As consumers seek faster and more convenient ways to connect with brands, live chat software has become a must-have for businesses looking to enhance their customer support.
While evaluating live chat widgets for our website and clients, we tested several platforms to identify which ones offer the best value in terms of price and features.
During the process, we realized that many tools offer similar functionality, making determining which is best for our needs challenging.
After thorough testing, we chose LiveChat for our website and Tidio and JivoChat for many client installations.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through our findings, explain what to look for in a live chat app, and provide reviews of tools we tested, highlighting their pros and cons to help you make an informed choice.
How To Choose A Live Chat Software For Your Website?
When you start looking for a live chatbot or widget for your website, you'll find out that all solutions offer pretty much the same things. They all offer basic live chat functionality in their starter packages, integration options, and additional features in their upgrade packages.
We couldn't find a vendor offering a unique feature that other live chat providers don't have, so we based our selection on cost, integration options, and additional features.
Cost: Live chat software is offered as a service with a monthly subscription. As you can see below, the monthly cost is between $10 and $55 (per agent).
The cost varies depending on the number of agents, chat sessions, and payment options. If you pay yearly, most providers give you two months free.
Other features that affect prices are AI chatbots, the duration of analytics history, and specific integration options with other platforms, such as Facebook Messenger.
I recommend not blindly choosing the cheapest option but examining each vendor's pricing pages to find software that offers the features you will actually use. Take advantage of their trial period to test the chat on your website before committing to a paid plan.
If you want free options, choose the ones that offer a free but fully functional plan.
Integration options: Most live chat services offer a range of integration options, allowing you to have all your messages in one dashboard. If you want to offer additional support options to your visitors through What's App or Facebook Messenger, ensure your chosen provider offers this functionality.
Additional features: Chatbots allow you to automate some of your responses so that you don't have to answer the same questions repeatedly manually. If this is important for your business, make sure that you choose software that offers AI chatbot support.
Here is a quick comparison table showing the cost and free trial options of affordable options suitable for small businesses.
| Chat Software | Starting Price | Free Trial | Free Plan | Custom Branding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | $29/mo | 7 Days | Yes | Yes |
| LiveChat | $20/mo | 14 Days | No | Yes |
| JivoChat | $19/mo | 14 Days | Yes | Yes |
| LiveAgent | $15/mo | 30 Days | Yes | Yes |
| Olark | $29/mo | 14 Days | No | Yes |
| Chaport | $29/mo | 14 Days | Yes | Yes |
| PureChat | $39/mo | 30 Days | No | Yes |
| ZenDesk | $55/mo | 14 Days | No | Yes |
| FreshChat | $19/mo | 21 Days | Yes | Yes |
| SmartSupp | $10/mo | 14 Days | Yes | Yes |
1. Tidio
- Best For: Small business
- Pricing: $29 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: Yes
- Links: Try Tidio | Read Review
Tidio is one of the best live chat software options for combining live chat with chatbot and AI functionality. It is easy to set up and use, with customizable widgets to help you reduce your response times.
Tidio’s best features include customizable chat widgets that you can adapt to your brand and website, AI-powered chatbots, and detailed analytics for tracking customer interactions.
There are more than 35 ready-made templates for bots, and you can customize everything using the drag-and-drop editor.
The software is user-friendly and does not require advanced technical skills to set up. Furthermore, Tidio offers a mobile app that enables you to manage customer inquiries on the go.
It also integrates well with major platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Wix.
Pros
- Built-in AI chatbots to automate responses
- Easy-to-use visual editor
- Plenty of integrations and API access
- Manage messages from various platforms (Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp) in one place.
- Free forever plan
Cons
- It can be a little complex to set up custom integrations.
Pricing
A free version of Tidio is available, which includes up to 50 live chat conversations, ticketing, and social media integrations.
The paid options include the "Starter” package, which starts at $29/monthly.
Tidio offers a free 7-day trial to test the product before committing to a paid plan (no credit card is required).
2. LiveChat
- Best For: Ecommerce websites.
- Pricing: $20 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: No
- Links: Try LiveChat | Read Review
LiveChat is versatile and easy to use. It is one of the most popular chat tools on the market today. You can create a branded chat box on your website where customers can send messages and support requests.
LiveChat is an all-in-one customer service platform used by over 35,000 businesses worldwide, including major names like Ikea and PayPal.
It's the live chat we use on our website. You can see it live on our Digital Marketing Full Course sales page.
LiveChat offers a well-designed backend system where customer support teams can track discussions and respond to clients.
