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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Freshteam

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshteam logo

Freshteam

Software

Smart HR software for growing businesses

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; Freshteam freshworks HRMS (formerly Freshteam) paid tiers as captured 19 February 2023 combined a per-employee monthly charge ($1.20 to $2.40+/employee/month) with a separate flat platform fee ($71 to $119+/month), on top of a $0 free tier
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Freshteam covers Applicant Tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Freshteam actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Freshteam differ
AttributeChatwootFreshteam
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20172010

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

  • Applicant Tracking
  • Onboarding
  • Time Off
  • Employee Directory
  • Time Tracking
  • Documents
  • Org Chart
  • Freshdesk

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.

Chatwoot

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

Freshteam

No use cases recorded yet. See the Freshteam review.

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

Freshteam

  • Freshworks HRMS (formerly Freshteam) paid tiers as captured 19 February 2023 combined a per-employee monthly charge ($1.20 to $2.40+/employee/month) with a separate flat platform fee ($71 to $119+/month), on top of a $0 free tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Freshteam

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 Employees
    • Basic ATS
    • Time Off
  • Growth$1.2/month
    • All Free features
    • Onboarding
    • Time Tracking
  • Pro$2.4/month
    • All Growth features
    • Custom Reports
    • Advanced Workflows

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 Freshteam if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want onboarding.
Freshteam review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Freshteam better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Freshteam at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Freshteam?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Freshteam at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Freshteam run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Freshteam runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Freshteam is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Freshteam cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Freshteam covers Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Time Off, Employee Directory. 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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Related pages

More on Chatwoot

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