# Free alternatives to LiveChat

> LiveChat (Essential) costs $228 a year. Free alternatives: Chatwoot. Data checked 2026-10-17.

- Page: https://stoprenting.dev/apps/livechat/
- Category: Customer Support (https://stoprenting.dev/categories/customer-support/)
- Vendor: Text (formerly LiveChat Software)
- Plan: Essential
- Price: $19/month, $228/year
- Billing: per user per month, billed annually
- Price quote from the vendor's page: "Essential For small teams earning their first revenue from chat. $19 per user / month Billed annually"
- Price source: https://www.livechat.com/pricing/ (checked 2026-10-17)

## Alternatives

### Chatwoot

- Website: https://www.chatwoot.com
- Repository: https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot (37,652 stars, last push 2026-10-17)
- License: MIT (enterprise/ proprietary)
- Open source: yes, OSI-approved license
- Type: server app
- Linux: self-hosted server; web UI
- Self-hostable: yes
- More: https://stoprenting.dev/alternatives/chatwoot/
- Checked: 2026-10-17

## FAQ

### Is there a free alternative to LiveChat?

Yes. The free alternative is Chatwoot (open source, MIT).

### How much does LiveChat cost?

LiveChat's Essential plan costs $19 a month, which is $228 a year (per user per month, billed annually). Source: the official pricing page at livechat.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.

### Which LiveChat alternatives run on Linux?

Chatwoot (self-hosted server; web UI).

### Can you self-host a LiveChat alternative?

Yes. Chatwoot runs on your own server.

### Are these LiveChat alternatives open source?

Yes. It uses OSI-approved open-source licenses: Chatwoot (MIT).

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Source: Stop Renting (https://stoprenting.dev). Methodology: https://stoprenting.dev/methodology/