chatwootvsPapercups
Two self-hosted Zendesk alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| chatwoot | Papercups | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 | 59/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Customer Support | #6 of 14 in Customer Support |
| GitHub stars | 38 505 | 6 119 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 383 | +5 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 0 |
| Latest release | v4.19.1 · 24 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Ruby | Elixir |
Which one should you pick?
chatwoot scores 84/100 against 59/100 for Papercups, so it is the safer default.
chatwoot ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Papercups.
If you want the quickest setup, Papercups is easier to run; chatwoot needs more configuration.
chatwoot is growing faster right now (+1 383 stars in 30 days).
chatwoot details →Papercups details → All Zendesk alternatives →