Self-hosted Zulip billing
This page describes how to manage your self-hosted plan, and answers some common
questions about plans and billing for self-hosted organizations. Please refer to
Self-hosted Zulip plans and pricing for plan
details.
The topics covered include:
If you have any questions not answered here, please don't hesitate to
reach out at sales@zulip.com.
Self-hosted plans overview
Organizations that self-host Zulip can take advantage of the following plan
options:
-
Free: Includes free access to Zulip's Mobile Push Notification
Service for up to 10 users.
-
Basic: Includes unlimited access to Zulip's Mobile Push Notification
Service for organizations with more than 10 users.
-
Business: Includes commercial support, in addition to push notifications
access. Zulip's support team can answer questions about installation and
upgrades, provide guidance in tricky situations, and help avoid painful
complications before they happen. You can also get guidance on how best to use
dozens of Zulip features and configuration options.
-
Enterprise: If your organization requires hands-on support, such as
real-time assistance during installation and upgrades, help with advanced
deployment options, development of custom features or integrations, etc.,
please contact sales@zulip.com to discuss pricing.
-
Community: This free plan includes unlimited push notifications access,
and is available for many non-commercial organizations with more than 10 users
(details below).
For full plan details, please take a look at self-hosted Zulip plans and
pricing.
There is no option to combine multiple plans (e.g., Free and Basic) within a
single organization. Pricing is based on the
number of non-deactivated users, not on which features each user is taking
advantage of. However, paid plan discounts are available in a variety of
situations; see below for details.
Organization plan or server plan?
You can purchase self-hosted plans for a Zulip organization, or for your entire
server.
If your server hosts a single Zulip organization, follow the
instructions for organization-level billing
(available on Zulip Server 8.0+). This will provide a more convenient plan
management experience.
If your server hosts multiple organizations, you can manage plans individually
for each organization, or purchase a single plan to cover your entire server.
Commercial support for any server-wide configurations requires upgrading the
organization with the largest number of users.
Log in to billing management
Once you are logged in, you can upgrade to a paid
plan, manage billing, cancel a
paid plan, or apply for a free Community
plan or a paid plan
discount.
- Organization-level billing
- Server-level billing
This feature is only available to organization owners and billing administrators.
-
Your Zulip server administrator should register the server with Zulip's
Mobile Push Notification Service, following these
instructions.
The Zulip Server 10.0+ installer includes a --push-notifications flag that
automates this registration process.
-
Click on the gear () icon in
the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.
-
Select Plan management.
-
(first-time log in) Enter the email address you want to use for plan
management, and click Continue.
-
(first-time log in) In your email account, open the email you received
(Subject: Confirm email for Zulip plan management), and click Confirm and
log in.
-
(first-time log in) Enter your name, configure your email preferences, and
accept the Terms of Service.
-
Verify your information, and click Continue.
A server administrator is anyone who sets up and manages your Zulip
installation. A billing administrator is anyone responsible for managing
your Zulip plan.
Server administrator steps:
-
Register the server with Zulip's Mobile Push Notification Service, following
these
instructions.
The Zulip Server 10.0+ installer includes a --push-notifications flag that
automates this registration process.
-
Go to https://selfhosting.zulip.com/serverlogin/.
-
Fill out the requested server information, and click Continue.
-
Enter the email address of the billing contact for your organization,
and click Confirm email.
Billing administrator steps:
-
In your email account, open the email you received
(Subject: Log in to Zulip plan management), and click Log in.
-
Verify your information, and click Continue. If you are logging in for
the first time, you will need to enter your name and accept the Terms of
Service.
Upgrade to a paid plan
Start a free trial
New customers are eligible for a free 30-day trial of the Basic plan.
An organization is considered to be a new customer if:
-
It was not registered for Zulip's Mobile Push Notification
Service prior to December 12, 2023, and
-
It has never previously signed up for a self-hosted Zulip plan (Basic,
Business, Community or Enterprise).
- Pay by credit card
- Pay by invoice
-
Log in to billing management.
-
On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the Start
30-day trial button at the bottom of the Basic plan.
-
Click Add card to enter your payment details.
-
(optional) Update the billing details included on receipts so that
they are different from the information entered for the payment method,
e.g., in case you would prefer that the company's name be on receipts
instead of the card holder's name.
-
Click Start 30-day trial to start your free trial.
Once you start the trial, you can switch between monthly and annual
billing on your organization's billing page.
Only manual license management is available
when paying by invoice. If you are using a non-US bank, please see
details on making sure your payment covers
the full amount of the invoice.
