Chatwoot
Rocket.Chat
| Feature | Chatwoot | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $19/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, privacy-focused-companies, self-hosters | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises |
| Founded | 2017 | 2015 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Omnichannel Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Canned Responses | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Federation | ✗ | ✓ |
| E2e Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Rocket.Chat Pros
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- End-to-end encryption
- Federation support between instances
- Highly customizable
✗ Rocket.Chat Cons
- Self-hosted requires maintenance
- Mobile apps less polished than Slack
- Smaller app ecosystem
The Verdict
Chatwoot is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on live-chat and omnichannel-inbox. Rocket.Chat targets security conscious organizations and government and leads with channels and direct-messaging.
On pricing, Rocket.Chat is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $19/mo for Chatwoot. That $15/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.
Chatwoot edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Chatwoot offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Rocket.Chat takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for self hosters — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Chatwoot has a slight overall edge — but if fully open-source and self-hostable matters most to you, Rocket.Chat may still be the right call.