# Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx

Shared inbox, help center, and AI answers. Intercom without the platform tax.

**Replaces:** Intercom / Zendesk

**Tier:** Medium

## Problem

Intercom and Zendesk price like you are a Fortune 500 support org. A 3-person studio needs a shared inbox, a docs search, and a way to mail people.

## Stack

- [Chatwoot](https://chatwoot.com/) — Open-source shared inbox and live chat
- [Resend](https://resend.com/) — Transactional mail
- [Onyx](https://github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx) — AI answers over your docs

## Estimated SaaS cost saved

| You stop paying | Typical / year | Self-host instead |
|---|---:|---|
| Intercom Essential | $8,000 | Chatwoot + Onyx |
| Zendesk Suite | $5,400 | Chatwoot help center |

**About $8,000 / year** on a small team, before you count lock-in.

## Deploy on Railway

Placeholder: Chatwoot + Resend + Onyx. Medium; needs SMTP and a vector store for Onyx.

## AGENT_PROMPT

```
Replace Intercom/Zendesk with Chatwoot, Resend, and Onyx.

- Chatwoot for conversations, canned replies, and a help center.
- Resend for outbound email (use send. subdomain).
- Onyx indexed on the help center + c17 stack markdown so agents and humans get the same answers.
- Persist Chatwoot and Onyx data. Lock down public signup.
```

## FAQ

### Is Onyx required?

No. Ship Chatwoot first. Add Onyx when the same 40 questions clog the inbox.

Source: https://c17.io/stacks/chatwoot-support