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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs HelpCrunch

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HelpCrunch logo

HelpCrunch

Software

Live chat, helpdesk, and AI chatbot platform for customer support

From
On request
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; HelpCrunch pricing is not fully transparent since it depends on email volume and AI usage tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, HelpCrunch covers Live Chat Widget.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and HelpCrunch actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and HelpCrunch differ
AttributeChatwootHelpCrunch
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedweb, ios, android
Founded2017Unknown

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
  • Slack
  • WhatsApp

Only in HelpCrunch

  • Live Chat Widget
  • Shared Team Inbox
  • AI Chatbot
  • Email Marketing Automation
  • Knowledge Base
  • Auto-resend by Email

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

HelpCrunch

  • Real-time website customer supportnot Chatwoot
  • Consolidating support and marketing email in one toolnot Chatwoot
  • AI-automated first-line customer responsesnot Chatwoot
  • Small business helpdesk ticketingnot 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

HelpCrunch

  • Pricing is not fully transparent since it depends on email volume and AI usage tiers.
  • AI conversation add-ons become expensive at high volume, up to $8,000/month for 100,000 conversations.
  • Exact plan prices for Basic, Pro, and Unlimited are not published directly on the pricing page.
  • Smaller teams may find the tiered add-on system harder to predict than flat per-seat 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

HelpCrunch

On request
  • Basic$undefined/month
    • Live chat
    • Shared inbox
    • Email volume tiers
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • AI conversations included
    • AI data sources included
  • Unlimited$undefined/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Highest email volume
    • Priority support

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 HelpCrunch if

  • You need live chat widget.
  • You work on web, ios, android.
  • You also want shared team inbox.
HelpCrunch review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or HelpCrunch better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and HelpCrunch at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or HelpCrunch?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and On request for HelpCrunch.
Does Chatwoot or HelpCrunch run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. HelpCrunch runs on web, ios, android.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HelpCrunch starts at On request.
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 HelpCrunch is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that HelpCrunch cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. HelpCrunch covers Live Chat Widget, Shared Team Inbox, AI Chatbot, Email Marketing Automation.

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
HelpCrunch: Is there a free trial for HelpCrunch?

Yes, HelpCrunch offers a free trial with no credit card required, and includes free migration from competing tools.

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
HelpCrunch: How does HelpCrunch charge for AI features?

Pro and higher plans include a free monthly limit of AI conversations and AI data sources; additional usage is purchased in blocks, for example 100 extra conversations for $29/month.

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
HelpCrunch: Does annual billing save money?

Yes, HelpCrunch offers a 20% discount on plans and AI add-ons when billed annually instead of monthly.

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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