Chatwoot alternatives
12 products compared · Updated November 3, 2026
The short answer
For teams that need deep collaboration across departments, Front is the strongest alternative. For AI-first support with a native agent, Intercom is the best fit. For ecommerce brands on Shopify, Gorgias is the most specialized choice.
Your shortlist, at a glance
Read the comparisons ↓
Zendesk ChatFrom $19/agent/moSupport teams at mid-sized to large companies that want AI agents to resolve tickets autonomously and need deep integrations with 1,800+ apps.
IntercomSeats + $0.99/outcomeGrowing support teams that want an AI agent built into the helpdesk and are willing to pay per AI outcome.
FreshdeskNot publishedTeams that want a full-featured helpdesk with strong reporting and AI assistance, especially those already using other Freshworks products.
Help ScoutFrom $20/user/moGrowing teams that want a clean, hosted help desk with AI that resolves a large share of tickets automatically.
CrispFrom $45/mo per workspEarly-stage companies and small teams that want a flat-rate support platform with AI automation and a built-in CRM.
Zoho DeskNot publishedTeams already using Zoho products or needing a help desk with strong ticketing, SLAs, and AI-assisted workflows.
GorgiasCustom quoteEcommerce brands on Shopify that want a helpdesk with built-in order management and AI automation.
FrontCustom quoteTeams that need to coordinate complex customer work across support, sales, and operations with AI agents and deep integrations.- DDeskproFrom $39/agent/moTeams that need a highly customizable help desk across multiple departments (CS, IT, HR, Ops) with self-hosting options.
- LLiveAgentFrom $11/agent/moSmall support teams that want a cloud-only help desk with phone and social channels included from the Team plan.
- HHappyFoxCustom quoteIT, HR, and operations teams that need structured ticketing, SLAs, and automation across multiple channels.
KustomerCustom quoteB2C and B2B companies with complex customer journeys that need a full CRM with AI-driven automation and deep integrations.
About Chatwoot and its alternatives
Chatwoot is an open-source, AI-powered customer support platform for live chat, email, WhatsApp, and social channels. It is known for self-hosting options, a free tier for up to two agents, and a transparent per-agent pricing model starting at $19 per month.
When comparing alternatives, weigh pricing structure (per agent vs. per workspace vs. per resolution), whether the product is cloud-only or supports self-hosting, the depth of integrations with your existing stack, and the transparency of pricing. Also consider contract terms like free trials, annual billing discounts, and whether AI features are included or billed separately.
Explore the alternatives
- From $19/agent/mo
1.Zendesk Chat
Best for: Support teams at mid-sized to large companies that want AI agents to resolve tickets autonomously and need deep integrations with 1,800+ apps.
- Pricing
- From $19/agent/mo
- Category
- Customer Support
Zendesk Chat is an AI-first customer service platform that handles live chat, messaging, and ticketing across channels. Choose it over Chatwoot if you need enterprise-grade AI agents, advanced analytics, and a large app marketplace, and you prefer a fully managed cloud service over self-hosting.
Where it is strong
- AI agents can automate up to 80% of interactions, learning from every resolution.
- Omnichannel routing, messaging, live chat, and telephony included in Suite Team.
- Enterprise-grade security and AI governance, with a 14-day free trial.
Where it falls short
- Pricing is higher than Chatwoot, especially for advanced plans.
- No self-hosting option. You must use Zendesk's cloud.
- Pricing:
- Pricing starts at $19 per agent per month (billed yearly) for the Support Team plan, with Suite Team at $55 and Suite Professional at $115 per agent per month.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot involves migrating your conversation history and configuring new automations, but Zendesk offers APIs and import tools to ease the transition.
- Seats + $0.99/outcome
2.Intercom
Best for: Growing support teams that want an AI agent built into the helpdesk and are willing to pay per AI outcome.
- Pricing
- Seats + $0.99/outcome
- Category
- Customer Support
Intercom is a full customer service platform with a natively integrated AI agent, Fin, that resolves issues and hands off to humans. Choose it over Chatwoot if you want a tightly integrated AI-first helpdesk with usage-based pricing and deep automation, rather than an open-source self-hosted tool.