-
Log in to billing management.
-
On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the Start
30-day trial button at the bottom of the Basic plan.
-
Select pay by invoice.
-
Select your preferred option from the Payment schedule dropdown.
-
Select the Number of licenses you would like to purchase for your
organization. You can adjust this number to update your initial invoice any
time during your trial.
-
Click Update billing information to enter your billing details, which
will be included on invoices and receipts.
-
Click Start 30-day trial to start your free trial.
Upgrade directly to a paid plan
- Pay by credit card
- Pay by invoice
-
Log in to billing management.
-
On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the button at the bottom
of the plan you would like to purchase.
-
Select your preferred option from the Payment schedule dropdown.
-
Click Add card to enter your payment details.
-
(optional) View and update billing information included on
receipts so that they are different from the information entered for
the payment method, e.g., in case you would prefer that the company's
name be on receipts instead of the card holder's name.
-
Click the Purchase button to complete your purchase.
Only manual license management is available
when paying by invoice. If you are using a non-US bank, please see
details on making sure your payment covers
the full amount of the invoice.
-
Log in to billing management.
-
On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the button at the bottom
of the plan you would like to purchase.
-
Select pay by invoice.
-
Select your preferred option from the Payment schedule dropdown.
-
Select the Number of licenses you would like to purchase for your
organization; see details about manual license
management.
-
Click Update billing information to enter your billing details,
which will be included on invoices and receipts.
-
Click the Send invoice button, and an email with an initial
invoice will be sent to the email address you used to sign in.
-
Your plan will be upgraded when the initial invoice is paid.
Until the initial invoice is paid, logging in to manage your billing
will show a page with a link to the outstanding invoice. You'll be able
to manage your plan once your first invoice is paid.
Manage billing
On the billing page for an active paid plan you can:
-
View your past invoices.
-
View and update the billing details displayed on invoices and receipts
for future payments.
-
If you pay for your plan by credit card, update your card's payment
details.
-
Change your billing frequency to be monthly or annual.
-
If you opted for manual license
management, you can update
the number of licenses
for the current billing period or the next billing period.
- Instructions for all platforms
Cancel paid plan
If you cancel your plan, your organization will be downgraded to the
Free plan at the end of the current billing period.
- Instructions for all platforms
Zulip sponsors free plans for over 1000 worthy organizations. The following
types of organizations are generally eligible for the Community plan.
- Open-source projects, including projects with a small paid team.
- Research in an academic setting, such as research groups, cross-institutional
collaborations, etc.
- Organizations operated by individual educators, such as a professor teaching
one or more classes.
- Non-profits with no paid staff.
- Communities and personal organizations (clubs, groups of
friends, volunteer groups, etc.).
Organizations that have up to 10 users, or do not require mobile push
notifications, will likely find the Free plan to be the most convenient
option. Larger organizations are encouraged to apply for the Community
plan, which includes unlimited push notifications and support for many Zulip
features.
If you aren't sure whether your organization qualifies, submitting a sponsorship
form describing your situation is a great starting point. Many organizations
that don't qualify for the Community plan can still receive discounted paid
plan pricing.
These instructions describe the Community plan application process for an
existing Zulip server. If you would like to inquire about eligibility prior to
setting up a self-hosted server, contact sales@zulip.com.
- Instructions for all platforms
-
Log in to billing management.
-
On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, scroll down to the
Sponsorship and discounts area, and click Apply here.
-
Fill out the requested information, and click Submit. Your application
will be reviewed for Community plan eligibility.
Organizations that do not qualify for a Community plan may be offered a
discount for the Basic plan.
Paid plan discounts
The following types of organizations are generally eligible for significant
discounts on paid plans. You can also contact
sales@zulip.com to discuss bulk discount pricing for a
large organization.
If there are any circumstances that make regular pricing unaffordable for your
organization, contact sales@zulip.com to discuss your
situation.
Education pricing
Organizations operated by individual educators (for example, a professor
teaching one or more classes) are generally eligible for the Community
plan.
Departments and other institutions using Zulip with students are eligible for
discounted education pricing. Other educational uses (e.g., by teaching staff or
university IT) may qualify for non-profit pricing.
-
For-profit education pricing:
- Basic plan: $0.50 per user per month
- Business plan: $1 per user per month with annual billing
($1.20/month billed monthly) with a minimum purchase of 100 licenses.
-
Non-profit education pricing: The non-profit discount applies to
online purchases only (no additional legal agreements) for use at registered
non-profit institutions (e.g., colleges and universities).
