---
title: "Deploy Chatwoot [Updated Aug'26]"
description: "Self-hosted Intercom alternative — live chat, email, Whatsapp & team inbox."
category: "Automation"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/chatwoot-1
---

# Deploy Chatwoot [Updated Aug'26]

Self-hosted Intercom alternative — live chat, email, Whatsapp & team inbox.

**[Deploy Chatwoot [Updated Aug'26] on Railway](https://railway.com/template/chatwoot-1)**

- **Creator:** Tasha
- **Category:** Automation
- **Total deploys:** 46

## Template content

### Redis https://cdn.sanity.io/images/sy1jschh/production/0ce0bfdcfbdbf69662b1116671f97c2dd788b655-157x157.svg

- **Image:** redis:8.2.1
- **Start command:** `/bin/sh -c "rm -rf $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH/lost+found/ && exec docker-entrypoint.sh redis-server --requirepass $REDIS_PASSWORD --save 60 1 --dir $RAILWAY_VOLUME_MOUNT_PATH"`

### chatwoot-railway-template

- **Source:** Amritasha/chatwoot-railway-template
- **Public domain:** Yes

### Postgres https://devicons.railway.app/i/postgresql.svg

- **Image:** ghcr.io/railwayapp-templates/postgres-ssl:18

## Documentation

# Deploy Chatwoot on Railway: Self-Hosted Customer Support Platform

**Chatwoot** is an open-source customer support platform and self-hosted alternative to **Intercom** and **Zendesk**. Deploy Chatwoot on Railway to manage live chat, email, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook conversations from a single team inbox — free to self-host, with full data ownership and no per-agent pricing.

## About Hosting Chatwoot on Railway

Self-hosting Chatwoot requires three components: the **Rails web application**, a **Sidekiq background worker** for processing jobs, and supporting services — **PostgreSQL** for data storage and **Redis** for queues and real-time features. This Railway template bundles the web app and Sidekiq into a single container for simplicity. On first boot, database migrations run automatically. You set one variable — `SECRET_KEY_BASE` — and Chatwoot is ready to use. For production teams, adding SMTP credentials enables email notifications, invites, and password resets.

## Common Use Cases for Self-Hosted Chatwoot

- **Customer support teams** — manage all customer conversations across chat, email, and social in one inbox
- **SaaS companies** — embed a live chat widget on your app and respond to user questions in real time
- **Agencies** — run a shared team inbox for multiple clients with agent assignments, labels, and reports
- **E-commerce stores** — handle order queries via WhatsApp, Instagram DM, and live chat from one place
- **Internal helpdesks** — use as a lightweight internal ticket and support system for your team

## Dependencies for Chatwoot Hosting

- **PostgreSQL** — primary database for conversations, contacts, and account data (included in this template)
- **Redis** — powers Sidekiq job queues, caching, and real-time WebSocket features (included in this template)
- **SMTP provider** *(optional)* — required for email notifications, agent invites, and password resets (SendGrid, Resend, Postmark)
- **S3-compatible storage** *(optional)* — for persistent file and attachment storage in production (AWS S3, Cloudflare R2)

### Deployment Dependencies

- [Chatwoot Documentation](https://www.chatwoot.com/docs/self-hosted)
- [Chatwoot Environment Variables Reference](https://www.chatwoot.com/docs/self-hosted/configuration/environment-variables)
- [Chatwoot GitHub Repository](https://github.com/chatwoot/chatwoot)
- [SendGrid — SMTP for email notifications](https://sendgrid.com)
- [Resend — modern SMTP alternative](https://resend.com)

### Implementation Details

**Generate your SECRET_KEY_BASE:**

\`\`\`bash
openssl rand -hex 64
\`\`\`

**SMTP configuration (add to variables after deploy):**

\`\`\`
MAILER_SENDER_EMAIL=noreply@yourdomain.com
SMTP_ADDRESS=smtp.sendgrid.net
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_USERNAME=apikey
SMTP_PASSWORD=your-sendgrid-api-key
SMTP_AUTHENTICATION=plain
SMTP_ENABLE_STARTTLS_AUTO=true
\`\`\`

**S3 file storage (optional, for production):**

\`\`\`
STORAGE_DRIVER=s3
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-key
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret
AWS_REGION=us-east-1
AWS_BUCKET=your-bucket
\`\`\`

## Chatwoot Pricing: Self-Hosted vs Intercom, Zendesk, Freshdesk

| Platform | Pricing |
|----------|---------|
| Chatwoot (self-hosted on Railway) | ~$5–$10/mo infrastructure only |
| Intercom | $74+/mo per seat |
| Zendesk | $55+/mo per agent |
| Freshdesk | $15+/mo per agent |
| Chatwoot Cloud | $19/mo (5 agents) |

Self-hosting Chatwoot on Railway gives you the full feature set with no per-agent fees — a cost-effective **Intercom alternative** or **Zendesk alternative** for growing support teams.

## How to Deploy Chatwoot on Railway

1. Click **Deploy on Railway**
2. Set `SECRET_KEY_BASE` (generate with `openssl rand -hex 64`)
3. Wait ~2 minutes for migrations to complete
4. Open your domain → create your admin account

## How to Set Up Chatwoot After Deployment

1. Go to **Settings → Inboxes** → add your first inbox (live chat widget, email, WhatsApp, etc.)
2. Go to **Settings → Agents** → invite your team members
3. Embed the live chat widget on your website by copying the script from inbox settings
4. Start receiving and replying to conversations from the inbox

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Is Chatwoot free to self-host?**
Yes. Chatwoot is open-source and free to self-host. You only pay for the infrastructure it runs on — typically $5–$10/month on Railway.

**How does Chatwoot compare to Intercom?**
Chatwoot offers the same core features — live chat, shared inbox, team assignments — without Intercom's per-seat pricing, which starts at $74/month per agent. Self-hosted Chatwoot on Railway costs a flat infrastructure fee regardless of team size.

**Can I use Chatwoot for WhatsApp support?**
Yes. Chatwoot supports WhatsApp, along with email, live chat, Facebook, and Twitter, all routed into one shared inbox.

**Do I need to configure SMTP to use Chatwoot?**
Not for basic use, but SMTP is required for email notifications, agent invites, and password resets in production. Providers like SendGrid, Resend, or Postmark all work.

**How long does it take to deploy Chatwoot on Railway?**
About 2 minutes. After setting `SECRET_KEY_BASE`, Railway builds the container and runs database migrations automatically.

**Is Chatwoot a good alternative to Zendesk for small teams?**
Yes. Since Chatwoot has no per-agent fee, it scales more affordably than Zendesk ($55+/agent/month) as a support team grows.

## Why Deploy Chatwoot on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying Chatwoot on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.


## Similar templates

- [N8N Main + Worker](https://railway.com/deploy/n8n-main-worker) — Deploy and Host N8N with Inactive worker.
- [Evolution API with n8n](https://railway.com/deploy/evolution-api-with-n8n) — [Jul'26] WhatsApp automation platform using Evolution API, n8n & PostgreSQL
- [Postgres Backup](https://railway.com/deploy/postgres-s3-backups) — Cron-based PostgreSQL backup to bucket storage

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