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10 Best Live Chat Software Of 2024

Contributor
Staff Reviewer

Reviewed

Updated: Mar 23, 2024, 3:27pm

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

It’s no secret that live chat software is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. In today’s digital age, customers expect companies to be available 24/7 to answer their questions and resolve any issues they may have. That’s where software for live chats comes in—it allows businesses to provide customer support around the clock, without having to hire additional staff. In this article, we will rank the best live chat software of 2024 based on our findings from extensive research.

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The Best Live Chat Software of 2024


Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business

The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content and guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.

We reviewed several chart software providers using a detailed methodology to help you find the 10 best live chat software for small businesses. Our ratings consider factors, such as pricing, general features, reviews and recognition by actual users of the software and a final analysis by our panel of experts. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.


Best for Small Businesses

Smartsupp

Smartsupp
4.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

Free; $19.50 per month for unlimited chats

Custom Branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

with premium plans

Smartsupp

Free; $19.50 per month for unlimited chats

Yes

Yes

with premium plans

Editor's Take

Smartsupp is a live chat software that is best for small businesses. It offers a vast range of features, such as the ability to brand the chat box with your company’s logo, as well as unlimited websites and integrations with a variety of platforms. Customers can also engage with live agents through a visitor list or automatic messages.

Smartsupp offers team statistics and the ability to block visitors. The live chat software is mobile-ready and allows for advanced customization through its chat box API. One of the standout features of Smartsupp is its compatibility with dynamic or JavaScript-heavy websites. This ensures that you won’t miss a beat in providing customer support.

Who should use it:

Smartsupp is an ideal live chat software for small businesses that are looking for a comprehensive solution.

Pros & Cons
  • Free plan allows up to 100 conversations per month
  • Unlimited conversations cost $19.50 per month
  • Communicate via live chat, email and Facebook Messenger
  • No way to reach out to customers when a chat drops
  • Limited support hours, and none for its free plan

Best for E-Commerce

LiveChat

LiveChat
4.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

$20 per month

per agent (billed annually)

Custom Branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

LiveChat

$20 per month

per agent (billed annually)

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

LiveChat is best for businesses that want to improve their customer service. It offers 24/7 support, making it easy for businesses to get the help they need. This software is customizable, efficient and secure thanks to security features such as credit card masking and two-step verification. It also offers a wide range of integrations, making it easy for businesses to connect with their customers.

LiveChat is perfect for e-commerce businesses that want to increase their sales and engagement. This is because it offers features such as automated greetings, a sales tracker, proactive chats and mobile chat windows.

Who should use it:

Businesses that want to improve their customer service should use LiveChat.

Pros & Cons
  • Chat transfers available with all plans
  • Automated follow-ups
  • Set agent role with every plan
  • 14-day free trial
  • Sales tracker
  • No free plan
  • Expensive for businesses with multiple agents
  • HIPAA compliance only available under Enterprise plan

Best for Ease of Use

Olark

Olark
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

Free; $29 per month per seat

Custom Branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

Olark

Free; $29 per month per seat

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

Olark is a great live chat software for businesses because it offers a wide range of features and customization options. You can use Olark to collect pre-chat visitor consent, redact visitor data from transcripts and encrypt all data with AES symmetric encryption.

Olark has advanced reporting options, which allow you to view chat volume, agent activity and other metrics in real time. You can also use Olark to create agent groups, limit the number of chats per agent and use chat shortcuts. Additionally, Olark offers customer satisfaction surveys and proactive chat options.

Who should use it:

Businesses of all sizes that are looking for easy-to-use live chat software should use Olark.

Pros & Cons
  • Offers a free account option
  • Free 14-day trial on premium plans
  • Unlimited domains and subdomains
  • ADA compliant
  • Premium plans are more expensive than competitors
  • Add-on features are pricey
  • Its free account has even fewer features compared to its competition

Best for Sales and Marketing

HubSpot

HubSpot
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

Free

Custom Branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

HubSpot
Learn More Arrow

Read Forbes' Review

Free

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

HubSpot is best for sales and marketing teams that want to provide top-notch customer support. HubSpot’s features include custom branding, team collaboration, conversation management and integration with other software.