Where it is strong
- Fin AI Agent is natively integrated, so it learns from every conversation.
- Includes a shared inbox, ticketing, workflows, and a public help center.
- Startups can get 93% off, making it accessible early on.
Where it falls short
- Pricing is not transparent. You need to use a calculator or contact sales.
- Fin charges per outcome, which can add up with high support volume.
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site. Plans are Essential, Advanced, and Expert with seat costs, and Fin AI Agent is $0.99 per outcome with a minimum monthly commitment.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot means migrating conversations and contacts via API, and reconfiguring channels like email and chat. Expect a learning curve with Intercom's AI features and usage-based billing.
- Not published
3.Freshdesk
Best for: Teams that want a full-featured helpdesk with strong reporting and AI assistance, especially those already using other Freshworks products.
- Pricing
- Not published
- Category
- Customer Support
Freshdesk is a mature helpdesk platform with ticketing, self-service, and reporting, plus AI features like email agents and Copilot. Choose it over Chatwoot if you need a more traditional, structured ticketing system with deep reporting and a large ecosystem of integrations.
Where it is strong
- AI email agents that can resolve tickets automatically
- Copilot helps agents prioritize work and recommend next steps
- Integrates with many business apps out of the box
Where it falls short
- No self-hosted option, unlike Chatwoot
- Pricing not transparent on the site
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot means migrating your conversations and contacts via API, and adapting to a ticket-centric workflow rather than a conversation-centric one.
- From $20/user/mo
4.Help Scout
Best for: Growing teams that want a clean, hosted help desk with AI that resolves a large share of tickets automatically.
- Pricing
- From $20/user/mo
- Category
- Customer Support
Help Scout is a customer support platform that brings email, chat, SMS, and social into one inbox, with an AI agent called Scout that resolves many requests automatically. You would choose it over Chatwoot if you want a hosted, polished product with strong AI features and don't need self-hosting or deep customization.
Where it is strong
- AI agent Scout resolves 73% of requests on average, reducing ticket volume.
- Copilot drafts replies and triages, cutting response times by about a third.
- Signal surfaces trends and at-risk accounts from conversation data.
Where it falls short
- No self-hosting option. Data stays on Help Scout's cloud.
- Advanced features like SSO/SAML and HIPAA are locked to the Pro plan.
- Pricing:
- Standard starts at $20 per user per month (billed annually), Plus at $40, Pro at $65, and Envoy is priced per resolution with a 3-month free trial. A free plan includes 5 users, 1 inbox, and 1 Docs site.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot involves exporting conversations via API and reconnecting channels, but Help Scout's import tools and similar inbox layout make the transition straightforward.
- From $45/mo per worksp
5.Crisp
Best for: Early-stage companies and small teams that want a flat-rate support platform with AI automation and a built-in CRM.
- Pricing
- From $45/mo per worksp
- Category
- Customer Support
Crisp is a customer support platform with AI agents, a shared inbox, and a built-in CRM. You would choose it over Chatwoot if you want a flat per-workspace price instead of per-agent pricing, or if you need a no-code AI agent builder and deeper e-commerce integrations.
Where it is strong
- Flat per-workspace pricing, not per agent.
- No-code AI agent builder with templates.
- Built-in CRM and e-commerce integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Prestashop.
Where it falls short
- Free plan includes no AI credits.
- Advanced features like ticketing and white labeling only on the $295 plan.
- Pricing:
- Free plan for 2 seats. Paid plans start at $45 per month per workspace (Mini), then $95 (Essentials), and $295 (Plus) per month per workspace.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot means reconfiguring your channels and workflows in Crisp, and exporting your conversation history via Chatwoot's API.
- Not published
6.Zoho Desk
Best for: Teams already using Zoho products or needing a help desk with strong ticketing, SLAs, and AI-assisted workflows.
- Pricing
- Not published
- Category
- Customer Support
Zoho Desk is a full-featured help desk platform that unifies customer conversations from every channel into one workspace, with AI assistance from Zia. Choose it over Chatwoot if you need deep integrations with the broader Zoho ecosystem, advanced reporting, and a mature ticketing system with SLAs and automation.
