If you’re on the hunt for the best live chat options to take your customer support to the next level, you’ve come to the right place.
In a world where instant communication is everything, having a reliable live chat tool is necessary for unforgettable customer service.
But with so many options out there, finding the perfect fit for your business can feel overwhelming.
Do you need something simple for FAQs, or are you looking for advanced features like chatbots, automation, and multi-channel support?
In this article, we’ve pulled together a list of the top nine live chat solutions, each with its own unique features and pricing to meet different business needs.
Why Is Live Chat Software Important for Customer Support?
Is live help chat software truly such a great tool for customer service?
Well, beyond being lightning fast, it’s the top-rated customer satisfaction channel. And let’s be real, customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal for any business.
For starters, it gives visitors and customers an easy way to reach you in real-time. Whether they’re asking for help or browsing your site for the first time, live chat creates a seamless communication flow that keeps your customers happy and your team efficient.
But the perks don’t stop there.
Here’s how live chat goes the extra mile:
- Proactively engage first-time visitors: Instead of waiting for them to reach out, you can start the conversation, turning a casual visitor into a potential customer.
- Personalize every interaction: With live chat, you can tailor conversations based on the visitor’s behavior, preferences, and even location, making the interaction more meaningful.
- Anticipate needs: See what your customer is typing in real-time and deliver an answer before they even finish their question.
- Share and receive files instantly: Whether it’s troubleshooting or sending over product info, sharing files within the chat speeds up problem-solving and reduces frustration.
- Guide customers to self-service options: Not every issue requires hands-on support. Live chat allows you to guide customers toward self-help resources, FAQs, or knowledge bases for quick resolutions.
And don’t forget, live chat isn’t just for customer support. It’s a great sales tool too. It helps shoppers across their buying journey by offering real-time assistance that can seal the deal. That’s why most businesses don’t settle for just one type of live chat- they run both sales and support chats to cover all bases.
What to Look for in a Great Live Chat Solution?
When you’re shopping around for live chat support software, it’s essential to pick something that suits your business’s specific needs. With so many options out there, you need to zero in on the features that will make life easier for both your customers and your team.
Here’s a breakdown of what to look for in a great live chat software:
Ease of use
First things first – how easy is it to set up? A great live chat tool should be user-friendly and integrate smoothly with the systems you’re already using. Whether it’s your CRM, email marketing tool, or customer support software, make sure it fits right in without a hassle. If you’re unsure where to start, check out our step-by-step guide on adding live chat to your website for an easy walkthrough.
Scalability
Your business might be small today, but you’re planning to grow, right? Make sure the chat tool you choose can scale with you. Look for plans that allow an unlimited number of agents without breaking the bank. The last thing you want is to pay for each new agent when your team expands.
Chat management
Does the tool let you pull out reports, metrics, and performance insights? Can you monitor agent activity and track customer satisfaction? Look for features like chat distribution, which ensures conversations go to the right agents, and analytics that help you continuously improve your service.
Advanced features
- Multi-channel support: A good live chat tool doesn’t just stick to your website. It should allow you to manage all your customer communication – social media, email, and messaging apps – all in one place so you can respond quickly and seamlessly.
- Self-service options: Customers love helping themselves. Look for features like canned responses, chat history, and easy access to your knowledge base so customers can find answers without waiting.
- Rich messaging: These days, it’s not just about text. Make sure your live chat supports file sharing, clickable buttons, images, and other interactive elements that speed up problem resolution.
- Chatbots: With chatbots, your business can offer 24/7 support, handling routine queries even when your team’s offline. Make sure the tool has an intuitive chatbot builder that can deliver personalized, context-aware responses.
Best Live Chat Options for Customer Service
Let’s find the right live chat option for you:
1. Social Intents – For companies that use Slack and MS Teams
Social Intents is the best live chat software for companies already using Slack or Microsoft Teams who want to integrate live chat without switching to new platforms.
It allows your team to respond to customers directly from these tools, meaning no extra software to learn.
Plus, with unlimited agents on all plans, you can scale your team without worrying about extra costs.
Key features
- Integrates seamlessly with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Zoom, and even a web-based chat console.
- Proactive messaging: You can reach out to visitors before they even engage with your site, boosting conversions.
- AI chatbots: Use AI chatbots to handle routine customer queries and escalate to human support agents as needed, providing 24/7 support.
- Customizable live chat widget: Fully customize your chat appearance to match your brand, with options for logos, colors, and messaging.
- Rich messaging: Share files, use canned responses, and even set up automated chat routing for a smooth experience.
- Real-time chat metrics: Monitor performance and customer engagement to optimize your strategy.
Pricing
Social Intents offers unlimited agents on most plans – no need to pay per agent as your team grows.
Pricing starts at $39/month for the basic plan (with annual billing).
This makes Social Intents especially appealing for teams looking to scale efficiently, without having to worry about increasing costs as they add more support staff.
Start a 14-day free trial here.
