Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs Crisp

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Crisp logo

Crisp

Live Chat & Chatbots

Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Crisp free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Crisp covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Crisp actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Crisp differ
AttributeChatwootCrisp
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedCloud-based SaaS
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat & Chatbots
Founded20172015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Chatwoot

  • Email inbox
  • Social channels
  • Reports
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Line
  • Facebook
  • Data ownership

Only in Crisp

  • Shared inbox
  • Video calls
  • CRM
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Zapier
  • Segment
  • 2FA

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Knowledge base
  • Chatbots
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • SSL
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot Crisp
  • Privacy-first chatnot Crisp
  • Multi-channel supportnot Crisp

Crisp

  • Growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with AI automationnot Chatwoot
  • Teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagramnot Chatwoot

Where each one falls short

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

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

Crisp

  • Free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
  • Free tier customer profile limit of 100; higher limits require upgrade
  • Omnichannel support and workflow automation excluded from Free and Mini tiers
  • White labelling only available in Plus tier ($295+/month)

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Crisp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Crisp review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Chatwoot if

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

Choose Crisp if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want video calls.
Crisp review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Crisp better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Crisp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Crisp?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Crisp at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Crisp run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Chatwoot best used for?
Chatwoot is most often used for self-hosted support, privacy-first chat, multi-channel support. Of those, self-hosted support and privacy-first chat are not what Crisp is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Crisp cannot?
Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Social channels, Reports, WhatsApp. Crisp covers Shared inbox, Video calls, CRM, WordPress. Both handle Live chat, Knowledge base, Chatbots, Slack.

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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Related pages

More on Chatwoot

More on Crisp

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