What is live chat software?
Live chat software adds a chat widget to your website or app so customers can message your team in real time, and gives agents a workspace to answer, route and track those chats. Modern tools add AI that answers routine chats before a person sees them.
For support teams, the widget is the easy part. What matters is what happens behind it: routing, handoffs, history across channels and whether AI can actually fix the problem. Our website live chat guide covers setup and staffing in detail.
How do the best live chat tools compare?
Here is the short version. Prices are entry list prices; AI usage is usually billed on top.
| Tool | Channels | AI on chat | Pricing model | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aftersales | Chat in one inbox with email, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, social | Agent resolves and takes actions (Shopify, Stripe refunds) | Per seat + $0.99 per AI resolution | Yes, 1 seat |
| LiveChat | Chat-first; SMS and Apple Messages on Business | AI features; AI agent via separate Text product | Per seat, from $19 | 14-day trial |
| Intercom | Messenger, email, in-app, more | Fin AI Agent, $0.99 per outcome | Per seat, from $29 + Fin | Trial |
| Zendesk | Messaging on Suite plans; full omnichannel | AI agents, 5-10 resolutions per agent included | Per agent, Suite Team from $55 | Trial |
| Tidio | Chat, email, social | Lyro AI Agent | Per billable conversation tier | Yes, 50 conversations |
| Crisp | Chat, email, social, more | AI Agent on higher tiers (AI credits) | Flat per workspace, from $45 | Yes, 2 seats |
| Help Scout | Email-first with Beacon chat | AI Answers, $0.75 per resolution | Per user, from $25 | Yes, 5 users |
| tawk.to | Chat, ticketing, knowledge base | AI Assist add-on from $29/mo | Free; paid add-ons | Yes, free core |
| Olark | Website chat | Aiden AI website agent | $29/agent/mo; AI plan $400/mo | 14-day trial |
Checked October 2026. Confirm current prices on each vendor's site.
How did we compare these live chat tools?
We looked at each tool from a support team's point of view and checked prices on each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026. Where a vendor does not publish a number we describe the model instead.
- Agent workspace: routing, canned replies, transfers, history.
- AI on chat: can it answer, and can it take action (refund, replace, update)?
- Channels: does chat share a queue with email and messaging, or live in its own tool?
- Pricing model: per seat, per workspace, per conversation or per resolution, and how it scales.
- Where it falls short: each entry has an honest "watch out for".
Aftersales is our product and we list it first. We say where other tools are a better fit so you can judge the list on its merits.
The 9 best live chat software tools for support teams
1. Aftersales: best for support teams that want chat answered and resolved, not just routed
Aftersales puts website and in-app chat in the same Inbox as email, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, social DMs and Slack Connect, so a chat that turns into an email thread stays one conversation. Agent answers chats in 31 languages and takes actions: it verifies orders in Shopify, creates replacements and issues Stripe refunds within spend limits you set.
When Agent hands off, the human gets the conversation, the data Agent looked up and what it already tried. Copilot drafts replies that cite their sources, and Insights flags spikes in real time. Median resolution by Agent is 71% after 90 days.
Where it is weaker: Aftersales is built for support, not sales chat. If your main goal is watching live visitors and starting sales conversations, LiveChat or Olark fit better. The free plan has one seat, so a small team that wants free chat for several people should look at tawk.to or Crisp.
- Best for
- Support teams that want chat, email and messaging in one queue with an AI agent that resolves and takes actions
- Pricing
- Free plan (1 seat, live chat + email inbox, first 50 Agent resolutions free). Starter $24, Growth $69, Scale $109 per seat/month billed annually. Agent $0.99 per resolution, counted once per conversation; conversations Agent can't help with are free. See pricing.
- Strengths
- Agent takes actions in Shopify and Stripe with guardrails; escalation rules on sentiment, keywords, tier and legal language; Copilot drafts with sources; one inbox for every channel; GDPR DPA, US-hosted.
