Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs Podio

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Podio logo

Podio

Project Management

The flexible team collaboration platform

From
On request
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; Podio the free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Podio covers Workspaces.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Podio actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Podio differ
AttributeChatwootPodio
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportProject Management
Founded20172009

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
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram

Only in Podio

  • Workspaces
  • Apps
  • Workflows
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Slack
  • 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 Podio
  • Privacy-first chatnot Podio
  • Multi-channel supportnot Podio

Podio

  • Building custom workspaces and apps without codenot Chatwoot
  • Project and task management for a small teamnot Chatwoot
  • Client collaboration with external users on the paid plansnot Chatwoot
  • Simple workflow automation between appsnot 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

Podio

  • The free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25,000 actions a month even on Premium at $19.20 per user
  • API access is a paid add-on from $23 a month, and higher call rates run to $159
  • Extra automation is billed separately, from $39 up to $559 a month
  • Visual reports, email integrations and PDF generation all require Premium

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Podio

On request
  • FreeFree
    • 5 employees
    • Basic features
  • Basic$7.2/month
    • Unlimited employees
    • User management
    • Automations

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 Podio if

  • You need workspaces.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want apps.
Podio review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Podio better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Podio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Podio?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and On request for Podio.
Does Chatwoot or Podio run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Podio runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podio starts at On request.
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 Podio is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Podio cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Podio covers Workspaces, Apps, Workflows, Tasks. Both handle Slack, 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

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