Alternatives to Chatwoot
Open source Intercom alternative
Chatwoot ranks #1 of 11 in Helpdesk software, with an Alt Score of 100. It is licensed under MIT, open source with paid hosting from $19/agent/month and available on Web, iOS and Android. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Support and customer-facing teams at companies that want a unified helpdesk without being locked into Intercom/Zendesk, especially teams that need data ownership through self-hosting or SOC 2-compliant cloud hosting.
A shared omnichannel inbox that consolidates live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and Gmail conversations in one place. Captain, the built-in AI assistant, answers routine questions from your help center content, suggests replies to agents, and translates conversations. It also includes a customizable self-service help center with AI-powered search, and it's open source so you can self-host it or use the managed cloud version.
Customers reach out through any connected channel, and their messages land in one shared inbox where agents reply with AI-assisted suggestions and full conversation history. Captain can auto-resolve common queries or hand them to a human agent, while unresolved questions can also be deflected to the help center for self-service.
Where Chatwoot stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Chatwoot
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Helpdesk software checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Helpdesk software checklist | Chatwoot | Zammad | Help Scout | Freshdesk | Intercom | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Shared inbox | ||||||
| Live chat widget | ||||||
| Knowledge base | ||||||
| Automations & SLAs | ||||||
| AI answers / copilot | ||||||
| Self-hostable | ||||||
| Free tier limits | ||||||
| Multi-channel (email, chat, social) | ||||||
| Reporting | ||||||
| Per-seat price |
Every fact and feature listed for Chatwoot is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License MIT verified 2026-07-11
MIT Expat" license as defined below"
https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot/blob/develop/LICENSE -
Starts at $19/agent/month verified 2026-07-11
$19 /agent/month
https://www.chatwoot.com/pricing -
Platforms Web, iOS, Android verified 2026-07-11
Your support desk, in your pocket
https://www.chatwoot.com/mobile-apps -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
with the tag "v4.15.1"
released this 17 Jun 12:43
https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot/releases -
Pricing model OSS + paid hosting verified 2026-07-11
"$0 /agent/month" "Free forever" "Host on your infrastructure""
Community Edition
https://www.chatwoot.com/pricing/self-hosted-plans -
Shared inbox Yes verified 2026-07-11
Manage all customer conversations in a single, unified inbox. Collaborate with your team using private notes, assignments, and shared context.
https://www.chatwoot.com/features/shared-inbox -
Live chat widget Yes verified 2026-07-11
A fully-featured live chat widget that's easy to customize and embed on any website.
https://www.chatwoot.com/features/live-chat -
Knowledge base Yes verified 2026-07-11
Create a branded self-service knowledge base with AI-powered search, multiple portals, and multilingual articles.
https://www.chatwoot.com/features/help-center -
Automations & SLAs Yes verified 2026-07-11
Set response time targets and track SLA compliance. Get alerts before breaches happen and ensure your team meets customer expectations consistently.
https://www.chatwoot.com/features/sla -
AI answers / copilot Yes verified 2026-07-11
The AI agent for customer support
https://www.chatwoot.com/captain -
Self-hostable Yes verified 2026-07-11
Host on your infrastructure
https://www.chatwoot.com/pricing/self-hosted-plans -
Free tier limits Yes verified 2026-07-11
Free forever
https://www.chatwoot.com/pricing/self-hosted-plans -
Multi-channel (email, chat, social) Yes verified 2026-07-11
Connect all your support channels—live chat, email, WhatsApp, social media, and more—into one unified inbox.
https://www.chatwoot.com/features/channels -
Reporting Yes verified 2026-07-11
Get detailed insights into your conversations
https://www.chatwoot.com/features/conversation-reports/ -
Per-seat price Yes verified 2026-07-11
$19 /agent/month
https://www.chatwoot.com/pricing
FAQ
Yes. Freshdesk, Crisp and Tidio have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Zammad, osTicket and FreeScout — every license claim links its source.