In 2026, the best live chat software combines real-time customer conversations with AI automation, chatbots, visitor tracking, CRM integrations, shared inboxes, and omnichannel messaging. Leading platforms such as Intercom, LiveChat, Tidio, Zendesk, Freshchat, and Crisp cover different requirements, from straightforward website support to complex customer-service operations.
Live chat software allows businesses to communicate with website visitors and customers while they are actively browsing. Modern platforms can do more than display a chat widget: they can route conversations to agents, capture leads, automate common questions, monitor visitor behaviour, maintain conversation histories, and connect chat activity with CRM, helpdesk, ecommerce, and marketing systems.
For this 15 Best Live Chat Software of 2026: According To Experts guide, the platforms should be considered according to their live-chat capabilities, AI and automation, integrations, scalability, ease of use, omnichannel support, and pricing structure. Current 2026 software research from G2, Capterra, and Software Advice also shows that the market includes solutions ranging from lightweight SMB chat tools to enterprise customer-service platforms.
What Are the Best Live Chat Software in 2026?
Our Top Picks Are:
- Intercom — Best for AI-Powered Customer Messaging & Automation
- LiveChat — Best for Real-Time Customer Support & Team Collaboration
- Tidio — Best for Small Businesses & Ecommerce Live Chat
- Zendesk Messaging — Best for Enterprise Customer Service & Omnichannel Support
- Olark — Best for Simple Live Chat & Reporting
- Freshchat — Best for Scalable Messaging & AI-Powered Support
- Drift — Best for Conversational Sales & Lead Generation
- Crisp — Best for Shared Inbox & Multichannel Customer Messaging
- Tawk.to — Best for Free Live Chat & Budget-Conscious Teams
- HubSpot Live Chat — Best for CRM-Integrated Sales & Customer Engagement
- Pure Chat — Best for Lightweight Website Live Chat
- Smartsupp — Best for Ecommerce Chat & Visitor Behaviour Tracking
- Zoho SalesIQ — Best for Visitor Tracking, Lead Generation & CRM Integration
- Chatra — Best for Simple Ecommerce & Team Messaging
- REVE Chat — Best for Omnichannel Chat, Voice & Video Support
What Is Live Chat Software?
Live chat software is a customer communication tool that lets businesses communicate with website visitors and customers through real-time messaging. It typically appears as a chat widget on a website or inside an application, allowing visitors to ask questions and receive responses from customer-service, sales, or support teams without leaving the page.
Modern live chat platforms have expanded beyond basic one-to-one messaging. Many now include AI chatbots, automated responses, visitor monitoring, proactive messages, conversation routing, shared inboxes, analytics, CRM integrations, and connections with other communication channels. This allows businesses to use live chat across customer support, lead generation, sales, onboarding, and ecommerce workflows.
Why Do Businesses Need Live Chat Software?
Live chat can give businesses a direct communication channel while customers are actively interacting with their websites, products, or services. The main benefits include:
- Real-Time Customer Support: Businesses can answer questions while visitors are actively browsing instead of making them wait for email responses.
- Lead Generation: Sales teams can use chat conversations to identify prospects, qualify leads, and connect potential customers with the right representative.
- AI & Chatbot Automation: Automated responses and AI agents can handle repetitive questions and provide assistance outside normal support hours.
- Visitor Engagement: Visitor tracking and proactive chat features can help teams understand browsing behaviour and initiate relevant conversations.
- Omnichannel Communication: Advanced platforms can bring website chat together with channels such as email, social messaging, SMS, and other customer communication tools.
- CRM & Helpdesk Integration: Integrations can connect conversations with customer records, support tickets, sales workflows, and marketing systems.
- Analytics & Reporting: Chat reports can help businesses understand conversation volume, response activity, agent performance, and customer interactions.
What Should You Look for in Live Chat Software?
Ease of Use
The chat interface should be straightforward for both customers and support agents. A simple setup can reduce training requirements and help teams start handling conversations more efficiently.
AI and Automation
Look for chatbot builders, automated responses, conversation routing, proactive triggers, and AI-assisted support when your team needs to handle repetitive questions or high conversation volumes.
Omnichannel Support
Businesses with customers across multiple channels should consider platforms that can combine website chat with other messaging and support channels. This can help agents manage conversations from a more centralized workflow.
CRM and Business Integrations
CRM, helpdesk, ecommerce, marketing, and analytics integrations can make live chat more useful by connecting conversations with the rest of the customer journey.
Scalability
A platform should be able to accommodate increasing conversation volumes, additional agents, more complex workflows, and expanding customer-support requirements as the business grows.