Where it is strong
- Integrates with 360+ apps, including the Zoho ecosystem
- AI agent (Zia) handles routine issues and drafts responses
- Built-in help center, knowledge base, and community forums
Where it falls short
- Pricing not transparent on the website
- May be heavier than Chatwoot if you only need simple live chat
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site.
- Custom quote
7.Gorgias
Best for: Ecommerce brands on Shopify that want a helpdesk with built-in order management and AI automation.
- Pricing
- Custom quote
- Category
- Customer Support
Gorgias is a helpdesk built specifically for ecommerce, with deep Shopify integration and an AI agent that resolves conversations automatically. Choose it over Chatwoot if you run an online store and want support tied directly to order and customer data.
Where it is strong
- Deep Shopify integration for order and customer data
- AI Agent included on every plan, pay only per resolved conversation
- Helpdesk scales by ticket volume, not per agent
Where it falls short
- Pricing is not transparent without a demo
- Focused on ecommerce, less suitable for non-retail support
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site. You must book a demo to get a quote.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot means migrating your conversation history and setting up Gorgias's Shopify integration, which may require reconfiguring your workflows.
- Custom quote
8.Front
Best for: Teams that need to coordinate complex customer work across support, sales, and operations with AI agents and deep integrations.
- Pricing
- Custom quote
- Category
- Communication & Collaboration
Front is a customer communications hub that brings support, sales, and operations teams together with AI agents in one shared inbox. Choose it over Chatwoot when your team handles complex, multi-step customer work that needs tight collaboration across departments, not just simple ticket routing.
Where it is strong
- Shared inbox with internal comments and drafts for real-time team collaboration
- Autopilot agents can resolve up to 70% of requests automatically
- 160+ out-of-the-box integrations plus no-code custom builds
Where it falls short
- Starter plan only supports one channel type (email, chat, or SMS)
- Pricing is not transparent. You must contact sales for a quote
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site. Plans are Starter, Professional, and Enterprise, with a 14-day free trial of the Professional plan.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot means reconfiguring your channels and workflows, but Front's API and integrations can help import conversation history.
- DFrom $39/agent/mo
9.Deskpro
Best for: Teams that need a highly customizable help desk across multiple departments (CS, IT, HR, Ops) with self-hosting options.
- Pricing
- From $39/agent/mo
- Category
- Other
Deskpro is a highly configurable help desk platform for customer support, IT, HR, and internal operations. Choose it over Chatwoot if you need deep customization, department-specific workflows, and the option to self-host in your own cloud or on-premises.
Where it is strong
- Deep configuration with custom fields, ticket forms, and layouts per department.
- Self-hosting in your own VPC or on-premises for full control.
- Built-in AI for ticket summaries, drafts, and chatbot without extra credits.
Where it falls short
- More expensive than Chatwoot's free tier and lower-priced plans.
- Steeper learning curve due to the extensive configuration options.
- Pricing:
- Pricing starts at $39 per agent per month for the Team plan, $59 for Professional, and $99 for Enterprise.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot involves recreating your workflows, custom fields, and automations in Deskpro's more complex system, and migrating historical conversations via API.
- LFrom $11/agent/mo
10.LiveAgent
Best for: Small support teams that want a cloud-only help desk with phone and social channels included from the Team plan.
- Pricing
- From $11/agent/mo
- Category
- Other
LiveAgent is a cloud help desk that turns email, chat, phone, and social messages into tickets in one inbox, with AI features included on every plan. Choose it over Chatwoot if you want a fully hosted solution with a built-in call center and no separate AI fees, and you don't need self-hosting.
Where it is strong
- AI features included in every plan, no per-resolution fees
- Built-in call center with phone menus and recording from Team plan
- Free migration from Zendesk, Freshdesk, or Help Scout
Where it falls short
- Cloud only, no self-hosting option
- Starter plan lacks social channels, call center, and reporting
- Pricing:
- Starter is $11 per agent per month billed annually (regular $15), Team is $22 (regular $29), Business is $38 (regular $49), and Enterprise is a flat $3,199 per month with 80 agents included.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- LiveAgent offers free migration from Zendesk, Freshdesk, or Help Scout, but there's no mention of importing from Chatwoot, so you'd likely export conversations via API and set up channels manually.
