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Live chat software · 14 alternatives

LiveChat alternatives: 14 compared

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 22, 2026 · Updated October 22, 2026

Teams look past LiveChat when the pricing page now sells Text plans in place of the old Starter, Team and Business tiers, when every answering person needs a paid seat, or when they want a free plan. Most go to Crisp, Tidio or Freshchat for cheaper entry plans, and to Chatwoot for hosting control.

Short answer: The closest replacements for LiveChat in our live chat software ranking are Crisp, Tidio and Freshchat. Choose Crisp if your team is growing and you want one fixed workspace price instead of per-seat charges. All 14 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Live Chat Software in 2026, and each says where it differs from LiveChat and when LiveChat is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the established names follow in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

LiveChat at a glance

  • Headquarters: Poland
  • Pricing model: Per seat / month
  • Pricing: Seats billed per operator from $19 a month on annual terms, with higher tiers for routing and reporting; 14-day trial.
  • Free option: Free trial
  • Built for: Businesses staffing chat all day
  • Wrong for: Very small sites with little chat traffic should start on tawk.to or Crisp's free plan. Companies wanting chat and full ticketing in one product should look at Crisp or Freshchat.
  • Place in our ranking: #4 of 16
  • Website: livechat.com

Facts from our live chat software ranking, last checked October 22, 2026.

Why buyers look past LiveChat

  1. The pricing page now sells a different product

    New trials on livechat.com/pricing see Text plans: Essential at $19 and Growth at $79 per user a month on annual billing. Current customers keep their plan and price, and the old Starter, Team and Business tiers sit on a separate legacy page. Compare against whichever you hold.

  2. Every person who answers needs a seat

    Text prices per user and says every user who logs in to answer chats or tickets needs a seat. Ten users on Growth pay $790 a month with annual billing. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial without a card.

  3. Chat history and tickets are limited or sold apart

    Essential keeps conversation and file history for 60 days, and Growth keeps it without limit. On the legacy page, HelpDesk.com starts at $29 a month and KnowledgeBase at $49, both priced separately from the chat seat. AI resolutions are capped per month, 10 on Essential and 200 on Growth.

14 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 16-product ranking.

#AlternativeHeadquartersPricingKey differenceSwitch ifOur rank
1CrispFranceFlat per workspace; free planAll-in-one messaging inbox with flat workspace pricingyour team is growing and you want one fixed workspace price instead of per-seat charges#5
2TidioUnited StatesPer conversation volume; free trialChat and Lyro AI agent for small online storesyour team is small but your site is busy, and conversation volume suits you better than seats#6
3FreshchatUnited StatesPer agent / month; free planMessaging and chat from the Freshworks suiteyou want a free start for a team of up to ten and a path into a wider suite#11
4ChatwootUnited StatesOpen source + per agent cloud; open sourceOpen-source omnichannel chat and inboxyou want to host the data yourself and can spare engineering time to run it#10
5tawk.toUnited StatesFree + paid add-ons; free planFree chat widget with unlimited operatorscost is the main issue and a small branding line in the widget is acceptable#9
6Help ScoutUnited StatesPer user / month; free planShared inbox and help desk with Beacon chat widgetmost of your volume is email and chat is one channel among several#16
7LiveAgentSlovakiaPer agent / month; free trialChat, tickets and calls in one budget packageyou want tickets, chat and phone in one per-agent desk with AI included in the price#12
8SmartsuppCzech RepublicFlat monthly tiers; free planChat and AI shopping assistant for small storesyou run a small shop and want a free plan with chat on WhatsApp and Messenger#1
9Zoho SalesIQIndiaPer operator / month; free planVisitor tracking and sales chat from Zohoyou already use Zoho CRM or Desk and want visitor insight joined to those records#2
10Comm100CanadaPer agent / month; free trialCompliance-minded chat for regulated sectorsyou need quoted enterprise terms, many channels and a vendor sold on compliance#3
11OlarkUnited StatesFlat AI plan + per agent; free trialWebsite chat with an AI agent and human seatsyou want the AI to answer first at a fixed fee with no per-resolution meter#15
12ZendeskUnited StatesPer agent / month; free trialMessaging channel inside the Zendesk Suitechat is only part of a larger support operation with tickets, voice and reporting#8
13IntercomUnited StatesPer seat + per outcome; free trialMessenger with an AI agent at the frontyou want an AI agent to resolve chats and accept that cost follows outcomes#7
14GorgiasUnited StatesPer ticket volume; free trialEcommerce help desk with chat wired into the storeyou sell online and want chat costs to follow ticket volume#13

