Live chat software is an excellent tool for providing real-time support, significantly enhancing the customer experience while boosting sales. By implementing live chat on your website, you can offer immediate assistance during business hours, ensuring that customers receive timely and helpful responses. Outside these hours, the chat function can seamlessly convert into a contact form, providing 24/7 availability and continuous customer engagement.
One of the standout features of live chat software is its ability to generate comprehensive reports and analytics. These insights offer a clear view of the customer journey, helping you understand their needs and preferences. Additionally, the data can reveal the efficiency and effectiveness of your support and sales teams, allowing for informed decisions to improve performance.
The best live chat software serves your customers effectively and enhances your agents’ productivity. This guide delves into the workings of live chat solutions, outlining their numerous benefits. It also provides a detailed overview of the top live chat software options available, catering to businesses of all sizes and ensuring you find the perfect fit for your needs
What is live chat software?
A comprehensive live chat solution enables you to seamlessly integrate a chat widget into your website or app, allowing visitors and customers from around the globe to connect with your sales and support teams in just seconds. The chat interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly for both agents and customers, resembling popular communication platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Live chat tools go beyond facilitating real-time conversations. They can be configured to send automated messages when no support agents are available. This feature directs visitors to your FAQ documentation or prompts them to leave a message, assuring them that their inquiries will be addressed during business hours. Additionally, many live chat platforms offer the flexibility for customers to continue their chat sessions via email, eliminating the need to stay connected to the chat widget continuously. By leveraging a robust live chat solution, you enhance customer engagement, streamline support processes, and ensure that assistance is always within reach, regardless of the time or your team’s availability
7 Best Live Chat Software for a Small Business at a Glance
ThriveDesk
- Pricing: Starts at $25/month
- Key Features: Includes order processing, live chat, a knowledge base, surveys, and third-party integrations with platforms such as WooCommerce, EDD, Surecart, and Freemius.
Tidio Chat
- Pricing: Starts at $20/month (Free version available)
- Key Features: Offers product recommendations, live product cards, email marketing integration, third-party integrations, and predefined templates for bot creation.
Freshchat
- Pricing: Starts at $19/agent per month
- Key Features: Provides a freemium plan, AI-powered chatbots, and omnichannel communication capabilities.
LiveChat
- Pricing: Starts at $20 per agent/month
- Key Features: Known for being feature-rich, it includes robust reporting and analytics tools and integrations with various marketing platforms.
Help Scout
- Pricing: Starts at $20/user per month
- Key Features: Offers a simple and affordable solution with a ticketing system included and a mobile app for on-the-go support.
Drift
- Pricing: Starts at $2,500/month, billed annually
- Key Features: Focuses on conversational marketing features, website visitor tracking, and chatbots for lead qualification.
Intercom
- Pricing: Starts at $39/seat per month
- Key Features: A powerful live chat and messaging platform, offering targeted messaging and chatbot capabilities.
7 Best Live Chat Software for Small Business In-Depth
ThriveDesk
ThriveDesk is an excellent choice for small businesses aiming to provide personalized, real-time customer support. It offers a robust live chat system integrated with a shared inbox, knowledge base, and omnichannel capabilities. Unlike conventional help desk software, ThriveDesk combines these features with advanced eCommerce integrations and AI-powered tools, creating a comprehensive support solution integration that allows agents to deliver personalized, context-rich assistance to customers throughout their post-purchase journey, addressing everything from order inquiries to returns. Such capabilities are crucial for small businesses, enabling faster issue resolution and enhancing customer satisfaction by centralizing customer information and conversations across various communication channels. With ThriveDesk, small businesses can offer the same high level of service as larger companies, ensuring that their size does not limit their ability to delight customers and maintain efficient support operations.
Key features of ThriveDesk
- Seamless eCommerce Integrations: Integrates smoothly with leading eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce, allowing agents to manage orders, shipping, cancellations, and more directly within the chat widget.
- WPPortal (Self-Service Customer Portal): Provides a self-service portal where customers can instantly access support, view order status, and track shipments, all from a single dashboard.
- Customizable Chat Widget: Features a customizable chat widget that offers a personalized customer experience, consistent with your brand’s image.
- -Real-Time Translation: Breaks down language barriers with real-time translation, making it easier to assist international customers.
- AI-powered Editor: Enhances communication by providing AI-powered corrections to help agents avoid errors and communicate more effectively.
- Shared Inbox: Includes a shared inbox and slash commands to streamline collaboration across different departments.
- Granular Analytics: Offers detailed analytics that provide actionable insights into common inquiries, resolution times, and agent performance.
