OneTimeThe live-chat bubble you own — unlimited agents, unlimited sites, no per-seat pricing.
Crisp's team plan is $95/month — $1,140 a year. Intercom bills per seat, plus usage. Chatlet is the same chat bubble in the corner of your site, except you host it: one tiny Node server, one SQLite file, unlimited sites, unlimited agents, unlimited conversations, and no branding-removal fee because there's no branding.
Chatlet in 60 seconds
Everything in the box
Self-hosted live chat — real-time widget, agent dashboard, canned replies, offline messages.
One-line embed
A single script tag. Shadow-DOM widget (~9 KB of dependency-free JS), so your site's CSS can't break it.
Real-time over WebSockets
Automatic reconnect, an outgoing message queue, and a transparent HTTP-polling fallback when corporate firewalls block WS.
Agent dashboard
Live-updating inbox with open/closed states and unread badges, typing indicators both ways, sound + browser notifications.
Visitor context sidebar
Current page, referrer, browser and full past-conversation history beside every chat.
Canned responses
Type /shortcut in the composer to fire saved replies instantly — full CRUD in the dashboard.
Offline mode
No agent online? The widget switches to "leave a message", flags it in your inbox and optionally emails you via your own SMTP.
Multiple sites, one install
Every site you run gets its own embed snippet from the same server. Transcripts download as text files.
100% local & private
SQLite storage, visitor identity persisted client-side, zero telemetry, zero third-party calls.
Chatlet vs Crisp
Crisp charges $95/mo (Plus). Here's what actually differs.
| Chatlet | Crisp | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 once | $95/month Plus plan ($1,140/yr) |
| Cost over 3 years | $129 | ~$3,420 |
| Agents | Unlimited | Per-plan limits |
| Sites | Unlimited | Per-plan limits |
| Remove branding | There is none | Paid |
| Canned responses | Included | Paid tier |
| Your data | Your server, one SQLite file | Their cloud |
| Source code | MIT, yours | Closed |
Chatlet pays for itself in under 6 weeks vs Crisp's team plan — then live chat is free for as long as you run a website.
Pick how you pay
Subscriptions if you want them — but the whole point is the lifetime tier.
Up and running in three steps
Buy once on Whop
One-time $129 for the packaged version — Windows desktop app plus one-command VPS deploy.
Deploy where visitors can reach it
docker compose up -d on a $5 VPS behind your reverse proxy (WebSocket upgrade passed through). Desktop mode is perfect as the always-on agent console.
Paste the snippet, start chatting
Copy the embed from Sites, paste it before </body>, and conversations land in your dashboard in real time.
Fair questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — MIT source at github.com/bensblueprints/live-chat-mvp. $129 buys the packaged version, 1-click setup and updates.
Does it have chatbots or AI answers?
No — Chatlet is human-to-human live chat done properly: real-time delivery, typing indicators, canned responses, offline messages. Intercom's Fin-style AI agents and workflow bots are genuinely beyond its scope; if you need those, Intercom earns its (considerable) price.
Do I need a server?
For visitors on the public internet, yes — the widget needs a public address, so budget a $5 VPS. Desktop mode runs the same server locally and doubles as your agent console.
Is there a mobile app for agents?
Not yet — honestly. The dashboard is responsive and works in a phone browser, with sound and browser notifications, but there's no native iOS/Android agent app like Crisp's.
What happens when no agent is online?
The widget flips to "leave a message" automatically. Messages arrive flagged in your inbox, and Chatlet can email you via your own SMTP so nothing sits unread.
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More about Chatlet
Every page we publish about this app — comparisons, personas, platforms and the problems it solves.
For you
Platforms
Stop renting. Own Chatlet.
Self-hosted live chat — real-time widget, agent dashboard, canned replies, offline messages.
Get Chatlet — $129 forever