Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Chatwoot vs Slimchat

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Customer Support

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
S

Slimchat

Live Chat

Lightweight live chat solution for websites

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Slimchat the vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 19 August 2018 (via Novosi, LLC) shows SlimChat was still pre-release at that date, offering an email signup for '3 months FREE' with an 'Expected release: summer 2018' notice and a $15 incentive to test a tour version; combined with the live site now serving a mismatched Squarespace certificate, this indicates the product likely never reached a stable commercial release
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Slimchat covers Live chat widget.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Slimchat actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Slimchat differ
AttributeChatwootSlimchat
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Mobile responsive
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20172016

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

Only in Slimchat

  • Live chat widget
  • Lightweight design
  • Fast loading
  • Visitor information
  • Zapier
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • Mobile responsive support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

  • Self-hosted supportnot Slimchat
  • Privacy-first chatnot Slimchat
  • Multi-channel supportnot Slimchat

Slimchat

  • Customer engagementnot Chatwoot
  • Lead generationnot Chatwoot
  • Customer supportnot Chatwoot
  • Sales automationnot 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

Slimchat

  • The vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 19 August 2018 (via Novosi, LLC) shows SlimChat was still pre-release at that date, offering an email signup for '3 months FREE' with an 'Expected release: summer 2018' notice and a $15 incentive to test a tour version; combined with the live site now serving a mismatched Squarespace certificate, this indicates the product likely never reached a stable commercial release

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Slimchat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Live chat
    • 1 agent
    • Basic features
  • Pro$20/month
    • Multiple agents
    • Advanced options
  • Business$50/month
    • Unlimited features
    • 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 Slimchat if

  • You need live chat widget.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile responsive.
  • You also want lightweight design.
Slimchat review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Slimchat better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Slimchat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Slimchat?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Slimchat at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Slimchat run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Slimchat runs on Web, Mobile responsive.
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 Slimchat is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Slimchat cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Slimchat covers Live chat widget, Lightweight design, Fast loading, Visitor information. Both handle 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
Share

Related pages

More on Chatwoot

More on Slimchat

Keep looking

Other head to heads