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Chatwoot alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Chatwoot: thinner reporting and integrations than big suites, and self-hosting means managing upgrades yourself. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Chatwoot, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Intercom currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Crisp logoCrispFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android +34 of 462.6
2Zammad logoZammadOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted3 of 359.6
3Libredesk logoLibredeskOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted3 of 357.2
4tawk.to logotawk.toFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android +24 of 455.3
  1. Crisp logo

    1. CrispTop pick

    Best for: Startups and small teams that want Intercom-style chat support at a lower cost

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Chatwoot

    Hosted chat-first inbox with a free plan and simple pricing.

    Pros

    • Per-workspace pricing with seats included
    • Free plan for basic website chat
    • Native apps on every major platform

    Cons

    • Lighter ticketing and reporting than full help desks
    • AI usage is limited by included credits
    • Advanced features need the higher plans
    Visit Crisp Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Crisp a good Chatwoot alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting paid price
    $45/month per workspace
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no card required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    10,000 companies
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Zammad logo

    2. Zammad

    Best for: Organisations, especially in Europe, that want a full help desk they can self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Chatwoot

    Open-source help desk stronger at email and ticket workflows.

    Pros

    • Full help desk at no licence cost when self-hosted
    • Modern, fast agent interface
    • Hosted option in certified European data centres

    Cons

    • Smaller integration ecosystem than commercial suites
    • Self-hosting needs Elasticsearch and upkeep
    • Less chat-first than Intercom-style tools
    Visit Zammad Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zammad a good Chatwoot alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes, 100% open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zammad.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Hosted starting price
    From €7 per agent/month (Starter, max 5 agents)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zammad.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes, alongside hosted plans
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zammad.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Libredesk logo

    3. Libredesk

    Best for: Technical teams that want a modern, fully free help desk they run themselves

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Chatwoot

    Newer open-source support desk with a single-binary install.

    Pros

    • All features free, with no paid tier
    • Simple single-binary install
    • Macros that reply, tag and assign in one step

    Cons

    • Young project with a small community
    • Few integrations so far
    • No official hosted service
    Visit Libredesk Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Libredesk a good Chatwoot alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes, free to self-host
    Checked Oct 25, 2026libredesk.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Paid features
    None; every feature included
    Checked Oct 25, 2026libredesk.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Requirements
    Single binary with PostgreSQL and Redis
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.libredesk.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. tawk.to logo

    4. tawk.to

    Best for: Small businesses and non-profits that need full live chat at no cost

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Chatwoot

    Free hosted live chat if you don't want to run a server.

    Pros

    • Free with unlimited agents and chats
    • Ticketing, knowledge base and CRM included
    • Optional hired agents to cover chats

    Cons

    • Branding on the widget unless you pay to remove it
    • Dated interface
    • Limited reporting and integrations
    Visit tawk.to Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is tawk.to a good Chatwoot alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, free for life
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tawk.to(opens source in a new tab)
    Branding removal
    $29/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tawk.to(opens source in a new tab)
    Hired chat agents
    $1/hour
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tawk.to(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    iOS, Android, macOS and Windows apps
    Checked Oct 25, 2026tawk.to(opens source in a new tab)

The best Chatwoot alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Intercom logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for most people

Intercom

Hosted, polished Messenger with a stronger AI agent, if budget allows.

Zammad logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for a free option

Zammad

Open-source help desk stronger at email and ticket workflows.

Crisp logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Crisp

Hosted chat-first inbox with a free plan and simple pricing.

Libredesk logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for open source

Libredesk

Newer open-source support desk with a single-binary install.

Zammad logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for self-hosting

Zammad

Open-source help desk stronger at email and ticket workflows.

tawk.to logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for Mac

tawk.to

Free hosted live chat if you don't want to run a server.

Crisp logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for Windows

Crisp

Hosted chat-first inbox with a free plan and simple pricing.

Crisp logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for Linux

Crisp

Hosted chat-first inbox with a free plan and simple pricing.

Intercom logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for iPhone and Android

Intercom

Hosted, polished Messenger with a stronger AI agent, if budget allows.

Intercom logo

Best Chatwoot alternative for working in the browser

Intercom

Hosted, polished Messenger with a stronger AI agent, if budget allows.

Chatwoot alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Chatwoot?

Intercom ranks first right now. Hosted, polished Messenger with a stronger AI agent, if budget allows. Crisp and Zammad follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Chatwoot?

Yes. Crisp (free plan + paid), Zammad (open source), Libredesk (open source) and tawk.to (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Chatwoot?

Yes: Zammad and Libredesk. Zammad and Libredesk can also be self-hosted.

Which Chatwoot alternatives work on Linux?

Crisp runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Chatwoot?

The complaints we hear most: thinner reporting and integrations than big suites; self-hosting means managing upgrades yourself; some advanced features are paid enterprise extras.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Chatwoot, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.