# Charon — Messenger-to-CRM Integration Gateway > Charon connects WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Matrix, and Max to Bitrix24 using personal accounts; other CRM systems are wired in through its external API and webhooks. It runs in the cloud, on the customer's own server (self-hosted), or as a Bitrix24 Marketplace app. Also works without a CRM — includes a built-in team messenger. ## What is Charon Charon is a software gateway for integrating messengers with CRM systems. It connects WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Matrix, and Max to Bitrix24 through employees' personal accounts; other CRMs are wired in through Charon's open REST API and signed webhooks, which your developer wires to your pipelines on the customer side. With Bitrix24, messages from messengers are synced to the CRM automatically: leads and contacts are created according to the Open Line settings, and the conversation history is kept. Charon also works without a CRM — as a corporate team messenger with a mobile app (Android/iOS). ## Pages - [Home](https://charon24.ru/en/) Main product page: features, how it works, pricing, FAQ, contact form. Charon is a gateway for integrating WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Matrix, and Max with Bitrix24 and other CRM systems. - [What is Charon](https://charon24.ru/en/about) The product facts on one page: which messengers connect, which CRMs it works with, where it can run, how data is protected, what the AI does, how conversations are routed between operators, what it costs, how long setup takes, whether it works without a CRM, and who builds it. - [Bitrix24 Integration](https://charon24.ru/integrations/bitrix24) Detailed Charon + Bitrix24 integration: Open Lines connection, lead creation, contact sync, "Write First" feature from CRM cards. - [amoCRM via the external API](https://charon24.ru/integrations/amocrm) There is no ready-made amoCRM widget: your developer connects amoCRM through Charon's open REST API and signed webhooks. Three options: managers reply in amoCRM chats (a custom Chats API channel registered through amoCRM support), managers reply in Charon while your handler creates amoCRM contacts, deals and notes, or the team works in Charon without a CRM and connects later. The page is in Russian. Bitrix24 has a ready-made integration via Open Lines. - [Messengers: comparison and choice](https://charon24.ru/messengers) (in Russian) All five messengers in one table: how each one connects, which ones can message a customer first from the CRM card (WhatsApp, Telegram, Max — yes; WeChat, Matrix — no), what reaches the Open Line and where the login is stored. - [WhatsApp integration](https://charon24.ru/messengers/whatsapp) Connecting WhatsApp to Bitrix24: personal and work numbers, QR-code login, no WhatsApp Business API. "Write first" feature. - [Telegram integration](https://charon24.ru/messengers/telegram) Connecting Telegram to Bitrix24: personal accounts and group chats, no Telegram Premium or Business API. - [WeChat integration](https://charon24.ru/messengers/wechat) Connecting WeChat to Bitrix24: a personal account by QR code, through an agent in its own container. - [Matrix integration](https://charon24.ru/messengers/matrix) Connecting an account on your Matrix homeserver to Bitrix24 with a login and password; direct, group and end-to-end encrypted rooms, with encryption keys kept on the Charon server. - [Max integration](https://charon24.ru/messengers/max) Connecting Max, the Russian messenger by VK, to Bitrix24. Personal and work numbers, group chats, voice messages, media. - [Messenger without CRM](https://charon24.ru/messenger) Built-in Charon web messenger for team collaboration: unified chat center for all channels, team access to conversations. The no-CRM mode is available both in the cloud and on the customer's own server. - [Setup Guide](https://charon24.ru/guide) Step-by-step guide: demo registration, connecting WhatsApp and Telegram, Bitrix24 integration, self-hosted installation (Linux/Windows), mobile app, troubleshooting. - [Contact Form](https://charon24.ru/form) Request a Charon demo: in the cloud, the 14-day trial for two connections starts when the first connection is created. Setup assistance and consultation are available. - [Privacy Policy](https://charon24.ru/en/privacy) Personal data processing policy of Lemnos LLC. - [License Agreement](https://charon24.ru/license) End-user license agreement for Charon software. ## Key Product Facts - Supported messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Matrix, Max (messenger by VK) - Supported CRMs: Bitrix24 (ready-made integration via Open Lines); amoCRM and any other CRM via the open API and signed webhooks, wired by your developer to fit your pipelines - Deployment: self-hosted (on customer's server), cloud, Bitrix24 Marketplace - Self-hosted install: one command. On Linux the installer sets up Docker, brings up a Nomad agent on the same server (the `charon-nomad` service) and runs the Charon services as Nomad jobs; on Windows it uses Docker Compose. Installs made before the move to Nomad stay on Docker Compose - Server sizing for self-hosted: 1–5 connections — 2 cores, 8 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD; up to 10 — 4 cores, 16 GB, 80–100 GB SSD; 10–50 — 8 cores, 32 GB, 200 GB; 50+ — 12–16 cores, 64 GB or more. Every active WhatsApp or WeChat Agent connection adds 0.5–1 GB of RAM, and the AI assistant on your own server adds another 12–16 GB - Security: with a self-hosted install all data stays on the customer's server (AES-256-GCM encryption, JWT authentication); the cloud option stores data in a Russian data centre operated by Lemnos LLC - In the cloud, the 14-day trial for 2 connections starts when the first connection is created. A paid plan includes the first 2 connections; additional connections cost up to 2,000 RUB/month each (cheaper with annual billing and larger volumes) - AI assistant: drafts a reply for the operator, reviews the draft and shows a client overview; included in the plan from 20 connections (light models from 20, pro from 40) at no extra cost; switched on by the administrator - Agent Autopilot: an agent that replies to