ZChat 2.0 Self-Hosted Live Chat Own the software. Own the data.

Self-hosted live chat you buy once

Support customers with software you control, not a subscription you rent.

ZChat combines a native desktop agent, web dashboard, embeddable widget, and optional AI tools in one self-hosted live chat platform. Your chats, transcripts, and customer data stay on your own server.

Download Free See the Demo

One-time purchase Perpetual license No per-agent fees

Platform

Core products in one installable package

AI Options

Ollama, OpenAI, and Anthropic supported

Monthly seat fees

As your support team grows

ZChat AI assistant and support agent hero illustration

ZChat AI online

Team ready

Answer with AI first, then hand off to a real agent with context attached.

ZChat

Live chat, team inbox, and AI-ready widget

Fast install

Launch with one script and start taking chats quickly

Your stack

Use ZChat with hosted AI APIs or keep it local with Ollama

Why buyers choose ZChat

Hosted chat platforms optimize for subscriptions. ZChat optimizes for ownership.

Competitors usually lead with free trials, AI agents, and faster onboarding. ZChat wins the decision when your team cares more about control: your server, your database, your routing rules, your AI provider choice, and no monthly seat bill attached to growth.

Self-hosted deployment Perpetual license Windows desktop agent Optional local AI

Deployment model

Run ZChat on infrastructure your team already trusts.

Cost model

Buy once instead of carrying another recurring support subscription.

Data position

Keep transcripts and operational data in systems you manage.

AI choice

Use Ollama locally or connect OpenAI and Anthropic on your terms.

ZChat web dashboard showing live chat operations

Product proof

See the actual support workspace, not just a generic chatbot illustration.

Competitors do a better job showing the product immediately. ZChat needs to prove just as quickly that it already includes the dashboard, the operator workflow, the website widget, and the desktop experience teams will actually use every day.

Web dashboard included

Handle active sessions, routing, departments, reports, and administration from the browser.

Native desktop agent included

Use the Windows client for alerts, presence, and a faster operator workflow than a browser-only stack.

Website widget included

Deploy one embeddable script to add branded live chat, visitor messaging, and AI-assisted answers.

Transcript ownership included

Keep chat history, routing behavior, and support operations inside an environment your team controls.

Decision guide

Where ZChat fits better than a hosted support suite.

Intercom, Tidio, Crisp, and MyLiveChat all make the hosted path look easy. ZChat is the better fit when support tooling has to match your infrastructure, governance, and long-term cost model instead of a vendor roadmap.

Best for

Teams that need owned software, not another hosted account.

Not ideal for

Buyers who only want a free trial and do not care where conversations live.

Operational advantage

Control hosting, database, deployment path, AI provider strategy, and operator workflow.

Commercial advantage

One-time purchase with no monthly seat tax when the support team grows.

Technical advantage

Run in Windows-first, Linux-heavy, cloud VM, or on-prem environments with the stack you already know.

Buyer reassurance

Optional AI, human handoff, transcript ownership, and a real dashboard from day one.

Why teams move to ZChat

Most hosted chat tools sell access. ZChat sells software your team can actually own.

That matters when support data, brand control, infrastructure standards, and recurring cost all land on the same decision.

Own the conversation data

Keep transcripts and operational data in systems your team already audits instead of pushing customer conversations into another vendor silo.

Keep the stack practical

Install the package, configure the host, add the widget, and move forward without stitching together multiple overlapping products.

AI on your terms

Keep AI optional, bring your own provider, and stay in control of cost.

Run Ollama locally for private deployments or connect OpenAI and Anthropic using your own accounts and billing.

Typical flow

AI can greet, qualify, and draft.

When the conversation needs a person, ZChat hands it off with the context already attached.

Operator economics

$299

one-time purchase

Perpetual license, predictable cost, and no monthly seat tax when your team grows.

Native desktop agent

A real Windows client with presence, notifications, and a faster workflow for teams that live in support all day.

Real-time transport

Real-time delivery keeps typing, routing, alerts, and handoff feeling immediate for both agents and visitors.

Deployment flexibility

Use the hosting model your team already knows how to operate.

ZChat works in Windows-first environments, Linux-heavy teams, or Docker-friendly workflows without changing the commercial model.

