Best live chat software in 2026: 10 tools compared, free plans included
Muhammad Hassan, FounderLinkedIn
Published Updated
The best live chat software for most small businesses is a tool with a free plan and an AI agent you can add later: Tidio, Crisp, Freshchat, JivoChat, Smartsupp and tawk.to all offer one. Text (LiveChat) and LiveAgent suit teams that want a polished paid product with a trial. HiQBot suits businesses whose customers chat on WhatsApp, Instagram and other messaging apps as much as on the website.
We make HiQBot, so read this list knowing that. Every channel, feature and price below comes from each vendor's own pricing page, read on 31 October 2026; HiQBot's comes from our live pricing the same day. We did not run a support team on the other nine. Prices and offers change, so check the linked page before you buy.
The short answer
- Freshchat, for the most generous free plan we found: up to 10 agents.
- tawk.to, for free live chat on a website with no seat limit stated, paying only for AI or to remove branding.
- Tidio or Smartsupp, for a small store that wants live chat and an AI agent on one modest bill.
- Crisp, for many channels, including Telegram and LINE, priced per workspace instead of per seat.
- Text (LiveChat), for a polished website chat with an AI agent and ticketing, priced per user.
- LiveAgent, for live chat inside a full help desk with email and calls.
- HubSpot, for teams already on HubSpot's free CRM.
- HiQBot, for live chat across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and LINE with an AI agent answering first.
The best live chat software side by side
| Tool | Free plan | Channels named | AI | Lowest paid price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text (LiveChat) | No; 14-day trial, no card | Website, in-app, Messenger, SMS | AI Agent, AI Copilot | $19 per user a month billed annually |
| tawk.to | Yes, free forever | Website widget | AI Assist (paid) | $29 a month for AI Assist or no branding |
| Tidio | Yes | Website, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, email | Lyro AI Agent | $24.17 a month (100 billable conversations) |
| Crisp | Yes, 2 seats, no AI credits | Chat widget; email, social, WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE on paid plans | Hugo AI agent | $45 a month per workspace with 4 seats |
| Freshchat | Yes, up to 10 agents | Web and mobile chat, email; WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, LINE, SMS from Growth | Freddy AI Agent ($49 per 100 sessions) | $19 per agent a month billed annually |
| HubSpot | Yes, inside the free CRM | Website chat | Chatbot builder | No price on the live chat page |
| LiveAgent | No; 30-day trial | Live chat, email; social, WhatsApp, Telegram, calls from Team | AI agents, AI chatbot | $11 per agent a month billed annually (offer price) |
| JivoChat | Yes, 5 agents | Website, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Viber; WhatsApp paid | AI Agent, AI assistant | $28 per agent a month billed annually |
| Smartsupp | Yes, 1 operator, 25 conversations a month | Live chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, email | Mira AI Agent | $17 a month billed annually |
| HiQBot | No; 7-day trial with a card | Website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, LINE | Industry-tuned AI agent | $139 a month with live chat for 2 agents ($49 AI-only plan) |
Free live chat for your website
Seven of the ten have a free plan, and the limits are what separate them. Freshchat allows up to 10 agents. JivoChat allows 5. Crisp allows 2 seats with no AI credits. Smartsupp allows 1 operator and 25 conversations a month. tawk.to calls its plan free forever and charges for AI and for removing its branding. Tidio and HubSpot both list free plans as well.
Free live chat software for websites is a good way to learn what your visitors ask. Expect to pay once you want an AI agent, more channels or more people answering.
Six things to check before you choose live chat software
- Channels beyond the website: WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger are often on higher plans or extra.
- The billing unit: per agent, per user, per workspace or per conversation.
- Whether an AI agent can answer first, and how it is charged: per session, per conversation or included.
- How a chat moves from the AI to a person, and whether the person sees the whole thread.
- Routing: can chats go to the right person by team, topic or workload?
- What happens outside working hours: an offline form, a ticket, or an AI that keeps answering.