What sets HubSpot apart is its focus on sales and marketing. If your team is looking for live chat software that will help them close more deals and provide excellent customer service, then HubSpot is ideal. Choose from its free live chat tools or select any of its more robust all-in-one suite of solutions.

Learn more: Read our full Hubspot review.

Who should use it:

HubSpot is best for sales and marketing teams that want to provide cutting-edge customer support.

Pros & Cons
  • Live chat is available for free
  • Include chatbots
  • Integrates with a whole host of HubSpot and third-party solutions
  • Set chat office hours
  • There are so many solutions, it’s not easy to choose the best plan for your needs
  • Must have a paid plan for marketing automation

Best for Startups

Intercom

Intercom
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

$39

per month

Custom Branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

Intercom

$39

per month

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

Intercom is best known for its live chat software, which offers businesses human support as well as the ability to chat with customers in real time. The software includes reporting tools so businesses can track the outcomes of their interactions. Intercom’s chatbots are also highly advanced and can be used to qualify leads and route them to the appropriate sales representative.

The software integrates with a wide range of other tools, making it easy for businesses to connect with their customers wherever they are. Intercom also offers a number of features to help businesses scale without having to add more staff, such as a shared inbox and conversation routing bot.

Who should use it:

Businesses that want to improve their customer support and scale their operations should use Intercom.

Pros & Cons
  • 14-day free trial
  • Offers startup pricing for early-stage companies
  • Integrates with more than 250 apps and third-party tools
  • Customize messenger logo
  • Does not offer a free plan
  • Expensive compared to alternatives
  • Product tour add-on is pricey

Best for Scalable Customer Support

Zendesk

Zendesk
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

$19 per agent per month (billed annually)

Custom branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

Zendesk
Learn More Arrow

On Zendesk's Website

$19 per agent per month (billed annually)

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

Zendesk’s pricing plans cater to a wide range of business needs, starting from $19 per month for foundational support to $99 per agent per month for a professional suite (billed annually). Each plan offers a unified agent workspace, standard bots and easy-to-set-up automations and workflows. As businesses grow, Zendesk’s more advanced plans include AI-powered automated answers, additional data storage and an increased rate limit on APIs. Zendesk is great for any business looking to grow its customer support in the future.

Additionally, Zendesk provides a wealth of resources and support for its users. Online support from the Zendesk team, onboarding and adoption guidance and access to over 1,000 apps and integrations ensure that businesses can make the most of their investment in Zendesk’s live chat software. Furthermore, Zendesk’s advanced plans offer customizable ticket layouts, service level agreement (SLA) management, multilingual support and content, making it an adaptable solution for businesses with diverse customer bases.

Learn more: Read our full Zendesk review.

Who should use it:

Zendesk is best for businesses that anticipate growth and need a live chat solution that can adapt to their expanding customer support needs.

Pros & Cons
  • Scalable pricing and features to suit businesses of all sizes
  • Ticketing system and messaging capabilities
  • Automations and workflows
  • 1,000-plus apps and integrations available
  • Robust APIs and customizable ticket layouts in advanced plans
  • Multilingual support and content
  • Advanced features only available in higher-priced plans
  • Some users may find the initial setup and customization process overwhelming

Best for Collaboration Tools

Social Intents

Social Intents
4.2
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

$39 per month for three agents (billed annually)

Custom branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

Social Intents

$39 per month for three agents (billed annually)

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

Social Intents is an excellent live chat software for businesses that want seamless integration with their existing collaboration tools. This live chat solution is designed to work effortlessly with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom and Webex, allowing your team to engage with customers directly from the platforms they already use every day. The software enables teams to respond quickly to customer inquiries without switching between apps, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and fostering stronger customer relationships.

Social Intents offers various pricing plans, starting from $39 per month (billed annually) for the Starter plan to $199 per month (billed annually) for the Business plan. Each plan includes customizable chat widgets, team members and third-party integrations with CRM, ticketing and lead systems. More advanced plans offer additional features such as message shortcuts, ChatGPT and Dialogflow chatbots, cross-team chat transfers and real-time auto-translation.

Who should use it:

This live chat software is ideal for small businesses, entrepreneurs, marketers and teams already using Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom or Webex for their daily communication and collaboration. With a 14-day free trial and a 100% no-risk guarantee, businesses can test the platform’s features before making a commitment.