- HCustom quote
11.HappyFox
Best for: IT, HR, and operations teams that need structured ticketing, SLAs, and automation across multiple channels.
- Pricing
- Custom quote
- Category
- Other
HappyFox is a help desk platform that centralizes email, phone, and social requests into a single ticketing queue. It emphasizes automation, SLAs, and reporting, and includes optional AI features like Autopilot agents and a chatbot. Choose it over Chatwoot if you need structured ticketing with strong automation and enterprise-grade security, rather than Chatwoot's more chat-centric, open-source approach.
Where it is strong
- Free white-glove migration from another help desk with annual plans
- Flat-rate unlimited-agent plans available for high-volume teams
- Built-in AI features like Autopilot agents and chatbot
Where it falls short
- Pricing not transparent. Requires contacting sales
- No self-hosted option, unlike Chatwoot
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site. Plans are available on request, with a 14-day free trial and free migration for annual subscriptions.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot involves migrating your conversation history and workflows, but HappyFox offers free migration assistance with annual plans.
- Custom quote
12.Kustomer
Best for: B2C and B2B companies with complex customer journeys that need a full CRM with AI-driven automation and deep integrations.
- Pricing
- Custom quote
- Category
- Customer Support
Kustomer is an AI-native CRM that unifies customer data and conversations across channels, with AI agents that optimize toward business goals. Choose it over Chatwoot if you need a deeper customer relationship platform with advanced AI workflows and no-code customization, rather than a lightweight open-source support tool.
Where it is strong
- AI agents resolve complex requests across channels with full customer context.
- No-code configuration lets you build and iterate workflows without engineering.
- Real-time agent performance metrics and reporting built in.
Where it falls short
- Pricing is not transparent. Requires a sales conversation.
- Heavier platform than Chatwoot, likely overkill for small teams needing simple live chat.
- Pricing:
- Pricing is not published on the site. They offer a two-minute assessment to estimate ROI and then connect you with sales for exact pricing.
- Switching from Chatwoot:
- Moving from Chatwoot involves migrating conversation history and customer data via API, and reconfiguring your channels and automation in Kustomer's no-code builder.
See more comparisons in Customer Support alternatives.
FAQ
Questions about Chatwoot alternatives
Which alternative is best for a small team with a tight budget?
Crisp offers a free plan for two seats and flat per-workspace pricing starting at $45 per month, which can be cheaper than per-agent pricing. LiveAgent starts at $11 per agent per month billed annually, making it another low-cost option. Both are cloud-only, so you don't need to manage infrastructure.
Can I self-host any of these alternatives like Chatwoot?
Deskpro is the only alternative that explicitly supports self-hosting in your own VPC or on-premises. Other alternatives like Front, Intercom, Zendesk, and Help Scout are cloud-only. If self-hosting is a hard requirement, Deskpro is the closest match.
Which alternative has the most transparent pricing?
LiveAgent publishes its per-agent prices, starting at $11 per agent per month. Crisp publishes flat per-workspace prices, and Deskpro lists per-agent plans from $39. In contrast, Front, Intercom, Gorgias, Freshdesk, Zoho Desk, Kustomer, and HappyFox do not publish pricing on their sites.
Which alternative is best for ecommerce support?
Gorgias is built specifically for ecommerce, with deep Shopify integration and an AI agent that resolves conversations automatically. Crisp also offers ecommerce integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Prestashop. If you run an online store, Gorgias is the most specialized choice.
How do AI features differ across these alternatives?
Intercom charges per AI outcome at $0.99 each, while Gorgias includes an AI agent on every plan and charges per resolved conversation. LiveAgent includes AI features in every plan with no per-resolution fees. Help Scout's AI agent resolves about 73% of requests on average, and Deskpro includes AI without extra credits.
Last updated November 3, 2026.