- Watch out for
- Not a sales or visitor-tracking chat tool. Free plan is one seat. Confirm niche integrations on a call.
2. LiveChat: best for dedicated chat teams and sales-assisted chat
LiveChat is one of the longest-running chat-first products. Agents get canned responses, routing rules, chat transfers and a message sneak-peek that shows what a customer is typing. Product cards and a sales tracker make it a strong pick for ecommerce teams that sell over chat. It lists 200+ integrations.
It is a better fit than Aftersales if your chat team is large, chat is your main channel and you want visitor tracking and targeted messages. Its AI agent sits in Text, the company's separate ticketing product.
- Best for
- Chat-heavy support and sales teams
- Pricing
- Starter $19, Team $49, Business $79 per seat/month billed annually ($25, $59, $89 monthly); Enterprise custom. 14-day free trial.
- Strengths
- Mature agent tools (canned responses, routing, sneak-peek), visitor tracking, product cards, 200+ integrations, apps on web, desktop and mobile.
- Watch out for
- Starter limits chat history to 60 days and one user; AI agent and ticketing live in a separate product.
3. Intercom: best for SaaS teams that want chat, in-app messaging and AI in one product
Intercom's Messenger covers live chat, in-app chat, banners and tooltips, and the Fin AI Agent is included on every plan, billed per outcome. It is strong for product-led software companies that mix support and onboarding.
Cost grows quickly as seats and Fin outcomes add up. Our Intercom pricing breakdown works through the numbers.
- Best for
- SaaS and app teams that want support and in-product messaging together
- Pricing
- Essential $29, Advanced $85, Expert $132 per seat/month. Fin AI Agent $0.99 per outcome. Lite seats included on Advanced (20) and Expert (50).
- Strengths
- Polished Messenger, in-app messaging, Fin AI Agent on all plans, large app ecosystem.
- Watch out for
- Seat price plus per-outcome AI fees can be hard to forecast; more platform than a small team needs.
4. Zendesk: best for large teams already standardised on Zendesk
Zendesk includes messaging (its live chat) on Suite plans, alongside ticketing, voice and a help center. Note that the entry Support Team plan does not include messaging, so chat starts at Suite Team.
If you already run Zendesk and only want better AI on chat, Aftersales Agent can run inside Zendesk with no seats and no migration. See Zendesk pricing.
- Best for
- Mid-size and enterprise teams that need deep configuration and a large marketplace
- Pricing
- Suite Team $55, Suite Professional $115 per agent/month billed annually ($69, $149 monthly); Enterprise custom. AI agents include 5 to 10 automated resolutions per agent/month, then $2.00 per resolution pay-as-you-go.
- Strengths
- Mature ticketing, routing and reporting; messaging, voice and help center in one suite; large app marketplace.
- Watch out for
- Live chat needs a Suite plan; setup and admin take time; AI resolutions beyond the allowance are billed extra.
5. Tidio: best for small online stores starting with chat and a bot
Tidio combines live chat, Flows (rule-based automations) and the Lyro AI Agent. It prices by billable conversations, which only count once a human replies, so it suits small teams with modest volume.
See our Tidio pricing guide for how the conversation tiers scale.
- Best for
- Small ecommerce stores and solo founders
- Pricing
- Free plan (50 billable conversations, 50 one-off Lyro conversations). Starter about $24/month billed annually ($290/year). Growth from about $49/month. Plus from $300/month. Lyro AI Agent standalone from $32.50/month.
- Strengths
- Fast setup, up to 10 seats on lower plans, Flows for no-code automation, Lyro AI.
- Watch out for
- Pricing climbs with conversation volume; fewer helpdesk controls than a full support platform.
6. Crisp: best flat-rate chat for small teams
Crisp charges a flat price per workspace, not per seat or per conversation, which makes budgeting easy for small teams. It covers chat, a shared inbox, a knowledge base and AI features that unlock on higher tiers.