Reporting and Analytics
Reporting features can provide visibility into conversations, visitor activity, agent performance, and customer-support operations, helping businesses evaluate how their live chat system is being used.
Pricing and Value
Pricing should be evaluated alongside agent limits, conversation limits, automation features, integrations, AI usage, and available support. Current 2026 comparison sources show substantial differences between free, low-cost, per-user, and enterprise-oriented live chat models.
15 Best Live Chat Software in 2026
Below is the in-depth breakdown of each Best live chat softwares:
1. Intercom — Best for AI-Powered Customer Messaging & Automation
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Software Type | Customer messaging and customer-service platform |
| Best For | AI-powered customer support, messaging, automation, and conversational engagement |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Startups, SaaS companies, support teams, and growing businesses |
| Key Strength | AI-powered customer messaging through Fin AI Agent and a shared inbox |
| Free Plan | No permanent free plan; free trial available |
| AI Capabilities | Fin AI Agent and AI-powered support features |
| Integrations | Integrations with business, CRM, and support tools |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Per-seat pricing plus usage-based AI and selected channel charges |
Intercom is one of the strongest live chat software platforms for businesses that want to combine real-time customer messaging with AI-powered automation. Its Messenger, shared inbox, ticketing capabilities, help center, and Fin AI Agent create a broader customer-support environment rather than limiting the platform to a basic website chat widget.
For companies using live chat as a major part of customer support, Intercom can connect human agents with automated assistance and customer-service workflows. Its platform is particularly relevant to teams that want live chat, in-app messaging, support automation, and AI working together in one customer-service environment.
Key Features
- Real-Time Live Chat: Communicate with website and app visitors through live conversations.
- AI-Powered Bots: Automate customer interactions and provide automated responses.
- Shared Inbox: Manage customer conversations from a central workspace.
- Proactive Messaging: Engage customers with targeted and trigger-based messages.
- In-App Engagement: Use notifications, banners, and product tours to engage users.
- Third-Party Integrations: Connect Intercom with other business applications.
- Reporting & Analytics: Monitor conversations, engagement, and customer journeys.
Pricing
- Essential: From $29 per seat/month, billed annually.
- Advanced: From $85 per seat/month, billed annually.
- Expert: From $132 per seat/month, billed annually.
- Fin AI Agent: $0.99 per outcome.
- All plans include unlimited live chat, while some channels and add-ons have separate usage charges.
- Free trial available.
2. LiveChat — Best for Real-Time Customer Support & Team Collaboration
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Wrocław, Poland |
| Software Type | Live chat and customer-service software |
| Best For | Website-based customer support and real-time conversations |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Small businesses, support teams, ecommerce companies, and enterprises |
| Key Strength | Dedicated live chat experience with agent collaboration and reporting |
| Free Plan | No permanent free plan |
| Trial | 14-day free trial |
| Integrations | Integrations with CRM, ecommerce, helpdesk, and business applications |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Per-agent/per-person subscription |
LiveChat is one of the established live chat software platforms for businesses that want a dedicated channel for real-time customer conversations. It focuses heavily on website chat, agent workflows, visitor monitoring, reporting, and customer-support operations.
For teams where live chat is a core customer-service channel, LiveChat provides tools for managing conversations while giving agents visibility into visitors and chat history. Its higher plans add more advanced reporting, staffing capabilities, and collaboration features for larger support operations.
Key Features
- Website Live Chat: Communicate with website visitors through real-time conversations.
- Pre-Chat Forms: Collect visitor information before conversations begin.
- Canned Responses: Use prepared responses for frequently asked questions.
- File Sharing: Share files directly within customer conversations.
- Chat Transfers: Transfer conversations between agents when additional assistance is needed.
- Visitor Analytics: Monitor visitor behaviour and agent performance.
- Integrations: Connect LiveChat with other business and support platforms.
Pricing
- Starter: $19 per person/month, billed annually.
- Team: $49 per person/month, billed annually.
- Business: $79 per person/month, billed annually.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
- Monthly billing is higher: Starter $25, Team $59, and Business $89 per person/month.
- Free trial: 14 days.
3. Tidio — Best for Small Businesses & Ecommerce Live Chat
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Software Type | Customer-service, live chat, and AI messaging software |
| Best For | Small businesses and ecommerce stores |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Small businesses, ecommerce stores, startups, and support teams |
| Key Strength | Combines live chat, ticketing, automation, and AI |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| Trial | 7-day trial on paid plans |
| AI Capabilities | Lyro AI Agent |
| Integrations | Shopify, WordPress, and other business tools |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Subscription plus conversation/AI usage |
Tidio is a live chat software platform designed particularly for smaller businesses and ecommerce companies that want to combine human support with automation. Its live chat, ticketing, chatbot, visitor tools, and AI capabilities allow businesses to manage customer conversations without requiring a large enterprise support system.
