Chatwoot
tawk.to
| Feature | Chatwoot | tawk.to |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $19/mo | Free / from $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, privacy-focused-companies, self-hosters | startups, small-businesses, freelancers, budget-conscious-teams |
| Founded | 2017 | 2013 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Omnichannel Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Canned Responses | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Screen Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chat Pages | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ tawk.to Pros
- 100% free
- No agent limits
- Feature-rich for free
- Good mobile app
✗ tawk.to Cons
- Branding on free plan
- Interface could be cleaner
- Limited integrations
The Verdict
Chatwoot is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on live-chat and omnichannel-inbox. tawk.to targets startups and small businesses and leads with live-chat and ticketing.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($19/mo for Chatwoot, $19/mo for tawk.to), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Chatwoot offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while tawk.to takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.