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Telecommunications · head to head

46elks vs Chatwoot

46elks logo

46elks

Telecommunications

Small Swedish SMS and voice API with Nordic depth and fully published prices

From
€0.02/per SMS part
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chatwoot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 46elks it is a small company, so global route depth, redundancy and round-the-clock support do not match the large aggregators.; Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month
  • They diverge on capability: 46elks covers Nordic numbering and coverage, Chatwoot covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 46elks and Chatwoot actually diverge.

Attributes where 46elks and Chatwoot differ
Attribute46elksChatwoot
Starting price€0.02/per SMS partFree
Pricing modelPer message and per minute, priced by destination countryUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, PHP, RubyWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted
CategoryTelecommunicationsCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 46elks

  • Nordic numbering and coverage
  • Regulated Swedish operator
  • Fully published rate card
  • Simple HTTP API
  • Programmable voice

Only in Chatwoot

  • Live chat
  • Email inbox
  • Social channels
  • Knowledge base
  • Chatbots
  • Reports
  • Slack
  • WhatsApp

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

46elks

  • Swedish and Nordic products needing local numbers and compliant sender identitiesnot Chatwoot
  • Organisations that must contract and invoice with a regulated supplier inside the EUnot Chatwoot
  • Small teams wanting a minimal SMS API without an enterprise onboarding processnot Chatwoot
  • Internal alerting and two-factor systems with modest message volumenot Chatwoot

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot 46elks
  • Privacy-first chatnot 46elks
  • Multi-channel supportnot 46elks

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

46elks

  • It is a small company, so global route depth, redundancy and round-the-clock support do not match the large aggregators.
  • Its advantages are Nordic and regulatory, so an organisation sending mainly to other regions gains nothing and pays more per message than it would at scale elsewhere.
  • The feature set covers SMS, voice and numbers only, with no WhatsApp, RCS, email or fraud products, so multi-channel needs a second vendor.
  • Sending to the United States requires purchasing a number first, and US inbound messaging and mobile numbers are not available self-serve at all.
  • US A2P traffic also requires 10DLC registration with its own fees and carrier surcharges, making a small European vendor a poor fit for a US-focused business.

Chatwoot

  • Free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month
  • Self-hosted option requires managing infrastructure, updates, and external messaging costs
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Zendesk or Intercom
  • AI features require credit consumption and additional configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

46elks

€0.02/per SMS part
  • Pay as you go$0.02/per SMS part
    • Swedish SMS about 0.047 EUR per part, US SMS about 0.02 EUR per part
    • Swedish landline calls about 0.013 EUR per minute
    • Phone numbers from about 3 EUR per month

Chatwoot

Free
  • HackerFree
    • 2 agents
    • 500 conversations per month
    • 1 live chat channel
  • Startups$19/month
    • Unlimited agents
    • Unlimited conversations

Which should you pick?

Choose 46elks if

  • You need nordic numbering and coverage.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby.
  • You also want regulated swedish operator.
46elks review

Choose Chatwoot if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want email inbox.
Chatwoot review

Questions people ask

Is 46elks or Chatwoot better?
Neither clearly leads. 46elks starts at €0.02/per SMS part and Chatwoot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 46elks or Chatwoot?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €0.02/per SMS part for 46elks and Free for Chatwoot.
Does 46elks or Chatwoot run on more platforms?
46elks runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby. Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 46elks starts at €0.02/per SMS part.
What is 46elks best used for?
46elks is most often used for swedish and nordic products needing local numbers and compliant sender identities, organisations that must contract and invoice with a regulated supplier inside the eu, small teams wanting a minimal sms api without an enterprise onboarding process, internal alerting and two-factor systems with modest message volume. Of those, swedish and nordic products needing local numbers and compliant sender identities and organisations that must contract and invoice with a regulated supplier inside the eu are not what Chatwoot is typically brought in for.
What can 46elks do that Chatwoot cannot?
46elks covers Nordic numbering and coverage, Regulated Swedish operator, Fully published rate card, Simple HTTP API. Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

46elks: Why choose 46elks over Twilio?

Only for Nordic and regulatory reasons: local numbers, sender identity handling, a supplier regulated under Swedish electronic communications law, EU contracting, and support in your own time zone. On global reach and price at volume the large vendors win.

Chatwoot: Does Chatwoot offer a self-hosted option?

Yes. Chatwoot provides both cloud-hosted and self-hosted versions. Self-hosting is free with the open-source version, though you handle infrastructure, maintenance, and external messaging costs.

Source
46elks: Does 46elks publish its prices?

Yes, all of them, without a login, in Swedish kronor and euros. Swedish messages run about 0.047 euros per part and Swedish landline calls about 0.013 euros a minute.

Chatwoot: What communication channels does Chatwoot support?

Chatwoot supports email, live chat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels consolidated into a single inbox.

Source
46elks: Is it suitable for sending to the United States?

Poorly. You must buy a number before you can send there, US inbound messaging and mobile numbers are not self-serve, and US A2P traffic requires 10DLC registration with its own fees and carrier surcharges.

Chatwoot: Is there a free plan for Chatwoot?

Yes. Chatwoot offers a free Hacker plan supporting up to 2 agents, 500 conversations per month, and one live chat channel.

Source
Chatwoot: What AI features does Chatwoot include?

Chatwoot includes Captain AI agent for automated responses, Copilot for smart reply suggestions, and live translation features.

Source
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