Its ecommerce orientation is particularly useful for stores that need to answer product questions, assist visitors, and manage customer conversations across different channels. Tidio also integrates with platforms such as Shopify and WordPress, making it practical for businesses that want to add live chat without a complex implementation.
Key Features
- Website Live Chat: Communicate with visitors directly from your website.
- AI-Powered Customer Service: Use AI capabilities to assist with customer conversations.
- Chatbot Automation: Automate selected customer interactions and responses.
- Customer Engagement: Engage visitors through conversational support.
- Automated Responses: Provide quick answers to common customer questions.
- Visitor Communication: Interact with visitors while they browse your website.
- Small-Business Support: Provide live chat and automation for growing businesses.
Pricing
- Free: $0/month, with limited usage.
- Starter: Current official pricing starts at $24.17/month when billed annually.
- Growth: Starts at $49.17/month when billed annually.
- Plus: Starts at $300/month, plus monthly usage.
- Premium: Custom pricing.
- Paid plans include a 7-day free trial.
4. Zendesk Messaging — Best for Enterprise Customer Service & Omnichannel Support
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Software Type | Customer-service and omnichannel support software |
| Best For | Large support teams and omnichannel customer service |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | SMBs, mid-market companies, and enterprises |
| Key Strength | Combines messaging, live chat, ticketing, voice, email, and AI |
| Free Plan | No permanent free plan |
| Trial | 14-day trial |
| AI Capabilities | AI agents and automation |
| Integrations | Extensive app and integration marketplace |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Per-agent subscription |
Zendesk Messaging is part of the broader Zendesk customer-service platform and is designed for organizations that need live chat alongside multiple support channels. Its messaging environment connects customer conversations with ticketing, voice, email, social channels, automation, and AI-powered customer-service capabilities.
This makes Zendesk particularly relevant for larger support operations where live chat needs to be part of a structured customer-service workflow. Businesses can centralize customer context, route conversations, automate responses, and use reporting to manage support performance across multiple channels.
Key Features
- Real-Time Live Chat: Communicate with customers while they are active on your website.
- Visitor Analytics: Monitor visitor behaviour and engagement.
- Chat Triggers: Automatically initiate messages based on configured conditions.
- Agent Routing: Route conversations to the appropriate support agents.
- AI & Bot Integration: Extend customer support with automated and AI-assisted conversations.
- Multi-Language Support: Support customer conversations across different languages.
- Performance Reporting: Track chat activity, ratings, and support performance.
Pricing
- Support Team: $19 per agent/month, paid yearly.
- Suite Team: $55 per agent/month, paid yearly.
- Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month, paid yearly.
- Free trial: 14 days.
- Higher enterprise requirements can involve additional products, features, or custom arrangements.
5. Olark — Best for Simple Live Chat & Reporting
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States |
| Software Type | Live chat software |
| Best For | Straightforward website chat and reporting |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Small businesses, service businesses, consultants, and support teams |
| Key Strength | Simple live chat with reporting and customization |
| Free Plan | No permanent free plan |
| Trial | 14-day trial |
| Integrations | CRM, analytics, and business integrations |
| Enterprise Option | Limited/custom requirements |
| Pricing Model | Per-seat/per-agent subscription |
Olark is a straightforward live chat software solution for businesses that want real-time website communication without adopting a large customer-service suite. Its focus is on live conversations, visitor information, chat history, reporting, and customizable chat experiences.
For small businesses and teams that primarily need human-driven website support, Olark provides a relatively focused approach to live chat. Its reporting and searchable conversation history can also help teams review customer interactions and understand how their chat service is performing.
Key Features
- Real-Time Visitor Monitoring: See website visitors and engage them through live chat.
- Custom Chatbox: Adjust the appearance of the chat interface to match your website.
- Automated Greetings: Send automated greetings and messages to visitors.
- Chat Reporting: Review conversation and customer-support activity.
- Transcript Archives: Store and review previous chat conversations.
- CRM Integrations: Connect customer conversations with supported CRM platforms.
- Searchable Chat History: Find previous conversations when additional customer context is needed.
Pricing
- Starting price: Zendesk’s current live-chat comparison lists Olark at $29/month.
- Free trial: 14 days.