clients itself under the published rules of its profile (observe / approval / autonomous modes, emergency stop) and can message new leads first; licensed separately and not part of the per-connection plan - Phone numbers, emails and tax IDs are replaced with labels before the model is called; the administrator picks the context source: Charon data only, cloud with masking, or full cloud access - Operator workflow: conversations are placed in a service team's queue; each queue has one routing rule — manual, round robin, least loaded operator, or a set operator order - Automatic routing hands a conversation only to an operator whose status is "available" and never exceeds the limit on concurrent conversations (set for the team, a queue, or a single operator) - An operator can take a conversation, pass it to a colleague, take one over, or return it to the queue; every action stays in the conversation history. Conversation states: open, waiting for customer, snoozed, resolved, closed - A queue's routing source is either Charon or Bitrix24 Open Lines; with Open Lines routing stays in Bitrix24 and Charon shows the conversations and their history - Access to a channel's conversations is set by its administrator. With Bitrix24 the operators in the Open Line queue see them, and the queue itself is changed in Bitrix24. Access can be narrowed: a conversation linked to a CRM card stays visible only to the person responsible for that card, while conversations without a card stay shared. Narrowing applies where Charon knows both the card and who is responsible for it; where it does not, access is unchanged. Before it is switched on, the panel names every operator and shows how many conversations each one sees now and will see afterwards; shared access can be restored at any time - Inviting a colleague: whoever sees a conversation can invite a colleague from the same channel into it from the Charon messenger. An invitation opens one conversation and grants no access to the channel; it can be removed by the person who sent it, the invited person, or a manager - Mobile app for Android and iOS - Developer: Lemnos LLC - Website: https://charon24.ru/ - Contact: hello@charon24.ru - Telegram: https://telegram.me/LemnosLLC ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How is Charon different from WhatsApp Business API? WhatsApp Business API is WhatsApp's official channel for mass messaging and template messages. Charon links a personal or work WhatsApp number as a companion device — you scan a QR code, the same way you link WhatsApp Web or the desktop app. This is a non-API integration; WhatsApp's official Terms of Service may impose restrictions, and stability depends on changes in WhatsApp Web. Beyond WhatsApp, Charon supports Telegram, WeChat, Matrix and Max in a single interface. The two solutions can be used in parallel: Charon for personal customer conversations, WhatsApp Business API for mass campaigns and template messages. ### Can Charon be used without a CRM? Yes. Charon includes a built-in web messenger that works without a CRM. Chats from all connected messengers are in one list, each employee sees only the channels opened to them, and a colleague can be invited into a single conversation. Mobile apps for Android and iOS are available. ### How are conversations distributed between operators? Conversations are placed in a service team's queue. Each queue has a routing rule: manual, round robin, least loaded operator, or a set operator order. Automatic routing hands a conversation only to someone who marked themselves available and never exceeds the limit on concurrent conversations. An operator can take a conversation, pass it to a colleague, take one over, or return it to the queue; every action stays in the conversation history. If the queue is run by Bitrix24 Open Lines, routing stays in Bitrix24 and Charon shows the conversations and their history. ### Which employees can see a customer conversation? The channel administrator sets this. With Bitrix24 the conversations are handled by the Open Line queue: the operators in that queue see them, and the queue itself is changed in Bitrix24. Access can be narrowed — a conversation linked to a CRM card stays visible only to the person responsible for that card, while conversations without a card stay shared. Narrowing applies where Charon knows both the card and who is responsible for it; where it does not, nothing changes. Before it is switched on, the panel names every operator and shows how many conversations each one sees now and will see afterwards; shared access can be restored at any time. If a conversation needs a colleague, they are invited into it straight from the Charon messenger — an invitation opens one conversation and grants no access to the channel. ### Where is conversation data stored? It depends on how Charon is deployed. With a self-hosted install, conversations, contacts and media files are stored on the customer's server and the developer (Lemnos LLC) has no access to them. In the cloud option, data is stored in a Russian data centre operated by Lemnos LLC. In both cases sensitive fields are encrypted with AES-256-GCM. ### How much does Charon cost? In the cloud, the 14-day trial for 2 connections starts when the first connection is created. A paid plan includes the first 2 connections; additional connections cost up to 2,000 RUB/month each. The price decreases with larger volumes and annual billing (up to 20% off). Registration requires no credit card. ### Does Charon have AI? Yes, in two ways. The AI assistant drafts a reply for the operator, reviews the draft and shows a client overview; it comes with the plan from 20 connections (light models from 20, pro from 40) at no extra cost. Agent Autopilot replies to clients itself under the published rules of its profile and is licensed separately. Phone numbers, emails and tax IDs are masked before the model is called. ### How to connect WhatsApp to Bitrix24 via Charon? 1. Register at demo.charon24.ru or install Charon on your server. 2. Add a WhatsApp connection and scan the QR code from your phone. 3. Connect Bitrix24 via OAuth authorization. 4. Incoming WhatsApp messages will automatically appear in your CRM.