2. Crisp Chat

I like Crisp for teams that want a fast, modern live chat with a lot packed into the widget itself - think rich messaging, instant translation, and “see-what-they-see” help when a visitor is stuck. It’s lightweight to add, and the agent side stays tidy in a shared inbox. Agents can easily tag or involve other agents for collaborative support, making it ideal for teams handling complex workflows.

Pros:

• Real-time translation in the inbox so I can reply in 50+ languages without leaving the chat sessions.

• Built-in co-browsing from the chat window to guide visitors by pointing, scrolling, and clicking without installing any plugins.

• One-click video calls from the widget for “show me” support when text isn’t enough.

• Clean, shared inbox that pulls in website live chat alongside other channels, keeping agent focus in one place.

• Agents can tag or involve other agents for seamless collaboration on support tickets.

• Active product cadence (recently rebuilt chatbox engine), which bodes well for speed and future features.

Cons:

• AI and advanced automation are gated to higher plans.

• Some higher-impact chat capabilities (e.g., white-labeling) sit behind the top tier, so branding control can cost more.

• Workspace-level pricing may feel heavy if you need many seat-level variations.

• If you only need pure live chat, the broader suite can feel heavier than necessary. Evaluation is key to avoid paying for unused extras.

Pricing:

Free plan available with no limitations on usage or features; paid tiers are Mini ($45/month), Essentials ($95/month), and Plus ($295/month) per workspace, with a 14-day free trial. Pricing is flat-rate (not tied to conversation volume)

3. LiveChat

If you’re looking for a live chat app that’s polished, powerful and designed with customer-support teams in mind, then LiveChat is worth a close look. It’s a mature platform focused heavily on the live chat experience. From real-time visitor tracking and chat widget customization, to AI-assisted agent workflows.

Pros:

• Real-time visitor tracking + “message sneak-peek” so you can see what a visitor is typing before they send it.

• Highly customizable chat widget, wherein you can match branding, choose from “eye-catchers” and trigger proactive chats based on visitor behaviour.

• The LiveChat widget can be easily integrated and previewed on your website’s home page to boost engagement.

• AI-assisted live chat: built-in reply suggestions, grammar/tonality corrections and auto-tagging of conversations for faster agent response.

• Keyboard shortcuts, canned responses and efficient agent workflows allow handling multiple chats simultaneously.

• Strong integration ecosystem: 200+ third-party apps so you can embed the live chat widget into your broader tech-stack.

Cons:

• Pricing is on the higher side, especially when you scale by agent count and expect full live chat features.

• Some advanced live-chat customizations (e.g., deeper analytics or highly tailored widget behaviour) may require higher plans or additional configuration.

• Because the product is feature-rich, smaller businesses may find a steeper learning curve (or pay for more than they need) compared to a pure “simple” chat widget.

Pricing:

LiveChat uses an agent-based pricing model. According to recent breakdowns:

• LiveChat uses agent-based pricing, so costs scale with team size.

• Starter begins at $20 per agent per month when billed annually. Team sits around $41 per agent per month annually, or $49 billed monthly, and adds more advanced features. Business and Enterprise tiers go higher, with expanded analytics and custom pricing.

• A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.

Best live chat software with a full-service platform

4. Zendesk

If you’re after a well-known, enterprise-ready platform that handles live chat plus multichannel support and plenty of advanced features, Zendesk is definitely one to consider. That said, when focusing strictly on the live-chat side, you’ll want to dig into how their chat/messaging module works (and what you may need to pay extra for).

Pros:

• Their “Messaging” widget covers real-time chat and asynchronous conversations (so visitors can start a chat and pick it up later) across web, mobile and social apps.

• You can customize the chat widget’s look and feel (branding), route chats smartly to the right team, and deploy AI-agents/bots to handle the initial contacts or FAQs.

• Unified agent workspace showing all customer history in one view.

• Zendesk enables agents to tag or involve other agents or managers within support tickets, making it easy to collaborate on complex workflows and multi-agent support scenarios.

• Strong global-scale features: multiple brands, multilingual support, skills-based routing, and advanced workspaces are available (for larger teams) which means as your live chat load grows, Zendesk can scale.

Cons:

• Expensive for large teams due to per-agent pricing.

• Advanced chat features often require higher-tier plans.

• Overkill if you just need simple live chat.

Pricing:

Zendesk prices per agent, per month, and which plan you need depends on whether you want chat alone or the full suite.

• The Support plans start from $19 per agent per month, but live chat and messaging sit in the Suite plans. Suite Team runs around $55 per agent per month billed annually, with Suite Professional at roughly $115 per agent per month for advanced features like skills-based routing and custom analytics.

• Worth factoring in the add-ons. Advanced AI, workforce management, and data privacy features are priced separately and can lift the per-agent cost significantly.

