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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Tidio

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tidio logo

Tidio

Software

Customer service platform driven by live chat

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; Tidio free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Tidio covers Visitor tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Tidio actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Tidio differ
AttributeChatwootTidio
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedCloud-based SaaS
Founded20172013

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

  • Email inbox
  • Social channels
  • Knowledge base
  • Reports
  • Slack
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Line

Only in Tidio

  • Visitor tracking
  • Email marketing
  • Mobile apps
  • Canned responses
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • BigCommerce

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • 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 Tidio
  • Privacy-first chatnot Tidio
  • Multi-channel supportnot Tidio

Tidio

  • E-commerce businesses deploying chatbots to handle customer inquiriesnot Chatwoot
  • Customer service teams seeking to automate 50%+ of routine support ticketsnot 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

Tidio

  • Free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • Advanced analytics, user permissions, and macros excluded from Free and Starter tiers
  • Custom branding, multiproject, and department features only available in Plus tier ($300+/month)
  • Guaranteed AI resolution rates (50% minimum) only in Premium tier; Premium pricing requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Tidio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Tidio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Chatwoot if

  • You need email inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want social channels.
Chatwoot review

Choose Tidio if

  • You need visitor tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want email marketing.
Tidio review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Tidio better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Tidio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Tidio?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Tidio at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Tidio run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Tidio runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
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 Tidio is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Tidio cannot?
Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base, Reports. Tidio covers Visitor tracking, Email marketing, Mobile apps, Canned responses. Both handle Live chat, Chatbots, GDPR, SSL.

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

More on Chatwoot

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