Pros & Cons
  • Integrations with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom and Webex
  • Easy setup and implementation in just minutes
  • Customizable chat widgets and targeting rules
  • Unlimited team members and scalable chat conversations per month
  • Third-party integrations with CRM, ticketing and lead systems
  • 14-day free trial
  • 100% no-risk guarantee
  • Limited chat conversations per month in lower-tier plans
  • Some features, such as chatbots and real-time auto-translation, are only available in higher-tier plans

Best for Multichannel Support

Acquire

Acquire
4.1
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

$390 per month (billed annually)

Custom branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

Acquire

$390 per month (billed annually)

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

Acquire is a powerful customer support platform that provides a unified and integrated solution for live chat, video, voice and SMS interactions. It offers businesses the ability to customize and automate workflows, manage prioritizations and queues, and seamlessly switch between communication channels. Acquire’s features include a chat widget, one- and two-way video calls, SLA alerts and comprehensive reporting.

The platform’s unique Business Rules capability allows for sophisticated support workflows that can direct customer interactions to the most appropriate agents, departments or channels. Furthermore, it boasts a translation feature supporting more than 25 languages, ensuring customer interactions are not hindered by language barriers.

Who should use it:

Acquire is best suited for businesses looking for a comprehensive, multichannel customer support solution. This platform is particularly useful for businesses with a global clientele, given its multilingual support feature. It’s also an excellent fit for businesses that need to automate and customize their customer support workflows to optimize resource allocation and improve customer service efficiency.

Pros & Cons
  • Unified customer support across different channels
  • Customizable and automated routing of inquiries using Business Rules
  • Supports translation into 25-plus languages
  • Multitasking capability allows agents to handle multiple conversations simultaneously
  • Seamless integration with existing workflows and platforms
  • It’s expensive
  • Some features, such as the bot and additional channels, are listed as “coming soon,” which may affect the immediate usability for some customers

Best for Help Desk

ClickDesk

ClickDesk
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

Free; $14.99 per agent per month

Custom branding

Yes

Chatbots

Yes

ClickDesk

Free; $14.99 per agent per month

Yes

Yes

Editor's Take

ClickDesk is a comprehensive customer support solution that aims to improve customer interactions and engagement through multiple channels. This platform provides live chat software, help desk support and social media integration, ensuring that businesses can connect with their customers effectively.

Its key features include real-time visitor tracking, proactive chat greetings and pre-chat surveys, which provide businesses with the necessary information about their customers even before initiating a conversation. It also provides cross-platform support and is available in over 90 languages.

ClickDesk has a live map feature, allowing businesses to gain a comprehensive understanding of their web visitors. It also offers keystroke previews, enabling businesses to anticipate customer queries and respond more efficiently. This platform provides off-line support as well, automatically directing off-line chats to the built-in help desk for easy ticket handling.

You can also video chat with customers, allowing for more personalized support. Its HelpDesk software comes integrated with the live chat tool, helping businesses stay on top of their customer issues and queries. Mobile support is also included, with a streamlined Android app for on-the-go customer interaction management.

Who should use it:

ClickDesk is perfect for businesses that want to give top-notch customer service with instant messaging, email and social media. The platform is also beneficial for companies looking to enhance their customer support with video chat and mobile support capabilities.

Pros & Cons
  • Real-time visitor tracking
  • Has a free option
  • Cross-platform support and available in over 90 languages, making it ideal for businesses with
  • international customer bases
  • Includes video chat software
  • Mobile support with its app
  • Keystroke preview feature allows businesses to anticipate customer queries
  • App only available via Android
  • It might take some time for businesses to fully use and navigate through all the features
  • The interface could be improved for a more streamlined user experience

Best for Sales Teams

Pure Chat

Pure Chat
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Pricing

$39 per month (paid annually)

Custom branding

Yes

Chatbots

no

Pure Chat

$39 per month (paid annually)

Yes

no

Editor's Take

Pure Chat stands out as a live chat software due to its integration of visitor analytics, contact history and trigger-based chat functionality. Its focus on data-driven customer interactions allows businesses to provide a personalized experience throughout the customer life cycle. The affordability of Pure Chat, without per-user or per-contact fees, makes it an attractive option for businesses seeking a cost-effective solution.