Zendesk suits larger teams, but the per-agent cost adds up quickly. We've looked at Zendesk alternatives for teams who want the capability without the price.

5. Intercom

If you’re looking for a live-chat platform that blends real-time website/app chat, proactive messaging, and AI automation into one sophisticated tool, Intercom is a top choice. While it’s built for broader customer engagement, its live-chat features stand out for modern support teams who want more than just a chat widget.

Pros:

• Unlimited live chat is included in every plan, so you won’t hit a cap on basic chats.

• Customizable “Messenger” widget that works on web, mobile apps and in-product, supports multilingual chat and self-service via bots.

• Strong automation and AI support: e.g., AI Agent “Fin” handles resolutions, bots initiate chats, and agents get workflow tools.

• Shared inbox ensures all chats (live or asynchronous) appear alongside other support channels, giving full context.

• Excellent for ongoing communication and support with existing customers, helping businesses increase customer retention and overall satisfaction.

Cons:

• Per-seat pricing plus usage-based add-ons mean costs can scale fast as you add agents or channels.

• Some key features (e.g., advanced bots, multilingual help centers, workflows) only arrive in higher-tier plans.

• For teams purely wanting a simple chat widget on a website, Intercom may feel more complex (and expensive) than needed.

• Hidden/variable costs around channel usage (WhatsApp, SMS) and message volumes can make budgeting tricky.

Pricing:

• Plans start at US$29 per full-seat/month (billed annually) for the “Essential” tier.

• The next tiers are around US$85/seat/month (“Advanced”) and US$132/seat/month (“Expert”) when billed annually.

• Important to note: all plans include unlimited live chat, but add-ons (such as the AI Agent resolutions at US$0.99 each, or channel usage fees) apply on top.

Intercom is excellent if you can absorb the per-seat and per-resolution costs. For teams who can't, there are Intercom alternatives worth a look.

Best free live chat software 

6. Tawk.to

If you’re after an ultra-budget (in fact almost no-budget) live chat tool with solid features for website inquiries, Tawk.to is hard to beat. Its live chat module gives you a lot of the essentials and the fact that the base version is completely free to use, with no limitations on agents, chats, or features, makes it stand out in 2026.

Pros:

• Completely free to use with truly unlimited agents, chat volume, and websites in the free version.

• Rich live-chat widget: visitor monitoring (real-time tracking), multi-language support (45+ languages), proactive triggers, file sharing and unlimited chat history.

• Easy embed on websites (WordPress, Shopify, etc.) with mobile apps so you can respond on the go.

• Optional paid add-ons you can choose (white-label widget, video/voice/screenshare, hiring agents) so you only pay for extras you want.

Cons:

• While feature-rich for a free product, some advanced live-chat capabilities (e.g., built-in chatbots, highly tailored workflows, extremely deep analytics) are either missing or in add-on form.

• The free version carries the “Powered by Tawk.to” branding; to remove/white-label you’ll need a paid plan.

• Interface and customizations may feel less polished compared to premium live-chat platforms; some users report a learning curve or less intuitive UX.

Pricing:

The core live-chat software is completely free, offering unlimited agents, chats and websites. Then there are optional paid features:

• Remove branding / white-label: from approx US$19-29/month.

• Video + Voice + Screen-Sharing add-on: starting around US$29/month per property.

• Hire-agents service: approx US$1/hour for trained chat-agents answering chats when you don’t want to staff them yourself.

7. Tidio

Tidio is an AI-driven customer service platform built for e-commerce and SMB teams that want live chat, automation, and an AI agent in a single workspace. The Flows builder lets you automate routine conversations without code, while Lyro - Tidio's AI agent - handles up to 67% of customer questions using your own content, handing off to a human agent with full context when needed. Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and WordPress make it a natural fit for online stores.

Pros:

• Lyro AI Agent resolves up to 67% of queries automatically, trained on your own FAQ and website content

• No-code Flows builder for automating conversations without developer involvement

• Multichannel support: website chat, email, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp from a shared inbox

• Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and WordPress

• Reliable free tier and affordable entry-level plans for growing startups

Cons:

• Advanced Lyro AI capabilities require additional monthly quotas for high-volume users.

• Some customization requires add-ons.

• Conversation-based pricing can become expensive at high volumes

Pricing:

• Free: $0/month 

• Starter: $24.17/month (billed annually)

• Growth: from $49.17/month (billed annually) 

• Plus: from $749/month 

• Premium: contact for pricing

Not sure Tidio is the right fit? Our breakdown of Tidio alternatives covers what else works for ecommerce teams.

8. Zoho SalesIQ

If you’re looking for a live-chat solution that combines visitor tracking, proactive engagement, and real-time support with strong integrations into a larger business suite - Zoho SalesIQ is a compelling option. It’s more than just a chat widget: you get visibility into visitor behaviour, multi-channel chat, automation and analytics built in.