Functionality includes proactive chat invitations and smart messaging to engage with visitors while browsing your website. You can also see what customers are typing before they send a message to deliver a more personalized experience.
LiveChat also lets you store chat transcripts, which is great for analyzing customer interactions, improving team performance, and understanding user behavior.
Pros
- An easy-to-use environment with a unified inbox
- Integrations to more than 200 platforms and tools
- Engagement features like surveys and ratings
- AI automation for routing and quick service
Cons
- Certain reporting features are restricted to high-cost plans
- No Free Plan
Pricing
Pricing options begin with the “Starter” package, which costs $20 per agent per month, followed by “Team” at $41 per agent per month and “Business” at $59 per agent per month. You need to commit to an annual plan to get the above prices.
LiveChat does not have a free plan but offers a 14-day free trial.
3. JivoChat
- Best For: Integrating with popular CRMs.
- Pricing: $19 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: Yes
- Links: Try JivoChat | Read Review
JivoChat is another good option for adding live chat support to your website.
It supports live chat, phone calls, email, and social media messages (including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram), making it a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to streamline their customer service across multiple channels.
One of the top-rated apps on the App Store, JivoChat supports companies in delivering unified, omnichannel service. In addition to connecting with customers through their favorite chat tools, you can also implement telephony features with callback requests.
JivoChat has built-in CRM functionality, where agents can easily categorize and manage leads, track customer interactions, and set follow-up reminders.
Plus, it allows agents to translate conversations in real-time with AI support, and tools like the “Quick Phrase Helper” can guide them in what to say in a complex service scenario.
Pros
- Telephony features with call-back
- Multilingual Support
- Built-in CRM & lead management
Cons
- Fewer integrations than other solutions
- Limited features on the free version
- Integrations are priced separately
Pricing
The free version of JivoChat gives you unlimited chat access with desktop, mobile, and browser agent apps.
The “Professional” package starts at $19 per month per agent and includes unlimited chat storage and automatic triggers.
There is a 14-day free trial on all plans.
4. LiveAgent
- Best For: Customer support.
- Pricing: $15 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: Yes
- Links: Try LiveAgent | Read Review
LiveAgent is a comprehensive help desk software with a customizable live chat widget.
Branded as one of the fastest live chat tools, LiveAgent transforms your company into an around-the-clock support center with AI automation.
Unlike other live chat tools, LiveAgent combines live chat with help desk ticketing, call center support, and social media integration, making it a complete customer communication platform.
It stands out for its ticketing system, which converts all communications—from email, chat, social media, or calls—into tickets, allowing seamless organization and better response management.
Pros
- All-in-one support platform
- Strong integrations with social media channels
- Comprehensive ticketing tools
- In-built CRM and AI insights
Cons
- Some advanced functionalities, like call center support, are only available on expensive plans.
Pricing
There is a free plan from LiveAgent, which comes with 1 chat button and 7-day ticket history.
Pricing for premium plans starts at $15 per agent per month for unlimited ticket history, advanced reporting, and more.
All plans have a 30-day free trial, provided you sign up with a company email.
5. Olark
- Best For: Ease of use.
- Pricing: $29 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: No
- Links: Try Olark | Read Review
Olark is a live chat software designed for simplicity and customization. You can engage your customers proactively or respond to their questions, and agents have access to a simple backend for managing all discussions.
One standout feature is the detailed chat insights, which include real-time reporting, chat transcripts, and visitor details. These help businesses analyze customer behavior and improve support strategies.
Olark’s unique “PowerUps” allows adding extra features based on your business requirements, such as live chat translation and visitor screen sharing.
It also includes searchable transcript technology, so you can rapidly look for customer information and follow up on issues in no time.
Many integrations exist with leading tools like Salesforce, WordPress, and Google Analytics.
Pros
- Excellent searchable transcript function
- Team management and reporting tools included
- Power-Ups for real-time engagement and enhanced support
- Lots of customization options
Cons
- Some power-ups can be expensive
Pricing
There’s no free plan but a 14-day trial on all plans.
The base price is $29 per month. However, you will need to pay extra for Power-Ups.
6. Chaport
- Best For: Startups.
- Pricing: $29 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: Yes
- Links: Try Chaport | Read Review
Chaport is an all-in-one chat software solution that allows businesses to connect with their customers and automate support. Designed to focus on simplicity, Chaport makes it easy to add chat functionality to your website in minutes, with a simple interface for agents to navigate.
One unique feature of Chaport is its shared team inbox, where agents can collaborate on customer inquiries and assign conversations to each other.
The software also includes a detailed analytics dashboard that offers insights into customer behavior and agent performance.
