Chatwoot
Customer Support · Free · since 2019 · open source
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Chatwoot is a open-source customer engagement platform with live chat, email, social channels, and chatbots. It handles live chat, omnichannel, chatbots, and self-hosted, and it's best suited for teams wanting open-source customer engagement. It has been around since 2019, giving it a 7-year head start in building out integrations and refining the product.
The core product is entirely free. Since it's open-source, you can self-host for free with no user limits. It's designed for small teams, striking a balance between simplicity and collaboration features.
pros
- Open source and transparent
- Includes Live Chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
- Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
- The core product is free with no paywalled essentials
cons
- May lack some advanced features
- Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
- Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
- Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
top Chatwoot alternatives
Zendesk Enterprise help desk platform with ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, and AI-powered automation. $19/agent/mo 
Freshdesk Cloud-based help desk with ticketing, automation, and multichannel support at accessible pricing. Free 
Help Scout Help desk that feels like email — shared inboxes, knowledge base, and live chat without the ticket numbers. $20/user/mo 
Tidio Live chat and chatbot platform focused on e-commerce with Shopify and WooCommerce integrations. Free Chatwoot compared
Intercom vs Chatwoot · Crisp vs Chatwoot · Zendesk vs Chatwoot · Freshdesk vs Chatwoot · Help Scout vs Chatwoot · Chatwoot vs Tidio · Chatwoot vs Olark · Chatwoot vs Gleap
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Intercom Customer messaging platform with live chat, bots, help center, and product tours. $39/seat/mo 
Crisp All-in-one business messaging platform with live chat, chatbot, help desk, and CRM. Free Zendesk Enterprise help desk platform with ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, and AI-powered automation. $19/agent/mo Freshdesk Cloud-based help desk with ticketing, automation, and multichannel support at accessible pricing. Free Help Scout Help desk that feels like email — shared inboxes, knowledge base, and live chat without the ticket numbers. $20/user/mo Tidio Live chat and chatbot platform focused on e-commerce with Shopify and WooCommerce integrations. Free