How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- LiveChat and Olark are the purest live chat tools, priced per agent and simple to deploy.
- Crisp, Tidio, and Freshchat offer genuinely useful free tiers for small teams.
- Intercom and Zendesk are full support suites with live chat as one channel among many, and AI features priced separately.
- AI chatbot add-ons (Fin, Lyro, Freddy, ChatBot) can dominate the bill, so model usage costs before committing.
- Per-agent pricing punishes growing teams; flat workspace pricing like Crisp's can be cheaper at scale.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 LiveChat | classic high-volume live chat | $19/agent/month (billed annually) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Intercom | AI-led support at scale | $29/seat/month (billed annually) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Zendesk Chat | chat inside a full help desk | $55/agent/month (billed annually) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Olark | simple flat-rate human chat | $29/agent/month | Free trial (14 days) |
 Crisp | affordable all-in-one messaging | Free | Yes |
 Tidio | small shops with AI chatbots | Free | Yes |
 Freshchat | Freshworks users and SMB teams | Free (up to 10 agents) | Yes |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best live support software
Starting price$19/agent/month (billed annually)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
LiveChat is the industry standard for website live chat, serving tens of thousands of businesses since 2002. The widget is fast and customizable, agents get typing previews and canned responses, and integrations with Shopify, HubSpot, and Facebook Messenger cover the common cases. Plans run from $19 per agent a month on annual billing (single seat) to $49 for Team and $79 for Business.
The catch is the add-on architecture: the AI chatbot lives in a separate ChatBot product starting around $52 a month. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. For ecommerce and high-volume teams that want reliable human chat above all, LiveChat remains the safest choice.
What we like- Mature feature set with 200+ integrations
- Typing preview and proactive triggers
- Strong ecommerce integrations
Watch out for- No free plan
- AI chatbot requires a separate ChatBot subscription
- Per-agent pricing adds up fast
Starting price$29/seat/month (billed annually)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Intercom has repositioned around its Fin AI agent, which resolves conversations automatically at $0.99 per successful outcome, on top of seat-based plans: Essential at $29, Advanced at $85, and Expert at $132 per seat a month on annual billing. The Messenger, shared inbox, ticketing, help center, and reporting are all included.
The pricing model is the conversation: a busy team can spend more on Fin outcomes than on seats, and add-ons like Copilot and Proactive Support Plus stack on top. There is no free plan. For growing SaaS teams willing to invest in AI-driven support, Intercom's results justify the complexity. For lean teams, budget carefully.
What we like- Best-in-class AI agent (Fin) at $0.99 per resolution
- Deep workflow automation
- Works on any help desk standalone
Watch out for- No free plan
- Total cost is hard to predict
- AI usage charges can dwarf seat costs
Starting price$55/agent/month (billed annually)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Zendesk Chat, formerly Zopim, is now bundled into Zendesk Suite: chat, email, voice, social messaging, ticketing, and a help center in one platform. Suite Team starts at $55 per agent a month on annual billing, with Professional at $115 and Enterprise at $169. AI agents are billed per automated resolution on top.
Zendesk is overkill if you only want a chat widget, and the entry price reflects that. But for support teams that need every channel in one workspace with serious reporting and compliance, the Suite model is efficient. Zendesk's AI Copilot add-on runs $50 per agent a month for those who want agent-side assistance.
What we like- Chat as part of a complete omnichannel suite
- Strong reporting and integrations
- AI agents included in higher tiers
Watch out for- No standalone cheap chat plan
- AI automation is usage-priced
- Expensive for chat-only needs
Starting price$29/agent/month
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Olark is the no-frills live chat for teams that want humans on the website without a complex platform. The human-only plan is a flat $29 per agent a month with no conversation limits, transcripts, triggers, and agent groups included. Setup takes minutes.
Olark's attention has shifted to its AI Website Agent at $400 a month, a separate product with unlimited AI conversations. The human-only plan remains for teams that do not want AI. For small support and sales teams that just need reliable chat, Olark is the simplest credible option.
What we like- Dead-simple setup and interface
- Predictable flat per-seat pricing
- No conversation caps on human chat
Watch out for- Web-chat focused, weaker on social channels
- AI offering is a separate $400/month product
- Fewer integrations than LiveChat
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Crisp bundles live chat, a shared inbox, email, social messaging, a knowledge base, and co-browsing into one dashboard priced per workspace rather than per agent. The free plan covers two seats; paid plans run $45, $95, and $295 a month per workspace, with unlimited conversations on paid tiers.
The flat pricing is the differentiator: a ten-agent team pays the same as a two-agent team on the same plan. The free tier is genuinely usable, though automation and the AI features sit at the $95 Essentials level and above. For startups and SMBs that want predictable costs, Crisp is the value pick.
