Zulip
Zulip is an open source chat and collaborative software created by Jessica McKellar and Tim Abbott in 2012.[3][4]
Screenshot of the Zulip web interface | |
Original author(s) | Jessica McKellar and Tim Abbott |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Kandra Labs, Inc. [1] |
Initial release | 2012 |
Stable release | 3.3
/ December 1, 2020[2] |
Repository | |
Written in | Python, JavaScript (web frontend), React Native (iOS and Android), Electron (desktop apps) |
Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone |
Type | Collaborative software |
License | Apache License 2.0 |
Website | zulipchat |
History
Zulip was originally developed as proprietary software by a startup called Zulip, Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2014, while in private beta, the company was acquired by Dropbox.[4][5] In September 2015, Dropbox open-sourced it under the Apache License.[6] Today, it is a leading open source alternative to Slack,[7] with over 34,000 commits contributed by 550 people.[8]
Overview
In Zulip, communication occurs in streams (which are like channels in IRC). Each stream can have several topics - Zulip features a unique threading model, in which each message also has a topic, along with the content. Zulip claims that this improves productivity by "making easy to catch up after a day of meetings". Apart from this, Zulip offers standard features found in collaboration apps like message reactions, message search history, polls, private messaging, group messaging etc. Zulip streams can be private or public - only people invited to a private stream can view messages in it, while anyone within an organization can join a public stream. Messages in Zulip can be sent in plain-text or formatted using markdown, along with images, links, and file attachments.[9] Zulip also offers support for native integrations with hundreds of services, which can extend its functionality.[10]
Official client apps
Apart from the web interface, Zulip officially supports three other clients, all of which are open sourced:
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
- A desktop client for Windows, OSX and Linux.
- A terminal client of Linux, OSX and Windows (WSL).
See also
References
- "The Zulip team".
- "Releases - zulip/zulip". Retrieved 1 December 2020 – via GitHub.
- "This Is What Impactful Engineering Leadership Looks Like". First Round Review. First Round Capital. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- Perez, Sarah (March 17, 2014). "Dropbox Acquires Zulip, A Stealthy Workplace Chat Solution Still In Private Beta". TechCrunch.
- Kerr, Dara (March 17, 2014). "Dropbox gets chatty and buys workplace chat service Zulip". CNET.
- Dove, Jackie (September 26, 2015). "Dropbox releases its chat app Zulip under an open-source license". thenextweb.com.
- Ravenscraft, Eric (September 27, 2015). "Zulip is a Free Team Chat Client From Dropbox You Can Host Yourself". Life Hacker.
- "The Zulip GitHub".
- "Zulip Features". Zulip. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
- "Connect the tools you use to Zulip". Zulip. Retrieved 2020-03-01.