starlight_help/src/content/docs/self-hosted-billing.mdx
import {Steps, TabItem, Tabs} from "@astrojs/starlight/components";
import FlattenedSteps from "../../components/FlattenedSteps.astro"; import ZulipNote from "../../components/ZulipNote.astro"; import ZulipTip from "../../components/ZulipTip.astro"; import AutomaticBilling from "../include/_AutomaticBilling.mdx"; import ConfigureWhoCanManagePlans from "../include/_ConfigureWhoCanManagePlans.mdx"; import InternationalWireTransfers from "../include/_InternationalWireTransfers.mdx"; import ManageBillingIntro from "../include/_ManageBillingIntro.mdx"; import ManualAddLicenseInstructions from "../include/_ManualAddLicenseInstructions.mdx"; import PayByInvoiceSteps from "../include/_PayByInvoiceSteps.mdx"; import PayByInvoiceWarning from "../include/_PayByInvoiceWarning.mdx"; import PaymentOptions from "../include/_PaymentOptions.mdx"; import PlanUpgradeSteps from "../include/_PlanUpgradeSteps.mdx"; import SelfHostedBillingLogInStep from "../include/_SelfHostedBillingLogInStep.mdx";
import GearIcon from "~icons/zulip-icon/gear"; import RocketIcon from "~icons/zulip-icon/rocket";
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 [email protected].
Organizations that self-host Zulip can take advantage of the following plan options:
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.
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.
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.
<Tabs> <TabItem label="Organization-level billing"> <ZulipNote> This feature is only available to users [who can manage plans and billing](#configure-who-can-manage-plans-and-billing). </ZulipNote><Steps>
1. *(first-time log in)* Your Zulip server administrator should register
the server with Zulip's Mobile Push Notification Service, following
[these instructions](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/production/mobile-push-notifications.html).
The Zulip Server 10.0+ installer includes a `--push-notifications`
flag that automates this registration process.
1. Click on the **gear** (<GearIcon />) icon in the upper right corner
of the web or desktop app.
1. Select <RocketIcon /> **Plan management**.
1. *(first-time log in)* Enter the email address you want to use for
plan management, and click **Continue**.
1. *(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**.
1. *(first-time log in)* Enter your name, configure your email preferences,
and accept the [Terms of Service](https://zulip.com/policies/terms).
1. Verify your information, and click **Continue**.
</Steps>
**Server administrator steps:**
<Steps>
1. *(first-time log in)* Register the server with Zulip's Mobile Push
Notification Service, following [these
instructions](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/production/mobile-push-notifications.html).
The Zulip Server 10.0+ installer includes a `--push-notifications`
flag that automates this registration process.
1. Go to [https://selfhosting.zulip.com/serverlogin/](https://selfhosting.zulip.com/serverlogin/).
1. Fill out the requested server information, and click **Continue**.
1. Enter the email address of the billing contact for your organization,
and click **Confirm email**.
</Steps>
**Billing administrator steps:**
<Steps>
1. In your email account, open the email you received
(Subject: Log in to Zulip plan management), and click **Log in**.
1. *(first-time log in)* Enter your name, configure your email preferences,
and accept the [Terms of Service](https://zulip.com/policies/terms).
1. Verify your information, and click **Continue**.
</Steps>
New customers are eligible for a free 30-day trial of the Basic plan. An organization is considered to be a new customer if:
1. On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the **Start
30-day trial** button at the bottom of the **Basic** plan.
1. Click **Add card** to enter your payment details.
1. *(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.
1. Click **Start 30-day trial** to start your free trial.
</FlattenedSteps>
<ZulipTip>
Once you start the trial, you can switch between monthly and annual
billing on your organization's billing page. You can
[cancel](#cancel-paid-plan) any time during your trial to avoid any charges.
</ZulipTip>
<FlattenedSteps>
<SelfHostedBillingLogInStep />
1. On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the **Start
30-day trial** button at the bottom of the **Basic** plan.
1. Select **pay by invoice**.
1. Select your preferred option from the **Payment schedule** dropdown.
1. 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.
1. Click **Update billing information** to enter your billing details, which
will be included on invoices and receipts.
1. Click **Start 30-day trial** to start your free trial.
</FlattenedSteps>
1. On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the button at the bottom
of the plan you would like to purchase.
<PlanUpgradeSteps />
</FlattenedSteps>
<FlattenedSteps>
<SelfHostedBillingLogInStep />
1. On the page listing Zulip's self-hosted plans, click the button at the bottom
of the plan you would like to purchase.
<PayByInvoiceSteps />
</FlattenedSteps>
If you cancel your plan, your organization will be downgraded to the Free plan at the end of the current billing period.
<FlattenedSteps> <SelfHostedBillingLogInStep />Zulip sponsors free plans for over 1000 worthy organizations. The following types of organizations are generally eligible for the Community plan.
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 [email protected].
<FlattenedSteps> <SelfHostedBillingLogInStep />The following types of organizations are generally eligible for significant discounts on paid plans. You can also contact [email protected] to discuss bulk discount pricing for a large organization.
If there are any circumstances that make regular pricing unaffordable for your organization, contact [email protected] to discuss your situation.
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.
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 [email protected] to arrange discounted pricing for your organization.
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 [email protected].
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 [email protected] to arrange a discounted rate.
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 [email protected].
<FlattenedSteps> <SelfHostedBillingLogInStep />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.
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.
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.