The Chatwoot Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Chatwoot in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Chatwoot
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source support inbox you can self-host or use in the cloud
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Chatwoot’s own pages.
Made by Chatwoot Inc · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Chatwoot’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Chatwoot’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Chatwoot is an open-source customer support platform that threads website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and other channels into one queue, with a help center and the Captain AI agent. It can be used as a hosted cloud service priced per agent, or run on your own server, where the Community Edition is free.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Chatwoot, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The cloud version means connecting each channel and training Captain on your help center.
- 1
Best for an open-source support inbox you can host
The free cloud plan is chat only, though, and self-hosting means looking after a Linux server.
- 2
Paid plans start at $19 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $19 per agent / month, billing term not stated.
- 3
There is a free plan
Hacker cloud plan: up to 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only, 30 days of history. The self-hosted Community Edition is also free.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
One queue for every channel
Website chat, email from Gmail, Outlook or any IMAP inbox, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger are threaded into a single conversation queue.
- 6
Captain AI agent
Learns from your help center, PDFs and website, answers routine questions, hands off to a person, and drafts replies for agents.
- 7
Help center
A public knowledge base on paid plans that Captain also draws on, with suggestions for questions the articles do not yet answer.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 19
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Chatwoot you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Chatwoot at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $19 per agent / month, billing term not stated
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial of the cloud plans
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Chatwoot Inc
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for an open-source support inbox you can host
Chatwoot is an open-source support inbox: website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in one queue, with a help center and the Captain AI agent. You can pay $19 an agent for the cloud version or run it on your own server for free. The free cloud plan is chat only, though, and self-hosting means looking after a Linux server.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Startups is $19 an agent a month, a little under this category's middle, with all channels and 300 AI credits. The page doesn't say if that's monthly or yearly. The free self-hosted edition needs your own server, so it doesn't lift the grade. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The free cloud plan is 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, but live chat only, with 30 days of history. The self-hosted Community Edition is free forever if you can run a server. Paid cloud plans have a 15-day trial. |
| Features | B | One queue for chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, the Captain AI agent, a help center, voice calls on Business, an open API and webhooks. It covers the job, and you can read and change the source code. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. The cloud version means connecting each channel and training Captain on your help center. Self-hosting is real work: PostgreSQL, Redis and Docker or Kubernetes. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with an open API, webhooks and Slack, Shopify, Stripe, HubSpot, Linear and Dialogflow. There's no desktop app, so it stops at a B. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Chatwoot is for
- Great if you want to run your support inbox on your own servers
- Handy when you're starting small with website chat and want to pay nothing
- A treat if you're a developer who wants an open API and code you can change
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay on the free cloud plan, which is chat only with 30 days of history
- Skip it if nobody on your team can look after a server and you want it free
- Pricey if you need voice or automation rules, as both start on Business at $39 an agent
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that want to run their support inbox on their own servers
- Small teams starting free with website chat
- Developers who want an open API and source code they can change
Worth knowing
- The free Hacker plan is limited to 2 agents, 500 conversations a month, live chat only and 30 days of history.
- Captain AI credits are 300, 500 or 800 a month by plan; more cost $20 per 1,000, and Captain is not in Hacker or the Community Edition.
- Voice, teams and automation rules need Business at $39 per agent; SSO and audit logs need Enterprise at $99.
- The pricing page does not say whether per-agent prices are billed monthly or annually.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$19
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Chatwoot has a free plan. Paid plans start at $19 per agent / month, billing term not stated.
The page doesn't say if that's monthly or yearly.
Hacker
$0
Cloud plan for up to 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only, with 30 days of data retention. No AI, help center or automation.
Community Edition
$0
The open-source edition you host yourself, free forever. No Captain AI, voice calls, custom branding or SSO; help comes through Discord and GitHub.
Startups
$19
per agent / month, billing term not stated
Cloud plan with all channels, unlimited conversations under fair use, a help center, 300 Captain AI credits a month and 1 year of history.
Premium Support
$19
per agent / month, billing term not stated
Self-hosted plan adding Captain AI, voice calls, custom branding, agent capacity, roles and permissions, and priority email support.
Business
$39
per agent / month, billing term not stated
Cloud plan adding voice, teams and automation rules, with 500 Captain AI credits a month and 2 years of history.