2. Tidio – For sales support
Tidio is an excellent live chat software if you’re looking to boost sales through customer interaction.
It’s packed with features designed to help ecommerce platforms engage with website visitors, offer personalized deals, and stop cart abandonment, all of which contribute to increasing your overall sales performance.
Key features
- Welcome every visitor with a personalized message or discount to encourage purchases.
- Proactive messaging: Automatically send product suggestions or chat invitations based on how long a visitor stays on a certain page.
- Real-time visitor tracking: See who is browsing your site in real-time and understand which parts of your website they are viewing.
- Cart abandonment prevention: Tidio helps you target visitors who are about to leave their cart by offering last-minute discounts or free shipping, reducing cart abandonment by 60%.
- Multi-device availability: Whether customers are on mobile, desktop, or tablets, Tidio ensures that your live chat widget is available across all channels to catch potential leads at any time.
- Chatbot automation: With 35+ pre-designed chatbot templates, you can easily automate responses to repetitive questions, freeing up your team’s time for more complex interactions.
Pricing
Plans start at $29/month and include over 100 live chat conversations, visitor tracking, and more advanced features in the higher-tier plans.
3. Acquire – For chatbot features
Acquire is a comprehensive live chat solution designed for businesses that want to move away from traditional communication channels like phone calls and embrace AI-driven, omnichannel communication.
Its chatbot capabilities, along with its video chat and co-browsing features, make it a solid choice for businesses looking for a highly interactive, AI-driven customer support tool.
Key features
- Chatbot builder: Acquire’s visual editor makes it easy to create efficient workflows and chatbots, allowing businesses to automate responses and guide customers to the right answers.
- Intelligent routing: Automatically direct customers to the appropriate agent or chatbot using triggers and business rules, saving time and improving customer satisfaction.
- Video chat: Agents can quickly switch from text-based chat to video chat with customers for faster, more personalized resolutions.
- Co-browsing: Collaborate with customers in real-time by sharing their screens to help them navigate issues more easily.
- Unified customer history: See a complete view of each customer’s interaction history, including past live chat conversations, order details, and knowledge base usage, all without leaving the chat window.
- Analytics & reporting: Track how well your team and bots are performing with detailed reports on customer interactions.
Pricing
Acquire currently offers two pricing plans:
- Self-Service Plan: Priced at $500/month (billed annually), it includes video chat capabilities, customizable chat widgets, and reporting tools.
- Integrated Solution Plan: Priced at $2,000/month (billed annually), it has the same features as the lower-tier plan, plus multi-channel capabilities and call deflection.
4. Gorgias – For ecommerce businesses
Gorgias is a customer support help desk software specifically designed for ecommerce businesses. It integrates with multiple channels, including live chat, allowing agents to manage customer inquiries across platforms efficiently.
Key features
- Order management: Agents can manage orders, recommend products, and handle customer issues (like refunds or exchanges) without leaving the helpdesk.
- Custom sidebars: Gorgias allows agents to view crucial order information from any channel without needing to open extra tabs. You can also customize the helpdesk to show the most relevant details from 65+ e-commerce integrations.
- Third-party integrations: With integrations from platforms like Shopify and Magento, agents can create orders, issue refunds, and handle third-party actions, all in one place.
- Multi-store management: Gorgias allows agents to handle multiple stores from a single messaging platform, providing agility to switch between different brands’ inquiries quickly and improving resolution time without needing to log in to separate accounts.
Pricing
Gorgias offers plans starting at $10/month, which includes 10 support tickets. If your business handles a larger volume of inquiries, higher-tier plans are available.
5. Chatra – For websites
Chatra is a customer service software designed for businesses that want to communicate directly with customers on their website and provide instant support.
Key features
- Live chat for websites: Add live chat functionality to your website.
- Messenger mode: Agents can reply to live chat messages at their own pace, providing flexibility for handling multiple inquiries.
- Multi-channel dashboard: Manage messages from multiple channels, including email and social media, without switching between different browser tabs.
- Targeted engagement: Agents can interact with visitors on specific pages, like product or landing pages, to provide personalized assistance and help guide purchasing decisions.
Pricing
Chatra offers a free plan for one agent, which includes essential live chat features and can be used indefinitely. This makes it an excellent option for smaller websites or businesses just starting out. The paid plans start at $17/month when billed annually.
6. Zoho – For remote teams
Zoho’s live chat tool, Cliq, is designed specifically for remote team collaboration. It combines real-time messaging, file sharing, and bot automation to boost workplace productivity.
It has even been recognized for its excellence, winning the Best Indian App for Office Productivity and the App Innovation Challenge organized by the Government of India, which highlights its success in remote work solutions.
Key features
- Custom bots: Zoho allows you to build custom bots that can automate routine tasks and workflows. These bots can also be integrated with other tools in your tech stack.
- Built-in bots: Zoho comes with pre-built bots that act as smart assistants, handling repetitive tasks and enabling support team members to focus on more critical activities.
