Software · head to head
SupportBee vs Chatwoot
The short version
- Only Chatwoot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: SupportBee email-only ticketing, no live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features; Chatwoot free plan limited to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month
- They diverge on capability: SupportBee covers Shared inbox, Chatwoot covers Live chat.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which SupportBee and Chatwoot actually diverge.
| Attribute | SupportBee | Chatwoot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $13/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile Browser | Web, Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Founded | 2010 | 2017 |
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 SupportBee
- Shared inbox
- Email ticketing
- Snippets
- Customer portal
- Trello
- Asana
- Pipedrive
- Zapier
Only in Chatwoot
- Live chat
- Email inbox
- Social channels
- Chatbots
- Telegram
- Line
Both cover
- Knowledge base
- Reports
- Slack
- SSL
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
SupportBee
- Email supportnot Chatwoot
- Ticket managementnot Chatwoot
- Team collaborationnot Chatwoot
Chatwoot
- Self-hosted supportnot SupportBee
- Privacy-first chatnot SupportBee
- Multi-channel supportnot SupportBee
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
SupportBee
- Email-only ticketing, no live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features
- Basic reporting and analytics, lacking advanced dashboards and customizable metrics
- No SLA management capabilities
- Limited workflow customization compared to enterprise platforms
- No dedicated mobile app (web interface only)
- Confusing navigation and UI issues reported by some users
- Cannot select and snooze multiple emails at once
- Occasional performance delays
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
SupportBee
$13/month- Startup$13/month
- Unlimited tickets and inboxes
- Team inbox with ticket assignment
- Knowledge base integration (KBee)
- Enterprise$17/month
- All Startup features
- Advanced integrations
- Custom roles and permissions
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 SupportBee if
- You need shared inbox.
- You work on Web, Mobile Browser.
- You also want email ticketing.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is SupportBee or Chatwoot better?
- Neither clearly leads. SupportBee starts at $13/month and Chatwoot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, SupportBee or Chatwoot?
- Chatwoot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $13/month for SupportBee and Free for Chatwoot.
- Does SupportBee or Chatwoot run on more platforms?
- SupportBee runs on Web, Mobile Browser. Chatwoot runs on Web, Cloud, Self-hosted.
- Can I use Chatwoot for free?
- Yes. Chatwoot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SupportBee starts at $13/month.
- What is SupportBee best used for?
- SupportBee is most often used for email support, ticket management, team collaboration. Of those, email support and ticket management are not what Chatwoot is typically brought in for.
- What can SupportBee do that Chatwoot cannot?
- SupportBee covers Shared inbox, Email ticketing, Snippets, Customer portal. Chatwoot covers Live chat, Email inbox, Social channels, Chatbots. Both handle Knowledge base, Reports, Slack, SSL.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
SupportBee: How much does SupportBee cost?
SupportBee offers Startup plan at $13/user/month and Enterprise at $17/user/month, both with unlimited tickets and inboxes. No per-ticket charges. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.
SourceChatwoot: 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.
SourceSupportBee: Does SupportBee offer live chat or phone support?
No. SupportBee focuses on email ticketing and does not include native live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features. It is designed for email-based customer support.
SourceChatwoot: 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.
SourceSupportBee: What platforms can SupportBee run on?
SupportBee is a web-based platform accessible on desktop and mobile browsers. It does not offer a dedicated desktop or mobile app, but the web interface is responsive and works on phones. Integration with email clients is available.
SourceChatwoot: 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.
SourceSupportBee: Does SupportBee integrate with Slack?
Yes. SupportBee integrates with Slack to send real-time notifications for new tickets, replies, assignments, and internal comments. Teams can configure which events trigger alerts and organize notifications into dedicated channels.
SourceChatwoot: What AI features does Chatwoot include?
Chatwoot includes Captain AI agent for automated responses, Copilot for smart reply suggestions, and live translation features.
Source