- Pricing can vary depending on the current plan and billing configuration.
6. Freshchat — Best for Scalable Messaging & AI-Powered Support
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 as Freshworks’ messaging product |
| Headquarters | San Mateo, California, United States and Chennai, India |
| Software Type | AI-powered customer messaging platform |
| Best For | Customer messaging, automation, and scalable support |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | SMBs, growing companies, and larger support teams |
| Key Strength | Omnichannel messaging with AI and automation |
| Free Plan | Available |
| AI Capabilities | Freddy AI Agent |
| Integrations | Freshworks ecosystem and third-party integrations |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Per-agent subscription with AI/session considerations |
Freshchat is an AI-powered omnichannel messaging platform from Freshworks that combines live chat with automation, messaging, and AI-powered customer support. It is designed to support conversations across web, mobile, and other channels while integrating with the wider Freshworks ecosystem.
For businesses that want to scale live chat beyond basic one-to-one conversations, Freshchat provides automation, AI-assisted support, conversation management, and integration capabilities. Its relationship with Freshdesk and other Freshworks products can also make it useful for organizations already operating within that ecosystem.
Key Features
- Web & In-App Live Chat: Communicate with customers through websites and applications.
- AI-Powered Chatbots: Automate customer conversations with AI-powered bots.
- Automated Workflows: Reduce repetitive customer-support tasks through automation.
- Proactive Messaging: Engage customers through targeted messages and campaigns.
- Unified Inbox: Manage conversations across supported communication channels.
- No-Code Chatbot Builder: Create automated conversations without extensive coding.
- Mobile SDK: Add customer messaging capabilities to mobile applications.
Pricing
- Freshchat pricing currently starts from $19 USD.
- A free plan is available.($0)
- Growth: $19/agent/month, billed annually,
- Pro: $49/agent/month, billed annually,
- Enterprise: $79/agent/month, billed annually,
- Freshchat provides 500 free Freddy AI Agent sessions on Growth, Pro, and Enterprise plans as a one-time account allowance before additional sessions are purchased.
7. Drift — Best for Conversational Sales & Lead Generation
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Software Type | Conversational marketing and sales software |
| Best For | Conversational sales, lead qualification, and buyer engagement |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | B2B companies, sales teams, and revenue organizations |
| Key Strength | Conversational engagement and sales automation |
| Free Plan | No permanent public free plan |
| AI Capabilities | AI-powered conversational capabilities |
| Integrations | CRM and sales technology integrations |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Custom/quote-based |
Drift is a conversational sales and marketing platform rather than a basic customer-support chat widget. Its live conversational experience is designed around engaging website visitors, qualifying prospects, and helping sales teams move potential buyers into the appropriate sales workflow.
For businesses using live chat primarily as a sales and lead-generation channel, Drift’s positioning makes it different from traditional support-focused platforms. Its conversational approach is particularly relevant to B2B organizations where website conversations need to connect with revenue and sales processes.
Key Features
- AI Website Chat: Engage website visitors through live chat and AI-powered conversations.
- Lead Qualification: Identify and qualify potential customers through conversations.
- Meeting Scheduling: Allow prospects to schedule meetings through integrated calendars.
- Lead Routing: Route conversations to the appropriate sales representatives.
- CRM Integrations: Connect conversations with platforms such as Salesforce and HubSpot.
- Conversation Analytics: Analyse conversational activity and engagement.
- Human Handoff: Transfer automated conversations to human representatives when needed.
Pricing
- Public standardized pricing is not currently displayed on the official Salesloft/Drift site.
- Drift is now part of Salesloft, and current customers or prospects are directed toward sales for product and pricing information.
8. Crisp — Best for Shared Inbox & Multichannel Customer Messaging
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Nantes, France |
| Software Type | Customer messaging and shared-inbox platform |
| Best For | Team inboxes, live chat, and multichannel communication |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Startups, SMBs, support teams, and SaaS businesses |
| Key Strength | Shared inbox with omnichannel messaging |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| AI Capabilities | AI chatbot and AI credits on supported plans |
| Integrations | WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, Line, Viber, and other channels |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Workspace-based subscription |
Crisp is live chat and customer messaging software built around a shared inbox where teams can collaborate on customer conversations. Instead of limiting communication to website chat, the platform can bring multiple messaging channels into a common workspace for support and engagement teams.
For collaborative support teams, Crisp combines live chat with shared customer information, automation, routing, knowledge-base capabilities, and omnichannel communication. This makes it particularly useful for businesses that want several agents to work together around the same customer conversations.