What each alternative does differently

1. Crisp

All-in-one messaging inbox with flat workspace pricing · France

Prices per workspace, not per seat: a free plan with two seats, Mini at $45 with four seats, Essentials at $95 with ten, and extra seats at $10 each. AI runs on included credits. Mini lists unlimited data retention, where LiveChat's Starter plan keeps chat history for 60 days.

Switch from LiveChat if your team is growing and you want one fixed workspace price instead of per-seat charges.

Pricing: Free plan with two seats, then flat monthly prices per workspace from $45 with four seats included; extra seats cost $10 a month each. (free plan)

Full review: #5 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Crisp →

2. Tidio

Chat and Lyro AI agent for small online stores · United States

Sized by billable conversations instead of seats. The free plan allows 50 conversations with ten seats, Starter is $24.17 a month for 100, Growth starts at $49.17. Lyro AI conversations and Flows visitors carry their own quotas, so a busy site climbs tiers even when the team stays small.

Switch from LiveChat if your team is small but your site is busy, and conversation volume suits you better than seats.

Pricing: Plans sized by billable conversations, entry around $24 a month billed annually; Lyro AI conversations priced separately; seven-day trial. (free trial)

Full review: #6 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Tidio →

3. Freshchat

Messaging and chat from the Freshworks suite · United States

A free plan for up to 10 agents with chat widget, shared inbox and email, then $19, $49 and $79 per agent billed annually. Freddy AI Agent sessions cost $49 per 100 after the first 500. It belongs to the Freshworks suite and is not a standalone chat tool.

Switch from LiveChat if you want a free start for a team of up to ten and a path into a wider suite.

Pricing: Free tier for up to 10 agents, then per-agent paid plans from $19 billed annually, with Freddy AI sessions in paid packs. (free plan)

Full review: #11 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Freshchat →

4. Chatwoot

Open-source omnichannel chat and inbox · United States

Open source under the MIT licence outside its enterprise directory, so you can self-host. Cloud plans run $0 for two agents (500 conversations, 30-day retention), then $19, $39 and $99 per agent. Self-hosting puts upgrades and backups on your own staff.

Switch from LiveChat if you want to host the data yourself and can spare engineering time to run it.

Pricing: Free to self-host; cloud plans per agent per month with a free tier for two agents and paid plans from $19. (open source)

Full review: #10 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Chatwoot →

5. tawk.to

Free chat widget with unlimited operators · United States

Chat, ticketing and a knowledge base are free as long as the Powered by tawk.to branding stays. The vendor charges $29 a month to remove it, from $29 a month for the AI Assist bot, and $1 an hour for hired live agents. The page documents no seat tiers.

Switch from LiveChat if cost is the main issue and a small branding line in the widget is acceptable.

Pricing: Free for chat, ticketing and knowledge base; paid add-ons for branding removal ($29/month), AI assist and hired operators billed hourly. (free plan)

Full review: #9 of 16 in our ranking · Visit tawk.to →

6. Help Scout

Shared inbox and help desk with Beacon chat widget · United States

An email-first shared inbox. Live chat and SMS arrive with Standard at $25 per user, then Plus at $45 and Pro at $75. A free plan covers five users and one inbox. The Envoy AI add-on costs $0.75 per resolution, with a three-month trial.

