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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Missive

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Missive logo

Missive

Software

Team inbox and chat for productive teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Missive each plan caps users rather than only pricing them, at 5 on Starter and 50 on Productive
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Missive covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Missive actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Missive differ
AttributeChatwootMissive
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows
Founded20172015

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

Only in Missive

  • Shared inbox
  • Team chat
  • Email
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • SMS
  • Asana
  • Trello

Both cover

  • WhatsApp
  • GDPR
  • SSL
  • 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 Missive
  • Privacy-first chatnot Missive
  • Multi-channel supportnot Missive

Missive

  • Shared team inbox across email, SMS and social messagesnot Chatwoot
  • Collaborating on customer conversations with internal comments and tasksnot 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

Missive

  • Each plan caps users rather than only pricing them, at 5 on Starter and 50 on Productive
  • Integrations, automation rules and API access all require the Productive plan at $24 per user per month
  • Rules are capped at 1,000 per workspace even on the paid tiers
  • SAML SSO and IP restriction are Business only at $36 per user per month
  • AI features need either Missive AI credits or a bring your own key arrangement rather than being included

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Missive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 users
    • Basic features
    • Email & chat
  • Starter$14/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared inboxes
    • Rules & automation
  • Productive$18/month
    • Starter + Calendars
    • WhatsApp
    • SMS
  • Business$26/month
    • Productive + API
    • SAML SSO
    • 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 Missive if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want team chat.
Missive review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Missive better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Missive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Missive?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Missive at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Missive run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Missive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows.
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 Missive is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Missive cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Missive covers Shared inbox, Team chat, Email, Tasks. Both handle WhatsApp, GDPR, SSL, Web 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

More on Chatwoot

More on Missive

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