customer service platform that combines live chat, ticketing, and team collaboration as an alternative to Slack, Zendesk, Intercom, and HubSpot.

Visit Full details

Zulip

Apache-2.0

Open-source team chat with a unique topic-based threading model that makes it easy to follow multiple conversations.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Bytedesk	Zulip
License	AGPL-3.0	Apache-2.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	505	26,027
Forks	141	10,378
Open Issues	—	2,048
Last Commit	Oct 7, 2026	Oct 9, 2026
First Released	Oct 12, 2023	Sep 25, 2015
Categories	Team Chat & Messaging Tools Customer Communication Platforms	Team Chat & Messaging Tools
Tags	—	#chat #messaging #collaboration

GitHub stars over time

Bytedesk505

Zulip

Similar open source alternatives

Krayin CRM

A free and open-source Laravel CRM for SMEs and enterprises with full customer lifecycle management.

Alternative to:

HubSpot

Mumble

Low-latency, open-source voice chat built for gaming — self-host your own server with no subscription required.

Alternative to:

Discord

Relaticle

Open-source CRM with native AI agent support, 30 MCP tools, REST API, and self-hosting capabilities.

Alternative to:

Salesforce

Chatto

A self-hosted chat application for teams and communities with video calls, voice calls, and screen sharing.

Alternative to:

Slack

Frappe CRM

A modern, open-source CRM by the Frappe team, built for sales teams to manage leads and deals efficiently.

Alternative to:

HubSpot

Dolibarr

A free and open-source ERP and CRM platform for businesses, foundations, and freelancers of any size.

Alternative to:

Salesforce