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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Salesforce Service Cloud

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Salesforce Service Cloud logo

Salesforce Service Cloud

Software

Customer service software that powers loyalty

From
$25/month
Rated
-

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; Salesforce Service Cloud the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 29 December 2021 listed four Service Cloud tiers billed annually per user per month in USD: $25, $75, $150 (Enterprise, marked most popular), and $300; add-ons such as Omni-Channel Supervisor cost an additional $75 per user per month and Google Apps/Outlook integration an additional $25 per user per month on lower tiers
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Salesforce Service Cloud covers Case management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Salesforce Service Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Salesforce Service Cloud differ
AttributeChatwootSalesforce Service Cloud
Starting priceFree$25/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, 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 Salesforce Service Cloud

  • Case management
  • Omnichannel routing
  • AI-powered bots
  • Field service
  • Self-service
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce CRM
  • MuleSoft

Both cover

  • Slack
  • 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 Salesforce Service Cloud
  • Privacy-first chatnot Salesforce Service Cloud
  • Multi-channel supportnot Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud

  • Enterprise customer servicenot Chatwoot
  • Field servicenot Chatwoot
  • Self-service portalsnot Chatwoot
  • AI-powered supportnot 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

Salesforce Service Cloud

  • The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 29 December 2021 listed four Service Cloud tiers billed annually per user per month in USD: $25, $75, $150 (Enterprise, marked most popular), and $300; add-ons such as Omni-Channel Supervisor cost an additional $75 per user per month and Google Apps/Outlook integration an additional $25 per user per month on lower tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Salesforce Service Cloud

$25/month
  • Essentials$25/month
    • Case management
    • Knowledge base
    • Web & email support
  • Professional$80/month
    • CTI
    • Omni-channel routing
    • Custom reports
  • Enterprise$165/month
    • Web API
    • Einstein AI
    • Workflow automation
  • Unlimited$330/month
    • 24/7 support
    • Configuration services
    • Premier success

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 Salesforce Service Cloud if

  • You need case management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want omnichannel routing.

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Salesforce Service Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Salesforce Service Cloud at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Salesforce Service Cloud?
Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatwoot and $25/month for Salesforce Service Cloud.
Does Chatwoot or Salesforce Service Cloud run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Salesforce Service Cloud runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Chatwoot for free?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salesforce Service Cloud starts at $25/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 Salesforce Service Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Salesforce Service Cloud cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Salesforce Service Cloud covers Case management, Omnichannel routing, AI-powered bots, Field service. Both handle Slack, Web support, Ios support, Android 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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