Key Features
- Live Chat & Shared Inbox: Manage customer conversations through a collaborative inbox.
- No-Code Chatbots: Build automated customer conversations without extensive development.
- Knowledge Base Integration: Connect customer support with self-service resources.
- Co-Browsing: Assist customers while navigating websites.
- Screen Sharing: Share screens to provide visual customer assistance.
- Team Collaboration: Allow support agents to work together on conversations.
- Multichannel Messaging: Connect supported communication channels within the customer-support workflow.
Pricing
- Free: Available.
- Mini: $45/month/workspace
- Essentials: $95/month/workspace with 10 seats included.
- Plus: $295/month per workspace in the current pricing display, with 20+ seats included.
- Enterprise/custom requirements are available.
- Free trial available on paid plans.
9. Tawk.to — Best for Free Live Chat & Budget-Conscious Teams
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Software Type | Live chat and customer messaging software |
| Best For | Free website live chat |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Startups, small businesses, bloggers, and websites |
| Key Strength | Free live chat with unlimited agents and chats |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| AI Capabilities | Available through additional products/services |
| Integrations | Website and messaging integrations |
| Enterprise Option | Available through additional services |
| Pricing Model | Free core live chat with paid add-ons/services |
Tawk.to is one of the most recognizable options for businesses that want to add live chat without paying a recurring subscription for the core chat platform. Its free live chat offering is designed to let websites communicate with visitors and manage conversations through a browser-based interface.
The platform is especially relevant to small businesses and budget-conscious website owners that need essential real-time communication rather than a full enterprise customer-service suite. Additional paid services can be used when businesses require extra support or functionality.
Key Features
- Unlimited Chats & Agents: Support conversations with unlimited chats and agents.
- Customisable Chat Widget: Adjust the chat interface and branding for your website.
- Ticketing System: Manage messages received when agents are unavailable.
- Visitor Monitoring: Monitor website visitors and their engagement.
- Mobile Apps: Manage conversations through supported mobile applications.
- Canned Responses: Use prepared responses to answer common questions efficiently.
- Message Routing: Direct conversations to appropriate agents or teams.
Pricing
- Core live chat: Free.
- Tawk.to does not require a paid subscription for its basic live chat service.
- Additional services and paid add-ons can incur separate charges.
- No traditional free trial is required because the core live chat product is free.
10. HubSpot Live Chat — Best for CRM-Integrated Sales & Customer Engagement
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States |
| Software Type | CRM-connected customer-service and live chat software |
| Best For | Live chat connected to CRM, sales, and marketing |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | SMBs, B2B companies, sales teams, and marketing teams |
| Key Strength | Native connection between chat conversations and CRM records |
| Free Plan | Free CRM tools and chat functionality available |
| AI Capabilities | HubSpot AI/Breeze capabilities on applicable plans |
| Integrations | HubSpot ecosystem and 2,000+ apps/services |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Hub-based and per-seat pricing depending on edition |
HubSpot Live Chat is part of HubSpot’s broader CRM and customer-service ecosystem. Its main advantage for businesses is the connection between website conversations and customer records, allowing teams to use chat as part of broader sales, marketing, and service workflows.
For businesses already using HubSpot CRM, live chat can become a natural extension of their customer-engagement workflow. Conversations can be associated with contacts and routed through shared inboxes and workflows, while more advanced service capabilities are available through paid Service Hub editions.
Key Features
- CRM-Integrated Live Chat: Manage customer conversations directly within the HubSpot ecosystem.
- Lead Capture: Collect information from website visitors and potential customers.
- Customer Engagement: Communicate with visitors through real-time conversations.
- Sales Integration: Connect chat conversations with sales workflows.
- Marketing Integration: Incorporate live-chat interactions into broader marketing activities.
- Conversation Management: Organise and manage customer conversations centrally.
- Customer Data: Connect conversations with customer records in the CRM.
Pricing
- HubSpot provides live chat capabilities through its CRM and Service Hub ecosystem.
- Free: $0/month
- Starter; $7/month/seat,
- Professional: $90/month/seat
- Enterprise:$150/month/seat
11. Pure Chat — Best for Lightweight Website Live Chat
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Software Type | Website live chat software |
| Best For | Small businesses wanting straightforward live chat |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Small businesses, entrepreneurs, and service providers |
| Key Strength | Simple live chat with visitor tracking and transcripts |
| Free Plan | No permanent free plan |
| Trial | Free trial available |
| Integrations | Google Analytics, HubSpot, and other integrations |
| Enterprise Option | Limited |
| Pricing Model | Subscription |
Pure Chat is a lightweight live chat software platform designed for businesses that want a focused website chat experience without adopting a larger customer-service suite. Its core functionality centers on real-time conversations, visitor tracking, transcripts, and basic analytics.
