Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs LiveChat

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat & Chatbots

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/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; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Email inbox, LiveChat covers Ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and LiveChat differ
AttributeChatwootLiveChat
Starting priceFree$20/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat & Chatbots
Founded20172002

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

  • Email inbox
  • Social channels
  • Knowledge base
  • Chatbots
  • Reports
  • Slack
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram

Only in LiveChat

  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Chatwoot
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot 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

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Chatwoot if

  • You need email inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want social channels.
Chatwoot review

Choose LiveChat if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want chat routing.
LiveChat review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or LiveChat?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $20/month for LiveChat.
Does Chatwoot or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/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 LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that LiveChat cannot?
Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base, Chatbots. LiveChat covers Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses. Both handle Live chat, GDPR, Web support, Ios 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

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