QuackbackChatwoot alternative
Quackback vs Chatwoot: an open-source Chatwoot alternative
Chatwoot and Quackback are both open source and both self-hostable. Chatwoot covers more channels. Quackback self-hosts every feature, AI and SLAs included, and adds feedback boards, a roadmap, a changelog and a status page beside the inbox.
Try Quackback free
- 14-day Pro trial, no card needed
- Keep using it free if you don't upgrade
- Open source. Self-host with Docker
- Inbox, help center and status page in one
Quackback and Chatwoot, feature by feature
Prices, features and hosting side by side. A tick means it's included; a note says on which plan.
| Feature | Quackback | Chatwoot |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | 1 seat, 1 board, 50 posts | 2 agents, 500 conversations a month, live chat only |
| Paid plans | $29/mo, billed annually | $19, $39 or $99 per agent a month (Startups, Business, Enterprise) |
| Team of 5 | $29/mo on Pro (5 seats) | $95/mo on Startups, $195/mo on Business |
| Team of 10 | $59/mo on Business (20 seats) | $190/mo on Startups, $390/mo on Business |
| Team of 20 | $59/mo on Business (20 seats) | $380/mo on Startups, $780/mo on Business |
| AI | Included, from Pro for the AI agent | 300–800 Captain credits a month, then $20 per 1,000 |
| Self-hosted | YesFree, with every feature | YesFree Community edition; AI and SLAs need a paid licence |
| Inbox and channels | ||
| Live chat and emailIn one shared inbox | Yes | YesEmail from Startups |
| GitHub issues as a channelIssues and comments arrive as conversations | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp, SMS, social and Telegram | No | YesStartups and up |
| Voice calls | No | YesBusiness and up |
| Turn a conversation into feedbackCreate a post or add a vote for the customer, in one click | Yes | NoNeeds a separate feedback tool |
| SLA policies | YesA default SLA on every plan | YesEnterprise |
| Two-way inbox translation | YesWithin your AI usage | YesUses Captain credits |
| Macros | Yes | Yes |
| Native agent apps for iOS and Android | No | Yes |
| Help center and AI | ||
| Help center | YesEvery plan | YesStartups and up |
| AI agent for customers | YesEvery plan; the AI agent from Pro | YesCaptain, paid plans |
| Copilot for your team | YesEvery plan | YesCaptain, paid plans |
| Quackback AI usage | YesStandard AI usage on Pro, more on higher plans | Credits per plan, then bought in packs |
| Beyond support | ||
| Status pageIncidents, maintenance and subscriber emails | YesEvery plan | No |
| Feedback boards and voting | Yes | No |
| Public roadmap | Yes | No |
| Changelog | Yes | No |
| Single sign-on | YesOIDC, on Enterprise | YesSAML, on Enterprise |
| Hosting and data | ||
| Open sourceRead, audit and change the code | AGPL-3.0 | MIT core; paid features need a licence |
| Self-hostingRun it on your own servers | YesDocker, with every feature | YesCommunity edition free; AI, SLAs and SSO paid |
| Where your data lives | Our cloud, or your own Postgres | Chatwoot's cloud, or your own servers |
Chatwoot details come from Chatwoot's public website, checked 6 November 2026, and can change, so check their pricing page before you decide. Quackback prices are for Cloud, billed annually; self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0.
Quackback vs Chatwoot: the full picture
Chatwoot is the best-known open-source help desk. Its strength is reach: website chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Line and SMS in one inbox, with voice calls on higher plans and native apps for agents on iOS and Android. If your customers write in on social and messaging apps, Chatwoot covers channels Quackback doesn't.
The two differ in what open source gets you. Chatwoot's free Community edition leaves out Captain AI, SLA policies, single sign-on, custom branding and roles, which need a paid self-hosted licence priced per agent. Self-hosted Quackback has every feature, the AI agent and SLAs included, with your own model key and no licence fee.
