Live chat is one of the most popular ways to communicate with businesses, as over 41% of customers expect to see it on your website. As a result, using the best live chat software has become important to businesses wanting to increase engagement, improve customer service efficiency, and offer real-time help.
It can be tough to choose the best live chat service provider for your company with multiple of them offering different benefits. To assist you in choosing the best live chat solution, we’ll look at the top ten live chat tools and compare them.
Extending live customer support over chat is the best and easiest way to help your customers resolve complex queries and enhance customer satisfaction. Finding the most suitable live chat software provider will be easy if you base your decision on your core business goals, usage, and budget.
What is Live Chat Software?
Live chat software is a tool for real-time human assistance through a chat window. Visitors input messages promptly addressed by a human operator, enhancing engagement and customer satisfaction. It facilitates instant messaging for customer support, sales, and engagement purposes.
The best providers manage multiple conversations, track progress, and offer automated messages when representatives are unavailable. Implementing live chat reduces costs and enhances customer service efficiency.
5 Key Benefits of Using Live Chat Tools
Live chat software has now become an essential source for businesses that are looking to provide quick and personalized customer service. Its real-time engagement enables the visitors to receive prompt assistance without navigating much. Some benefits of the software are:
1. Enhanced Customer Support
Live chat software allows companies to address queries instantly. It increases customer satisfaction and cuts down on wait times. Additionally, its 24/7 availability feature guarantees that clients will always get assistance when they need it.
2. Improved Sales Conversions
Live messaging facilitates customers to receive instant replies, which ensures a good buying journey, and increases conversion rates. This ability to address objections in real-time accelerates decision-making and develops the feeling of trust.
3. Cost-Effective Communication
When we compare traditional support methods, we notice that live chat website software reduces costs considerably. This allows agents to handle multiple conversations simultaneously. Furthermore, this efficiency decreases operational expenses and maintains high-quality service.
4. Increased Engagement
Live chat tools play an important role in keeping customers connected. Personalized responses help to build stronger relationships and increase customer trust. It’s immediacy makes customers feel valued and heard, which is very important for boosting loyalty and long-term retention.
5. Valuable Insights
Live chat platforms frequently include analytics capabilities that help companies improve their offerings and better understand their customers’ demands. Insights from chat transcripts can also reveal trends that guide businesses in enhancing their offerings.
Top 12 Live Chat Software for Customer Support
The market is brimming with live chat software for customer support. However, not all can fulfill your business needs or align with your budget well. Our buyer’s guide will acquaint you with the best live chat service providers that mostly fit all business sizes and have decent pricing. Let’s get started –
| Software | Best for | Standout feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zendesk | Companies of all sizes | Strong ticketing system with AI responses | Suite Team: $55/agent/month,Suite Professional: $89/agent/month, Enterprise: Custom pricing |
| ControlHippo | Sales and support teams | Omnichannel live chat | Bronze: $20/user/month, Silver: $28/user/month, Gold: Custom pricing |
| Olark | Small to medium-sized businesses | Real-time chat monitoring and customizable chat boxes | Standard: $29/month, Pro: Custom pricing |
| tawk.to | Startups and small businesses | Free plan with unlimited agents | Free plan (No trial needed) |
| HubSpot Live Chat | Businesses using HubSpot CRM | CRM integration and customizable chatbots | Starter: $20/month,Team: $41/month, Business: $59/month |
| Freshchat | Companies seeking AI-powered chat | Omnichannel messaging and AI chatbots | Basic: Free,Growth: $1,499/agent/month,Pro: $3,999/agent/month, Enterprise: $6,399/agent/month |
| Tidio | Small to medium businesses | Integrated live chat, chatbots, and email marketing | Starter: $29/month, Growth: $59/month, Plus: $749/month,Premium: $2,999/month |
| Intercom | Enterprises focusing on engagement | Full-features communication with-in-app messaging | Essential: $29/seat/month, Advanced: $485/seat/month, Expert: $132 /seat/month |
| LiveChat | Businesses needing multi-channel support | Robust reporting and customizable chat widgets | Starter: $20/month, Team: $41/month, Business: $59/month,Enterprise: Custom pricing |
Our selection process for [Live Chat Software] is conducted by carrying out thorough research and scrutiny. These tools are selected based on usability and satisfaction factors, which include features, ease of use, ratings, and reviews from SoftwareSuggest, G2, and Capterra. We are committed to helping businesses make informed decisions to enhance their operational efficiency and productivity.