IIS Nginx SQL Server Docker optional

Windows

A natural fit for Microsoft-centric teams

Linux

A lean host path for mixed environments

Cloud VM or on-prem

Deploy wherever governance, security, and operations already make sense.

appsettings.json

{
  "Chatbot": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Provider": "ollama",
    "ApiEndpoint": "http://localhost:11434",
    "Model": "llama3",
    "Temperature": 0.7
  },
  "Realtime": { "Transport": "SignalR" }
}

{
  "Chatbot": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Provider": "openai",
    "ApiKey": "sk-your-key-here",
    "Model": "gpt-4o",
    "Temperature": 0.7
  },
  "Realtime": { "Transport": "SignalR" }
}

{
  "Chatbot": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Provider": "anthropic",
    "ApiKey": "sk-ant-your-key-here",
    "Model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "Temperature": 0.7
  },
  "Realtime": { "Transport": "SignalR" }
}

AI without lock-in

The support workflow stays the same even when your AI strategy changes.

Some teams need private local inference. Others already have cloud provider contracts. ZChat supports both without turning AI into another vendor lock-in decision.

Local-first when privacy matters

Use Ollama to keep prompts and responses inside your environment for regulated or privacy-sensitive support workflows.

Cloud-ready when you want frontier models

Bring your own OpenAI or Anthropic credentials and keep provider billing separate from your ZChat license.

Human handoff built into the journey

AI can greet, qualify, and draft while agents step in with the full conversation history already attached.

Operator workflow

Give support teams a workspace that feels like software, not a lightweight add-on.

Operators can work from a native Windows client or the browser dashboard while keeping alerts, visitor context, and routing decisions visible the whole time.

Native alerts and presence

System tray visibility and notifications keep busy teams from losing conversations inside a crowded browser.

Visitor context in real time

See page history, geography, and route status without breaking the conversation flow.

Fast handoff between AI and human

Move from automated response to a live operator without starting over or copying context around.

Browser access that still feels serious

The web console stays clean and capable on any device when the desktop client is not the right fit.

Launch without a giant implementation detour

Move from evaluation to production without changing products.

Install the package, connect the database, configure teams and optional AI, then drop the widget into your website. The same core product goes from localhost test to production rollout.

Read the installation guide

Step 1

Install

Choose the host you want and bring the core package online quickly.

Step 2

Configure

Set teams, routing, availability, and the AI provider strategy that fits the environment.

Step 3

Embed

Add the widget to any website and start handling conversations in real time.

How we compare

ZChat versus the hosted alternatives at a glance.

A quick side-by-side. We don't pretend to do everything Intercom does - we win when buying once, owning the data, and running on your own infrastructure matter more than a CRM tab.

Capability	ZChat	Intercom / Tidio / Crisp	MyLiveChat (legacy)
License model	One-time purchase, perpetual	Monthly subscription per agent	Yearly subscription
Where data lives	Your server, your DB	Vendor cloud	Vendor cloud
AI provider	Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic - your keys	Vendor's bundled AI only	Limited / paid add-on
Native desktop agent	Yes (WinUI 3)	Browser only	WinForms (.NET 2)
Source code modifiable	Yes - install scripts + APIs	No	No
Cost as team grows	Flat - license stays paid	Per-seat fee per month	Per-seat fee per year

Built for teams with higher stakes

Teams usually switch when monthly fees, data exposure, or workflow limits stop feeling acceptable.

ZChat is a strong fit for organizations that want owned software, operational control, and a cleaner long-term cost model than hosted chat subscriptions.

"We wanted a chat platform we could actually own. ZChat gave us the control we needed without making the operator experience feel outdated."

Dave Frederiksen

Web Developer

"We needed self-hosted live chat for compliance reasons. ZChat gave us modern tooling without pushing our data into someone else's cloud."

Angela Danil

IT Director

"The one-time purchase model made the decision easier, and the product gave us a workflow we could shape around our own process."

Sara Lisbon

Designer

Owned customer support software

Deploy live chat on your own terms, not on someone else's pricing model.

ZChat gives you the installable server, web dashboard, website widget, and desktop agent tools in one self-hosted product you buy once and keep. Run it on infrastructure you trust and connect AI only if and how you want it.

Download ZChat See Product Demo

Deployment

Install on Windows or Linux, behind IIS or Nginx, in a VM, or in Docker if that fits your stack.

Commercial model

One-time purchase, perpetual license, and no monthly per-agent bill attached to growth.

AI Flexibility

Use Ollama locally or connect OpenAI and Anthropic with your own provider accounts.