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Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs Kylas

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Kylas logo

Kylas

CRM

Indian sales CRM sold at a flat monthly rate with unlimited users instead of per seat

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Kylas unlimited users only moves the meter rather than removing it: records are capped, and expanding beyond one hundred thousand costs 500 INR per twenty thousand, which becomes the real cost driver for any business with a large lead database.
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Kylas covers Unlimited users on every plan.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Kylas actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Kylas differ
AttributeChatwootKylas
Pricing modelUnknownFlat rate per month, unlimited users
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded2017Unknown

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

  • Unlimited users on every plan
  • Lead and deal management
  • Record based limits
  • Workflow automation
  • Quotation management
  • Telephony integrations
  • WhatsApp and SMS
  • BI analytics add-on

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

Kylas

  • A twenty five person Indian inside sales team where per seat CRM pricing would cost several times a flat monthly ratenot Chatwoot
  • A company that wants every employee including support and delivery staff to see customer records without buying them seatsnot Chatwoot
  • A business with high sales headcount turnover that does not want to renegotiate licence counts every quarternot Chatwoot
  • An Indian SME needing native WhatsApp, IndiaMART and local telephony connections rather than a Western CRM with adaptersnot 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

Kylas

  • Unlimited users only moves the meter rather than removing it: records are capped, and expanding beyond one hundred thousand costs 500 INR per twenty thousand, which becomes the real cost driver for any business with a large lead database.
  • Core functionality such as workflows, email templates and email tracking is sold as separate add-ons from 500 to 800 INR a month, so the advertised flat rate is not what an automated sales operation actually pays.
  • The free Embark plan caps records at ten thousand and explicitly cannot be expanded, so it is a trial with no upgrade path in place rather than a workable long term free tier.
  • Kylas is built around Indian sales practice and its integration marketplace is dominated by Indian telephony, payments and lead sources, which makes it a poor fit for companies selling primarily into Europe or North America.
  • Onboarding is charged at 25,000 INR one-off with training at 5,000 INR per three hour session, so first year cost is meaningfully above twelve months of subscription.

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Kylas

Free
  • EmbarkFree
    • Free for life
    • Unlimited users
    • Ten thousand records, not expandable
  • Elevate$12999/month
    • Flat rate for unlimited users, not per seat
    • One hundred thousand records, expandable
    • Quarterly, half-yearly and annual billing terms
  • Exceed$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Around 1.1 million records, adjustable

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 Kylas if

  • You need unlimited users on every plan.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want lead and deal management.
Kylas review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Kylas better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Kylas at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Kylas?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Kylas at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Kylas run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Kylas 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 Kylas is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Kylas cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Kylas covers Unlimited users on every plan, Lead and deal management, Record based limits, Workflow 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
Kylas: What does Kylas cost?

The Elevate plan is a flat rate of about 12,999 INR per month for unlimited users, with quarterly, half-yearly and annual terms. There is a free Embark plan and a custom Exceed tier.

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
Kylas: Does unlimited users really mean unlimited?

Yes for seats. The limit is on records: ten thousand on the free plan, one hundred thousand on Elevate, expandable at 500 INR per twenty thousand.

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
Kylas: What is not included in the flat rate?

Workflows, email templates, email tracking, the security module and BI analytics are add-ons from 500 to 5,000 INR per month. Onboarding is 25,000 INR one-off.

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
Kylas: Is it usable outside India?

It works, but the integration marketplace and sales workflows are built for the Indian market and the pricing is quoted in rupees.

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