CometChat is a fairly robust live chat software, but it has some severe limitations. Mainly, they don't offer a easy, self-hosted integration anymore. A lot of people have been looking for the best CometChat alternatives and we'll compiled the best for you all right here!
Check out these other solutions that are just as good as CometChat with some of them being quite better.
1. ArrowChat
Sample of ArrowChat on your website
ArrowChat is by far the best alternative social live chat software. It's built on JQuery and PHP so it works with 99% of the websites out there. It has all the features you'd want including private chat, chat rooms, video chat, embedded chat, mobile version, and more.
Pros
- Full administration panel for easy settings and setup
- Self-hosted so no monthly fees
- Mobile Version (Premium package and higher)
- Video Chat Included
- Cheaper than other options
- Updated Regularly
Cons
- UI getting a little stale - BUT their new v4 update looks amazing and will be available for free soon
2. AtomChat
Sample of AtomChat on your website
AtomChat is the original version of CometChat. The problem is that it's basically been abandoned by the team with few updates to bring it up to speed. It is no longer a self-hosted option either, so you'll be paying monthly.
Pros
- Full administration panel for easy settings and setup
- Cloud hosted so no server load worries
- Mobile app (for extra fee)
- Video Chat (for extra fee)
- Collabrative whiteboard and screen-share
Cons
- Expensive, it's monthly, starting at $49/mo
- No self-hosted option
- Lack of updates
- Most features cost more money
- UI is very outdated
3. MooChat
Sample of MooChat on your website
MooChat has one huge problem -- It's only compatible with MooSocial. I'm only including it on this list because options become very limited outside of ArrowChat and Atomchat. It's a decent Cometchat alternative if you are running MooSocial, otherwise, you'll need to look to the others on this list.
Pros
- A decent feature set with a back-end
- Good technical support
- Deep integration with MooSocial
- Free installation
Cons
- Only works with MooSocial
- Doesn't work on shared hosting
- UI is stale and lacking more advanced features
- Doesn't work on all SSL certificates
4. Sendbird
Sample of SendBird on your website
Sendbird has to be included on this list because of how powerful it can be, but it is quite different from the others. You must completely build your own UI and back-end to use it. Sendbird is for experienced developers only.
Pros
- Very powerful API and SDK
- Cloud hosted so no server load worries
Cons
- Very, very expensive
- No self-hosted option
- Experienced developers only, must build your own app
5. Pusher
The Pusher main website
Pusher is another option that is basically a build-your-own chat solution. They provide a powerful API and SDK, but you need to do all the rest. This is for experienced developers only.
Pros
- Very powerful API and SDK
- Cloud hosted so no server load worries
Cons
- Very expensive
- No self-hosted option
- Experienced developers only, must build your own app
That wraps up the list for the best CometChat alternatives as of right now. In summary, you basically have ArrowChat and AtomChat, with ArrowChat being the better of the two. There may be more in the future, but other chat options have disappeared throughout the years.
About the Author
Jason has been developing websites for 25+ years. He has a passion for modern UIs and an attention to detail. His hobbies include skiing, Texas hold'em, and roller coasters.
