10 Best Live Chat Software & Apps for Customer Support

There are tons of live chat apps out there, all bragging about fancy features you might not even need.

For example, some platforms boast advanced functionalities like co-browsing and detailed visitor intelligence, while others prioritize simplicity and ease of setup.

Further complicating matters are free trial structures, which often lack transparency regarding included features.

And the free plan vs. paid plan decision? I get it. Free plans often have limitations, but paid ones can get expensive fast, especially for small businesses.

I’ll break down the top 10 best live chat software options with their pricing and key features, so you can find the perfect fit without the stress.

The 10 best live chat softwares & apps

1. Tidio – Editors choice
2. Live Chat – Best for Ecommerce
3. HubSpot Live Chat – Best for marketing
4. LiveAgent – Best for teams
5. Smartsupp – Best for small businesses
6. Olark – Best for ease of use
7. Social Intents – Best AI live chat
8. Tawk.to – Free live chat app
9. Zendesk – Best for customer support
10. Intercom – Best for AI-first customer service

How we evaluate and test apps

When I’m testing apps/tools, I employ a dual approach based on free trial availability. For platforms offering free trials, I test their functionalities, usability, navigation, and ease of use. In the case of software lacking a free version or trial, I rely on in-depth research and user testimonials through software review platforms like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius to gauge their performance and capabilities. Learn more about our ratings criteria for live chat softwares here.

1. Tidio – Editors Choice

Best suited for: small businesses, eCommerce companies, and marketing agencies

Pricing: Free – $499/mo

Tidio is a live chat service that blends seamlessly with your website, enabling instant communication with visitors.

Features

• Customizable chat widget
• Chat transcripts
• Canned responses
• Offline messaging
• Chat history
• Chat triggers & conditions
• Pre-chat survey
• Real-time visitor monitoring
• Customer satisfaction measuring
• WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger integration
• Custom chatbot templates

Why we picked it

Tidio makes it onto our list for its ability to integrate messaging across multiple channels, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.

This unified approach ensures that businesses can engage with customers on their preferred platforms.

Get started with Tidio for free today!

Try Tidio free

2. LiveChat – Best for ecommerce

Best suited for: eCommerce businesses and software/IT companies

Pricing: $20/user/mo – $59/user/mo

LiveChat is a real-time messaging app that allows businesses to connect with their customers directly on their websites.

It facilitates instant communication to help companies offer quick answers and support without needing a call center.

Features

• Customizable chat widget
• Trigger-based actions
• Chat surveys & ratings
• Visitor tracking
• Offline messaging
• Canned responses
• In-chat voice, video & screen-sharing
• Message sneak-peek
• Chat history
• Chat transcripts
• Routing rules based on URL
• 200+ integrations

Why we picked it

We chose LiveChat for its robust integration capabilities (among its other useful features), which allow direct connection with over 200 platforms, including popular eCommerce platforms.

Start your 14-day free trial of LiveChat

Try LiveChat free

3. HubSpot Live Chat – Best for marketing

Best suited for: sales, marketing, and customer support teams, and SMBs

Pricing: Free – $90/user/mo

HubSpot Live Chat is a customer service tool that allows businesses to communicate directly with their website visitors in real-time.

Features

• Customizable chat widget
• Custom chat flows
• Conversation history
• Automated chatbot workflows
• Appointment scheduling
• Conversation routing
• Post-chat feedback survey
• Visitor identification
• Targeted messaging
• Attachments
• Feedback surveys

Why we picked it

We selected HubSpot Live Chat for its seamless integration with HubSpot CRM. This integration provides full visibility into customer and prospect information.

Try HubSpot Live Chat for free today

Try HubSpot Live Chat free

4. LiveAgent – Best for teams

Best suited for: customer support teams

Pricing: $15/user/mo – $85/user/mo

LiveAgent is a customer service software that facilitates interaction between companies and their customers.

It offers tools to manage and respond to customer inquiries via multiple channels in real-time.

Features

• Real-time chat
• Chat transcripts
• Predefined answers
• Call routing
• File sharing over chat
• Customizable workflows
• Chat satisfaction surveys
• Automated ticket distribution
• Knowledge base management
• Gamification options
• Real-time visitor monitoring
• Call queueing

Why we picked it

Besides its live chat capabilities, LiveAgent offers automated ticket distribution that helps allocate customer inquiries to the right team members.

Plus, it features knowledge base management, allowing businesses to maintain a self-serve resource center that assists customers in finding answers quickly.

Get started with LiveAgent for free

Try LiveAgent free

5. Smartsupp – Best for small businesses

Best suited for: customer support teams, lead generation specialists, and eCommerce businesses

Pricing: Free – $60/mo

Smartsupp is a customer communication platform primarily designed for e-commerce websites.

It enables businesses to chat directly with their website visitors and customers to enhance support and increase sales.

