Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs lemlist

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
lemlist logo

lemlist

CRM

Multichannel cold outreach platform for email, LinkedIn, SMS and calling

From
$55/month
Free plan
No

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; lemlist no standalone free plan, only a 14-day trial after which new campaigns cannot be launched without upgrading.
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, lemlist covers Multichannel sequences.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and lemlist actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and lemlist differ
AttributeChatwootlemlist
Starting priceFree$55/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedweb, api
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20172018

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 lemlist

  • Multichannel sequences
  • Lead database
  • Deliverability hub
  • AI agents
  • CRM integrations
  • API, CLI and MCP access

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

lemlist

  • Running multichannel outbound campaigns across email and LinkedInnot Chatwoot
  • Finding verified emails and phone numbers for prospectsnot Chatwoot
  • Protecting sender reputation with automated inbox warm-upnot Chatwoot
  • Combining calling and messaging into a single outreach sequencenot 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

lemlist

  • No standalone free plan, only a 14-day trial after which new campaigns cannot be launched without upgrading.
  • Multichannel plan pricing scales per sender/user, which can get costly for larger teams.
  • Enterprise features like SSO/SAML require a custom-priced plan and a 5-user minimum.
  • Advanced AI agent capabilities are newer and less proven than long-established outreach features.

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

lemlist

$55/month
  • Email$55/month
    • 50,000 emails/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Email and phone finder
  • Multichannel$87/month
    • Unlimited emails and messages
    • 5 senders per user
    • LinkedIn, SMS and WhatsApp automation
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • 5+ users minimum
    • Dedicated account manager
    • SSO/SAML security

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.

Choose lemlist if

  • You need multichannel sequences.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want lead database.

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or lemlist better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and lemlist at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or lemlist?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $55/month for lemlist.
Does Chatwoot or lemlist run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. lemlist runs on web, api.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. lemlist starts at $55/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 lemlist is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that lemlist cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. lemlist covers Multichannel sequences, Lead database, Deliverability hub, AI agents.

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
lemlist: What does lemlist cost?

lemlist's Email plan starts at $55/month (billed annually) for 50,000 emails, the Multichannel plan starts at $87/month for unlimited emails and messages plus LinkedIn/SMS/WhatsApp, and Enterprise is custom-priced.

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
lemlist: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

lemlist offers a 14-day free trial with full Multichannel plan access and no credit card required; after the trial, the account remains accessible but new campaigns cannot be launched without a paid subscription.

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
lemlist: What does lemlist integrate with?

lemlist integrates with CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive, automation tools like Zapier, Make and n8n, VoIP platforms such as Aircall and Ringover, and offers API, CLI and MCP access.

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
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads