Windows Server & IIS

Live chat software that runs on your own Windows Server

DChat installs on the stack you already run - Windows Server, IIS, and SQL Server - so live chat, an AI assistant, and every transcript stay on your network. Live chat is free software you run yourself, not another monthly cloud subscription.

Download Free Read the IIS Setup Guide

Fits your Windows stack

Deploy to IIS as an ordinary web application and point it at SQL Server. No Docker requirement, no third-party runtime lock-in - it runs where your other line-of-business apps already run, managed the way your IT team already manages Windows Server.

Two editions, one feature set

Run the modern ASP.NET Core build, or the classic ASP.NET Web Forms edition that runs on the .NET Framework already in Windows - ideal for older servers and classic IIS with nothing extra to install. Both use the same SQL Server database and the same admin console.

Your SQL Server, your data

Every conversation, visitor record, rating, and audit entry lives in a database you control. Back it up with your existing SQL Server tooling, query it directly for reporting, and satisfy GDPR requests with built-in export and erasure.

What you need to get started

A typical Windows Server deployment. Everything is included in the download.

Requirement	ASP.NET Core edition	Web Forms edition
Operating system	Windows Server (or Windows) with IIS	Windows Server (or Windows) with IIS
Runtime	.NET 8 Hosting Bundle	.NET Framework 4.8 (built into Windows)
Database	SQL Server (Express and up)	SQL Server (Express and up)
Real-time transport	SignalR (WebSocket) with polling fallback	HTTP polling
AI chatbot	Local Ollama or your OpenAI/Anthropic keys	Local Ollama or your OpenAI/Anthropic keys

Not sure which to pick? The step-by-step IIS setup guide walks through both.

Built for on-premise

Live chat that never leaves your network

Regulated industries, internal help desks, and privacy-first teams often cannot send customer conversations to a third-party cloud. Because DChat runs on your own Windows Server and stores everything in your SQL Server, you keep the data - and with a local AI model, even the chatbot runs air-gapped.

Great fit

Windows-centric IT shops, internal help desks, healthcare and finance, agencies self-hosting for clients, and anyone replacing a per-agent SaaS bill with free live chat they host themselves.

Runs alongside

Your existing IIS sites, Active Directory, SQL Server backups, and monitoring - managed with the Windows tooling you already use.

What do I need to run DChat on Windows Server?

Windows Server with IIS and a SQL Server database (Express is fine to start). The ASP.NET Core edition needs the .NET Hosting Bundle; the ASP.NET Web Forms edition runs on the .NET Framework already built into Windows, so it works on classic IIS with no extra runtime to install.

Which edition should I choose - ASP.NET Core or Web Forms?

Both share the same SQL Server schema and feature set. Choose ASP.NET Core for the modern cross-platform stack and SignalR real-time transport. Choose the Web Forms edition if you run older Windows Server or classic IIS and prefer not to install the .NET Hosting Bundle - it is a drop-in ASP.NET 4.8 web application.

Where is the chat data stored?

In your own SQL Server database. Conversations, visitor records, transcripts, ratings, audit logs, and analytics never leave your network. GDPR export and erasure are built in.

Does it work behind our firewall or on an internal network?

Yes. DChat is installed on your infrastructure and can run entirely on an internal network or behind a corporate firewall. Paired with a local Ollama model, even the AI chatbot runs without any outbound internet traffic.

How much does it cost?

Nothing for the live chat itself: it is free to self-host in production, with unlimited agents and unlimited domains and no expiry. Premium, which includes the AI assistant, is $19 per agent per month on the agents you choose to cover.

Simple pricing

Free to run, on your own server

Live chat, unlimited agents and domainsFree

Premium: AI assistant and more, per agent per month$19

Live chat is free in production with no seat limit and no expiry. Premium is billed only for the agents you choose to cover, and Enterprise adds single sign-on at $49.

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Self-hosted customer support software

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

DChat gives you the installable server, web dashboard, website widget, and desktop agent tools in one self-hosted product, with live chat free to run, and an AI agent that answers, acts with the approvals you set and hands off to your team when you want one. Run it on infrastructure you trust, on the model you choose.

Download DChat 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

Live chat is free with unlimited agents. Premium, with the AI agent, is billed per agent per month, never per conversation.

AI Flexibility

Run the AI agent on a local Ollama model, or connect OpenAI and Anthropic with your own provider accounts.