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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Strapi

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Strapi logo

Strapi

Software

Headless CMS with REST and GraphQL APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Strapi cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Strapi covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Strapi actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Strapi differ
AttributeChatwootStrapi
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedNode.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker
Founded20172015

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

Only in Strapi

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Content management
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
  • AWS
  • Webhooks

Both cover

  • Self-hosted support

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

Strapi

  • Running a self hosted headless CMS with a REST or GraphQL APInot Chatwoot
  • Giving editors a content admin panel over a custom content modelnot 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

Strapi

  • Cloud pricing is per project, not per account, so a second project doubles the bill
  • Starter at $35 a month allows 100,000 API requests, and overage is $1.50 per 25,000
  • Extra bandwidth is $30 per 100 GB and extra asset storage $0.60 per GB
  • Backups start at the Pro plan, weekly, and only become daily at Business
  • An uptime SLA is Business only, at $450 a month per project
  • Additional environments cost $60 a month on Pro and $300 a month on Business

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Strapi

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Self-hosted Strapi
    • Community support
  • Pro$99/monthly
    • Cloud hosting
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support
  • Business$undefined/monthly
    • Enterprise features
    • Custom SLA
    • Dedicated 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 Strapi if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want graphql api.
Strapi review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Strapi better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Strapi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Strapi?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Strapi at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Strapi run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Strapi runs on Node.js, Cloud, Self-hosted, Docker.
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 Strapi is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Strapi cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Strapi covers REST API, GraphQL API, Content management, PostgreSQL. Both handle Self-hosted 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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