1. Zendesk
Zendesk is a feature-rich live chat support software made for companies of all kinds. Well-known for its strong ticketing system, it offers real-time messaging, AI-powered automatic responses, and easy platform integration.
Zendesk is a popular option among leading live chat service providers in the sector. It helps businesses increase the overall customer support suite with a configurable interface and an extensive set of reporting skills.
- Asset tracking
- AI-powered responses
- Customer engagement
Pros
- Zendesk offers powerful triggers and automation features that simplify repetitive tasks.
- The platform is highly customizable, enabling users to create tailored solutions, support articles, and customer portals.
Cons
- Support can be slow, making it difficult to resolve issues quickly.
- Messages create separate profiles, complicating communication and requiring agents to switch between tickets.
Pricing
- Suite Team: $55/per agent/per month
- Suite Growth: $89/per agent/per month
- Suite Professional: $115/per agent/per month
- Suite Enterprise: custom pricing
- 14-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
2. ControlHippo
ControlHippo is an omnichannel communication platform for sales and support teams that provides a robust live chat tool integrated with WhatsApp. It makes it easy for companies to communicate with clients instantly. It promotes smooth client interaction and sales by providing real-time help to customer queries, secure in-chat transactions, and multimedia sharing.
With global support across time zones and multiple languages, ControlHippo eliminates phone bills and reduces operational costs, making it one of the best live chat solutions for businesses to close deals and enhance customer satisfaction.
- Assign chat
- Chat labels
- Workflow automation
- Multiple users access
- Inbox management
- Interaction tracking
Pros
- ControlHippo features an intuitive dashboard for easy campaign creation and communication management.
- The team is quick to respond to custom requests, prioritizing client needs effectively.
- Numerous integration options streamline tasks for marketing and sales teams, saving valuable time.
Cons
- While responsive, customer support and response times can be enhanced.
- New users may face a learning curve due to the platform's extensive features.
Pricing
- Bronze: $20/per user/per month
- Silver: $28/per user/per month
- Gold: custom pricing
- 10-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
3. Olark
Olark is a flexible live chat platform that prioritizes usability and system integration. It offers deep insights into consumer behavior and real-time conversation monitoring, making it ideal for small to medium-sized organizations.
To ensure a great connection with visitors, Olark’s configurable chat boxes and robust analytics enable teams to communicate successfully, rapidly address customer problems, and improve overall service quality.
- Activity dashboard
- Customizable chat boxes
- Real-time chat monitoring
Pros
- Olark offers an easy-to-use interface that requires minimal training.
- Custom responses help improve communication and enhance customer interactions.
Cons
- There are restrictions on simultaneous user connections, which can hinder handling multiple chats.
- Customization options for displaying the chat on specific website pages are limited.
Pricing
- Olark Standard: starting at $29/per month.
- Olark Pro: custom pricing
- 14-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
4. Drift
Drift is a modern live chat app that emphasizes conversational sales and marketing. Salesloft has now acquired it and enables companies to interact with prospective clients in real time while assisting them with the purchasing process. It is one of the best live chat platforms for sales-driven companies.
It simplifies lead conversion and increases engagement with features like calendar scheduling, AI-powered chatbots, and interaction with marketing tools.
- Automated routing
- Intent recognition
- Engagement tracking
Pros
- Drift offers an intuitive interface, making it easy for users to navigate without extensive technical knowledge.
- The responsive support team addresses inquiries promptly, ensuring smooth operations.
Cons
- Mastering all advanced features can be overwhelming for new users.
- Implementing multiple systems can complicate the setup, often requiring additional technical support.
Pricing
- Free plan
- Advanced: custom pricing
- Premier: custom pricing
- Free trial available
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
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5. Tawk.to
Tawk.to is an excellent option for startups and small enterprises as it provides a live chat solution that is totally free and has no restrictions on agents or features. This live chat program offers configurable chat widgets, multilingual help, and real-time visitor monitoring.
Tawk.to’s user-friendly interface helps businesses communicate with clients around the globe, improving assistance and increasing engagement without adding to expenses.
- Customizable branding
- Geotargeting
- Proactive chat
Pros
- Tawk.to offers a comprehensive set of features at no cost, making it an accessible solution for businesses of all sizes.
- The intuitive setup and easy-to-use interface enable even non-technical users to manage live chat effectively.
Cons
- The chat widget design offers limited customization, which may not fully align with all brand aesthetics.
- The mobile app experience can be clunky, with occasional delays in notifications.The mobile app experience can be clunky, with occasional delays in notifications.
