Software · head to head
Chatwoot vs Plane
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Plane self-hosted Community edition requires managing your own Docker/Kubernetes infra plus your own PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible/GCS/MinIO storage; no single-binary install
- They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Plane covers Issue tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Plane actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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
- Telegram
Only in Plane
- Issue tracking
- Cycles (Sprints)
- Modules
- Views & layouts
- Pages (Docs)
- Analytics
- API access
- Webhooks
Both cover
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Chatwoot
- Self-hosted supportnot Plane
- Privacy-first chatnot Plane
- Multi-channel supportnot Plane
Plane
- Project and task management with cycles, modules, epics, and initiativesnot Chatwoot
- Documentation and knowledge management via workspace wiki tied to project worknot Chatwoot
- Sprint planning and issue triagenot Chatwoot
- Cross-functional collaboration with analytics and dashboardsnot Chatwoot
- Migration target from Jira, Linear, Monday, ClickUp, or Asananot 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
Plane
- Self-hosted Community edition requires managing your own Docker/Kubernetes infra plus your own PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible/GCS/MinIO storage; no single-binary install
- Cloud Free tier caps at 12 users and 500 AI credits per seat per month
- Substantial feature gating by tier: custom work item types, workspace wiki, time tracking, dashboards, initiatives, teamspaces, and integrations require Pro or above; LDAP, granular access control, and multi-workflow approvals require Enterprise Grid
- Guest-to-paid-member ratio capped at 1:5 on the Pro plan
Pricing, plan by plan
Chatwoot
Free- HackerFree
- 2 agents
- 500 conversations per month
- 1 live chat channel
- Startups$19/month
- Unlimited agents
- Unlimited conversations
Plane
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 12 users
- 500 AI credits/seat
- Cycles, modules
- Pro$6/month
- 1,000 AI credits/seat
- Custom work item types
- Wiki
- Business$13/month
- 2,000 AI credits/seat
- Project templates
- Recurring items
- Enterprise Grid$undefined/month
- Flexible AI credits
- Private/managed deployment
- Granular access control
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 Plane if
- You need issue tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want cycles (sprints).
Questions people ask
- Is Chatwoot or Plane better?
- Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Plane at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Plane?
- Chatwoot starts at Free and Plane at Free.
- Does Chatwoot or Plane run on more platforms?
- Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Plane runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, 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 Plane is typically brought in for.
- What can Chatwoot do that Plane cannot?
- Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Plane covers Issue tracking, Cycles (Sprints), Modules, Views & layouts. Both handle Slack.
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.
SourceChatwoot: 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.
SourceChatwoot: 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.
SourceChatwoot: What AI features does Chatwoot include?
Chatwoot includes Captain AI agent for automated responses, Copilot for smart reply suggestions, and live translation features.
Source