Switch from LiveChat if most of your volume is email and chat is one channel among several.

Pricing: Free plan for up to five users and 100 contacts a month; paid plans priced per user from $25 a month with live chat included, and AI Answers billed per resolution. (free plan)

Full review: #16 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Help Scout →

7. LiveAgent

Chat, tickets and calls in one budget package · Slovakia

A help desk before it is a chat tool. Starter is $15 per agent a month annually for up to five agents, Team $29 adds social channels and a call center, Business $49. The page states no AI fees on any plan. Enterprise is $3,999 a month for 80 agents.

Switch from LiveChat if you want tickets, chat and phone in one per-agent desk with AI included in the price.

Pricing: Per agent per month on annual billing: $15 for the small-business plan, $29 to add the call center and SLA rules, $49 for social channels such as WhatsApp and Instagram, $69 for enterprise; 30-day trial. (free trial)

Full review: #12 of 16 in our ranking · Visit LiveAgent →

8. Smartsupp

Chat and AI shopping assistant for small stores · Czech Republic

Seats are called operators. A free plan has one operator and 25 conversations a month; Solo is $17 for one, Plus $25 for three and Expert $83 for five or more, billed annually, with unlimited conversations on paid plans. The Mira AI agent is a separate plan.

Switch from LiveChat if you run a small shop and want a free plan with chat on WhatsApp and Messenger.

Pricing: Free plan for one operator and 25 conversations a month, then plans from $17 a month billed annually with a set number of operators each; the Mira AI agent is a separate plan from $16 a month for 100 conversations. (free plan)

Full review: #1 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Smartsupp →

9. Zoho SalesIQ

Visitor tracking and sales chat from Zoho · India

Tied to the Zoho suite and built around visitor tracking. The free plan has three operators, 100 chat sessions and 10,000 tracked visitors a month; Basic, Professional and Enterprise raise tracking to 50,000, 100,000 and 200,000 and are priced per operator. Amounts are not shown as plain text.

Switch from LiveChat if you already use Zoho CRM or Desk and want visitor insight joined to those records.

Pricing: Free plan with three operators and 100 chats a month, then per-operator tiers billed annually; 15-day trial. (free plan)

Full review: #2 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Zoho SalesIQ →

10. Comm100

Compliance-minded chat for regulated sectors · Canada

Per-agent live chat at $31 for Startup and $55 for Plus on annual billing ($39 and $69 monthly), with a 30-day trial and one licence per agent. Ultra, the AI Agent and ticketing across 12 channels are quoted. Screen sharing is reserved for Ultra.

Switch from LiveChat if you need quoted enterprise terms, many channels and a vendor sold on compliance.

Pricing: Operator seats from $31 a month billed annually, with enterprise plans quoted; 30-day trial. (free trial)

Full review: #3 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Comm100 →

11. Olark

Website chat with an AI agent and human seats · United States

A flat $400 a month, billed annually, covers an AI website agent with unlimited conversations and one human seat; extra seats are $29 each. Human-only chat is $29 per agent a month, above LiveChat's listed $19 entry seat, and comes with a 14-day trial.

Switch from LiveChat if you want the AI to answer first at a fixed fee with no per-resolution meter.

Pricing: A flat AI website agent plan at $400 a month billed annually, including one human seat, with extra seats at $29 per agent a month; a human-only chat plan costs $29 per agent; free trial. (free trial)

Full review: #15 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Olark →

12. Zendesk

Messaging channel inside the Zendesk Suite · United States

A support suite in which chat is one channel. On the Dutch pricing page Support Team at €19 per agent annually has no messaging, Suite Team at €55 adds messaging and live chat, and Suite Professional is €115. AI agents and routing rise with the tier.

Switch from LiveChat if chat is only part of a larger support operation with tickets, voice and reporting.

