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Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs Genesys Cloud

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Genesys Cloud logo

Genesys Cloud

Telecommunications

Experience as a Service

From
$75/month
Free plan
No
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; Genesys Cloud all four published tiers are billed annually
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Genesys Cloud covers Omnichannel.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Genesys Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Genesys Cloud differ
AttributeChatwootGenesys Cloud
Starting priceFree$75/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Desktop, Ios, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportTelecommunications
Founded20171990

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 Chatwoot

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

Only in Genesys Cloud

  • Omnichannel
  • ACD
  • IVR
  • Predictive engagement
  • WFM
  • Quality management
  • Bots
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot Genesys Cloud
  • Privacy-first chatnot Genesys Cloud
  • Multi-channel supportnot Genesys Cloud

Genesys Cloud

  • Cloud contact centre across voice, digital and self service channelsnot Chatwoot
  • Workforce engagement and routing for large support operationsnot 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

Genesys Cloud

  • All four published tiers are billed annually
  • The published rates are named user licences tied to a specific person, so a shift based operation cannot share a seat
  • Concurrent user licences, which is what shift work needs, are sold at a premium above these rates
  • Entry pricing is $75 per user per month, rising to $240 on the top 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

Genesys Cloud

$75/month
  • Genesys Cloud CX 1$75/month
    • Voice
    • IVR
    • Callback
  • Genesys Cloud CX 2$110/month
    • CX 1 + Digital
    • Quality management
    • WFM
  • Genesys Cloud CX 3$140/month
    • CX 2 + Analytics
    • Advanced AI
    • Journey management

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 Genesys Cloud if

  • You need omnichannel.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android.
  • You also want acd.
Genesys Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Genesys Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Genesys Cloud at $75/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Genesys Cloud?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $75/month for Genesys Cloud.
Does Chatwoot or Genesys Cloud run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Genesys Cloud runs on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Genesys Cloud starts at $75/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 Genesys Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Genesys Cloud cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Genesys Cloud covers Omnichannel, ACD, IVR, Predictive engagement. Both handle Web support, Ios 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
Genesys Cloud: What is Genesys Cloud's pricing?

Genesys Cloud offers flexible pricing to suit customer needs, allowing businesses to purchase only the capabilities needed with easy scaling options. Specific pricing details are not provided on the main product page and require visiting the dedicated pricing page or contacting Genesys directly.

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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