Chatwoot vs Groove HQ
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Chatwoot | Groove HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $19/seat/mo | From $20/seat/mo |
| Best For | Technical teams wanting open-source flexibility | Small businesses needing simple email-based customer support |
| Standout Feature | Open-source with self-hosting option | Collision detection to prevent duplicate responses |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 | 4.5 |
Chatwoot and Groove HQ represent two distinct philosophies in customer support software. Chatwoot offers an open-source, developer-friendly platform with extensive customization options, while Groove HQ provides a polished, email-centric helpdesk solution designed for simplicity.
This comparison examines how these platforms differ in their approach to multi-channel support, team collaboration, and customer engagement strategies.
Feature Comparison
Chatwoot excels with its unified inbox supporting live chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, and social media channels. Its open-source nature allows unlimited customization and self-hosting options.
Groove HQ focuses on email management with shared inboxes, collision detection, and seamless team collaboration. It integrates well with existing email workflows but has limited live chat capabilities.
Chatwoot offers superior automation with custom bots and workflows, while Groove HQ provides better email threading and knowledge base integration.
Pricing Comparison
Chatwoot offers a free self-hosted option and cloud plans starting at $20/month for up to 15 agents. This makes it highly cost-effective for growing teams.
Groove HQ starts at $16/user/month, which can become expensive for larger teams but includes comprehensive email management features and priority support.
For teams under 10 agents, Groove HQ may be more economical, but Chatwoot becomes significantly cheaper as team size grows.
Chatwoot
Pros
- ✓ Open-source option available
- ✓ Good channel coverage
- ✓ Active development community
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing model
- ✗ Self-hosting requires technical expertise
- ✗ Limited advanced features in lower tiers
Groove HQ
Pros
- ✓ Simple, clean interface
- ✓ Good for small teams
- ✓ Affordable entry-level pricing
Cons
- ✗ Limited advanced features
- ✗ No modern messaging integrations
- ✗ Basic automation capabilities
Verdict
Choose Chatwoot if you need open-source flexibility, advanced automation, and don't mind technical setup. Choose Groove HQ if you prefer email-focused workflows, shared inboxes, and want a solution that works out-of-the-box.
Choose Chatwoot if: You need multi-channel support, have technical resources for setup, or want to avoid per-agent pricing as you scale.
Choose Groove HQ if: Email is your primary support channel, you want minimal setup, and prefer polished user experience over customization.
For teams seeking a middle ground with transparent pricing, consider Converge at $49/month flat rate, offering unified customer communication without per-agent fees.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Chatwoot comparisons and all Groove HQ comparisons.