What we like- Flat per-workspace pricing, not per agent
- Free plan for two seats
- Unified inbox with chat, email, and social
Watch out for- Jump from free to paid is steep
- Advanced automation needs the $95 plan
- Helpdesk features are lighter than Zendesk
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Tidio combines live chat, the Lyro AI agent, and Flow automation into one platform popular with Shopify and WooCommerce stores. The free plan includes 50 billable conversations a month and ten seats. Paid plans start at $24.17 a month billed annually for 100 conversations, with Lyro AI and Flows as separately metered add-ons.
The fragmented pricing is the honest trade-off: seats, conversations, AI resolutions, and flow visitors are each metered, so busy months cost more. For small shops that want a capable AI chatbot without Intercom-level commitment, Tidio is the pragmatic middle ground.
What we like- Free tier with 50 conversations and 10 seats
- Lyro AI chatbot included
- Strong ecommerce integrations
Watch out for- Pricing is fragmented across plans and add-ons
- Usage-based billing can surprise
- Heavier plans get expensive
Starting priceFree (up to 10 agents)
Free planYes
Freshchat, part of Freshworks, offers one of the most generous free plans in the category: up to ten agents with a web and mobile chat widget, shared inbox, and email. Paid plans start at $19 per agent a month on annual billing, with Pro at $49 and Enterprise at $79.
The Freddy AI Agent handles automation at $49 per 100 sessions, with a Copilot for agents at $29 per agent a month. If you already use Freshdesk or other Freshworks products, Freshchat slots in naturally. Standalone, it is still a strong value for teams that want a free start and a clear upgrade path.
What we like- Generous free plan for up to 10 agents
- Freddy AI across agent and self-service
- Integrates with the Freshworks suite
Watch out for- AI agent priced per session ($49/100)
- Some features need the full Freshworks stack
- Setup has a learning curve
Match pricing models to your team size
Solo founders and tiny teams should start with the free tiers: Crisp, Tidio, or Freshchat. Teams of three to ten with steady chat volume get the best value from LiveChat or Olark on per-agent pricing. Teams with twenty-plus agents should do the math on flat pricing: Crisp's workspace model or Intercom's seats-plus-outcomes can be cheaper than stacking per-agent licenses. And if chat is one channel among many, Zendesk Suite or Freshchat's ecosystem approach wins on consolidation. Remember that annual billing typically saves 15 to 20 percent, and most trials do not require a credit card, so there is little risk in testing two side by side.
How to choose live support software
Decide whether you want a chat tool or a support platform. If the website widget is the whole job, LiveChat, Olark, Crisp, or Tidio will do it well and cheaply. If you also need email, voice, a help center, and reporting, shortlist Zendesk and Freshchat. Trial two finalists side by side with real agents, measure first response time and resolution rate, and read the AI pricing fine print before you fall in love with a bot. The cheapest option that your team will actually use always beats the most powerful one they avoid.
How we chose
We compared live support platforms using vendor pricing pages and product documentation, alongside public reviews on G2, Capterra, and industry comparison sites. We weighed chat quality, AI features, pricing models, channel coverage, integrations, and fit for small and mid-size teams. We paid special attention to the true cost of AI add-ons, since outcome-based pricing can change the economics completely. We did not perform hands-on testing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest live chat software?
Crisp, Tidio, and Freshchat all offer free plans that a small team can use in production. Among paid tools, Crisp's flat workspace pricing and Tidio's low entry plan are the most affordable starting points.
Do I need an AI chatbot, or is human chat enough?
Human chat is enough for low volumes and complex sales, where the conversation itself builds trust. Once you get repeated questions at odd hours, an AI chatbot that answers from your knowledge base pays for itself quickly. Most tools here let you add AI later, so there is no need to decide on day one.
How much does Intercom really cost?
Seats run $29 to $132 per agent a month on annual billing, plus $0.99 per Fin AI resolution. A small team with moderate AI use lands around $750 a month; heavy AI use can exceed that. Model your conversation volume before signing, and watch for add-ons like Copilot and Proactive Support Plus that sit on top of the base plan.
Can live chat increase sales?
Yes. Proactive chat triggers on product and pricing pages recover hesitant visitors, and ecommerce integrations let agents see cart and order data before answering. LiveChat and Tidio both publish case studies showing conversion lifts from well-timed chat. The key is targeting: chat that appears on the right page at the right moment helps, while chat that interrupts every visitor annoys.
Which live chat integrates best with Shopify?
LiveChat and Tidio have the deepest Shopify integrations, showing order and cart data in the agent panel. Freshchat and Zendesk also offer Shopify apps with solid two-way data.
Is per-agent or per-workspace pricing better?
Per-agent pricing is cheaper for teams of one or two. Per-workspace pricing, like Crisp's, wins once you pass five or so agents because the price does not rise with headcount. Count your agents and do the math.
Sources we checked (7)
- https://www.livechat.com/pricing/
- https://www.intercom.com/learning-center/intercom-pricing
- https://www.eesel.ai/blog/zendesk-live-chat-pricing
- https://www.olark.com/plan-pricing/
- https://best-wordpress-plugins.com/crisp-chat-review/
- https://www.getmacha.com/blog/tidio-review
- https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.