Chatwoot

Chatwoot is an open-source platform for talking to customers. It puts all your messages — website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, and more — into one team inbox. Your support team can reply to every channel from a single screen. It also has Captain, an AI helper that answers common questions and drafts replies for agents. You can host it yourself for free on your own server, or use the hosted cloud version instead. Check the official pricing page for current plans and limits.

Key Features

1. One Inbox for All Channels

Website chat, email, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, and TikTok all land in one shared inbox.

2. Captain AI Assistant

The AI answers common questions from your help center and drafts replies for your agents to review.

3. Team Collaboration Tools

Agents can leave private notes, assign chats to teammates, and use ready-made replies for fast answers.

4. Self-Host or Use Cloud

Install it free on your own server with Docker, or pay for the hosted cloud version.

5. Automation Rules

Set rules to assign chats, add tags, and send auto-replies based on what the customer writes.

6. Mobile Apps

Reply to customers from anywhere with the iOS and Android apps, so no message waits until you are back at your desk.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Chatwoot support WhatsApp?

Yes. Chatwoot connects to WhatsApp through the official WhatsApp API, so your team replies to WhatsApp messages from the same inbox.

Which channels does Chatwoot support?

Website live chat, email, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, LINE, TikTok, and a custom API channel.

What is Captain in Chatwoot?

Captain is Chatwoot's AI helper. It answers questions from your help center, drafts replies, translates messages, and summarizes long chats.

Can I host Chatwoot on my own server?

Yes. It is open source with Docker support, so you can run it on your own server and keep full control of your data.

Does Chatwoot integrate with other tools?

Yes. It connects with Slack, Shopify, HubSpot, Dialogflow, and Google Translate, plus webhooks and a REST API.

How is Chatwoot different from Intercom?

Chatwoot is open source and can be self-hosted for free, while Intercom is a paid-only closed platform. Both offer a shared team inbox.

Conclusion

Chatwoot is a strong pick for teams that want all customer chats in one place without high costs. The open-source version is free to host yourself, and the cloud plans start with a free tier. With Captain AI and many channels, it covers most support needs. Try the free plan and scale as your team grows.