- Best for
- Startups and small teams that want predictable cost
- Pricing
- Free (2 seats). Mini $45, Essentials $95, Plus $295 per workspace/month (4, 10 and 20 seats); extra seats $10/month. AI credits included from Mini.
- Strengths
- Flat pricing regardless of conversation volume, generous seats per plan, multichannel inbox.
- Watch out for
- AI agent features are fuller on Essentials and Plus; less depth for large, complex teams.
7. Help Scout: best for email-first teams that want light chat
Help Scout is a shared inbox first. Its Beacon widget adds live chat and self-service answers on every paid plan, and AI Answers resolves questions for a per-resolution fee. It suits teams where most work is email and chat is secondary.
- Best for
- Email-first support teams adding chat
- Pricing
- Free (up to 5 users). Standard $25, Plus $45, Pro $75 per user/month (annual billing saves 16%). AI Answers $0.75 per resolution.
- Strengths
- Clean inbox, Beacon chat plus docs in one widget, low AI resolution price.
- Watch out for
- Chat is a secondary channel; fewer chat-specific tools than LiveChat or Intercom.
8. tawk.to: best free live chat
tawk.to gives away its core live chat, ticketing and knowledge base, and makes money from add-ons: removing branding, the AI Assist chatbot and hired chat agents billed by the hour. If budget is zero, start here.
- Best for
- Very small teams and sites that need free chat now
- Pricing
- Core product free. Remove branding $29/month. AI Assist from $29/month (free option for low volume). Hired chat agents $1/hour.
- Strengths
- Free core chat, ticketing and knowledge base; apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows; option to outsource chat coverage.
- Watch out for
- Branding stays unless you pay; fewer automation and reporting controls than paid tools.
9. Olark: best simple website chat with flat-rate AI
Olark keeps live chat simple and offers a flat-rate AI website agent (Aiden) with no per-conversation fees. It leans toward lead capture as well as support.
- Best for
- Teams that want simple chat or unlimited AI conversations at a fixed price
- Pricing
- Human-only live chat $29/agent/month. AI Website Agent $400/month billed annually, one human seat included, extra seats $29/agent/month. 14-day trial for live chat.
- Strengths
- Easy setup, flat AI pricing with no overages, lead capture.
- Watch out for
- Website chat only; no full multichannel helpdesk.
How much does live chat software cost for a 5-person team?
For five agents, seat costs range from free to several hundred dollars a month before AI. Example, using list prices billed annually and excluding AI usage:
- Aftersales Growth: 5 x $69 = $345/month. Agent adds $0.99 per resolution.
- LiveChat Team: 5 x $49 = $245/month.
- Intercom Essential: 5 x $29 = $145/month. Fin adds $0.99 per outcome.
- Zendesk Suite Team: 5 x $55 = $275/month. Extra AI resolutions beyond the allowance cost more.
- Crisp Essentials: $95/month flat for up to 10 seats.
- tawk.to: $0 for core chat.
AI usually decides the real bill. With per-resolution pricing, compare the AI price against what a human-handled chat costs you today. Our resolution rate guide shows how to measure it.
Try chat with an AI agent that can act.Start free with one seat and your first 50 Agent resolutions included.
Which live chat software is best for your use case?
- Support chat that AI resolves end to end, with refunds and order actions: Aftersales.
- Large, chat-first team or sales-assisted chat with visitor tracking: LiveChat.
- SaaS product with in-app messaging and onboarding: Intercom.
- Already on Zendesk: Zendesk Suite, or add Aftersales Agent inside Zendesk.
- Small store on a tight budget: Tidio.
- Predictable flat pricing: Crisp or Olark.
- Email-first team adding chat: Help Scout.
- No budget at all: tawk.to.
Comparing wider platforms? See the best AI customer service software and best AI chatbots for websites, or browse more on the blog.