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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs RingCentral Video

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RingCentral Video logo

RingCentral Video

Software

Connected cloud communications

From
$19.99/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; RingCentral Video unlimited calling is limited to the US and Canada markets; other international calls are charged per minute at the published international rates table
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, RingCentral Video covers HD video conferencing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and RingCentral Video actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and RingCentral Video differ
AttributeChatwootRingCentral Video
Starting priceFree$19.99/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android
Founded20171999

Identical on both: 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
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram

Only in RingCentral Video

  • HD video conferencing
  • Voice and video calling
  • Screen sharing
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Recording and transcription
  • Chat and messaging
  • Calendar integration
  • Meeting attendee controls

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot RingCentral Video
  • Privacy-first chatnot RingCentral Video
  • Multi-channel supportnot RingCentral Video

RingCentral Video

  • Cloud business phone system with video meetings and team messagingnot Chatwoot
  • Replacing on-premise PBX hardware for distributed teamsnot 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

RingCentral Video

  • Unlimited calling is limited to the US and Canada markets; other international calls are charged per minute at the published international rates table
  • The free trial is only for new subscribers and is capped at five users and two desktop phones, with SMS unavailable during the trial
  • Trial hardware must be returned within 21 days of trial cancellation to avoid hardware charges
  • Phone rental is available only with a multi-year contract
  • Automated, high volume or marketing SMS costs extra as RingCentral High Volume SMS, and TCR registration is required for SMS and MMS
  • A Mobile User extension is free to add but is billed at the same monthly rate as a Digital Line in any month it is used to make or receive a call
  • The Webinar 500 discount lasts one year on a one year commitment, after which pricing reverts to $75 per host per month or the then current retail price
  • Taxes and recovery fees including the Federal Universal Service Recovery Fee, E911 Service Fee and Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee are added on top
  • The advertised savings of up to 33% require paying annually

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

RingCentral Video

$19.99/month
  • Essentials$19.99/month
    • Video meetings
    • Phone service
    • Text messaging
  • Standard$27.99/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Advanced meeting controls
    • Call recording
  • Premium$34.99/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Advanced security features
    • Compliance recording
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • Custom deployment
    • Dedicated account manager

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 RingCentral Video if

  • You need hd video conferencing.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want voice and video calling.
RingCentral Video review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or RingCentral Video better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and RingCentral Video at $19.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or RingCentral Video?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $19.99/month for RingCentral Video.
Does Chatwoot or RingCentral Video run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. RingCentral Video runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RingCentral Video starts at $19.99/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 RingCentral Video is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that RingCentral Video cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. RingCentral Video covers HD video conferencing, Voice and video calling, Screen sharing, Virtual backgrounds. 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.

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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