Chatwoot Cloud chatwoot.comFree alternatives to Chatwoot Cloud
Chatwoot Cloud costs $19/mo on the Startups plan, or $228 a year. Here are 5 free and open-source options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.
01At a glance
| Alternative | Type | Where it runs | Works on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatwoot | Open source | You host it | Web, iPhone, Android, Your server |
| HubSpot Free CRM | Free | Hosted for you | Web, iPhone, Android |
| tawk.to | Free | Hosted for you | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android |
| HubSpot Free Help Desk | Free | Hosted for you | Web, iPhone, Android |
| Odoo Helpdesk One App Free | Free | Hosted for you | Web |
02Each alternative, in detail
A proper support inbox with chat, email and a help center; free software, billable server chores.
Versus paying: The software is the same core, but you lose Chatwoot Cloud's managed upgrades, backups, monitoring and incident response.
Setup: Docker Compose on a Linux VM, followed by environment, database, reverse-proxy and TLS configuration
Watch for: Provisioning a Linux server and correctly wiring DNS/TLS, SMTP, PostgreSQL/Redis and storage
35,534 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)
chatwoot.com →A two-seat shared inbox and live chat bolted to a CRM; free until the limits become colleagues.
Versus paying: It is capped at two users and replaces Chatwoot's omnichannel support model with a CRM-centric inbox.
Setup: Hosted signup, then connect a team inbox/email and add the website tracking or chat-widget code
Watch for: Connecting and verifying the shared email inbox and website domain
hubspot.com →Live chat, tickets and a knowledge base for zero dollars; the little badge is how the arithmetic survives.
Versus paying: You accept vendor branding and less control over inbox workflows and data than Chatwoot Cloud.
Setup: Hosted signup, then paste the generated JavaScript widget or install a CMS plugin
Watch for: Access to edit the website or install its CMS plugin
tawk.to →A hosted shared inbox, live chat, and ticket queue for two users; the knowledge base lives upstairs.
Versus paying: The two-user free ceiling and shallower support automation make it a small-team stopgap rather than an equivalent managed inbox.
Setup: Hosted signup, then connect a team inbox/email and add the website tracking or chat-widget code
Watch for: Connecting and verifying the shared email inbox and website domain
hubspot.com →A real hosted ticket desk for unlimited users, as long as Helpdesk is your one free Odoo app.
Versus paying: The one-app-free rule and Odoo-wide workflow model are less focused than Chatwoot Cloud's support inbox.
Setup: Hosted Odoo Online signup with Helpdesk selected as the single free app
odoo.com →03What you give up by leaving Chatwoot Cloud
- managed upgrades, backups, delivery infrastructure, support, and integrations
- omnichannel integrations
- large-scale deliverability
- AI resolution tuning
- enterprise routing and compliance
People still pay for Chatwoot Cloud because support software survives because missing or misrouting one customer message is expensive and every channel behaves differently. The recurring cost buys message delivery, webhooks, threading, identity, permissions, attachments, notifications, spam, search, uptime, and retention, not just the visible interface.
04Questions
Is there a free alternative to Chatwoot Cloud?
Yes. This page compares 5: Chatwoot, HubSpot Free CRM, tawk.to, HubSpot Free Help Desk and Odoo Helpdesk One App Free. One of them is open source, so you can run it yourself.
How much does Chatwoot Cloud cost?
$19/mo on the Startups plan (monthly per agent), which is $228 a year. Prices checked Aug 12, 2026.
What do you give up with a free alternative to Chatwoot Cloud?
Most often: managed upgrades, backups, delivery infrastructure, support, and integrations, omnichannel integrations, large-scale deliverability and AI resolution tuning. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”
Can AI build me my own version of Chatwoot Cloud?
Half-bot. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Chatwoot Cloud, use a managed shared inbox and website widget instead of operating Chatwoot yourself. The hard boundary is managed upgrades, backups, delivery infrastructure, support, and integrations, plus channel integrations and support operations.
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.
Get new verdicts in your inbox.
One short email when new verdicts land: what AI can now do for you, and what it still gets wrong. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.