20 Best Free Live Chat Software for Websites in 2023
There are several free live chat software solutions out there, and most of them offer functional solutions for businesses.
Using live chat on your website is vital for customer retention and increasing revenue.
It is an ideal online support service tool because it combines real-time interactions with the ability to provide immediate help to customers.
We have brought together the 20 best free live chat software solutions for websites in this blog post so that you can select one to use for your business and improve your customer support.
Let’s check them out!
What is Live Chat Software?
Live chat is a customer support channel that allows customers to have text-based online conversations with support teams.
Companies embed live chat boxes on their website so customers can instantly receive answers to their questions.
Live chat software allows businesses or organizations to communicate with their customers or website visitors in real-time through a chat interface.
These tools enable companies to create chat widgets that are functional and customizable to form better relationships with visitors.
Companies can deliver live chat support through a website or mobile messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and SMS, and live chat software makes it easier.
The 20 Best Free Live Chat Software Solutions
Here, we listed top 20 free live chat software that can help you form better relationships and connect with your visitors.
We have investigated user reviews and included their best for, top features, pros, cons, and G2 ratings so you can select the proper one for you quickly!
1. LiveChatAI: GPT-4 Powered AI Bot & Human-Support Live Chat
Best for AI-driven Customer Support
If you want to build an AI bot assistant on your website, LiveChatAI might be a good option.
LiveChatAI reduces support volumes and increases customer satisfaction in minutes with the GPT4-powered AI bot that is trained with your own docs and content.
This tool allows you to use ChatGPT capabilities by integrating with your website. Besides, you can combine AI bot & live chat features to power up your customer support works.
Top Features of LiveChatAI:
- Accurate responses with your own data
- No need for AI knowledge
- Multilanguage with 95 options
LiveChatAI uses your documents or linked content to conduct a quality conversation with the visitors. Moreover, it is free up to ten thousand messages.
AI Bot & Human-Support Live Chat Simplified
Create Your Custom AI Bot with LiveChatAI
Pros:
- All content is secured on GCP/AWS servers
- Human-support Live Chat Available
- Can be integrated with Intercom, Slack, etc.
- It provides an AI bot & live chat combination option
- Default ChatGPt 3.5 bot with the option to switch to GPT-4
- Ability to convert to a human representative
- Ability to reply to all conversations AI replied and direct them to teammates thanks to the live chat feature
Cons:
- Basic plan features could be enriched
LiveChatAI G2 Rating: 5 out of 5.
2. HubSpot's Free Live Chat
Best for Advanced CRM Users
HubSpot’s live chat software comes as a part of HubSpot’s CRM, allowing incoming chats to get logged to customers’ contact profiles.
This way, your team can look up recurring customer issues and offer different solutions.
Top Features of HubSpot's Free Live Chat:
- Routing chats within team members
- Real-time customer support
- Scheduling follow-up tasks
It is a perfect free live chat solution if you are using HubSpot’s CRM.
However, if you are not using its CRM, you can sign up for free and install its customized live chat widget on your website.
Get Started with Hubspot Free Chat
Pros:
- Custom branding
- Bots
- Targeted welcome messages
- Canned responses
- HubSpot provides its chatbot builder, making it possible to keep your live chat active outside working hours
Cons:
- Somewhat limited customization without an upgrade. However, by upgrading, you can edit the color of your chat widget and remove the HubSpot branding
- HubSpot branding
HubSpot Free Live Chat G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.
3. Tidio Live Chat
Best for E-commerce
Tidio is a live chat software solution for websites that enables you to connect with visitors in real time.
You can create chatbots with Tidio, just like HubSpot, to automate your messages.
It has many other features, such as canned responses for quick responses and an all-in-one shared inbox.
You can integrate Tidio with various software, including Shopify, WordPress, and Wix.
Tidio offers premium plans as well as a free plan. Its free plan is best for micro and small businesses as it allows only up to 3 chat operators and chatbots to have unlimited chats with 100 unique visitors per month.
What’s notable about Tidio’s free plan is that you send 500 automated emails a month.
Considering all, Tidio can support CRMs and email automation tools to provide your customers with a tailored customer support experience.