Pricing: Included in Zendesk Suite plans billed per agent (the entry Support plan has no messaging), with a few AI agent resolutions per agent each month and extra resolutions billed individually; 14-day trial. (free trial)

Full review: #8 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Zendesk →

13. Intercom

Messenger with an AI agent at the front · United States

Messenger and AI led. Every plan includes unlimited live chat; Essential starts at $19 per seat annually, Advanced is $85 and Expert $132. Fin AI Agent is billed from $0.99 per outcome, and Advanced and Expert include 20 and 50 free Lite seats.

Switch from LiveChat if you want an AI agent to resolve chats and accept that cost follows outcomes.

Pricing: Seat fees for human operators plus a charge per AI outcome, with the useful automation in tiers well above entry level. (free trial)

Full review: #7 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Intercom →

14. Gorgias

Ecommerce help desk with chat wired into the store · United States

Built for online stores and priced by ticket volume rather than seats. On monthly billing the helpdesk is $10 for 50 tickets (Starter) or $60 for 300 (Basic); the AI Agent is added at a separate price per automated interaction. It is the wrong tool outside retail.

Switch from LiveChat if you sell online and want chat costs to follow ticket volume.

Pricing: Monthly plans sized by billable tickets rather than agents, with chats counting toward the allowance, overage charged per ticket and the AI Agent charged per resolved conversation. (free trial)

Full review: #13 of 16 in our ranking · Visit Gorgias →

When LiveChat is still the right choice

LiveChat is still the right choice when your team answers live chat all day and wants a specialised operator tool. The vendor lists SOC 2 Type 2 audited security, 48 languages on Growth, an API and 24/7 support on all plans. Existing customers keep their plan and price, so there is no need to move.

What to expect when you switch from LiveChat

  1. Export the archive before you close the account

    The terms say that once closure is confirmed, access to the services is immediately disabled. Pull transcripts first. The help center names the Agent Chat API list_archives method for bulk transcripts, while the Archives screen sends one transcript at a time by email.

  2. Time the cancellation to the billing cycle

    Under the terms, a cancellation takes effect from the next subscription cycle, subscriptions renew automatically for terms of equal length, and no refunds are issued for unused time. Close before the renewal date and avoid starting a new annual term.

  3. Expect to rebuild widget and integrations

    The chat widget is a code snippet or a plugin for platforms such as WordPress, Shopify and Webflow, and Marketplace apps may carry their own fees. Remove the old snippet only after the new widget is live, and check which apps you used.

Questions and answers

Can I export my LiveChat chat history?

Yes, through the Agent Chat API, whose list_archives method returns the chats an agent can access. The Archives screen sends single transcripts to an email address. Bulk work needs the API, which allows 10,000 calls a month on Essential and 20,000 on Growth.

What happens to my data when I cancel LiveChat?

Access is disabled as soon as closure is confirmed, according to the terms. An older help article says data stays on the servers and can be requested from support from the account email. Treat that article as dated and export first.

Does LiveChat refund unused time?

No. The terms state that no refunds, credits or set-offs are issued for unused services or early termination before the end of the subscription period. Monthly plans have no long-term contract, and annual plans can be adjusted or cancelled at renewal.

Will my LiveChat price change at renewal?

The terms say that on automatic renewal the standard rates apply unless agreed otherwise, and promotions and discounts do not carry over. The pricing page says current customers keep their plan and price. Ask for the renewal rate in writing before the date.

Is there a free LiveChat plan?

No. The pricing page offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card and no free plan. Free chat exists elsewhere: tawk.to, Crisp with two seats, Tidio with 50 conversations, Freshchat for up to ten agents and Chatwoot with two agents.

Is LiveChat now called Text?

The company is. LiveChat Software S.A. was renamed Text S.A. in September 2023, and the about page lists LiveChat, ChatBot, HelpDesk, KnowledgeBase and OpenWidget as products. Check your invoice for the name of the contracting company.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about LiveChat on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 22, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page here; research and drafting are AI-assisted. Last reviewed October 22, 2026. How we review.