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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs GrowSurf

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GrowSurf logo

GrowSurf

Software

Referral software for tech companies

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; GrowSurf startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, GrowSurf covers Referral tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and GrowSurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and GrowSurf differ
AttributeChatwootGrowSurf
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2017).

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 GrowSurf

  • Referral tracking
  • Automated rewards
  • Fraud detection
  • Custom branding
  • Developer API
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Intercom

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

GrowSurf

  • Launching customer referral programs without engineering overheadnot Chatwoot
  • White-label referral systems matching brand appearancenot Chatwoot
  • AI-powered reward suggestions and promotional copy generationnot Chatwoot
  • Integrations with Zapier, Stripe, HubSpot, Slack, PayPal, Salesforcenot 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

GrowSurf

  • Startup tier limited to 1 referral program
  • Startup and Business tiers include only email support, not real-time
  • Requires upgrade to Business tier for custom referral portal domain
  • Custom tier requires 25,000+ participants and quote-based pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

GrowSurf

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GrowSurf 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 GrowSurf if

  • You need referral tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want automated rewards.
GrowSurf review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or GrowSurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and GrowSurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or GrowSurf?
Chatwoot starts at Free and GrowSurf at Free.
Does Chatwoot or GrowSurf run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. GrowSurf runs on Web.
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 GrowSurf is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that GrowSurf cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. GrowSurf covers Referral tracking, Automated rewards, Fraud detection, Custom branding. Both handle Web 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

More on GrowSurf

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