This makes Pure Chat relevant to small businesses that want a relatively simple way to communicate with website visitors. It does not try to provide the same breadth of automation and omnichannel functionality as enterprise platforms, which can be useful for teams that prefer a more focused live chat setup.
Key Features
- Website Live Chat: Add real-time customer communication to your website.
- Visitor Engagement: Interact with visitors while they browse your website.
- Chat Widget Customisation: Adjust the appearance of the chat interface.
- Real-Time Conversations: Respond to customer questions while visitors are online.
- Chat History: Review previous customer conversations when needed.
- Visitor Information: Access available visitor details during conversations.
- Small-Business Support: Provide straightforward live-chat functionality for smaller teams.
Pricing
- 30-days free trials
- Current third-party/vendor comparison data lists Pure Chat from $39/month.
- Growth: $79/month
12. Smartsupp — Best for Ecommerce Chat & Visitor Behaviour Tracking
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Brno, Czech Republic |
| Software Type | Live chat, visitor analytics, and customer messaging software |
| Best For | Ecommerce and website customer support |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Ecommerce stores, SMBs, and support teams |
| Key Strength | Combines live chat with visitor behaviour and session recordings |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| AI Capabilities | AI Agent and AI reply assistance available |
| Integrations | Shopify, PrestaShop, WordPress, Google Analytics, and others |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Operator-based subscription |
Smartsupp combines live chat with visitor insights and session recordings, giving customer-support teams additional context about how visitors interact with a website. This makes it particularly relevant to ecommerce businesses that want to understand visitor behaviour while providing real-time assistance.
As live chat software, Smartsupp goes beyond simple messaging by combining conversations with visitor information and automated engagement. Its integrations with ecommerce and website platforms can help stores connect customer communication with their broader online shopping experience.
Key Features
- Live Chat: Communicate with website visitors through real-time conversations.
- Visitor Insights: Understand visitor behaviour alongside customer conversations.
- Chatbot Builder: Create automated conversations using configurable rules.
- Session Recordings: Review visitor sessions for additional behavioural insights.
- eCommerce Integrations: Connect with platforms such as Shopify and PrestaShop.
- Team Inbox: Allow multiple agents to manage customer conversations.
- Mobile Apps: Manage customer communication from supported mobile devices.
Pricing
- Free: $0/month with 1 operator and up to 25 conversations/month.
- Solo: Starts at $17/month billed annually.
- Plus: Starts at $25/month billed annually.
- Expert: Starts at $83/month billed annually.
- Ultimate: Starts at $280/month billed annually.
- 14-day free trial on paid plans.
13. Zoho SalesIQ — Best for Visitor Tracking, Lead Generation & CRM Integration
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 as a Zoho product |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States / Chennai, India operations |
| Software Type | Live chat, visitor tracking, and lead-engagement software |
| Best For | Visitor intelligence, lead generation, and Zoho ecosystem integration |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Startups, SMBs, sales teams, and enterprises |
| Key Strength | Combines live chat with visitor tracking and lead intelligence |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| Trial | 15-day free trial |
| AI Capabilities | Zobot and AI-powered engagement capabilities |
| Integrations | Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, Zapier, Mailchimp, Google Ads, and others |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Per-operator subscription |
Zoho SalesIQ combines live chat with visitor tracking, lead scoring, automation, and integrations across the Zoho ecosystem. It is therefore more than a conventional website chat widget: it can help sales and marketing teams understand visitor behaviour and use that information during customer engagement.
For businesses already using Zoho CRM or Zoho Desk, SalesIQ can provide a connected environment for live conversations, lead qualification, visitor intelligence, and customer engagement. Its chatbot capabilities also give teams options for automating routine conversations while keeping human agents available for more complex interactions.
Key Features
- Website Live Chat: Communicate with website visitors in real time.
- Proactive Engagement: Engage visitors based on their website activity.
- AI-Powered Bots: Automate customer conversations through configurable bots.
- Visitor Tracking: Monitor visitor behaviour and activity.
- Lead Scoring: Identify and prioritise potential leads.
- Zoho CRM Integration: Connect visitor conversations with CRM customer records.
- Analytics & Reporting: Analyse visitor engagement, conversations, and lead activity.
Pricing
- Free plan: Available.
- Free plan: Includes 3 operator licenses and up to 100 operator chat sessions per month.
