What it is
Chatwoot is an open-source platform for handling website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and SMS from one shared inbox. You can use their cloud or run it on your own server with no license fee. It includes a help center, automations and Captain, its AI assistant. It positions itself as an open alternative to Intercom and Zendesk.
How to use it
- Self-host it with Docker and keep your data in-house.
- Connect WhatsApp through Meta's official API, 360dialog or Twilio.
- Organize your team with teams, labels, canned responses and assignment rules.
- Publish a help center whose articles the AI assistant uses to answer.
- Automate with webhooks and the API, or connect it to n8n.
What it's good for
- A software startup that wants in-app chat without paying Intercom's per-seat prices.
- A digital agency that runs Chatwoot on its own server and gives each client an inbox.
- A company handling sensitive data that needs conversations stored on its own infrastructure.
Pros
- Open source: self-host it with no license fee
- Web chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and SMS in one inbox
- Free cloud plan for 2 agents; paid plans start around US$19 per agent
- Full API and webhooks to connect it to your systems
Cons
- Self-hosting means handling updates, backups and security yourself
- AI, SSO and audit logs require a paid plan or the Enterprise edition
- Fewer ready-made integrations than Zendesk or Intercom
