When processing in Germany matters: the Tawk.to alternative
Tawk.to offers live chat, tickets and a knowledge base for free — but by its own account processes everything in the US. SilentChat runs in Germany, with AI in the plan and a data processing agreement on every plan. From €19/month.
Tawk.to is popular because the core costs nothing: live chat, tickets, knowledge base and CRM are free; you pay for extras such as removing the branding or the AI assistant. We compare what both vendors publish — date and sources at the end. We make SilentChat.
The biggest difference is where data is processed: tawk.to states that it is based in the US and does all processing there. SilentChat runs at Hetzner and IONOS in Germany.
SilentChat vs. Tawk.to at a glance
As of 21 September 2026. Prices exclude VAT, as the vendors display them to visitors from Germany.
Processing in Germany instead of the US
Application at Hetzner in Germany, AI at IONOS in Germany — chat data never goes to a US provider. A data processing agreement on every plan, concluded online during setup. Data export and deletion, encrypted backups with a German provider, support in German.
Tawk.to states that it is based in the US and does all processing there; its published list of subprocessors names mostly US providers, including OpenAI for the AI assistant.
Operated in Germany
Hetzner for the application, IONOS for the AI.
DPA in the plan
Concluded online during setup.
No US provider
For chat data in regular operation.
AI and white-label in the plan
At tawk.to, the AI assistant and branding removal are add-ons per property. At SilentChat, the AI chatbot is included from Starter, the copilot from Professional, and from Professional you get white-label and the customer portal on your own domain.
Switching is easy
Up and running in four steps: 1. Embed the widget via a <script> tag (under 70 KB). 2. Set up your knowledge base or let SilentChat read your website (from Growth) — the AI answers from it. 3. Invite your team and assign roles (departments from Growth). 4. Go live.
A setup assistant guides you through the steps. Free trial, no credit card.
Pricing
Fixed monthly prices per plan, AI conversations included — no billing per seat or per AI answer. Save 20% with annual billing. All prices exclude VAT; plus a free plan that stays free.
| Starter | Growth | Professional | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price/month | €19 | €49 | €129 | from €349 |
| Price/year (−20%) | €182 | €470 | €1,238 | from €3,350 |
| Agents | 3 | 5 | 15 | unlimited |
| Chats/month | 300 | 1,000 | 10,000 | unlimited |
| AI chatbot | 50/month | 300/month | 1,000/month | 3,000/month |
| AI copilot | — | — | 2,000/month | 5,000/month |
| White-label / custom domain | — | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| SAML SSO | — | — | — | ✅ |
To be fair: when is Tawk.to the right choice?
Tawk.to fits when price decides: chat, tickets, knowledge base and CRM cost nothing, even with many agents. It also offers more channels, apps for all common devices and the option to book agents by the hour.
SilentChat fits if data should be processed in Germany, you want to conclude a data processing agreement right during setup, and AI should be included in the plan without an add-on.
Frequently asked questions
If processing location matters to you: by its own account tawk.to processes exclusively in the US, SilentChat in Germany. SilentChat also includes the AI chatbot and (from Professional) white-label in the plan. If only price counts, tawk.to is cheaper.
Every plan includes a fixed number of AI conversations per month: Starter 50, Growth 300, Professional 1,000, Enterprise 3,000. Once reached, your agents take over — no extra charges. A fair-use limit applies to very long conversations (terms § 4 (4)).
You embed the widget with a script tag, set up your knowledge base or let SilentChat read your website (from Growth), and invite your team. There is currently no automatic import from other tools.
Yes — the free plan is permanent, no credit card (1 agent, 50 chats per month, no AI). On top of that you start with 7 days of full Professional access. After that you pick a plan from €19/month, or stay on free.
Yes, from Professional with white-label and the customer portal on your own domain. SAML single sign-on is available on the Enterprise plan.
Sources
Live chat processed in Germany?
Try SilentChat for free — AI in the plan, data processing agreement included.