Chatwoot
Crisp
| Feature | Chatwoot | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $19/mo | Free / from $25/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, privacy-focused-companies, self-hosters | startups, small-businesses, saas-companies, e-commerce |
| Founded | 2017 | 2015 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Omnichannel Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Canned Responses | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chatbot | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shared Inbox | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✗ | ✓ |
| Campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
| Status Page | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Chatwoot Pros
- Open-source with full self-hosting option
- Omnichannel (chat, email, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)
- AI-powered response suggestions and summaries
- Free for self-hosted with unlimited agents
✗ Chatwoot Cons
- Self-hosting requires DevOps knowledge
- Fewer integrations than established help desks
- Mobile apps less polished than competitors
✓ Crisp Pros
- Very generous free tier (2 seats included)
- Per-workspace pricing instead of per-seat
- Built-in chatbot builder with no-code
- Clean and modern interface
✗ Crisp Cons
- Limited advanced automation compared to Intercom
- Chatbot AI less sophisticated than competitors
- Fewer integrations than larger platforms
The Verdict
Chatwoot is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on live-chat and omnichannel-inbox. Crisp targets startups and small businesses and leads with live-chat and chatbot.
On pricing, Chatwoot is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $19/mo compared to $25/mo for Crisp. That $6/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups, small businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.