Pros
- User-Friendly Platform: Designed with intuitiveness in mind, necessitating minimal training for users to navigate effectively.
- Enhanced Interactions: Features real-time translation, an AI-powered editor, and a shared inbox to facilitate personalized and efficient interactions between agents and customers.
- Empowering Self-Service Portal: Offers a self-service portal empowering customers to resolve queries independently, thereby decreasing agent workload and lowering company costs.
- Insightful Analytics: Provides granular analytics, furnishing valuable data insights that enable support optimization strategies.
- Flexible Pricing Plans: Presents competitive pricing options tailored to accommodate businesses of varying sizes and needs.
- Cons
1. Limited Integrations: Currently supports only a restricted number of integrations, potentially hindering businesses relying on diverse software tools.
2. Absence of Native Mobile Alerts: Lacks native mobile alert functionality, which could result in delayed response times for agents who rely on mobile devices for notifications.
Pricing
1. Starter Plan: Priced at $25 per month, includes 4 seats.
2. Plus Plan: Available at $49 per month, with 10 seats included.
Tidio Chat
Tidio Live Chat stands out as a web-based customer support platform tailored to empower small businesses. Offering accessible and budget-friendly live chat solutions, it facilitates real-time communication between businesses and website visitors. Tidio enables businesses to promptly respond to inquiries, alleviate concerns, and enhance overall customer satisfaction, thereby contributing to improved lead generation and fostering stronger customer relationships.
Key features of Tidio Chat
- Free Plan: Tidio provides a perpetual free plan, ideal for fledgling small businesses, allowing engagement with up to 50 website visitors monthly.
- Easy Installation and Use: Seamlessly integrates with popular website builders and requires minimal technical expertise for setup, ensuring accessibility for all users.
- Multiple Communication Channels: Offers live chat alongside email ticketing, providing a unified communication platform for efficient customer support.
- Customization Options: Allows customization of the chat widget to align with brand identity, ensuring a seamless and branded experience for visitors.
- Mobile App: Offers a dedicated mobile app, enabling users to manage chats and respond to inquiries on the go, enhancing flexibility and responsiveness.
- AI-powered Chatbots: Employs chatbots to automate routine tasks, address frequently asked questions, and qualify leads even beyond business hours, enhancing efficiency and customer engagement.
Pro
- Budget-Friendly Options: Tidio offers a free plan and affordable paid tiers, accommodating the budget constraints of numerous small businesses.
- User-Friendly Interface: The platform boasts an intuitive interface, making it accessible for anyone to set up and utilize, regardless of technical expertise.
- Diverse Communication Features: From live chat to email ticketing and chatbots, Tidio provides a comprehensive suite of features catering to various communication needs.
- Mobile App Connectivity: With its mobile app, businesses can remain connected and promptly respond to inquiries, even while away from their desks, ensuring uninterrupted customer support.
Cons
1. Limitations of Free Plan: The free plan imposes restrictions on website visitors and certain functionalities, necessitating upgrades for access to advanced features.
2. Integration Selection: While Tidio supports popular integrations, its selection might be smaller compared to platforms targeting enterprise users.
3 Customization Constraints: Advanced customization options may be limited, potentially posing challenges for businesses with more complex needs.
4. Reporting Discrepancies: Basic reporting is available in the free plan, but advanced analytics are reserved for paid subscriptions, limiting access to comprehensive data insights.
Pricing
1. Free Plan: Costs $0, providing basic features with no monthly charge.
2. Starter Plan: Priced at $20 per month, offering enhanced features suitable for small businesses.
3. Communicator Plan: Priced at $19 per seat per month, designed for teams requiring advanced communication tools.
4. Chatbots Plan: Costs $19 per month, focusing specifically on chatbot functionalities.
5. Chatbots & Communicator Bundle: Available at $19 per month for chatbots plus $19 per seat per month for the communicator plan, offering a combined solution for comprehensive communication needs.
6.Tidio+ Plan: Priced at $329 per month, providing an extensive feature set tailored for larger businesses or enterprise-level users.
Freshchat
Freshchat stands out as a contemporary live chat and messaging platform meticulously crafted for the sales and support teams of small businesses. Offering an intuitive interface, robust yet user-friendly features, and budget-friendly pricing, Freshchat empowers small teams to engage in meaningful conversations that not only delight customers but also propel business growth.
Key features of Freshchat:
- Multi-channel Engagement: Seamlessly interact with customers through various channels including web chat, email, phone, social media, and more.
- 24/7 AI Assistant: Utilize chatbots to automate tasks and provide uninterrupted support, ensuring assistance is available round-the-clock.
