The hot deformation behavior of Nb–1 wt.%Zr alloy was studied using uniaxial compression tests carried out in vacuum to a true strain of 0.6 in the temperature range of 900 to 1700 °C and the strain rate range of 3 × 10^− 3 to 10 s^− 1. The optimum regime of hot workability of Nb–1Zr alloy was determined from the strain rate sensitivity (m) contour plots. A high m of about 0.2 was obtained in the temperature and strain rate range of 1200–1500 °C and 10^− 3 to 10^− 1 s^− 1 and 1600–1700 °C and 10^− 1 to 1 s^− 1. Microstructure of the deformed samples showed features of dynamic recrystallization within the high strain rate sensitivity domain. Compared to the study on Nb–1Zr–0.1C alloy, Nb–1Zr showed a lower flow stress and an optimum hot working domain at lower temperatures. In the 1500 to 1700 °C range the apparent activation energy of deformation for Nb–1Zr was 259 kJ mol^− 1, the stress exponent 5, and the activation volume about 200 to 700 b³.