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Software · head to head

Chatwoot vs Zoho Desk

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Software

Context-aware help desk software

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; Zoho Desk free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats
  • They diverge on capability: Chatwoot covers Live chat, Zoho Desk covers Ticket management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatwoot and Zoho Desk actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatwoot and Zoho Desk differ
AttributeChatwootZoho Desk
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Cloud, Self-hostedWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20171996

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
  • Chatbots
  • Reports
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Line

Only in Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Zoho CRM
  • Salesforce
  • G Suite

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • 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 Zoho Desk
  • Privacy-first chatnot Zoho Desk
  • Multi-channel support

Zoho Desk

  • Multi-channel support
  • IT help desknot Chatwoot
  • Customer servicenot Chatwoot

Both are used for multi-channel support, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Zoho Desk

  • Free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatwoot

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

Zoho Desk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Email ticketing
    • Help center
  • Standard$14/month
    • Social channels
    • Workflow automation
    • Customer happiness ratings
  • Professional$23/month
    • Multi-department
    • Round-robin assignment
    • Custom fields
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • AI Zia
    • Multi-brand help center
    • Advanced analytics

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 Zoho Desk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want multi-channel support.
Zoho Desk review

Questions people ask

Is Chatwoot or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatwoot starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatwoot or Zoho Desk?
Chatwoot starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free.
Does Chatwoot or Zoho Desk run on more platforms?
Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted. Zoho Desk runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can Chatwoot do that Zoho Desk cannot?
Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Chatbots. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Both handle Knowledge base, Slack, GDPR, 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
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Related pages

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