- Unified Inbox: Centralize all conversations, whether through live chat, email, phone, or social media, into one unified inbox for streamlined management.
- Customized Branding: Personalize the live chat widget to reflect your brand identity, enhancing the overall customer experience.
- Mobile Accessibility: Stay connected and manage chats on the go with the mobile app, ensuring responsiveness and flexibility.
- Performance Tracking: Access valuable insights into customer behavior and track key metrics using built-in analytics tools, facilitating informed decision-making and optimization strategies.
Pros
1. Seamless Collaboration: Effortlessly respond to queries and collaborate with your team directly within the app, promoting efficient communication and problem-solving.
2. Cost-Effective Solution: Provides excellent value for money, particularly as your business scales up, offering competitive pricing compared to rivals.
3. User-Friendly Interface: Boasts simplicity and intuitiveness, catering to users of all technical proficiencies, ensuring ease of use and accessibility for everyone.
Cons
- Restrictions on Free Plan: The free plan may come with limited features compared to paid options, potentially restricting access to certain functionalities.
- Lack of Advanced Features: Advanced features such as sophisticated chatbots or comprehensive reporting tools may not be available, placing it behind competitors offering more extensive capabilities.
- Limited Customization: Compared to advanced platforms, there may be fewer customization options available, potentially limiting the ability to tailor the platform to specific business needs.
Pricing:
1. Free Plan: Available at $0, offering basic features with no monthly charge.
2. Growth Plan: Priced at $19 per agent per month, billed annually, providing enhanced features suitable for growing businesses.
3. Pro Plan: Costs $49 per agent per month, billed annually, offering advanced features tailored for professional teams.
4. Enterprise Plan: Priced at $79 per agent per month, billed annually, providing a comprehensive suite of features designed for large-scale enterprises.
LiveChat
LiveChat are an intuitive customer service and live chat software crafted to enhance communication for small businesses with website visitors in real time. With its user-friendly interface, LiveChat facilitates direct conversations with customers on their website, leveraging customizable chat widgets to meet specific business need
Key features of LiveChat:
- Real-time Messaging: Engage in live chat conversations with customers directly on your website, facilitating immediate assistance and support.
- Team Inbox: Collaborate effectively by managing chats as a team through a shared inbox, ensuring seamless communication and efficient resolution of queries.
- Customizable Widgets: Personalize the design of chat boxes to align with your brand identity, enhancing the overall customer experience.
- Visitor Info: Gain valuable insights into visitor behavior by accessing information such as pages visited and other relevant data for each visitor, enabling personalized interactions.
- Mobile Apps: Stay connected and manage chats effortlessly on the go with dedicated iOS and Android apps, ensuring responsiveness and flexibility in customer support.
Pros
1. Trust through Fast Responses: Promptly responding to inquiries fosters trust and confidence in your business, enhancing the overall customer experience.
2. Engage Visitors at Peak Interest: Capitalize on moments of high interest by engaging visitors in real-time conversations, maximizing the potential for conversion and customer satisfaction.
3. Insightful Chat Transcripts: Gain valuable insights into visitor interests and behavior by reviewing chat transcripts and data, enabling personalized interactions and informed decision-making.
4. Intuitive Interface with Drag-and-Drop Widgets: Utilize an intuitive interface with Drag-and-drop widgets for seamless customization, ensuring ease of use and flexibility in designing chat features.
5. Competitive Pricing Tiers: Benefit from lower pricing tiers compared to other live chat tools, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
Cons
1. Limited Advanced Features on Lower Plans: Certain advanced features may only be accessible on higher-pricing plans, potentially limiting functionality for users on lower-tier plans.
2. Complex Interface and Features for Beginners: The interface and features may pose challenges for beginners due to their complexity, requiring a learning curve for optimal utilization.
3. Higher Costs for Advanced Plans: Advanced plans may incur higher expenses compared to competitors, particularly posing financial challenges for smaller businesses with tighter budgets.
4. Potential Lack of Emphasis on Real-time Chat Interactions: While offering chat capabilities, the platform may not prioritize real-time chat interactions to the same extent as some competitors, potentially impacting responsiveness and customer engagement.
Pricing
1. Starter Plan: Priced at $20 per agent per month, billed annually, offering essential features tailored for small-scale operations.
2Team Plan: Available at $41 per agent per month, billed annually, providing enhanced functionalities suitable for team collaboration and communication.
3. Business Plan: Costs $59 per agent per month, billed annually, offering comprehensive tools designed to meet the needs of growing businesses.
