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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Trello

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Trello logo

Trello

Software

Organize anything, together

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month; Trello free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Trello covers Kanban boards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Trello actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Trello differ
AttributeChatwootTrello
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos
Founded20172011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram

Only in Trello

  • Kanban boards
  • Cards & lists
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Activity feed
  • Due dates & reminders
  • File attachments
  • Comments & mentions
  • Power-Ups ecosystem

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Chatwoot

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

Trello

  • Project trackingnot Chatwoot
  • Content calendarsnot Chatwoot
  • Sales pipelinesnot Chatwoot
  • Onboarding processesnot Chatwoot
  • Personal task managementnot 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

Trello

  • Free tier limited to 10 boards and 10 collaborators per workspace
  • Free tier automation capped at 250 monthly Butler runs
  • No offline access; web-based platform requires internet connection
  • Advanced views (timeline, table, dashboard) not available on Standard plan
  • SSO only available on Enterprise plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Trello

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 boards/workspace
    • Up to 10 collaborators
    • 250 monthly Butler automation runs
  • Standard$5/user/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited Power-Ups
    • 1,000 monthly Butler runs
  • Premium$10/user/month
    • All Standard features
    • Timeline, table, dashboard, calendar views
    • Unlimited automation
  • Enterprise$17.5/user/month
    • All Premium features
    • Unlimited workspaces
    • SSO and user provisioning

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 Trello if

  • You need kanban boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
  • You also want cards & lists.

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Trello better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Trello at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Trello?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Trello at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Trello run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Trello runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Macos.
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 Trello is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Trello cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Knowledge base. Trello covers Kanban boards, Cards & lists, Drag-and-drop interface, Activity feed. 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
Trello: What are the free tier limitations for Trello?

Trello Free supports up to 10 boards per workspace, unlimited cards, 250 monthly Butler automation runs, and up to 10 Power-Up attachments. Limited to 10 collaborators per workspace.

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
Trello: What features are included in the Standard plan?

Standard ($5-6/user/month) adds unlimited boards, custom fields, advanced checklists, 1,000 monthly automation runs, list colors, and calendar view access.

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
Trello: Does Trello offer SSO and on which plan?

SSO through Atlassian Guard is included only on the Enterprise plan ($17.50/user/month or $210/year per user).

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
Trello: How many file attachment options are available?

Free tier includes 2 Power-Ups per board, Standard adds unlimited Power-Ups, and Premium and above offer full Power-Up marketplace access with custom integration options.

Source
Trello: Is there offline access to Trello boards?

Trello is a web-based application requiring internet connection. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android but do not support true offline editing.

Source

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