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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Kudos

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kudos logo

Kudos

Software

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/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; Kudos kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Kudos actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Kudos differ
AttributeChatwootKudos
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android, Api
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 Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Both cover

  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Chatwoot
  • Culture buildingnot Chatwoot
  • Employee engagementnot Chatwoot
  • Retention improvementnot Chatwoot
  • Values reinforcementnot 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

Kudos

  • Kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

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 Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Kudos better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Kudos?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $5/month for Kudos.
Does Chatwoot or Kudos run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kudos starts at $5/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 Kudos is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Kudos cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. 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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