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Software · head to head

LiveAgent vs Chatwoot

LiveAgent logo

LiveAgent

Software

All-in-one help desk software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Software

Open-source customer engagement platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LiveAgent social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price; Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month
  • They diverge on capability: LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Chatwoot covers Email inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LiveAgent and Chatwoot actually diverge.

Attributes where LiveAgent and Chatwoot differ
AttributeLiveAgentChatwoot
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Cloud, Self-hosted
Founded20042017

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 LiveAgent

  • Ticketing system
  • Call center
  • Social media
  • Customer portal
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Magento
  • Zapier

Only in Chatwoot

  • Email inbox
  • Social channels
  • Chatbots
  • Reports
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Line
  • Facebook

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Knowledge base
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • SSL
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

LiveAgent

  • Multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messagesnot Chatwoot
  • Ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teamsnot Chatwoot

Chatwoot

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

LiveAgent

  • Social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price
  • The entry plan is limited to 3 email accounts, 2 live chat buttons and 3 contact forms
  • WhatsApp numbers are rationed by plan, at 5 on Large Business and 20 on Enterprise
  • The advertised prices require annual billing, and monthly billing raises the entry plan from $10 to $13 per agent
  • Every published price is a discounted rate against a higher regular price

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

Pricing, plan by plan

LiveAgent

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 7-day ticket history
    • 1 chat button
    • 1 email account
  • Small$9/month
    • Unlimited ticket history
    • 3 email accounts
    • Customer portal
  • Medium$29/month
    • Call center
    • 10 email accounts
    • Advanced reporting
  • Large$49/month
    • Everything unlimited
    • Senior account manager
    • White glove setup

Chatwoot

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

Which should you pick?

Choose LiveAgent if

  • You need ticketing system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want call center.
LiveAgent review

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

Questions people ask

Is LiveAgent or Chatwoot better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveAgent starts at Free and Chatwoot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LiveAgent or Chatwoot?
LiveAgent starts at Free and Chatwoot at Free.
Does LiveAgent or Chatwoot run on more platforms?
LiveAgent runs on Web, Ios, Android. Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
Can I use LiveAgent for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LiveAgent best used for?
LiveAgent is most often used for multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages, ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams. Of those, multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages and ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams are not what Chatwoot is typically brought in for.
What can LiveAgent do that Chatwoot cannot?
LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Call center, Social media, Customer portal. Chatwoot covers Email inbox, Social channels, Chatbots, Reports. Both handle Live chat, Knowledge base, Slack, GDPR.

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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