Chatwoot vs Sendbird
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Chatwoot | Sendbird |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $19/seat/mo | From $399/mo |
| Best For | Technical teams wanting open-source flexibility | Developers building custom in-app messaging experiences |
| Standout Feature | Open-source with self-hosting option | Comprehensive SDK with voice, video, and messaging |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 | 4.3 |
Chatwoot and Sendbird target different aspects of customer communication. Chatwoot provides traditional customer support at $20 per agent monthly, while Sendbird offers in-app messaging solutions ranging from free to $999 per month.
Both platforms maintain strong G2 ratings—Chatwoot at 4.4 and Sendbird at 4.3—but serve distinctly different use cases in the customer communication ecosystem.
Feature Comparison
Chatwoot delivers a complete customer support suite with ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, and automation features. Its strength lies in providing support teams with everything needed to manage customer inquiries efficiently.
Sendbird specializes in chat APIs and SDKs for developers building messaging features into applications. Their platform excels at real-time messaging, voice/video calling, and creating custom chat experiences.
The fundamental difference is that Chatwoot is a ready-to-use support platform, while Sendbird provides the building blocks for creating custom messaging solutions within your own applications.
Pricing Comparison
Chatwoot's $20 per agent per month model is straightforward for support teams. A 5-agent team pays $100 monthly with no hidden fees or usage charges.
Sendbird's pricing spans from free (limited features) to $999 monthly for enterprise features. Their model is based on monthly active users and feature tiers rather than agent seats.
For businesses needing basic messaging, Sendbird's free tier might suffice, but advanced features quickly push costs toward their higher tiers, potentially exceeding Chatwoot's predictable agent-based pricing.
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
Sendbird
Pros
- ✓ Comprehensive SDK suite
- ✓ Excellent developer documentation
- ✓ Scalable infrastructure
Cons
- ✗ Expensive for small businesses
- ✗ Complex pricing structure
- ✗ Limited social media integrations
Verdict
Choose Chatwoot if you need comprehensive customer support tools with agent-based pricing. Choose Sendbird if you're building in-app messaging experiences for your application.
Choose Chatwoot if: You need a complete customer support platform with transparent per-agent pricing and excellent G2 ratings (4.4/5).
Choose Sendbird if: You're a developer building custom messaging features into applications and need flexible API-based solutions.
Alternative: Consider Converge at $49/month flat rate for teams wanting simple customer communication without complex pricing tiers or per-agent fees.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Chatwoot comparisons and all Sendbird comparisons.