- Basic: $7/operator/month, billed annually,
- Professional: $12.75/operator/month, billed annually,
- Enterprise: $20/operator/month, billed annually
- 15-day free trial: No credit card required.
14. Chatra — Best for Simple Ecommerce & Team Messaging
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Arlington, Virginia |
| Software Type | Live chat and multichannel messaging software |
| Best For | Small ecommerce businesses and simple team messaging |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | Small businesses, ecommerce stores, agencies, and startups |
| Key Strength | Simple real-time customer communication |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| Integrations | Ecommerce and messaging integrations |
| Collaboration | Group chats and team collaboration |
| Enterprise Option | Limited |
| Pricing Model | Subscription plans |
Chatra is a live chat and multichannel messaging platform focused on keeping customer conversations simple and accessible. It provides website chat alongside features such as group chats, conversation history, lead capture, and integrations that can be useful for small online businesses.
For ecommerce stores and smaller teams, Chatra can provide a more focused live chat environment without the complexity associated with larger enterprise customer-service suites. Its emphasis on straightforward conversations and team collaboration makes it useful when personal customer interaction is the main requirement.
Key Features
- Live Chat: Communicate with website visitors through real-time messaging.
- Visitor List: Monitor active visitors on your website.
- Group Chats: Support conversations involving multiple participants when required.
- Offline Messaging: Receive customer messages when agents are unavailable.
- Lead Capture Forms: Collect visitor information through forms.
- Conversation History: Review previous customer interactions and messages.
- Team Collaboration: Allow agents to work together on customer conversations.
Pricing
- Free: $0 — free forever for 1 agent.
- Essential: $31 per agent/month when billed monthly, or $25 per agent/month when billed annually.
- Pro: $41 per agent/month when billed monthly, or $33 per agent/month when billed annually.
- Free Trial: Essential and Pro include a 10-day free trial, with no credit card required.
15. REVE Chat — Best for Omnichannel Chat, Voice & Video Support
Company Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Singapore |
| Software Type | Omnichannel customer engagement and live chat software |
| Best For | Live chat, voice, video, AI, and omnichannel customer support |
| Deployment | Cloud-based |
| Primary Users | SMBs, enterprises, ecommerce businesses, and high-touch support teams |
| Key Strength | Combines text, voice, video, bots, and multiple communication channels |
| Free Plan | Yes |
| AI Capabilities | Wize AI Agent |
| Integrations | Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, ecommerce platforms, and more |
| Enterprise Option | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Plan, seat, AI-conversation, and add-on based |
REVE Chat is an omnichannel live chat platform that extends customer communication beyond website text conversations. It supports text, voice, video, bots, co-browsing, screen sharing, and multiple messaging channels, making it relevant to organizations that need several ways to interact with customers from one environment.
For businesses where customer support requires richer communication than conventional live chat, REVE Chat provides options for voice and video conversations alongside messaging and automation. Its channel integrations and AI capabilities also allow organizations to build broader customer-service workflows around live interactions.
Key Features
- Omnichannel Live Chat: Support customer conversations across multiple communication channels.
- AI Chatbots: Automate selected customer interactions and support requests.
- Video Chat: Provide customers with video-based assistance.
- Voice Chat: Offer voice communication as another customer-support option.
- Co-Browsing: Assist customers while navigating websites or applications.
- Screen Sharing: Provide visual assistance during customer-support sessions.
- Messaging Integrations: Connect customer communication with supported messaging platforms.
Pricing
- Free: $0/month.
- Starter: $14.99/month in the current pricing display.
- Growth: $59.99/month in the current pricing display.
- Enterprise: $291.99/month in the current pricing display.
- Extra seats are separately priced according to plan.
- AI conversations and communication channels can have additional charges.
- A 14-day trial is available with access to Enterprise features.