- AI assistant Zia: Zia, the AI assistant, helps manage events by sending invitations, updating attendee statuses, and creating custom group chats for event participants. This feature is perfect for keeping remote teams coordinated and up-to-date.
- Collaboration tools: Cliq enables teams to chat, share files, and hold video meetings, fostering a sense of togetherness even when working from different locations.
Pricing:
Zoho Cliq offers four pricing plans:
- Free Plan: Includes unlimited 1-1 and group chats, file sharing, and integrations with other Zoho apps.
- Standard Plan: Priced at $18/month for up to 25 users, it includes additional features like external channels and extended storage.
- Professional Plan: Starts at $2/user per month (with a minimum of 10 users), offering more advanced collaboration features.
- Enterprise Plan: Starts at $4/user per month (with a minimum of 10 users), offering additional tools for large-scale remote teams like larger group chats, advanced reporting, and custom integrations.
7. LiveChat – For big teams and versatile use
LiveChat is a versatile customer service platform, particularly well-suited for big teams that need to manage a high volume of interactions across multiple channels like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp Business, and even SMS.
Key features
- Chat widgets: Easily integrate chat widgets into your website or mobile apps to communicate with visitors in real-time.
- Multi-channel integration: Support channels like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp Business, SMS, and even iMessage, all within the LiveChat platform.
- Interactive elements: Use product cards, clickable buttons, and carousels within the chat widget to make conversations more interactive and engaging.
- Mobile support: Respond to iOS users and other mobile visitors, ensuring you’re accessible on any device.
Pricing
LiveChat offers four main pricing plans:
- Starter Plan: Priced at $24/month per agent when billed monthly, or $20/month per agent if billed annually. This plan includes basic live chat functionality, integrations with multiple communication channels, and up to 60 days of chat history.
- Team Plan: Available at $49/month per agent (or $41/month per agent annually), this plan adds more advanced features like customizable pre-chat and post-chat surveys, SMS integration, and tracking for up to 400 visitors.
- Business Plan: Costs $69/month per agent (or $59/month per agent annually) and offers advanced reporting, staffing predictions, agent activity tracking, and chat support for up to 1,000 visitors.
- Enterprise Plan: For larger teams, this plan offers custom pricing and includes additional security, white labeling, and support for custom reporting, with features like HIPAA compliance and dedicated account managers.
8. Podium Webchat – For local businesses
Podium is specifically designed to help local businesses connect with customers. It’s great for businesses that rely on appointments, reviews, and local client engagement.
Key features
- Auto: Help sell and service cars by engaging website visitors, scheduling test drives and appointments, and closing deals online.
- Retail: Convert website visitors into customers by offering options for pickup, delivery, and collection of reviews.
- Professional Services: Manage client communications, schedule appointments, and gather reviews easily through your website.
- Healthcare & Dental: Enable patients to connect with your clinic, schedule appointments, and even handle payments, all through the webchat.
- Financial Services: Improve the digital experience for your customers, enhancing engagement and growing wallet share.
- Agencies & Partners: Podium’s partner program offers tools to help agencies grow and scale client businesses through seamless communication.
Pricing
Podium offers a core plan starting at $399/month. This includes basic reporting, automation, and customization options.
9. Brevo – For marketing support
Brevo is an all-in-one marketing platform designed to help businesses manage their marketing and sales efforts, with live chat being just one of its many tools. While primarily focused on email marketing and marketing automation, it’s a great option for businesses that are new to live chat but also need broader marketing support.
Key features
- Live chat: Engage with website visitors in real-time.
- Email & SMS marketing: Run campaigns across multiple channels, including email and SMS, to reach your customers where they are.
- CRM & automation: Automate workflows, segment customers, and create personalized marketing journeys for each visitor.
- Multi-channel communication: Use tools like email, SMS, chat, inbox, and transactional messages to stay connected with your audience.
- Marketing intelligence: Track and analyze data to optimize your marketing efforts across channels.
Pricing
- Free Plan: Offers up to 300 emails/day (or 9,000 emails/month) with unlimited contacts and one live chat agent.
- Starter Plan: Starts at $25/month for 20,000 emails per month, with no daily email sending limit and access to basic reporting features.
- Business Plan: Starts at $65/month for 20,000 emails per month, offering advanced features like marketing automation, A/B testing, and landing pages.
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, tailored for larger organizations, with advanced features such as unlimited contacts, dedicated support, and custom integrations.
Choose the Right Live Chat Solution for Your Business Needs
Choosing from the best live chat options depends on what you’re looking to achieve.
Whether you’re aiming for real-time customer support, boosting sales, or managing large teams, there are plenty of solutions out there to suit your needs.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-set-up solution that works seamlessly with tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, Social Intents is the best live chat software for the job. It’s perfect for businesses that want to work from their existing workflows without adding complexity – and with unlimited agent plans, it’s a cost-effective solution for teams looking to scale.
Sign up for a 14-day free trial of Social Intents today.