Chatwoot
n8n
| Feature | Chatwoot | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $19/mo | Free / from $24/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, privacy-focused-companies, self-hosters | developers, technical-teams, agencies, cost-conscious-teams, ai-builders |
| Founded | 2017 | 2019 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Omnichannel Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Canned Responses | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Nodes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Agents | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ n8n Pros
- Free self-hosting (forever)
- Full JavaScript/Python in every node
- AI agent workflow builder
- No per-task pricing when self-hosted
✗ n8n Cons
- Requires technical setup for self-hosting
- 400+ integrations vs Zapier's 7,000+
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier or Make
The Verdict
Chatwoot is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on live-chat and omnichannel-inbox. n8n targets developers and technical teams and leads with workflows and self-hosting.
On pricing, Chatwoot is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $19/mo compared to $24/mo for n8n. That $5/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.
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.