Features

• Website & Facebook integration
• Chat transcripts
• Automated chatbots
• Agent ratings & feedback
• Video recordings of visitor sessions
• Customer satisfaction rating
• Offline messaging capabilities
• User identification
• Pre-chat & offline forms
• Website visitor recording
• 55+ integrations

Why we picked it

We like how Smartsupp simplifies direct communication for eCommerce brands and customer support teams.

It’s particularly strong with features like session recording and automated bots that help understand customer behavior and automate responses.

Try Smartsupp for free today

Try Smartsupp free

6. Olark – Best for ease of use

Best suited for: customer support teams and eCommerce companies

Pricing: $29/user/mo

Olark is a live chat software designed to help businesses interact directly with their customers through their websites.

Features

• Customizable chatbox design
• Automated messaging
• Searchable chat transcripts
• Automated messages
• Chat ratings
• Transcript archives
• Proactive chat invitations
• Pre-chat survey forms
• Visitor details
• Visitor page tracking
• File sharing
• Offline messaging capabilities

Why we picked it

What’s great about Olark is how it keeps all your chat and email interactions neatly archived.

You can easily access any past conversations and customer details whenever you need them, which helps with follow-ups and customer management.

Start your free trial of Olark today

Try Olark free

7. Social Intents – Best AI live chat

Best suited for: customer service teams and eCommerce brands

Pricing: $49/mo – $265/mo

Social Intents is a customer interaction tool designed to help businesses engage with their customers directly from their websites.

It enables real-time communication through live chat and automated messaging solutions, enhancing customer service and engagement.

Features

• Custom chatbots
• Quick replies
• Proactive chat invites
• Chat transcripts
• ChatGPT integration
• Real-time auto-translation
• Human handoff
• Pre-sales forms
• File sharing
• Targeting rules
• Microsoft Teams & Google Chat integration

Why we picked it

What stands out to us about Social Intents is its integration with chatGPT, which opens up a whole new level of automated customer service.

Give Social Intents a try for free

Try Social Intents free

8. Tawk.to – Free live chat app

Best suited for: customer support teams and small businesses

Pricing: Free

Tawk.to is a customer communication tool that enables businesses to engage with visitors on their websites through live chat.

Features

• Customizable chat widget
• Automated chat triggers
• Message sneak-peek
• Targeted messages
• Chat tagging
• Chat translations
• Visitor banning
• Attachments
• Pre-chat forms
• Built-in knowledge base
• Domain restriction
• Geo IP tracking

Why we picked it

What stands out with Tawk.to is its commitment to affordability with a free plan. It’s especially appealing to those who want to improve their customer service without incurring high costs while using features like targeted messaging g and chat translations.

Get free Tawk.to widget

Try Tawk.to free

9. Zendesk – Best for customer support

Best suited for: eCommerce businesses, IT help desks, sales teams, and customer support teams

Pricing: $25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Zendesk is a very popular customer service platform that helps businesses manage customer interactions across multiple channels.

Features

• Chat widget customization
• AI-powered bots
• Pre-written responses
• Chat routing
• Customer interaction history
• Proactive messages
• Sentiment detection
• Knowledge base management
• Customer satisfaction ratings
• Conditional flows
• Self-service tools
• Ticketing system
• Chat transfer between agents

Why we picked it

What many teams appreciate about Zendesk is its customer intelligence and interaction history features.

These provide agents with instant access to customer profiles and previous conversations, equipping them with the necessary context to deliver swift assistance.

10. Intercom – Best for AI-first customer service

Best suited for: sales, marketing, and customer support teams

Pricing: $39/user/mo – $139/user/mo

Intercom is another popular and advanced customer communication platform that allows businesses to connect with their customers through a variety of messaging tools.

It provides a direct line for support, sales, and customer engagement through a convenient chat interface.

Features

• Automated messaging
• Custom bots
• Targeted messaging
• Answer suggestions
• Chat transfer
• User feedback collection
• Customer segmentation
• Team inboxes
• Automated workflows
• Sentiment analysis
• Customer data platform
• Feedback collection

Why we picked it

Businesses really value Intercom’s versatility in handling various communication needs, from automated support with bots to deep customer insights for personalized engagements.

Conclusion: How to Pick the Best Live Chat Software & Apps

If you’re a small business, eCommerce company, or marketing agency looking for a versatile chat solution, Tidio is ideal for you.

Offering features like customizable chat widgets, real-time monitoring, and WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger integrations, along with a free plan and a 7-day trial, it caters to various needs.

Alternatively, if you need a live chat solution tailored for eCommerce brands and software companies, LiveChat stands out.

With strengths like in-chat voice, video, and screen-sharing capabilities, as well as 200+ integrations, LiveChat ensures seamless communication, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to enhance operational efficiency.

A quick recap of the best live chat software & apps

1. Tidio – Editors choice
2. Live Chat – Best for Ecommerce
3. HubSpot Live Chat – Best for marketing
4. LiveAgent – Best for teams
5. Smartsupp – Best for small businesses
6. Olark – Best for ease of use
7. Social Intents – Best AI live chat
8. Tawk.to – Free live chat app
9. Zendesk – Best for customer support
10. Intercom – Best for AI-first customer service