Quackback also goes past support. Feedback boards, a public roadmap, a changelog and a status page sit beside the inbox, and a conversation becomes a feedback post or a vote in one click. On Quackback Cloud, seats are included in the plan rather than billed per agent.
Be clear about the gaps. Quackback's channels are live chat, email and GitHub issues. There is no WhatsApp, SMS, social or voice, no native agent app, and no importer for past Chatwoot conversations.
Which one fits your team
Both are good tools. Here is where each one is the better choice.
Where Chatwoot fits
Chatwoot suits teams whose customers write in on WhatsApp, social and messaging apps, and who want an open-source inbox for all of them.
- WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Line and SMS
- Voice calls on Business and up
- Native agent apps for iOS and Android
- A large open-source community
Where Quackback fits
Quackback suits teams that support customers over chat and email and want feedback, a status page and AI in the same product, with every feature when they self-host.
- Self-host every feature, AI and SLAs included, with no licence fee
- Seats included: 5 on Pro, 20 on Business, unlimited on Enterprise
- Feedback boards, roadmap, changelog and status page built in
- GitHub issues as a support channel
Further reading: Quackback vs Intercom · Quackback vs Help Scout · Self-hosting Quackback · All comparisons
See Quackback for yourself
A working demo of Quackback with sample data. Click around: open a conversation, reply, switch pages.
One inbox, with AI beside you
Live chat, email and GitHub issues land in one inbox. Quackback AI answers first and hands over to your team, Copilot drafts your replies, and one click turns a request into a feedback post.
Explore the inboxFeedback beside support
Customers post ideas and vote on your portal or in the widget. When a conversation is really a feature request, add it to the board with the customer attached.
Explore feedback boardsSwitching from Chatwoot
There is no Chatwoot importer, so you move one channel at a time and keep Chatwoot running until its last conversations close.
Move your email
Forward your support address to the inbound address Quackback gives you. When you self-host, connect the mailbox over IMAP instead.
Swap the widget
Replace the Chatwoot snippet with the Quackback widget and identify signed-in users from your app.
Recreate canned responses
Rebuild your canned responses as macros, with variables and actions such as assign, tag and close.
Add your articles
Add your help-center articles in Quackback's editor, so customers and Quackback AI can use them.
Past conversations stay in Chatwoot, and Quackback has no WhatsApp or social channels to move them to. Keep Chatwoot for those channels, or export what you need before you switch it off.
Common questions
Is Quackback a good Chatwoot alternative?
For teams that support customers over live chat and email, yes. Both are open source and self-hostable. Quackback adds feedback boards, a roadmap, a changelog and a status page, and self-hosts every feature. If your customers write in on WhatsApp, social or messaging apps, Chatwoot covers those channels and Quackback doesn't.
Are both tools open source?
Yes, with a difference. Chatwoot's core is MIT-licensed, and features such as Captain AI, SLA policies and SSO need a paid self-hosted licence. Quackback is AGPL-3.0, and the self-hosted edition includes every feature with no licence key.
How much does Chatwoot cost compared with Quackback?
Chatwoot Cloud is free for 2 agents on live chat, then $19, $39 or $99 per agent a month. A team of 10 pays $190/mo on Startups or $390/mo on Business. Quackback's paid plans start at $29/mo, billed annually, with 5 seats on Pro and 20 on Business, so a team of 10 pays $59/mo on Business.
Does self-hosted Quackback include AI?
Yes. Self-hosted Quackback includes the AI agent, Copilot, summaries and translation. You connect your own model provider key and pay that provider directly. Chatwoot's free Community edition doesn't include Captain AI.
Can I import my Chatwoot conversations?
No. Quackback has no help-desk importer, so past conversations stay in Chatwoot. Forward your support email, swap the widget snippet, rebuild canned responses as macros and add your articles. Run both side by side until the old conversations close.
What does Chatwoot do that Quackback doesn't?
Chatwoot has WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Line and SMS channels, voice calls on higher plans, and native agent apps for iOS and Android. Quackback's channels are live chat, email and GitHub issues.
Have another question? Talk to the team.