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Telecommunications · head to head

8x8 vs Chatwoot

8x8 logo

8x8

Telecommunications

Enterprise-grade unified communications

From
$29.99/month
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: 8x8 listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £2.65 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Hosted PBX, submitted directly by 8x8 UK Limited; Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month
  • They diverge on capability: 8x8 covers Voice calling, Chatwoot covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 8x8 and Chatwoot actually diverge.

Attributes where 8x8 and Chatwoot differ
Attribute8x8Chatwoot
Starting price$29.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted
CategoryTelecommunicationsCustomer Support
Founded19872017

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 8x8

  • Voice calling
  • Video meetings
  • Team messaging
  • Call recording
  • Voicemail
  • Call routing
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce

Only in Chatwoot

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

8x8

  • Business communicationnot Chatwoot
  • Customer contactnot Chatwoot
  • Remote worknot Chatwoot
  • Continuitynot Chatwoot

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot 8x8
  • Privacy-first chatnot 8x8
  • Multi-channel supportnot 8x8

Where each one falls short

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

8x8

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £2.65 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Hosted PBX, submitted directly by 8x8 UK Limited

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

8x8

$29.99/month
  • Pro$29.99/month
    • Calling and meetings
    • Video conferencing
    • Team messaging
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced analytics
    • Dedicated support

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 8x8 if

  • You need voice calling.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want video meetings.
8x8 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 8x8 or Chatwoot better?
Neither clearly leads. 8x8 starts at $29.99/month and Chatwoot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 8x8 or Chatwoot?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29.99/month for 8x8 and Free for Chatwoot.
Does 8x8 or Chatwoot run on more platforms?
8x8 runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. 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. 8x8 starts at $29.99/month.
What is 8x8 best used for?
8x8 is most often used for business communication, customer contact, remote work, continuity. Of those, business communication and customer contact are not what Chatwoot is typically brought in for.
What can 8x8 do that Chatwoot cannot?
8x8 covers Voice calling, Video meetings, Team messaging, Call recording. Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Both handle Slack, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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