Live Chat Self-Hosted: What to Plan For
Self-hosted live chat puts the customer-facing widget and support system on infrastructure your team operates. That can give you more control, but it also makes updates, security, backups and uptime part of the support operation.
The decision
Live chat self-hosted: what it means for customer support
Live chat self-hosted is a customer-facing website chat system that your organization deploys and operates on infrastructure it controls. A vendor-managed service runs the software for you; an internal messaging server is for staff collaboration, not necessarily for answering visitors. Self-hosting shifts infrastructure control to your team, along with the work of keeping the service available, maintained and secure.
That distinction matters when the chat widget is part of the route customers use to ask about orders, returns or products. A widget is only one part of the workflow: agents also need a shared inbox, conversation history and a way to make responsibility for replies clear. Decide who will handle those conversations and who will handle the system behind them.
What is the best self-hosted chat platform for website live chat?
Start with the visitor and agent journey. Check that the system provides a website widget and a shared inbox, then assess how agents find contact history, organize conversations with labels, assign work and see what teammates are handling. Separate these customer-support requirements from internal chat features such as staff-only channels. A team messaging server may help employees talk to each other without providing the customer conversation workflow you need.
Chatwoot is one example of customer-support software with a website live chat channel and a shared inbox. Its feature set includes contact history, labels, assignment, private notes and @mentions. Treat that as an example to evaluate against your own workflow, not a universal recommendation: confirm which features and support options match your needs before selecting a deployment.
For a small team, write down what happens when a visitor messages outside staffed hours, when a conversation needs a specialist, and when an agent leaves a thread for a teammate. These details affect the inbox and staffing workflow as much as the choice of server. A clear support handoff guide can help define who takes responsibility for an open conversation.
Compare ownership, not just software price
Self-hosting means your team is responsible for operating the deployment. Chatwoot's deployment guidance describes Linux virtual machines, Docker containers and Kubernetes as approaches, with different operational needs. Production requirements include Linux, PostgreSQL and Redis; file uploads may also require object storage. Plan for system updates, HTTPS, firewall configuration, database safeguards, encrypted backups, access controls and monitoring.
A software price alone does not represent the full cost of ownership. Include infrastructure, staff time for maintenance and incident response, and any paid support or features your team needs. A managed service may be simpler when no one can own those duties. Conversely, teams with a clear infrastructure owner may prefer to evaluate self-hosting for their own requirements. For teams weighing other options, this support ticket system software comparison can help frame the choice. Do not assume a self-hosted product automatically meets a privacy or regulatory obligation; assess the actual deployment and your obligations.
momo is a hosted AI support desk, and its code is available under the PolyForm Internal Use License. Check the license terms and verify which capabilities are included before making a deployment decision.
Trace the visitor message through the system
Use a real support question to test both the customer workflow and the deployment you will have to operate. For example, a visitor asks whether a product can be returned; the team needs to know where that message goes, who replies and what happens if the system needs attention.
- 1
A customer opens the website widget
The visitor asks a question in the customer-facing chat. Check that the widget is easy to find and that the request arrives in the correct support inbox rather than an internal team messaging channel.
A customer support conversation begins.
- 2
The conversation reaches the shared queue
An agent needs a clear view of the message and its history. In a Chatwoot deployment, the shared inbox brings customer conversations together, with features such as assignment and labels available for organizing work.
The team can see and organize the request.
- 4
The deployment stays maintained
A working chat flow depends on the services behind it. The documented self-hosted requirements include Linux, PostgreSQL and Redis; production operations also mean planning updates, HTTPS, firewall rules, database protection, backups and monitoring.
The team has an operational checklist as well as a support workflow.
A support workflow without a server project
If your priority is answering customers rather than operating chat infrastructure, momo offers a hosted option, with self-hosting also available under its own-use license.
Answers grounded in your content
momo retrieves passages from your business knowledge, drafts an answer and checks it against those sources before replying with citations when confident.
Uncertain questions go to people
When momo is not confident, it tells the visitor it is not sure and opens a ticket for the team to answer in the shared helpdesk inbox.
Teach from human replies
Your team can save a human answer as approved knowledge so momo can use it in future responses.
momo plans and pricing
Plans use a flat monthly or yearly fee with an included number of AI conversations; there is no per-resolution fee or credit pack.
Included: The helpdesk inbox is included on every plan, including Free. · Paid plans include up to 25 AI replies in an AI conversation; Free allows up to 10. · Yearly billing is 11 times the monthly price.
Free
Try momo with real visitors.
€0€0 forever
- 30 AI conversations, one-time
- 1 agent, 1 team member
- Website widget
- Helpdesk inbox
- Basic analytics
- 2 MB of knowledge, 10 sources
Starter
One agent, steady traffic.
€29€27per month
- 500 AI conversations / month
- 1 agent, 2 team members
- Website widget and email
- Helpdesk inbox and Help Center
- Basic analytics
- No momo badge
- 20 MB of knowledge, 50 sources
Growth
More agents, more channels.
€129€118per month
- 2,000 AI conversations / month
- 3 agents, 5 team members
- Slack, Shopify, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
- API, Zapier and webhooks
- Advanced analytics
- 100 MB of knowledge, 200 sources
Scale
High volume, every channel.
€399€366per month
- 6,000 AI conversations / month
- 10 agents, 10 team members
- Every channel
- API, Zapier and webhooks
- Advanced analytics
- 500 MB of knowledge, 1,000 sources
Need more resources or custom solutions? Contact us for Enterprise plans
Deployment checks before you go live
Resolve ownership and workflow questions before putting customer conversations on a new system.
What does live chat self-hosted mean for a customer-facing website?
The chat software runs on infrastructure your organization operates, rather than being operated as a vendor-managed service. Your team controls the deployment and takes responsibility for its maintenance and service operations.
How do I host my own Chatwoot live chat server?
Chatwoot's production requirements include a Linux server, PostgreSQL and Redis. File uploads can use S3 or S3-compatible object storage. The documented guidance also discusses Docker, Kubernetes and Linux virtual machines as deployment approaches.
Who is responsible for updates, backups and uptime when live chat is self-hosted?
Your organization is responsible for operating its deployment, including updates, security configuration, backups, monitoring and responding to service issues. Assign a named owner and define backup and restore procedures before launch; no backup cadence or uptime target should be assumed without setting it for your own system.
What should I check in a live-chat license before using it commercially?
Read the license terms for commercial use, modification, redistribution, hosting for other organizations and access to updates or support. For momo, the PolyForm Internal Use License allows a company to run and modify the code for its own use, but not to resell it, host it for others or redistribute it.
Can a small team use hosted live chat instead of maintaining its own chat server?
Yes. A hosted service can suit a team that wants to focus on customer conversations rather than server operations. The hosted AI support desk has a website widget and shared inbox; its AI answers from the business's own content and opens a ticket for the team when it is not confident.
Choose the workflow before the hosting
Map your visitor questions, human handoffs and maintenance ownership, then try momo free if a website widget, grounded AI answers and a shared inbox fit your support workflow.