Pricing
- Free plan
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
: Chatbot vs. Live Chat: Which is Better for Customer Service?6. HubSpot Live Chat
Businesses can now communicate with customers more efficiently with HubSpot Live Chat’s integration with the company’s robust CRM platform. Customizable chatbots are included in desktop and mobile apps to automate responses, and questions are easily turned into support issues.
With tools like analytics and live chat monitoring, HubSpot gives teams the ability to provide individualized experiences that improve client connections and efficiently increase conversions on a single, unified platform.
- Appointment scheduling
- Customizable templates
- Lead qualification
Pros
- The Service Hub consolidates customer service tools like ticket management and live chat.
- It integrates smoothly with other HubSpot tools, allowing customer support agents to adapt quickly.
Cons
- The absence of video examples can hinder some users’ understanding of instructions.
- The ticketing system lacks dedicated ticket numbers in subject lines, making it difficult to track multiple conversations with the same customer.
Pricing
- Starter: $20/month
- Team: $41/month
- Business: $59/month
- 14-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
7. Freshchat
AI-powered chatbots and omnichannel messaging are features of Freshchat, an evolving live chat solution that is a part of the Freshworks portfolio. It enables companies to interact with clients on several channels and offers intelligent chat routing to increase productivity.
Freshchat helps teams enhance customer interactions, increase satisfaction, and simplify communication for improved overall service with features like in-app messaging and comprehensive analytics.
- Automated responses
- Chatbot
- Geotargeting
Pros
- Supports multiple languages, allowing personalized chat conversations tailored to client needs.
- Chatbots efficiently collect customer data and connect them to agents with relevant information.
Cons
- Loading issues can cause new chats to not appear and older chats to disappear unexpectedly.
- Freshbot has limitations, including inconsistent logic flow triggers between the web widget and WhatsApp versions.
Pricing
- Free
- Growth: 1,499/agent/month
- Pro: 3,999/agent/month
- Enterprise: 6,399/agent/month
- 14-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
8. Tidio
Tidio is a flexible live chat program that integrates email marketing, chatbots, and live chat into a single platform. Small businesses can easily and effectively handle consumer contacts owing to its user-friendly layout.
Tidio’s features, like automated responses and comprehensive visitor data, improve customer service and engagement while assisting businesses in simplifying communication and efficiently increasing sales across many channels.
- Application management
- Complaint monitoring
- Customizable forms
Pros
- Tidio is easy to install and use, with an intuitive interface for managing customer interactions.
- The mobile app allows you to stay connected with customers on the go, preventing missed sales opportunities.
Cons
- Occasional connectivity issues can disrupt the chat experience.
- The pricing structure and customization options may be limiting for small businesses.
Pricing
- Starter: 29USD/per month
- Growth: 59 USD/per month
- Plus: 749 USD/per month
- Premium: USD 2999/per month
- 7-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
: What is the Difference Between Live Chat and Messaging?9. Intercom
Intercom is a full-featured customer communication platform that supports email, chat, and app messaging alongside live chat. With its adaptable bots, focused messaging, and smooth CRM system integration, Intercom enables companies to create lasting connections with their clients.
For companies looking to improve customer service and satisfaction, its emphasis on user involvement and deep data insights make it an excellent option.
- Activity dashboard
- Automated routing
- Batch communications
Pros
- Seamless integration with backend systems and other tools.
- Flexible communication options across live chat, email, and in-app messaging.
Cons
- Flexible communication options across live chat, email, and in-app messaging.
- Lack of email threading in Fin, which complicates email support.
Pricing
- Essential: $29/per seat/per month
- Advanced: $85/per seat/per month
- Expert: $132/per seat/per month
- 14-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
10. LiveChat
LiveChat is a robust live chat service provider popular for its broad integration options and ease of use. Multi-channel support, robust reporting capabilities, and customizable chat widgets are all included to improve client interaction.
LiveChat helps organizations improve their customer service operations, increase conversions, and build enduring relationships with customers by emphasizing quick response times and smooth user experiences.
- Autoresponders
- Call center management
- Performance metrics
Pros
- Integrates seamlessly with multiple software tools, enhancing real-time chat engagement.
- Combines with HelpDesk and ChatBot to improve customer interactions and resolve more issues.
Cons
- Lacks a native CRM, limiting its potential as an all-in-one solution for businesses.
- Limited customization options for agent profiles, which could impact branding efforts.