- Basic plan: $0.35 per user per month
- Business plan: $0.67 per user per month with annual billing
($0.80/month billed monthly) with a minimum purchase of 100 licenses.
Non-profit pricing
Non-profits with no paid staff are eligible for the Community
plan.
For non-profits with paid staff, volunteers and other unpaid participants in
your community are eligible for free Zulip accounts. Additionally, discounts are
available for paid staff accounts. Contact
sales@zulip.com to arrange discounted pricing for your
organization.
Guest user discounts
There is no automatic discount for guest users. However, organizations with a
large number of guest users are very likely to be eligible for a discount. If
this is your situation, please apply for a discount or email
sales@zulip.com.
Duplicate accounts
Some servers host multiple organizations, with some individuals having accounts in
several of these organizations. If you have this setup, the ability to
configure whether guests can see other
users
(introduced in Zulip 8.0) may allow you to consolidate into a single Zulip
organization.
If you want to maintain a multi-organization setup with duplicate accounts, you
may contact sales@zulip.com to arrange a discounted rate.
Apply for a paid plan discount
These instructions describe the paid plan discount application process for an
existing Zulip server. If you would like to inquire about paid plan discount
eligibility prior to setting up a self-hosted server, contact
sales@zulip.com.
- Instructions for all platforms
-
Log in to billing management.
-
On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, scroll down to the
Sponsorship and discounts area, and click Apply here.
-
Select your preferred option from the Plan dropdown.
-
Fill out the requested information, and click Submit. Your application
will be reviewed for discount eligibility.
Payment methods
What are my payment options?
You can pay by credit card or by invoice. If you choose to pay by
invoice, your organization will be upgraded to the plan you selected
once the initial invoice is paid.
Note that automatic license management is only available if you pay by
credit card. Paying by invoice requires manual license management.
International SWIFT transfers
If you choose to pay via a bank transfer from a bank outside of the United
States, your payment will likely incur a transfer charge. When asked which side
will pay the transfer charge, please be sure to select “OUR” from the menu
of options. Otherwise, third party banking fees will be deducted from the amount
you transfer, and the resulting total will be insufficient to pay the full
amount of your invoice.
License management options
How does automatic license management work?
Automatic license management is recommended unless you have a
specific reason to choose manual license management.
With automatic license management, you automatically purchase a Zulip
license for each user in your organization at the start of each billing
period (month or year), and whenever you need additional licenses.
-
Deactivating a user frees up
their license for reuse. No refunds are given for unused licenses you
have purchased for the current billing period. For example if you start
an annual billing period with 10 users, and deactivate 4 users halfway
through the year, then you will receive no refund, even if those licenses
are not used in the remaining 6 months of the year.
-
If you have no free licenses when a new user joins or an existing user
is reactivated, you will be automatically billed for an additional
license. You will be charged only for the remaining part of the
billing period. For example, if you are on a $8/user/month monthly
plan, you will be billed $4 for a user added halfway through the month.
-
If you have an annual billing period, each month, you will see a
single charge for all licenses added the previous month. If you have
a monthly billing period, the charge for licenses added during the
previous month will be combined with your monthly renewal charge.
How does manual license management work?
With manual license management, you choose and pay for a fixed number of
licenses for your organization or server. Deactivating a
user frees up their license for reuse.
If the number of active users exceeds the number of licenses you've purchased,
any paid services included in your plan will be paused until this is addressed.
For example, you will lose access to the Mobile Push Notification
Service until you have purchased more licenses or
deactivated enough users.
Manually update number of licenses
- Instructions for all platforms
-
Log in to billing management.
-
Modify Number of licenses for current billing period or Number of
licenses for next billing period, and click Update.
Modifying the number of licenses for the current billing period also
automatically updates the number of licenses for the next
billing period.
How paid plans support the Zulip project
Zulip is proudly independent, with no venture capital funding,
which means that revenue strongly impacts the pace of Zulip’s development. Paid
plans for self-hosted customers help fund improvements in Zulip's self-hosting
experience, and overall product development. Zulip needs the support of
businesses that self-host Zulip in order to thrive as an independent, 100%
open-source project.
You can also learn about other ways to support
the Zulip project.
Self-hosting Zulip for free
Zulip is 100% open-source. Organizations that do not require support with their
installation can always use Zulip for free with no limitations. Additionally,
the Mobile Push Notification Service is provided free of
charge for organizations with up to 10 users.
You can self-manage your Zulip installation without signing up for a plan. Get
started with the installation guide.
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