Chatwoot vs tawk.to

Chatwoot is the open-source alternative to Intercom that bootstrapped founders actually use. You can self-host the community edition for free on a $5-10/month VPS, or use their managed cloud starting at $19 per agent per month (Startups plan). Cloud tiers go up to $99/agent for Enterprise, and every paid plan includes Captain AI credits for automated replies — 300, 500, or 800 depending on your tier.

The self-hosted route is where Chatwoot shines for one-person operations. You get live chat, email, social channels, and a knowledge base without a monthly per-seat fee. The trade-off is real though: you are your own DevOps team, handling updates and uptime. If you are comfortable with Docker and basic server admin, this is the cheapest way to get a professional multi-channel support setup. If the idea of maintaining infrastructure makes you nervous, their cloud plans or Crisp’s free tier are simpler paths.

tawk.to is the only live chat tool that is actually free with no catch on the core features. You get live chat, a ticketing system, a knowledge base, and real-time visitor monitoring for unlimited agents on unlimited sites. They make money from optional add-ons: removing the “Powered by tawk.to” badge ($29/mo), AI Assist for automated replies ($29/mo), and video/voice/screensharing ($29/mo). They also sell hired agents starting at $1/hour if you want someone else handling your chats.

For a bootstrapped founder who just needs a chat widget on their site, tawk.to is the obvious starting point. Zero cost, no trial that expires, and enough features to handle real customer conversations. The trade-offs are real though: the mobile app is the weakest part (missed notifications are a common complaint), the widget branding is visible to your customers, and the integration options are limited compared to Crisp or LiveChat. If you are fine with the branding and mostly respond from your desktop, tawk.to lets you ship live chat support today without spending a dollar.