4. Enterprise Plan: Offers custom pricing tailored to the specific requirements of large-scale enterprises, providing a fully customizable solution to meet unique business demands.
Help Scout
Help Scout serves as a dedicated customer service platform crafted for small businesses prioritizing top-notch customer support. Through its integrated shared mailbox, help desk, and knowledge base software, Help Scout simplifies the process for small teams to provide personalized and effective email or in-app support, fostering meaningful interactions with customers.
key features of Help Scout:
- Effortless Setup: Begin operations within minutes using an intuitive interface, without the need for coding expertise.
- Multi-Agent Management: Simultaneously handle multiple chats to efficiently address customer inquiries and concerns.
- Real-time Chat and Ticketing: Engage with customers instantly via real-time chat or convert inquiries into tickets for future follow-up, ensuring prompt and comprehensive support.
- Canned Responses: Save time and streamline responses by utilizing pre-written answers to common questions.
- Chat History and Visitor Tracking: Access past conversations and monitor visitor behavior for enhanced insight and personalized interactions.
- Mobile App Connectivity: Stay connected with customers anytime, anywhere using the mobile app for agents, ensuring uninterrupted support even on the go.
Pros
1. Tailored Pricing for Small Businesses: Access budget-friendly pricing plans catered specifically to the needs of small businesses, ensuring affordability.
2. Efficient Handling of Inquiries: Seamlessly manage multiple inquiries simultaneously, facilitating quicker issue resolution and improved customer satisfaction.
3. Instant Support and Personalization: Provide immediate assistance and personalized attention to customers, enhancing the overall customer experience.
4. Lead Conversion Through Real-time Assistance: Convert website visitors into leads and sales by offering real-time assistance, maximizing opportunities for engagement and conversion.
5. Accessibility Without Technical Expertise: Require no technical expertise, making it ideal for businesses with limited resources to implement and utilize effectively.
Cons–
1. Limitations of Free Plan: The free plan provides only basic features and allows for one concurrent chat at a time, potentially limiting functionality for users.
2. User-Friendly Interface with Learning Curve: Although user-friendly, newcomers may require guidance to navigate some advanced features effectively.
3. Upgrade for Advanced Integrations: Access to advanced integrations with other platforms may necessitate upgrading to a paid plan, expanding functionality and capabilities for users
Pricing
1. Standard Plan: Priced at $25 per user per month when billed monthly, or $20 per user per month when billed annually, offering standard features.
2Plus Plan: Available at $50 per user per month when billed monthly, or $40 per user per month when billed annually, providing additional functionalities.
3. Pro Plan: Costs $65 per user per month when billed annually, offering advanced features and capabilities
Drift
Drift serves as a conversation-driven marketing and sales platform tailored to aid small businesses in engaging with website visitors instantly, qualifying leads, and accelerating deal closures. Through Drift, teams are equipped to foster genuine connections with customers, personalize their interactions, and propel business expansion
Key features of Drift:
- Chatbots: Automatically engage website visitors using AI-powered chatbots, providing answers to inquiries and qualifying leads around the clock.
- Live Chah: Connect with website visitors in real-time, facilitating interactions such as scheduling meetings and addressing complex queries directly.
- Video Chat: Strengthen relationships with website visitors and prospects through face-to-face video calls, fostering deeper connections.
- Meeting Booking: Simplify scheduling processes by enabling website visitors to book meetings directly through the chat window.
- Conversational Marketing: Deliver targeted messages and personalize the website experience based on visitor behavior, enhancing engagement and conversion.
- Analytics & Reporting: Access insights into conversations, website visitor behavior, and team performance, aiding in strategic decision-making and optimization.
Pros
1. Simplified Setup and Usage: Offers ease of setup and usability, ensuring a hassle-free experience for users.
2. Cost-Effective Pricing Options for Small Businesses: Provides affordable pricing plans tailored to the needs of small businesses, ensuring accessibility.
3. Efficient Time Management: Saves time by automating repetitive tasks and automatically qualifying leads, enhancing productivity.
4. Personalized and Immediate Support: Delivers personalized and real-time support to website visitors, fostering positive customer experiences.
5. Enhanced Lead Capture and Conversion: Assists in capturing more leads and converting them into paying customers, facilitating business growth and success.
Cons
1. Limitations of Free Plan: Although a free plan is available, it comes with fewer features and certain limitations compared to paid options.
2. Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Utilizing advanced features to their fullest potential may necessitate some learning and familiarity with the platform.
Pricing
- Premium Plan: Priced at $2,500 per month when billed annually, offering advanced features and capabilities.
