Telegram Bot API Server vs Chatwoot

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureTelegram Bot API ServerChatwoot
CategoryChat & CommunicationChat & Communication
LicenseBSL-1.0MIT
LanguageC++Ruby
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM256 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, kubernetes, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 4,395★ 35,596
First released20212019
ReplacesIntercom, Zendesk, Drift

Why pick each one

Choose Telegram Bot API Server if…

  • Released under the BSL-1.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (4.4k GitHub stars)
  • Written in C++
Telegram Bot API Server details

Choose Chatwoot if…

  • Polished customer support workflow
  • Active development
Chatwoot details

Frequently asked questions

Is Telegram Bot API Server or Chatwoot better?

Neither is universally better. Chatwoot has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Telegram Bot API Server and Chatwoot free and open-source?

Yes. Telegram Bot API Server is licensed under BSL-1.0 and Chatwoot under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Telegram Bot API Server and Chatwoot with Docker?

Telegram Bot API Server: yes. Chatwoot: yes.

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