chatwootvsShields
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| chatwoot | Shields | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Customer Support | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 38 538 | 27 331 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 377 | +125 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 0 |
| Latest release | v4.19.1 · 24 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Ruby | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
chatwoot scores 84/100 against 80/100 for Shields, so it is the safer default.
chatwoot ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.
If you want the quickest setup, Shields is easier to run; chatwoot needs more configuration.
chatwoot is growing faster right now (+1 377 stars in 30 days).
chatwoot details →Shields details →