Customer communication platform (alternative to Intercom and Zendesk).
- Ruby
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Team Chat comparison
Chatwoot vs Zammad: which should you self-host in 2026?
Pick Chatwoot for omnichannel live chat and social messaging support with mobile apps; pick Zammad for classic email-centred ticketing with SLAs, a knowledge base and reporting.
Both are open source and run on your own server. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.
Easy to use but powerful support and ticketing system.
- AGPL-3.0
- Ruby
- Actively maintained
Head-to-head
Chatwoot vs Zammad, side by side
Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.
| Aspect |  Chatwoot |  Zammad |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT, except the enterprise/ directory under its own license | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language/stack | Ruby on Rails with a Vue front end, PostgreSQL and Redis | Ruby on Rails with a Vue front end, PostgreSQL and Redis; Elasticsearch recommended for search |
| Channels | Website live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, API | Email, web forms, chat, phone (CTI) and social channels |
| Standout features | Shared inbox, canned responses, help center, AI assistant | SLAs, escalations, triggers, time accounting, knowledge base |
| Mobile apps | Native iOS and Android apps for agents | Mobile-optimised web interface |
| GitHub stars | 37,569 | 5,981 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 1,379 | 2,422 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v4.18.0Sep 18, 2026 | No GitHub releases |
| Main language | Ruby | Ruby |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| Repository | chatwoot/chatwoot | zammad/zammad |
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.
Verdict
Chatwoot is built around conversations: a website chat widget, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and email in one shared inbox, with native mobile apps for agents. Zammad is a traditional helpdesk with tickets, SLAs, escalations, time accounting and a knowledge base, and it is fully AGPL-licensed. Choose by whether your support starts in chat or in the inbox.
Best for
Choose Chatwoot for
Support teams that live in website chat and social messaging.
Best for
Choose Zammad for
Helpdesks that run on email tickets, SLAs and reporting.
Deploy either in minutes
Not sure yet? Spin up a small VPS or a managed instance, try both for a week, and keep the one that fits.
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Is Chatwoot fully open source?
The core is MIT-licensed. Code in the enterprise directory is under a separate license, and some features need a paid plan when self-hosted.
Can Zammad do live chat?
Yes. Zammad has a chat widget, but its workflow centres on tickets, so chats become tickets in the same queue.
Do both run with Docker?
Yes. Both provide official Docker Compose setups, and Zammad also offers distro packages.
Which is more popular on GitHub, Chatwoot or Zammad?
Chatwoot has 37,569 GitHub stars against 5,981 for Zammad. Over the last twelve months Chatwoot received 1,379 commits and Zammad received 2,422, so Zammad is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.
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