head to head · open source
Zulip vs openvidu
Zulip has 26,165 GitHub stars, 10,531 forks, 2,008 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. openvidu has 2,141 stars, 482 forks, 103 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Zulip leads on adoption by 1,122% (26,165 vs 2,141 stars). Zulip is written in Python under Apache-2.0; openvidu is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Zulip has attracted 40% as many forks as stars, openvidu 23%. openvidu was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (chat), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Zulip | openvidu | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 2.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 11K | ⑂ 482 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Zulip if
- You weight community size — 26K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick openvidu if
- You want the openvidu feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and openvidu fits your workflow better
About Zulip
Zulip overview Zulip is an open source organized team chat app with unique [topic based threading][why zulip] that combines the best of email and chat to make remote work productive and delightful. Fortune 500 companies, [leading open source projects][rust case study], and thousands of other organizations use Zulip every day. Zulip is the only [modern team chat app][features] that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip is built by a distributed community of developers from all around the world, with 99+ people who have each contributed 100+ commits. With over 1,500 contributors merging…
read the full Zulip overview →
About openvidu
[![][OpenViduLogo]]( openvidu === Visit openvidu.io What is OpenVidu? OpenVidu is a platform for building real time video conferencing applications. It's built on top of LiveKit and mediasoup, and is developed by a team with over a decade of experience building WebRTC systems. Self hosted : deploy it on your own infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure, Oracle, DigitalOcean, on premises) or use it as a managed service. API compatible with LiveKit : use any LiveKit client/server SDK unchanged. OpenVidu Meet : a fully featured video conferencing app that ships on top of this platform, ready to use or embed. Advanced media…
read the full openvidu overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zulip or openvidu more popular?
Zulip has 26,165 GitHub stars and openvidu has 2,141. Zulip has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zulip and openvidu free?
Both are open source. Zulip is licensed under Apache-2.0 and openvidu under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zulip and openvidu?
Zulip is written in Python and openvidu in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Zulip or openvidu?
Choose Zulip if you want the larger community (26,165 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose openvidu if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.