Chatwee
Live chat and instant messaging app for websites
About Chatwee
Chatwee is an embeddable group chat widget that adds chat rooms, private messaging, and moderation to any website with one line of JavaScript. It targets online communities, virtual events, forums, trading sites, churches, and live streams rather than customer support teams. The vendor has run it as a cloud SaaS since 2012 and offers a free plan, tiered monthly plans, and pay-per-use plans for one-off events.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free plan and low entry price ($19/month) for a hosted community chat
- Installs by pasting one line of code, with plugins for WordPress, XenForo, MyBB, and Joomla
- Pay-per-use plans suit one-off virtual events without a recurring subscription
- Moderation set covers moderators, keyword filters, muting, kicking, and premoderation
- Developer access through a JavaScript API, HTTP API, and PHP SDK
- Vendor builds custom features on request, per user reviews
Cons
- Free plan caps the chat at 5 simultaneous users and lacks moderators
- White label is limited to Enterprise and pay-per-use plans
- Message history is short on lower plans (14 days on Free and Standard)
- Few public reviews; some users report unannounced maintenance and missing join/leave notifications
- Built for community chat, not customer support: no ticketing, help desk, or AI bot features
Key Features
Multiple chat rooms
Create topic-specific rooms within one chat, optionally password-protected, and run separate chats for different projects.
Private and group chats
Users can message one another privately or in messenger-style group threads, with conversation history retained.
Moderation tools
Assign moderators who delete messages and ban users in real time, set keyword and profanity filters, and enable message premoderation on higher plans.
Single Sign-on
Site members who are logged in appear in the chat automatically with the same name and avatar; Facebook, Chatwee, and anonymous guest logins are also supported.
Rich media and offline messaging
Users post links, images, GIFs, and files, and can message members who are not currently on the site.
Layout and CSS customization
Choose display modes, change the color of any chat element, add custom CSS, and remove Chatwee branding with white label on Enterprise or pay-per-use plans.
CMS plugins and developer APIs
Plugins for WordPress, MyBB, XenForo, Joomla, and other CMSs, plus a JavaScript API for single-page apps, an HTTP API, and a PHP SDK.
Pay-per-use event plans
Pick specific dates, a user limit, and white label options in the dashboard and pay a non-recurring fee for virtual or hybrid events.
Analytics and chat history
Basic usage analytics and a downloadable chatroom message log retained for 14 to 90 days depending on plan.
Pricing
- 5 simultaneous users
- 1 chat room
- 10 MB monthly file uploads
- 14-day message history
- 25 simultaneous users
- 3 chat rooms
- 1 moderator
- 150 MB monthly file uploads
- CSS customization
- Support
- 14-day message history
- 150 simultaneous users
- Group chats
- 10 chat rooms
- 3 moderators
- Single Sign-on
- Message premoderation
- 300 MB monthly file uploads
- 30-day message history
- 300 simultaneous users
- 25 chat rooms
- 10 moderators
- 1 GB monthly file uploads
- 90-day message history
- Everything in Pro
- Custom simultaneous user limit
- Unlimited chat rooms and moderators
- White label
- Unlimited message history
- Features developed on demand
Best For
Online communities and forums
Add real-time group chat rooms to a forum or membership site, with SSO so members join under their existing identity.
Virtual and hybrid events
Run event chat for a fixed date range with a pay-per-use plan sized to the expected attendee count.
Live streams and webinars
Place a chat next to a video stream or webinar so viewers can talk to each other and to hosts, with moderators keeping it clean.
Trading and gaming communities
Give day-trading or gaming sites a persistent chat room where members share calls and coordinate in real time.
Support groups and church services
Host moderated group chats for charities, mental health support groups, or online church services.
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