- Advanced Plan: Offers custom pricing tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of businesses.
- Enterprise Plan: Provides custom pricing options designed to accommodate the unique demands of large-scale enterprises, offering a fully customizable solution
Intercom
Intercom serves as a versatile customer messaging platform, allowing businesses to engage with customers through various channels like chat, email, and in-app messaging. With Intercom, businesses can seamlessly manage conversations with users through a unified interface, ensuring efficient communication and support
Key features of Intercom:
- Live Chat: Interact with website visitors and provide real-time assistance by answering their questions promptly.
- Targeted Messaging: Deliver personalized messages tailored to user behavior and website activity, enhancing engagement and conversion.
- Chatbots: Automate responses to common inquiries, allowing your team to focus on addressing more complex issues.
- Helpdesk: Efficiently manage customer support tickets and streamline the resolution process to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Product Tours and Announcements: Guide new users through your product and share important updates, ensuring they have a seamless experience.
- Data & Reporting: Access insights into customer behavior and track the performance of your communication efforts, enabling informed decision-making.
- Integrations: Seamlessly connect Intercom with your existing tools and CRM system, optimizing workflow and enhancing efficiency.
Pros
- Unified Communication Platform: Streamlines communication by consolidating all features in one centralized location.
- Intuitive Interface: Facilitates quick onboarding for teams with its user-friendly interface, enabling swift adoption.
- Scalability: Adapts to the growing needs of your business and expanding customer base, ensuring flexibility and continuity.
- Multi-channel Accessibility: Provides multiple channels for customers to reach out, enhancing accessibility and convenience.
- Message Customization: Allows for personalized messaging tailored to individual customer needs, fostering stronger connections.
- Customer Insights: Assists in understanding customer behavior and refining campaigns through valuable insights, driving improvement and growth.
Cons
1. Limitations of Free Plan: The free plan provides basic features with restricted functionalities compared to paid options.
2. Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Mastery of advanced features may entail a learning process and necessitate training to maximize their potential.
3. Additional Costs for Third-party Integration: Integration with third-party tools may result in extra fees, impacting overall expenses.
Pricing
1. Essential Plan: Priced at $39 per seat per month, offering essential features tailored for basic business needs.
2. Advanced Plan: Available at $99 per seat per month, providing enhanced functionalities suitable for more advanced requirements.
3. Expert Plan: Costs $139 per seat per month, offering comprehensive tools and capabilities designed for expert-level usage
FAQs
Q: What is live chat software?
A: Live chat software enables businesses to integrate chat widgets into their websites or apps, allowing visitors and customers to connect with sales and support teams in real-time. It resembles popular communication platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, offering an intuitive interface for both agents and customers.
Q: What are the benefits of using live chat software?
A: Live chat software provides immediate assistance during business hours, enhances customer experience, boosts sales, and ensures 24/7 availability through contact form conversion outside business hours. Additionally, it generates comprehensive reports and analytics, offering insights into customer behavior and team performance.
Q: How can live chat software improve productivity?
A: Live chat software not only serves customers effectively but also enhances agent productivity. It streamlines support processes, automates repetitive tasks, and qualifies leads automatically, saving time and effort for agents. Moreover, it fosters meaningful customer interactions, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction levels.
Q: What features should I look for in live chat software?
A: When choosing live chat software, consider features such as multi-channel engagement, AI-powered chatbots, customizable widgets, real-time chat and ticketing, mobile app accessibility, and analytics and reporting capabilities. These features ensure efficient communication, personalized support, and actionable insights for business optimization.
Q: How do I select the right live chat software for my business?
A: To select the right live chat software, evaluate your business needs, budget, and scalability requirements. Choose a solution that offers the features and pricing plans suitable for your business size and goals. Additionally, prioritize user-friendly interfaces and integration options to maximize usability and efficient
Conclusion
Live chat software stands out as an invaluable asset for small businesses striving to elevate their customer support and bolster sales performance. With its ability to deliver instant assistance, personalized interactions, and in-depth analytics, live chat software empowers businesses to effectively engage with customers and enrich their overall journey. Given the diverse range of options available, businesses have the flexibility to select the ideal live chat solution that aligns with their specific requirements, financial considerations, and growth aspirations. Whether opting for ThriveDesk, Tidio Chat, Freshchat, LiveChat, Help Scout, Drift, or Intercom, each platform offers distinct features and advantages tailored to enhance communication, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. By making the right investment in live chat software, small businesses can cultivate stronger connections with customers, optimize support workflows, and thrive amidst the competitive landscape of today’s market.
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