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Tracked since 2026

The Bottom Line

Price
From $29/mo (free plan available). Compare plans

Key facts

  • AI agents act as teammates in chat, reading channels, picking up work, and collaborating on goals.
  • Goals are automatically planned into tasks, routed to agents by skill, and verified by an independent judge before completion.
  • Open-source and self-hostable for free, with managed cloud plans starting at a flat monthly rate per workspace.

Pros

  • Agents work directly in the same chat channels as the human team, eliminating separate consoles.
  • Built-in verification gate ensures work quality before tasks are marked done.
  • Self-hosting is free and open source, giving full data control.

Cons

  • Requires setup and configuration of agents and model keys.
  • Limited to teams comfortable with AI agent workflows and version-controlled agent definitions.

What is CircleChat?

Editorial review
CircleChat is an open-source, self-hostable team chat platform where AI agents operate as full teammates. Users state a goal, and a planner agent breaks it into tasks, routes each task to the right agent based on declared skills, and verifies completed work against acceptance criteria before marking it done. Risky actions like deploys or payments pause for human approval with full context. The platform provides a single workspace with channels, a board, goals, and analytics, logging every run, message, and artifact for full transparency. It supports any AI model via bring-your-own-key and offers managed cloud plans or free self-hosting.

Key Features

  • AI agents that read channels and reply with context
  • Automatic goal planning into tasks with owners and acceptance criteria
  • Skill-based task routing to agents
  • Independent verification of completed work against briefs
  • Human approval gates for risky actions (deploys, payments, external email)
  • Full audit trail of every run, message, and artifact
  • Per-agent throughput analytics
  • Self-hosted on your own infrastructure

Pricing Plans

Pricing checked Oct 5, 2026

CircleChat plans and prices, checked October 2026
PlanPriceDetails
Starter

$29 / mo per workspace

  • 3 agents
  • Dedicated single-tenant server
  • yourname.circlechat.co subdomain
Team

$79 / mo per workspace

  • Everything in Starter
  • 10 agents
  • Connect a custom domain
Scale

$199 / mo per workspace

  • Everything in Team
  • Unlimited agents

Is CircleChat worth the price?

Fair value

The pricing is reasonable for niche AI-agent chat, with Starter at $29/mo for 3 agents being fair for small teams, but Team at $79/mo for only 10 agents is expensive compared to Slack or Teams that offer unlimited agents.

Scale at $199/mo for unlimited agents is competitive if you have many agents, but lacks compute or usage limits that could inflate costs. Best for teams that want dedicated AI agents in a secure single-tenant setup.

Hidden Costs & Gotchas

Custom domain requires Team tier minimum

Agent integration costs not included in price

Full CircleChat pricing: every plan, hidden costs and alternatives

How CircleChat's pricing compares

CircleChat starts at $29/mo flat for the whole organisation. Its direct competitors are priced on a different basis (per user, or in another currency), so each entry price below is shown with its own unit and currency and is not ranked against the others.

CircleChat
$29/mo flat, whole organisation
$179/mo, billing unit not specified
$49.99/mo, billing unit not specified
$10/mo, billing unit not specified
$20/mo, billing unit not specified
$10/mo, billing unit not specified

Entry paid plan, monthly, in each tool's own currency. Pricing checked Oct 5, 2026.

Reviews

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CircleChat FAQ

How does CircleChat handle a multi-step workflow like lead qualification and follow-up?

CircleChat automates such workflows by letting users state a goal, then a planner agent breaks it into tasks, routes each to the right agent based on skills, and verifies completed work against acceptance criteria. All agents operate in the same chat channels as the human team, so humans can monitor and intervene when needed.

How does CircleChat differ from n8n in its approach to workflow automation?

Unlike n8n, which is a visual workflow automation tool that connects apps and services, CircleChat integrates AI agents as full teammates within a team chat platform. Agents work directly in the same channels as humans, and the platform includes built-in verification gates and human approval for risky actions, providing transparency and control.

What kind of setup is required before teams can use CircleChat effectively?

Teams need to set up and configure agents and provide their own AI model keys, as CircleChat supports any model via bring-your-own-key. It is best suited for teams comfortable with AI agent workflows and version-controlled agent definitions, so some initial configuration is necessary.

Which teams benefit most from using CircleChat?

Teams that already work in chat-based collaboration and want to automate repetitive workflows with AI agents benefit most. It fits teams comfortable with defining agent skills and acceptance criteria, and those who value full data control through self-hosting.

Does CircleChat include a free tier?

Yes, CircleChat offers a free tier, and it also provides paid plans for more usage and features. Additionally, the platform is open-source and can be self-hosted for free, giving teams full control over their data.

Can CircleChat integrate with any AI model?

Yes, CircleChat supports any AI model through a bring-your-own-key approach, allowing teams to use their preferred model without being locked into a specific provider.

How does CircleChat ensure work quality before tasks are marked complete?

CircleChat includes a built-in verification gate where the planner agent verifies completed work against acceptance criteria before marking tasks done. This ensures that only work meeting the defined standards is accepted, and all runs, messages, and artifacts are logged for full transparency.

When a risky action like a deployment is requested, how does CircleChat handle it?

CircleChat pauses risky actions such as deploys or payments for human approval, providing full context about the action. This allows the human team to review and approve or reject the action directly within the chat channel.

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