Its ease of use, customizable chat widget and compatibility with popular software products and over 1,000 applications via Zapier integration contribute to its appeal. Moreover, the availability of mobile apps for iOS and Android ensures that users can manage chat interactions on the go. Lastly, Pure Chat’s 30-day money-back guarantee offers users the confidence to try the software with no financial risks.

Who should use it:

Pure Chat is best suited for advanced sales and marketing teams seeking a comprehensive live chat solution that offers a balance between data-driven insights, affordability and customization.

It is ideal for businesses that require integration with popular marketing and analytics tools, as well as a wide range of other applications. While it may not be the best fit for smaller businesses or those with simpler needs, Pure Chat is an excellent option for organizations aiming to optimize every interaction with their website visitors using data and insights.

Pros & Cons
  • Full-featured live chat product with visitor analytics and contact history
  • Affordable pricing with no per-user or per-contact fees
  • Customizable chat widget
  • Integrates with popular software products and over 1,000 other applications through Zapier
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Limited to advanced sales and marketing teams, which may not cater to smaller businesses or those with simpler needs
  • The base plan only supports up to four users/operators, with additional users/operators incurring extra costs

Forbes Advisor Ratings

Company Forbes Advisor Rating Pricing Custom Branding Chatbots LEARN MORE
Smartsupp 4.6 4.5-removebg-preview-1 Free; $19.50 per month for unlimited chats Yes Yes, with premium plans View More
LiveChat 4.6 4.5-removebg-preview-1 $20 per month, per agent (billed annually) Yes Yes View More
Olark 4.5 4.5-removebg-preview-1 Free; $29 per month, per seat Yes Yes View More
HubSpot 4.5 4.5-removebg-preview-1 Free Yes Yes Learn More Read Forbes' Review
Intercom 4.3 4.5-removebg-preview-1 $74 per month Yes Yes View More
Zendesk 4.3 4.5-removebg-preview-1 $19 per agent per month (billed annually) Yes Yes Learn More On Zendesk's Website
Social Intents 4.2 4-removebg-preview $39 per month for three agents (billed annually) Yes Yes View More
Acquire 4.1 4-removebg-preview $390 per month (billed annually) Yes Yes View More
ClickDesk 4.0 4-removebg-preview Free; $14.99 per agent per month Yes Yes View More
Pure Chat 4.0 4-removebg-preview $39 per month (paid annually) Yes No View More

What Is Live Chat Software?

Live chat software enables businesses to communicate with website visitors in real time, answering questions, providing support and guiding them through the customer journey. These tools help businesses enhance customer service, increase sales conversion and build relationships with potential and existing customers. By offering instant assistance, live chat software helps resolve customer issues more efficiently and generates leads by proactively engaging with visitors.


How To Choose the Best Live Chat Software

Choosing the best live chat software depends on a variety of factors, including essential features, the choice between live agents and chatbots, and software integrations.

Essential Features

Live chat software should provide a variety of essential features that cater to your business needs. Key features to consider include:

  • Real-time messaging: Enables instant communication between your team and website visitors, allowing for quick responses and increased customer satisfaction. Fast and efficient communication can help resolve issues, answer questions and guide customers through the sales process.
  • Customizable chat widgets: Allows you to modify the appearance and functionality of the chat window to match your brand and website design. Customization options may include changing colors, fonts, logos and positioning as well as configuring automated greetings and prechat forms to collect visitor information.
  • Visitor tracking and analytics: Provides insights into visitor behavior, such as pages visited, time spent on site and referral sources. This information helps your team understand user needs, tailor support and identify potential leads for proactive engagement.
  • Canned responses: Prewritten answers to frequently asked questions that can be quickly inserted into chat conversations, saving time and ensuring consistent, accurate responses. Canned responses are especially useful for handling common queries or providing standard information, such as business hours or return policies.
  • File sharing: Allows your team and website visitors to exchange files, such as images, documents or videos, during a chat session. This feature is useful for providing visual support, sharing product information or exchanging important documents.
  • Mobile app availability: Provides access to live chat functionality on smartphones and tablets, enabling your team to respond to customer inquiries and manage conversations while on the go. Mobile apps can also send push notifications to ensure timely responses, even when agents are not at their desks.
  • Integration with other software and tools: Ensures seamless workflow by connecting your live chat software with popular CRM, marketing, analytics and support tools. Integrations can help automate processes, centralize customer data and streamline team collaboration. Examples of essential integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Analytics and Zendesk.