Pricing
- Starter: $20/per month
- Team: $41/per month
- Business: $59/per month
- Enterprise: custom pricing
- 14-day free trial
*Pricing accurate as of: 21-03-2025
11. Crisp
Crisp is a modern live chat solution that is designed to improve customer support and engagement. With the help of this, organizations can communicate with their customers in real-time, which improves service efficiency and satisfaction. It offers powerful integrations and intuitive tools that make Crisp an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes that seek effective customer interactions.
- Shared inbox
- Automated routing
- Engagement tracking
Pros
- Crisp offers a user-friendly interface that ensures smooth navigation and improves customer experience.
- It provides fast and reliable customer support, which enables quick issue resolution.
- Also, it integrates seamlessly with marketing tools and unifies communication.
Cons
- Some users might find it difficult to navigate the complex settings and customization features without having previous experience.
- The setup process may need technical support, which can delay the onboarding experience.
Pricing
- Basic – Free
- Pro – $25 per website per month
- Unlimited – $95 per website per month
- 14-day free trial
12. Re:amaze
Re:amaze is a comprehensive customer support and engagement platform designed to help businesses manage customer interactions across multiple channels. It enables real-time communication through live chat, email, social media, and SMS, ensuring seamless and efficient customer service. With powerful automation and collaboration features, Re:amaze enhances team productivity and improves customer satisfaction.
- Multi-channel support
- Automated workflows
- Chatbots & AI-powered responses
Pros
- Provides a unified inbox for managing all customer interactions in one place.
- Offers powerful automation and chatbot features for improved efficiency.
- Seamlessly integrates with eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
Cons
- The learning curve can be steep for new users due to its extensive features.
- Advanced customization may require technical expertise.
Pricing
- Basic – $29 per team member per month
- Pro – $49 per team member per month.
- Advanced – $69 per team member per month.
- 7-day free trial.
How to Identify the Ideal Live Chat Platform for Your Business?
When a business reaches the stage where the initial operations are streamlined, it looks to enhance its customer communication. At this point, selecting an ideal online chat software becomes crucial.
Here’s a structured approach to help you decide according to your needs:
1. Define Your Business Needs
Start by identifying what you want to achieve with the live chat software. It can be to improve customer support, increase sales, or streamline communication. Knowing your priorities will help you select a tool that aligns with your business strategy.
2. Prioritize Essential Features
Look for key features such as live messaging, chatbot automation, and CRM integration. Features like these streamline customer interactions and boost overall team efficiency.
3. Evaluate Usability and Integration
Now, the chosen live chat platform should work well with your existing systems, such as CRM and marketing tools. It should have an intuitive interface, which ensures that it is easy to use for both customers and support agents.
4. Consider Scalability and Pricing
Opt for a tool that grows with your business. Examine the pricing models and confirm that they fit within your budget while allowing for growth. Also, check if the provider offers volume discounts or customizable enterprise plans.
5. Review Customer Support and Security
Reliable support guarantees quick issue resolution, while strong security measures protect sensitive customer data, which is a must for long-term success. Additionally, verify it the provider offers onboarding assistance and training resources.
6. Test with a Free Trial
Most live chat platforms offer free trials. Take advantage of this opportunity to test the platform’s efficiency and take feedback from your team before coming to a final decision.
Following these steps will help you confidently select live chat software that aligns with your business goals and streamlines support operations.
Boost Customer Support Efficiency with ControlHippo’s Live Chat
ControlHippo is a leading omnichannel communication platform that offers live chat. With features like WhatsApp shared inbox, multi-user access, and workflow automation, it simplifies customer interactions and drives productivity. Its user-friendly interface and custom request handling make it a dependable option for sales and customer support teams using live chat feature.
ControlHippo reduces operational costs and fosters stronger customer relationships with real-time engagement tools. Start your journey today and experience a live chat platform designed to scale with your business and meet evolving customer needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Live chat software enables real-time communication between businesses and website visitors. It ensures instant messaging, allowing users to ask questions, seek assistance, or get information promptly. This tool enhances customer support and engagement. It helps businesses provide timely responses for a more interactive and responsive online experience.
An example of chat software is ControlHippo, a platform that facilitates real-time communication and collaboration. ControlHippo is a whatsapp shared inbox that offers features like messaging, file sharing, and team collaboration tools, enhancing communication efficiency within organizations.
Chat support software is a tool that enables real-time communication between businesses and customers. It facilitates text-based conversations, addressing inquiries, providing assistance, and enhancing customer service experiences.
Updated : March 23, 2025
Naina Khare is an experienced content writer specializing in business communication solutions. Her expertise in omnichannel communication shines through in her clear, engaging content. Naina’s writing helps businesses navigate and enhance their communication strategies, making complex concepts more accessible.
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