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ZulipRocket.Chat Desktop
Freemium

The server and clients are free and open source and can be self-hosted at no cost. Zulip…

 Free

The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and…

Windows, macOS, Linux, Android Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Topic-based threading inside channels, which makes catching up genuinely practical
  • Self-hostable, or hosted, with free plans for open-source communities
  • Provides desktop packages for Windows, macOS and Linux.
  • The topic model takes getting used to and needs team discipline to work
  • The desktop client shares most of its code with the web app, so it inherits its quirks
  • Workspace access and server licensing are separate from the desktop client.
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: Apache-2.0 License: MIT
Account needed Not stated if an account is needed
Needs internet Not stated if it works offline

Checked September 21, 2026

Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.