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Zulip vs Stoat: catalog facts
Zulip	Stoat
Freemium The server and clients are free and open source and can be self-hosted at no cost. Zulip…	Free Free to use, with no ads according to the site.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web
Topic-based threading inside channels, which makes catching up genuinely practical Self-hostable, or hosted, with free plans for open-source communities	Servers, channels, voice chat and file sharing in one app Role-based permissions and moderation tools for large communities
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	Requires an account to use Smaller user base than mainstream community chat apps
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License not stated
Account needed	Account needed
Needs internet	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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