Pros:

• Live-typing preview and visitor list: you can see what a visitor is typing and monitor site visitors in real time.

• Customizable chat widget + pre-chat survey + file attachments: your visitors can share files (.jpg, .pdf, .doc etc), you can ask contact details before starting chat.

• Unified inbox across channels: manage website chat, Messenger/Instagram/WhatsApp messages from a single dashboard, reducing channel switching.

• Strong automation & AI support: chatbots (via visual “flows” builder), AI Agent (trained on your data) help reduce live-agent load.

• Free tier available which is good for starting out and testing live-chat without cost.

• New features and recent updates, such as advanced automation and analytics, enhance Zoho SalesIQ’s capabilities.

Cons:

• Conversation limits on free/low-tier plans: if you exceed the “billable conversations” or need heavy chat volume, costs begin to rise.

• Some advanced features (deep analytics, high volume AI, multi-language enterprise support) reserved for higher-tier plans, so scaling might involve a jump in expense.

• Reporting and notification features have mixed reviews: some users say analytics isn’t as robust as dedicated analytics tools.

Pricing:

Zoho SalesIQ prices per operator rather than by conversation volume.

• Free: 3 operator licenses, visitor insights for 10,000 visitors a month, 100 operator chat sessions.

• Basic, Professional, and Enterprise tiers each include one operator license and scale on visitor insights, chat sessions, and chatbot allowances, with additional operators available as add-ons. All paid tiers are billed annually.

Note that Zoho prices regionally, so check their pricing page for figures in your currency.

9. ProProfs Chat

If you want a live chat tool that combines AI automation with human support without overcomplicating your setup, ProProfs Chat is worth considering. It brings AI chatbots and live agent chat into a single interface, helping teams handle routine questions automatically while stepping in personally when conversations need more context. It’s a practical option for businesses that want to stay responsive, capture more leads, and support customers effectively, even outside regular business hours.

Pros:

• AI chatbot can be trained using your website content or help center, ensuring accurate automated responses.

• Ready-to-use chatbot templates for handling FAQs, lead capture, and appointment booking without relying on agents for every interaction.

• Seamless bot-to-human handoff, ensuring customers are routed to live agents the moment automation is no longer enough.

• Multilingual chat support to engage and assist customers across regions from a single dashboard.

• Omnichannel live chat with smart routing to direct conversations to the right agent or team.

• Built-in analytics to track chatbot accuracy, conversation volume, and agent performance.

• Native integrations with Shopify, CRM tools, and email platforms to keep customer data connected.

Cons:

• Lacks an on-premise version

• Dark mode or dark UI theme is not available for agents.

Pricing:

ProProfs Chat offers a free plan for a single operator.

• Paid plans start at $19.99 per operator per month for Essentials, which covers live chat with a basic AI bot.

• Business is $29.99 per operator per month, adding omnichannel chat and vertical bot templates.

• Business Complete Elite is $179.97 per month for three operators, and the full Customer Delight Suite starts at $499 per month.

All prices are billed annually.

A free trial is available before you commit.

10. HubSpot Live Chat

HubSpot Live Chat Dashboard

If your team already runs on HubSpot, this is the easiest live chat decision you'll make. The chat widget is built into the CRM, so every conversation automatically attaches to a contact record, a ticket, and a deal without any integration work. If you are not using HubSpot, it's a harder sell, since most of the value comes from that connection.

Pros:

• Free plan includes live chat and a basic chatbot builder, with no time limit.

• Every chat is logged against the contact record, so sales and support see the same history without switching tools.

• Conversations inbox brings chat, email, and forms into one place for the team.

• Chatflows let you route visitors to the right rep or team based on page, behavior, or office hours.

• Breeze, HubSpot's AI layer, handles routine questions and drafts replies for agents.

• Meeting links can be dropped straight into a chat, so a qualified visitor books time without leaving the conversation.

Cons:

• The free version carries HubSpot branding, and removing it means moving to a paid seat.

• Most of the value depends on using HubSpot as your CRM. As a standalone chat tool, dedicated platforms do more.

• The jump from Starter to Professional is steep, and several of the features teams want sit above that line.

• AI features draw on credits, so heavy usage adds cost on top of your seat price.

Pricing:

• HubSpot's free plan includes live chat, basic bots, and the CRM for up to two users, with HubSpot branding on the widget.

• Paid tiers start at $20 per seat per month on Service Hub Starter, which removes the branding and adds simple automation.

• Professional is $90 per seat per month and brings advanced automation, custom reporting, and the knowledge base.

• Worth knowing that the Professional plan also carries a one-time onboarding fee, so the first-year cost is higher than the monthly rate suggests.

The CRM connection is the whole argument here. If you want a chatbot that works outside the HubSpot ecosystem, see how HubSpot's chatbot compares to a standalone platform.