Chatwoot vs LiveChat

Chatwoot is free self-hosted or $19/agent/month cloud for open-source omnichannel support, while LiveChat Team costs $49/agent/month for chat-focused visitor analytics and 200+ integrations — open-source flexibility versus premium chat engagement platform. Chatwoot (G2: 4.4/5) provides email, live chat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LINE in a self-hostable application. LiveChat (G2: 4.5/5 from ~750 reviews) provides real-time visitor tracking, proactive engagement, and a polished chat experience with enterprise integrations.

The trade-off is breadth versus polish: Chatwoot covers more channels with open-source control at lower cost. LiveChat provides a more polished chat experience with deeper visitor analytics and a broader integration marketplace. Both handle web chat; they diverge on everything else.

Chatwoot provides open-source multi-channel messaging; LiveChat provides premium single-channel analytics — channel coverage versus visitor intelligence depth. Chatwoot connects to WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LINE, email, and web chat. Automation rules route and assign. Canned responses speed up replies. Self-hosted gives full database access. The agent interface handles all channels in one inbox.

LiveChat tracks up to 1,000 visitors with behavioral data (Business tier). Agents start proactive conversations based on page, time, and referral. Chat ratings measure satisfaction. Staffing prediction helps plan coverage. ChatBot (separate product, $52+/month) automates responses. Advanced reporting exports performance data. The chat widget is highly polished with customization options.

Channel comparison: Chatwoot covers WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LINE, email, web chat. LiveChat covers web chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Apple Messages for Business. Chatwoot has dramatically broader channel support — adding Telegram, Twitter, LINE, and email inbox. LiveChat adds Apple Messages.

Chatwoot self-hosted is free for unlimited agents; LiveChat Team costs $490/month for 10 agents. Chatwoot cloud at 10 agents = $190/month — 61% cheaper than LiveChat. The cost gap reflects open-source versus commercial licensing. LiveChat includes visitor analytics, proactive engagement, and 200+ integrations. Chatwoot includes broader channel coverage and self-hosting option.

Infrastructure cost for self-hosted Chatwoot: ~$20-50/month for a VPS. Total cost: $20-50/month for unlimited agents versus LiveChat Team at $49/agent. For a 15-agent team: Chatwoot self-hosted = $20-50/month; LiveChat Team = $735/month.

LiveChat Starter ($19/agent) caps chat history at 60 days — most teams need Team ($49/agent). Chatwoot has no chat history limits. Both require annual billing for best cloud rates.

Choose Chatwoot if you need multi-channel support beyond web chat and want open-source flexibility. Self-hosted is free with unlimited agents. WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LINE, and email are all supported. Full data sovereignty when self-hosted. The API supports custom integrations.

Choose LiveChat if you use chat for proactive sales engagement and need real-time visitor intelligence. Visitor monitoring tracks location, page, time on site, and referral source. Agents start conversations with high-intent visitors. Chat ratings and staffing prediction optimize operations. 200+ integrations connect to CRMs and ecommerce platforms. WhatsApp and Apple Messages extend reach beyond web.

Chatwoot is the right tool for technical teams that want open-source multi-channel support with data sovereignty at low cost. LiveChat is the right tool for sales-driven teams that need premium chat analytics and proactive visitor engagement. They optimize for different objectives — channel breadth versus chat depth.

For teams that need messaging-first support across WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and Zalo without self-hosting or per-agent pricing, Converge offers all channels at $49/month flat for up to 15 agents.