Full omnichannel support with AI, beyond e-commerce chat
Smartsupp combines live chat, email, and messaging with chatbots and an AI shopping assistant for online stores. Chatwoot goes further with 12+ messaging channels, SLAs, a help center, and the option to self-host. It's a full support platform, not just a chat tool for stores.
- 12+ channels: WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, email, and more
- Captain AI agent and copilot for customer answers, reply drafts, and summaries
- Team collaboration with SLAs, automation, and reporting
- Transparent per-agent pricing from free
- Self-host on your infrastructure for data sovereignty
At a glance
12+ channels
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Smartsupp
- No
AI copilot
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Smartsupp
- Paid plan
Free plan
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Smartsupp
- Yes
Self-hosted option
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Smartsupp
- No
Open source
- Chatwoot
- Yes
- Smartsupp
- No
Feature comparison
See how Chatwoot and Smartsupp compare across key features.
| Feature | Chatwoot | Smartsupp |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging Channels | ||
| Website live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Paid plan | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Instagram DMs | Yes | No |
| Facebook Messenger | Yes | Yes |
| Telegram | Yes | No |
| LINE | Yes | No |
| SMS | Yes | No |
| TikTok DMs | Yes | No |
| API channel | Yes | Yes |
| AI & Automation | ||
| AI copilot for agents | Yes | Paid plan |
| AI-powered replies | Yes | Paid plan |
| Chatbots / bot builder | Yes | Yes |
| Automation rules | Yes | Plus+ workflows |
| Canned responses | Yes | Yes |
| SLA management | Yes | No |
| Team Collaboration | ||
| Shared inbox | Yes | No |
| Private notes | Yes | No |
| Team assignments | Yes | Yes |
| Agent collision detection | Yes | No |
| Labels and tags | Yes | Yes |
| Contact segments | Yes | No |
| Reporting & Analytics | ||
| Conversation reports | Yes | Yes |
| Agent performance reports | Yes | Yes |
| CSAT reports | Yes | Paid plan |
| Live dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Team reports | Yes | Plus+ |
| Custom report filters | Yes | No |
| Deployment & Security | ||
| Cloud hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | Yes | No |
| Open-source code | Yes | No |
| SSO / SAML | Yes | No |
| Audit logs | Yes | No |
| Custom data retention | Yes | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
Why teams switch from Smartsupp
Common pain points that lead teams to explore alternatives.
Fewer channels
Smartsupp covers live chat, email, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. Chatwoot includes 12+ channels, adding Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, and LINE.
AI assists are capped
Smartsupp caps its AI Reply Assistant at a set number of assists per month on each plan. Chatwoot's Captain AI drafts replies, detects intent, and summarizes conversations.
Built for e-commerce chat
Smartsupp focuses on e-commerce chat. It offers basic automatic messages; visual workflows and team statistics start on Plus. Chatwoot includes SLAs, automation rules, team performance reporting, and more.
No self-hosting
Smartsupp is cloud-only and closed source. Chatwoot offers full self-hosting and open-source code.
How Chatwoot is different
What makes Chatwoot the right choice over Smartsupp.
Full support platform
Shared inbox, automation, SLAs, CSAT, and help center. Everything a growing support team needs.
12+ messaging channels
Go beyond chat with WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok, email, SMS, and more. All on every paid plan.
Captain AI agent and copilot
Captain drafts replies for agents, detects what customers need, and condenses long threads. Smartsupp limits AI reply assists by plan.
Per-agent pricing
Simple pricing from free. No conversation limits, no per-chatbot fees.
Built-in help center
Knowledge base with articles, categories, and multilingual support. Reduce ticket volume with self-service.
Self-hostable
Deploy on your own infrastructure with Docker and Helm charts. Full code access.
Common questions
Answers to frequently asked questions about switching from Smartsupp to Chatwoot.
Is Chatwoot better than Smartsupp for e-commerce?
Chatwoot supports Shopify integration and works for e-commerce, but it's not e-commerce-only. If you want an AI shopping assistant that learns from your product feed, Smartsupp has that edge. If you need omnichannel support with AI, Chatwoot is the better choice.
Does Chatwoot have visitor session recordings?
No. Chatwoot focuses on support conversations rather than visitor behavior analytics. For session recordings, pair Chatwoot with a dedicated analytics tool.
Can I use Chatwoot for free like Smartsupp?
Yes. Chatwoot has a free plan for 2 agents on live chat, and paid plans from $19/agent/mo include 12+ messaging channels.
Is Smartsupp cheaper than Chatwoot?
Smartsupp requires a paid plan for full features. Chatwoot starts free, and paid plans from $19/agent/mo include Captain (AI agent and copilot) and messaging channels.
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Switching from Smartsupp?
Try Chatwoot free and see the difference. Our team can help you migrate your data and get set up.