OpenServe vs Stept
OpenServe
openserve.appStept
stepped.aiSide by side
| Figure | OpenServe | Stept |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $600/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 21 | 3 |
| Spec score · AI Customer Service Agents | 8.0 (#14) | 8.4 (#4) |
| Spec score · Chatbot Builders | 7.9 (#150) | 8.8 (#29) |
| Deployment channels | website | multichannel |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Knowledge-base answers | Yes | Knowledge sources can be crawled, uploaded or synced, then re-indexed on a schedule with disappeared pages pruned. |
Plans
OpenServe
- BYOK Hosted$600 a month
- BYOK Hosted setupPrice not published
- BYOK Hosted setupPriced on request
- Managed$600 a month
- Managed setupPriced on request
- Managed setupPrice not published
- Managed token usage — Claude Opus 4.8 inputPriced on request
- Managed token usage — Claude Opus 4.8 inputPrice not published
- Managed token usage — Claude Opus 4.8 outputPriced on request
- Managed token usage — Claude Opus 4.8 outputPrice not published
In their own words
OpenServe
OpenServe is an open-source AI customer support platform that answers questions using a business’s documentation. Its retrieval-based answers include citations so customers can check the sources. The knowledge base accepts PDFs, websites, and FAQs, which it chunks and embeds automatically. OpenServe supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and local models, and customers can bring their own API keys. A chat widget can be added to a website with one script tag and customized to match a brand. The connector marketplace lists Shopify, Zendesk, and e-conomic, and customers can build connectors with the SDK. Deployment is available through Docker Compose self-hosting or a hosted option where OpenServe handles infrastructure, updates, and scaling. The service describes GDPR by design, EU-hosted infrastructure, encryption at rest, and a full audit trail. The Self-Hosted plan lists unlimited conversations and community support; hosted plans list no conversation limit and priority support. OpenServe says it is MIT licensed and built in Denmark.
Stept
Stept is an open-source customer-support platform with a shared inbox, AI agent, help center, product tours, and automation. Its AI agent can read company documents, guide visitors through an interface, and act on a page after the visitor opts in. Teams can select a model, configure the agent’s persona, and decide which tools run automatically, require approval, or stay off. Sensitive actions can require human approval; password fields are excluded, and actions are capped per run. Knowledge sources can be crawled, uploaded, or synced, then re-indexed on a schedule. The shared inbox includes assignment, snoozing, tags, notes, SLAs, macros, and team collaboration. Channels include email, Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, LINE, a web widget, and API. Self-hosting is MIT-licensed and supports Postgres or SQLite, offline operation with a mock AI provider, and unlimited seats. Stept Cloud is free during early access; the listed Cloud and Business prices are marked as upcoming.