Chatwoot vs Intercom: Open-Source Support Inbox vs Premium SaaS
Chatwoot is an open-source omnichannel support inbox you can self-host, or run on its cloud from $19 per agent per month. Intercom is a premium customer-service platform listed from $29 to $132 per seat per month, plus $0.99 per resolution for its Fin AI agent. Intercom leads on polish and AI. Chatwoot covers the core shared inbox across chat, email, and social channels at a fraction of the cost, and lets you keep conversation data on your own infrastructure.
Prices are vendor list prices as of September 2026 — see sources below. Updated .
Chatwoot vs Intercom at a glance
| Dimension | Chatwoot | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | MIT for the core; the enterprise/ directory is separately licensed | Proprietary SaaS |
| List price | Self-hosted Community: free. Cloud: $19 (Startups), $39 (Business), $99 (Enterprise) per agent/month | $29 (Essential), $85 (Advanced), $132 (Expert) per seat/month, billed annually |
| AI agent | Captain AI with included monthly credits on paid cloud plans | Fin AI agent from $0.99 per outcome |
| Channels | Website chat, email, WhatsApp, social, and more | Chat, email, plus usage-priced SMS, WhatsApp, and phone |
| Hosting | Your own cloud, or Chatwoot Cloud | Intercom cloud only |
| Product tours and outbound | Limited | Extensive in-app messaging and tours |
The honest answer
Choose Chatwoot if…
- Per-seat support costs are high relative to your team’s size or budget
- You need a shared inbox across chat, email, and messaging channels
- Conversation data must stay on infrastructure you control
- You want to customize the support workflow or integrate it deeply
Choose Intercom if…
- An advanced AI agent resolving a large share of conversations is a priority
- You use in-app product tours and proactive messaging heavily
- You want a highly polished product with minimal setup
- Support is a revenue-critical channel where premium tooling pays back
A worked example
Ten agents on Intercom’s Advanced plan ($85 per seat, billed annually) is $10,200 a year before any Fin AI resolutions at $0.99 each. Ten agents on Chatwoot Cloud’s Business plan ($39) is $4,680 a year, and the self-hosted Community edition has no per-agent fee — you pay for hosting.
Run your own numbers in the cost calculator →What migration involves
Contacts and conversation history can be exported from Intercom and imported via Chatwoot’s API. Channels are reconnected one by one, the chat widget is swapped on your site, and canned responses and routing rules are recreated. Help-center articles move separately.
If you decide to switch
Chatwoot vs Intercom — common questions
Is Chatwoot a good Intercom alternative?+
How much does Intercom cost compared to Chatwoot?+
Is Chatwoot open source?+
Can Chatwoot be self-hosted?+
Sources
Vendor pricing changes. Figures reflect each source as of September 2026; check the vendor before deciding.
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