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Live chat software compared
Live chat and chatbot tools for websites we've reviewed, compared on free plans, price per agent and trials.
This page is for small businesses, online stores and support teams that want to answer visitors' questions in real time through a chat box on their website. Live chat can turn a hesitant visitor into a customer and cut down on support email. If you can't staff a chat during business hours, or get only a few questions a week, a contact form or an FAQ page may serve you better.
Look at how pricing works: most tools charge per agent (the people answering chats), and some limit conversations on cheaper plans. Decide whether you want AI chatbots that answer common questions, or simple human chat. Check what connects to your store or help desk, whether there's a mobile app for answering on the go, and whether the free plan shows the vendor's branding. A few vendors don't refund unused time, so try the free plan or trial first.
Prices we saw ran from free plans and about $5 a month to around $29 an agent a month, with AI add-ons costing far more.
Best for
- Best free live chat: tawk.to. Live chat is free; paid add-ons include branding removal at $29 a month.
- Best for online stores: Tidio. A free plan with 50 conversations, and Starter from $24.17 a month.
- Best all-in-one help desk: LiveAgent. Chat, email and calls, from $15 an agent a month on the offer we saw.
Picked from the prices and terms in the table below, checked on the dates shown. Our blue Our Pick label is separate: how we choose.
Compare all 10
| Company | Chat style | Best for | Starting price | Trial, refund or free plan | Prices checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provide Support Vetteroo Our Pick | Classic human chat | Small businesses that want classic, human-staffed live chat | Small Business $24/mo (1 seat) | 10-day free trial, no card | October 29, 2026 |
| Chaport Checked by Vetteroo | Chat and simple chatbots | Small sites that want simple live chat | Free; paid from $29/mo | No refunds for unused time | October 31, 2026 |
| Chatra Checked by Vetteroo | Chat for small stores | Small online stores adding live chat | Free; Essential $25/agent/month | 10-day trial, no card | October 30, 2026 |
| HelpCrunch Checked by Vetteroo | Chat, help desk and email | Small teams that want chat, email support and a knowledge base together | Basic $12/team member/mo billed yearly ($15 monthly) | Free trial | October 29, 2026 |
| LiveAgent Checked by Vetteroo | Help desk with chat and calls | Support teams that want chat, email and phone in one help desk | Small $15/agent/mo (offer; regular $19) | Free trial | October 29, 2026 |
| LiveChat Checked by Vetteroo | Chat for sales and support teams | Sales and support teams that want live chat with AI help on their website | $19 per user/mo billed annually (Essential) | Free trial | October 26, 2026 |
| Olark Checked by Vetteroo | Simple human chat | Businesses that want simple human live chat | About $29/agent/mo | Check current trial | October 30, 2026 |
| Online Chat Centers Checked by Vetteroo | Basic human chat | Small sites wanting cheap live chat | Free (1 operator); Premium $5/mo; Enterprise $50/mo | Free plan | October 29, 2026 |
| tawk.to Checked by Vetteroo | Free human chat | Small businesses that want free live chat | Free; branding removal $29/mo | Free plan | October 30, 2026 |
| Tidio Checked by Vetteroo | Chat plus AI chatbot | Small online stores that want live chat plus an AI agent | Free; Starter from $24.17/mo See price | Free plan; 7-day free trial | October 26, 2026 |
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How we checked
We checked each tool's pricing page, free plan limits and trial terms on the date shown. We compare features and costs; we didn't run response-time tests.
Our reviews
Provide Support Vetteroo Our Pick
Live chat software for websites.
Read more →ReviewChaport Checked by Vetteroo
Live chat and chatbot software for small business websites.
Read more →ReviewChatra Checked by Vetteroo
Live chat and chatbots for small online stores.
Read more →ReviewHelpCrunch Checked by Vetteroo
Live chat, help desk, knowledge base and chatbot software.
Read more →ReviewLiveAgent Checked by Vetteroo
Help desk with live chat, email, calls and social messages in one inbox.
Read more →ReviewLiveChat Checked by Vetteroo
Live chat software for websites.
Read more →ReviewOlark Checked by Vetteroo
Live chat software.
Read more →ReviewOnline Chat Centers Checked by Vetteroo
Low-cost live chat software for websites.
Read more →Reviewtawk.to Checked by Vetteroo
Free live chat software.
Read more →ReviewTidio Checked by Vetteroo
Live chat and AI chatbot.
Read more →Related pages
- Part of Customer support software.
Being listed here isn’t a recommendation. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our disclosure.
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