Comparison of the Best Live Chat Software in 2026
| Live Chat Software | Best For | Pricing Model | Free Plan / Trial | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom | AI-powered customer support and conversational engagement | Per-seat / usage-based plans | Free trial/options vary | AI customer service and conversational support |
| Drift | Conversational marketing and sales | Custom pricing | Demo available | AI-powered conversational marketing |
| LiveChat | Real-time customer support | Per-agent plans | Free trial | Live chat, ticketing, and customer engagement |
| Freshchat | Customer messaging and support | Tiered plans | Free plan/trial options | Messaging and automation |
| Crisp | Team-based customer communication | Per-workspace plans | Free plan | Shared inbox and collaborative support |
| Tidio | Small businesses and automated customer service | Tiered plans | Free plan | Live chat and AI-powered automation |
| Tawk.to | Free live chat | Free | Free | Unlimited agents and chat |
| Zendesk Chat | Scalable customer service | Custom / suite-based pricing | Trial/options vary | Customer service and omnichannel support |
| Zoho SalesIQ | Website visitor tracking and engagement | Tiered plans | Free plan/trial options | Visitor tracking and conversational engagement |
| Chatra | Simple live chat for small teams | Tiered plans | Free option | Straightforward live chat and messaging |
| REVE Chat | Omnichannel customer engagement | Custom / tiered plans | Trial/demo options | Live chat, video chat, and omnichannel communication |
| HubSpot Live Chat | CRM-integrated customer communication | Free and paid HubSpot plans | Free option | CRM integration and live chat |
| Pure Chat | Simple website live chat | Tiered plans | Trial available | Easy-to-use live chat |
| Chatfuel | Automated messaging and conversational engagement | Tiered plans | Trial/options vary | Chatbot and messaging automation |
| Olark | Simple live chat and customer support | Per-agent plans | Free trial | Customisable chat and reporting |
How to Choose the Right Live Chat Software
Choosing live chat software should start with your business requirements rather than the number of features a platform offers. Consider the following factors before making a decision.
Business Size and Team Requirements
Consider how many agents will use the platform and how your support team operates. A small business may only need straightforward live chat, while a larger organisation may require multiple agents, shared inboxes, advanced administration, and scalable customer-support workflows.
Live Chat and Messaging Features
Look at the core communication features you actually need. These may include real-time website chat, conversation history, agent collaboration, visitor information, file sharing, automated responses, and customer routing.
AI and Automation
If your business receives a high volume of repetitive questions, AI and automation can help reduce manual work. Check whether the platform provides chatbots, automated replies, AI-assisted support, conversation routing, or other automation features that match your workflow.
Integrations
Check whether the software integrates with the systems your team already uses. CRM, help desk, email marketing, ecommerce, analytics, and other business integrations can reduce the need to move information manually between different platforms.
Omnichannel Support
If customers contact your business through several channels, consider whether you need more than website chat. Platforms with broader communication capabilities can help bring multiple customer conversations into a more centralised support workflow.
Pricing and Scalability
Compare the pricing structure with your expected team size and usage. A platform that appears affordable for a small team may become more expensive as you add agents, conversations, automation, or additional features. Also consider whether the platform can accommodate your expected business growth.
Ease of Use and Setup
The software should be practical for both your customers and your support team. Consider how easily the chat widget can be implemented, how intuitive the agent interface is, and how much technical knowledge is required for setup and ongoing administration.
Final Thoughts
The best live chat software depends on the type of customer communication your business needs to manage. Some platforms focus on traditional real-time support, while others combine live chat with AI, automation, CRM functionality, sales engagement, or broader omnichannel communication.
For businesses comparing these platforms, it is useful to evaluate the complete workflow rather than looking at live chat in isolation. Consider your team size, customer volume, automation requirements, integrations, communication channels, budget, and future growth before selecting a platform.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What is live chat software?
Live chat software allows businesses to communicate with website visitors and customers in real time. Depending on the platform, it can also provide features such as automation, visitor tracking, chatbots, integrations, and customer-support management.
What should I look for in live chat software?
Important factors include live chat functionality, ease of use, AI and automation, integrations, scalability, reporting, agent collaboration, pricing, and the communication channels supported by the platform.
Is live chat software useful for small businesses?
Yes. Small businesses can use live chat to answer customer questions, provide support, engage website visitors, and capture potential leads. Platforms with free plans or simpler pricing structures can be useful for smaller teams.
Can live chat software support sales teams?
Yes. Some platforms combine live chat with conversational marketing, lead qualification, visitor tracking, and other sales-oriented features. This allows businesses to use live conversations for both customer support and sales engagement.
Does live chat software include AI?
Some platforms offer AI-powered features such as chatbots, automated responses, AI-assisted support, and conversation automation. The exact capabilities vary between providers and plans.
Can live chat software integrate with CRM systems?
Many live chat platforms provide integrations with CRM and other business applications. CRM integration can help teams connect customer conversations with contact records and broader sales or support workflows.
Is free live chat software available?
Yes. Some platforms offer free plans or free options, although the available features, usage limits, and number of agents can vary considerably between providers.
How do I choose between live chat platforms?
Start by identifying your required features, team size, customer communication channels, integrations, automation needs, and budget. Then compare platforms according to those requirements rather than choosing solely based on popularity or the number of features.