Enterprise
$99
per agent / month, billing term not stated
Cloud plan adding SSO and SAML, audit logs, 800 AI credits and 3 years of history. The self-hosted Enterprise Edition costs the same and adds SLA policies.
The free plan
Hacker cloud plan: up to 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only, 30 days of history. The self-hosted Community Edition is also free.
Trying it first
15-day free trial of the cloud plans
Read from chatwoot.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
Startups plan free for open-source projects
Chatwoot gives open-source projects the Startups plan free of charge and asks open-source projects and nonprofits to email it to arrange this.
Stated on chatwoot.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Open-source support inbox you can self-host or use in the cloud. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, shared inbox, live chat, help center, AI support agent.
It covers the job, and you can read and change the source code.
- One queue for every channel
- Website chat, email from Gmail, Outlook or any IMAP inbox, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger are threaded into a single conversation queue.
- Captain AI agent
- Learns from your help center, PDFs and website, answers routine questions, hands off to a person, and drafts replies for agents.
- Help center
- A public knowledge base on paid plans that Captain also draws on, with suggestions for questions the articles do not yet answer.
- Self-hosting
- Runs on a Linux server with PostgreSQL and Redis, with guides for Docker and Kubernetes. Paid self-hosted plans add AI and support.
- Open API and webhooks
- Send messages, create channels and listen to events through the API, and export conversations and contacts at any time.
- Voice calls
- Voice calls are included on the Business and Enterprise cloud plans and on paid self-hosted plans.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Slack
- Shopify
- Stripe
- HubSpot
- Linear
- Dialogflow
- Google Translate
- LeadSquared
Chatwoot is made by Chatwoot Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/19
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Chatwoot's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on features (B, above 9 of 19) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $19 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 5 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Chatwoot’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 19
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 19
- BFeaturesAbove 9 of 19
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 19
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Chatwoot is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Chatwoot you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 8 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools grade higher. It costs $228 a year. Chatwoot is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Help center: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Slack, Shopify and Stripe among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Chatwoot’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Intercom, Zendesk, Crisp, Tidio and tawk.to
The 5 tools Chatwoot is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Chatwoot has a free plan. Intercom does not, though it has a free trial.
- Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Intercom also covers reports and help desk.
- 2.4GPA
Zendesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams.
- Chatwoot has a free plan. Zendesk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Chatwoot also covers shared inbox.
- 2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Only Crisp lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Tidio
Free plan · from $24.17/mo
Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations.
- Only Tidio lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Chatwoot also covers shared inbox and help center.
- 3.0GPA
tawk.to
Free plan · from $29/mo
Free live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons.
- Only tawk.to lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Chatwoot also covers shared inbox.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Chatwoot free?
Chatwoot has a free plan. Hacker cloud plan: up to 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only, 30 days of history.
How much does Chatwoot cost?
Chatwoot lists 6 plans. Hacker: $0.
What platforms does Chatwoot work on?
Chatwoot is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Chatwoot offer any discounts?
Chatwoot publicly lists the following: Startups plan free for open-source projects.
Does Chatwoot have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Chatwoot is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Chatwoot have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Chatwoot is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Chatwoot open source?
Yes. Chatwoot is open source, according to its own site.
Does Chatwoot have an API?
Yes. Chatwoot offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Chatwoot integrate with?
Chatwoot's listing names Slack, Shopify, Stripe, HubSpot, Linear, Dialogflow, Google Translate and LeadSquared.
Does Chatwoot have a free trial?
Yes. 15-day free trial of the cloud plans.
Who makes Chatwoot?
Chatwoot is made by Chatwoot Inc.
What are the alternatives to Chatwoot?
The closest alternatives to Chatwoot in our directory are Intercom, Zendesk, Crisp, Tidio and tawk.to.
How does Chatwoot compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Chatwoot's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Chatwoot good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Chatwoot C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $19 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 5 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Chatwoot?
To replace Chatwoot you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Chatwoot’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Chatwoot's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Chatwoot Inc. Prices change, so check chatwoot.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,858
Tools graded, in 46 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Chatwoot, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/chatwoot
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Chatwoot: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/chatwoot
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/chatwoot/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Chatwoot, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Chatwoot’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Chatwoot is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Chatwoot Inc. Prices and plans change: check chatwoot.com before you buy.