The ten best live chat apps and tools
Text (LiveChat)
LiveChat now sells as Text: live chat with an AI Agent, AI Copilot, a shared inbox and ticketing, on the website, in-app, Messenger and SMS, with Instagram and WhatsApp available through its marketplace. There is no free plan; the trial runs 14 days without a card. Essential is $19 per user a month billed annually ($25 monthly). A strong choice for website-first support teams.
tawk.to
Free live chat software for websites, with a pricing page that explains why it is free. AI Assist, an AI chatbot for the website, or removing tawk.to branding costs $29 a month, and the company also sells human chat agents by the hour. Its page lists social and SMS messaging as coming soon. Best for a website that needs chat today at no cost.
Tidio
Live chat, ticketing, the Lyro AI Agent and a visual Flows builder, with Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and email. Free plan available; Starter is $24.17 a month for 100 billable conversations. Best for small online stores.
Crisp
A support suite with an AI agent called Hugo. Free with 2 seats and no AI credits; Mini is $45 a month per workspace with 4 seats, and paid plans add email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram, LINE and more. Best for teams that want many channels without paying per seat.
Freshchat
Free for up to 10 agents with web and mobile chat, a shared inbox and email. Growth, at $19 per agent a month billed annually, adds WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, LINE and SMS, and the Freddy AI Agent costs $49 per 100 sessions. Best for a growing team that wants to start free.
HubSpot
Free live chat and a chatbot builder inside HubSpot's free CRM, with notifications in Slack and the HubSpot mobile app. The live chat page shows no price. Best for teams that want chats and contacts in HubSpot.
LiveAgent
A help desk with live chat, AI agents and an AI chatbot. Starter covers email and live chat; Team adds Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, X and calls. On 31 October 2026 Starter showed at $11 per agent a month billed annually as a special offer running to 22 November 2026 (regular $15). Best for teams that want chat, email and calls in one desk.
JivoChat
Live chat and messaging with an AI Agent. The free plan includes 5 agents and website chat, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram and Viber; WhatsApp is a paid module. Basic is $28 per agent a month billed annually. Best for small teams on social channels.
Smartsupp
Live chat and a multichannel inbox with the Mira AI Agent. Free for 1 operator and 25 conversations a month with live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger; Solo is $17 a month billed annually, and the Mira AI Agent is $16 a month for 100 conversations. Best for very small stores.
HiQBot
Live chat and an AI agent in one inbox for website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram and LINE. You choose per channel whether the AI answers first, your team answers everything, or the AI hands over when it should, with the whole thread attached. Live chat with two agents starts at $139 a month; the $49 plan runs the AI agent alone, with no live chat seats (our live pricing, 31 October 2026). Best for businesses whose customers write on messaging apps.
Where HiQBot fits, and its limits
HiQBot is the best live chat for a website and messaging apps together, when you want the AI to take the first reply and your team to take over in the same thread. Each channel can also run as live chat only, with no AI.
- No free plan; the trial is 7 days and needs a card.
- Live chat seats start on the $139 plan, so it is not the cheapest way to add a chat box to a website.
- No email, SMS or phone as chat channels, and no canned responses for agents.
If you only need website chat for one or two people, a free plan from Freshchat, tawk.to or Crisp is the better start. For AI-first options, see our guides to customer service chatbots and AI chatbot platforms.
Common questions
What is the best live chat software?
For a small team, Freshchat, Tidio, Crisp or Smartsupp, all with free plans. For a polished paid website chat, Text (LiveChat). For chat, email and calls in one desk, LiveAgent. For messaging apps alongside the website, HiQBot.
Is there free live chat software for websites?
Yes. On 31 October 2026, Freshchat, tawk.to, Tidio, Crisp, HubSpot, JivoChat and Smartsupp all listed free plans. Limits differ: Freshchat allows 10 agents, JivoChat 5, Crisp 2 and Smartsupp 1 operator.
What is the best live chat app for a small business?
One with a free plan and room to grow: Freshchat for more agents, Smartsupp or Tidio for a small store, Crisp for many channels. Add an AI agent once you know the questions visitors ask most.
How much does live chat software cost?
From free to around $30 per agent a month for the paid plans we read, with AI usually charged separately, for example $49 per 100 Freddy sessions on Freshchat. Workspace pricing such as Crisp's $45 a month for 4 seats can work out cheaper for small teams.
Can live chat software work on WhatsApp and Instagram?
Many tools now connect them, often on higher plans or as add-ons. Check the plan you would buy: on the pages we read, Freshchat adds them on Growth, LiveAgent on Team, and JivoChat charges for WhatsApp as a module.