Live Agents vs. Chatbots

Live agents are human customer service representatives who engage with website visitors using live chat software. They offer personalized support and can handle complex queries. However, they may require more resources and can only manage a limited number of chats simultaneously.

Chatbots are AI-powered programs that can answer customer queries automatically. They are cost-effective, available 24/7, and can handle multiple chats at once. However, chatbots may struggle with complex queries and lack the personal touch of human interaction.

Consider your business needs, resources and the level of support required when deciding between live agents and chatbots.

Software Integrations

Seamless integration with your existing tools and software is crucial for streamlining processes and enhancing productivity. Look for live chat software that integrates with popular CRM, marketing, analytics and support tools to ensure compatibility with your existing workflow.


How Much Does Live Chat Software Cost?

The cost of live chat software varies based on factors, such as features, the number of users and available integrations. Pricing plans are often structured as monthly or annual subscriptions, with some providers offering freemium plans or free trials. Entry-level plans can start as low as $20 to $30 per agent, per month, while more advanced plans with additional features can range from $40 to $100-plus per month. Be sure to assess your specific needs and budget constraints when selecting a live chat solution.


Methodology

To determine the best live chat software, Forbes Advisor looked at a variety of factors important to small businesses. These included features, ease of use, customer satisfaction, support options, API access, integrations and value for money. We also considered real user experiences and reviews. After assigning a weight to each factor, we calculated a score for each live chat software.

Here are some of the categories we used to rank the providers that made the top of the list.

Pricing

For pricing, we considered the affordability of a chat software’s lowest and highest price tiers and the value that each high-priced tiers bring to users. Companies that offer free versions or free trials of their software received higher ratings here than those that only offered paid plans. This accounted for 15% of our weighted scoring.

Features

While our reviews mention a variety of features attractive to small businesses, we maintained consistency in our ratings by looking for these specific features for each provider. These included custom branding, chatbots, team collaboration, integrations and ticket and conversation management. Features accounted for 35% of our total score.

Third-party Reviews

We researched reviews from real users to gauge their opinion of each platform. This entailed looking at ratings from customers on popular review sites Capterra, G2 and Trustpilot that were at 3.5 out of 5. These accounted for 15% of the total score.

Expert Analysis

Based on the categories listed above and market research, we also ranked additional criteria from customer reviews, such as ease of use, standout or detailed features, popularity and value for the money. These final criteria make up 35% of the total score.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best live chat software for small businesses?

The best live chat software for small businesses will vary depending on your specific needs. However, some of the best live chat software for small businesses include Smartsupp, LiveChat and Olark.

What are the benefits of live chat software?

The benefits of live chat software include improved customer satisfaction, increased sales and the ability to scale your operations. Live chat software can also help you save time and money by automating tasks, such as customer support.

How does live chat software work?

Live chat software works by embedding a chat widget on your website, which allows visitors to initiate real-time conversations with your support team or sales representatives. When a visitor starts a chat, the conversation appears in the software’s operator dashboard, where agents can respond and manage multiple chats simultaneously. Live chat software may also include features, such as visitor tracking, analytics, canned responses and file sharing, to enhance communication and streamline customer support.

How do customers feel about using live chat?

Customers generally appreciate the convenience and immediacy of live chat as it provides a faster and more direct means of communication compared to email or phone support. Many customers prefer live chat because it allows them to multitask while waiting for a response and avoids the frustration of being put on hold during a phone call. Live chat can lead to higher customer satisfaction and increased conversion rates when implemented effectively as it addresses customer concerns in real time and provides personalized support.

Are live chats secure?

The security of live chats depends on the specific software being used. Reputable live chat providers prioritize data security and privacy by using encryption, secure sockets layer (SSL) technology and compliance with data protection regulations, such as GDPR. These measures help protect both the business and its customers from potential data breaches or unauthorized access.


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