Chaport supports integrations with popular tools like Slack, WordPress, and Zapier, which makes it versatile and adaptable to different workflows.
Pros
- Multilingual chat widget with customization options
- Detailed customer information and reports
- Automation and artificial intelligence included
- Create your own chatbots and knowledge base
Cons
- Integrations can be a little complex to implement
Pricing
A free version of Chaport is available for up to 2 operators. It supports unlimited chats and websites with a 60-day history.
The paid plans start at $29 monthly and include four operators, advanced customizations, saved replies, and other enhanced features.
All paid plans have a 14-day trial.
7. PureChat
- Best For: Sales Teams.
- Pricing: $39 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: No
- Links: Try PureChat | Read Review
Pure Chat is a live chat solution designed for sales teams. Unlike other software, it offers unlimited chats on every plan.
PureChat has unlimited chat histories and transcripts to make your conversations more auditable. There’s also built-in real-time analytics and visitor tracking, so you can collect useful information about the customer journey and use it to deliver better service.
Pros
- Unlimited Chat History
- Advanced widget customizations with extensive branding
- Automation for routing and canned responses
- Integrations with many tools
Cons
- Requires subscribing to the Pro plan to remove PureChat branding
Pricing
Pricing starts at $39 per month per user for the “Growth” plan, which includes support for a single website and 100 SMS notifications.
The Pro package at $79 per month removes branding and allows for unlimited websites.
There is a 30-day free trial to test the product before committing to a paid plan.
8. Zendesk
- Best For: Help desk and live chat functionality.
- Pricing: $55 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: No
- Links: Try Zendesk | Read Review
Zendesk Chat is part of the Zendesk Suite, designed to help businesses create personalized customer interactions across multiple channels. ZenDesk is one of the most popular companies in the customer service landscape.
There are over 1,000 pre-built integrations with popular tools to find your customers anywhere. Intelligent routing rules help connect the right agents to the right customers instantly.
You can customize the live chat widget to suit your branding, supporting logo uploads, and color changes.
You’ll also be able to use the Zendesk API to integrate chat support into your applications.
Pros
- In-depth analytics and reporting
- Plenty of integrations with leading tools and services
- API for custom applications
- Intelligent routing and automation
Cons
- It can have a slightly larger learning curve than some alternatives
Pricing
The Zendesk Suite at $55 per month per agent.
There is no free plan, but all plans have a 14-day free trial.
Startups can get Zendesk for 6 months for free.
9. FreshChat
- Best For: Customer Service.
- Pricing: $19 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: Yes
- Links: Try FreshChat | Read Review
FreshChat is a market leader in customer service, offering AI-powered chatbots and extensive automation capabilities.
A unique feature of Freshchat is its focus on team collaboration and efficiency. It offers tools like agent-to-agent chats, canned responses for faster replies, and “Smart Plugs,” which provide customized actions based on visitor behavior.
The software also supports event timelines, allowing you to understand the customer journey by seeing which pages they visited before initiating a chat.
Pros
- Team Collaboration Tools
- AI-Powered Bots & Automation
- Tracking and analytics for customer insights
- Easy Integration with Freshworks Suite & CRMs
Cons
- A slight learning curve to leveraging all the features
Pricing
FreshChat offers a free limited plan for up to 100 agents.
Paid plans start at $19 per month when billed annually and increase depending on the number of advanced features and bot sessions you need.
All plans come with a 21-day free trial.
10. SmartSupp
- Best For: Sales and Marketing.
- Pricing: $10 / mo
- Custom Branding: Yes
- Free Plan: Yes
- Links: Try Smartsupp | Read Review
Smartsupp allows businesses to track and record user sessions and engage with customers.
One of Smartsupp’s standout features is its session recording functionality, which lets agents see a visitor’s actions on the site—such as clicks and navigation paths—making it easier to understand their intent and needs.
Pros
- Customer session recording and insights
- Live chat and chatbot functionality
- Affordable for small businesses
Cons
- Some key features, like detailed analytics and automated messages, are available only on paid plans.
Pricing
Smartsupp offers a free forever plan with live chat functionality for one agent, but there’s no chatbot access.
Paid plans start at $10 per month for 75 chat sessions, and prices increase based on the unique features you want to access.
More advanced features include team stats, routing, and REST API access.
Related Tools
Besides live chat, you can also find some great tools to use for your business in these reviews:
- Best Digital Marketing Tools - a list of all marketing tools you need for your digital marketing campaigns.
- Website Checker Tools - a list of tools to check the overall health of your website.
- Check Website Traffic - free tools to check traffic for any website.
