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Zulip vs Synology Chat: catalog facts
Zulip	Synology Chat
Freemium The server and clients are free and open source and can be self-hosted at no cost. Zulip…	Free License-free, but it requires a Synology NAS to host the server.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web, Self-hosted
Topic-based threading inside channels, which makes catching up genuinely practical Self-hostable, or hosted, with free plans for open-source communities	Messages stay on your own NAS Optional end-to-end encryption for conversations or channels
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	Only runs on Synology NAS hardware Closed source
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Web application, Self-hosted
Open source	Closed 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 October 1, 2026

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