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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Freshdesk

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Software

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Chatwoot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Freshdesk covers Ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Freshdesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Freshdesk differ
AttributeChatwootFreshdesk
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb
Founded20172010

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

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

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

Only in Freshdesk

  • Ticketing
  • Automation
  • Self-service
  • Team collaboration
  • Multi-channel support
  • SLA management
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

Freshdesk

  • Help desk and ticketing systemnot Chatwoot
  • Customer support portal and knowledge basenot Chatwoot
  • Multi-channel support coordinationnot Chatwoot
  • AI-assisted support agent interactionnot 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

Freshdesk

  • Growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards
  • Skill-based routing available only on Enterprise tier
  • Freddy AI Copilot requires separate £29/agent/month add-on on Pro and Enterprise plans
  • AI agent sessions charged beyond initial 500 sessions: £49 per additional 100 sessions
  • Day passes for non-agents vary by tier: £2 (Growth), £7 (Pro), £12 (Enterprise)

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Freshdesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshdesk review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Freshdesk if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You also want automation.
Freshdesk review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Freshdesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Freshdesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Freshdesk?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $19/month for Freshdesk.
Does Chatwoot or Freshdesk run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Freshdesk runs on Web.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshdesk starts at $19/month.
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 Freshdesk is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Freshdesk cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Both handle Slack, GDPR.

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

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