Top Features of Tidio Live Chat:
- Reachable customer inquiries from different platforms
- Optimized sending time
- Information of viewed pages
Pros:
- Excellent customer support
- Clean and customizable interface
- Quick setup
Cons:
- Doesn't allow multiple triggers for one bot
- No on-site settings that allow you to change the chatbox position
Tidio G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5.
Bonus: Tidio- Lyro
Lyro - the first conversational AI chatbot for small and medium businesses.
- Lyro represents a major leap forward in customer service and will be able to automatically solve up to 70% of customer problems:**
- Use Lyro - a conversational AI - to offer personalized assistance
- Lyro learns from your FAQs in seconds and formulates complex answers to solve your customers’ problems
- The AI stays within the boundaries of your knowledge base, and you can update its information at any time
- Lyro is easy to implement and doesn’t require training
4. FreeChat
Best for Small Business
FreeChat is a live chat software that is 100% free and requires no coding.
Its best feature is that you can add live chat to your site without slowing down your website speed.
Top Features of FreeChat:
- With its sleek and modern live chat designs, you can perfectly customize and match your chat box and button to your site’s design.
- Incredibly easy to set up on your site within a few minutes
- You can add multiple social media channels to your live chat.
With this free live chat software solution, provide your customers with immediate responses and increase customer retention without relying on costly software solutions.
Pros:
- Super easy to use and set up on your site
- Perfect for small businesses
- You can answer customer messages even on the go from your messaging apps like WhatsApp Business or Instagram
Cons:
- It would be insufficient for medium to large businesses. In that case, I suggest going for paid live chat software like Intercom, or you can keep looking in our list to find a more convenient service for your business size.
Create a Free Live Chat Box with FreeChat
5. Intercom - A Comprehensive Live Chat Solution
Best for Comprehensive Customer Engagement
Intercom is an innovative live chat software that aims to bridge the communication gap between businesses and their customers.
With a user-friendly interface and advanced messaging features, it provides real-time support, facilitating seamless conversations and quicker resolutions.
Top Features of Intercom:
- In-app messaging
- Outbound messages to reduce support volume messages
- Effective apps and integrations
Intercom is a popular choice for businesses looking to improve their customer experience and build lasting relationships.
Pros:
- Intercom's intuitive design ensures a hassle-free experience for both your team and your customers.
- Enhance your support process with AI-powered chatbots that can be tailored to your specific needs.
- Communicate with customers directly within your app, making it easy for them to get the help they need without leaving the platform.
- Intercom can be integrated with numerous third-party tools, streamlining your workflows and simplifying data management.
- Track key metrics and gain valuable insights to better understand your customers and optimize your support strategy.
Cons:
- Intercom's pricing structure can be on the higher side for smaller businesses or those with limited budgets.
- While Intercom offers various chatbot customization features, the options may not be as extensive as some other platforms.
- For those unfamiliar with live chat software, there may be a learning curve associated with understanding all of Intercom's features and functionalities.
Intercom G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
6. Respond.io
Best for Omnichannel Customer Engagement
Respond.io is a business messaging platform that allows your customers to contact you via any channel.
Customers can message you using Respond.io live chat on your website or your social media pages.
This live chat software provides a 360° view of your customer base to your team.
Top Features of Respond.io:
- Promotional messaging opportunities
- One database to reinforce contacts
- Automated workflow for conversational support
Omnichannel chat history, contact import, and real-time analytics can help you gain a clearer insight into each customer profile.
Respond.io includes an AI feature that guides your chatbot responses by using “Smart Replies.”
Smart replies enable communicating faster and troubleshooting recurring issues based on repetitive questions.
Pros:
- Successful mobile app
- Functional user interface
- Simple and smooth customer interaction platform
- Flexibility for both businesses and customers
Cons:
- Missing features compared to other software.
- Apps can be multiplied.
Respond.io G2 Rating: 4.8 out of 5.
7. Tawk.to
Best for Real-Time Customer Monitoring
Tawk.to is a free live chat software that operates with a small JavaScript snippet on your site.
It works on your website, within your mobile app, or from a customizable page.
Top Features of Tawk.to:
- Localized messages to chat with foreign customers in your native language
- Tawk.to has IOS and Android apps so you can chat with customers from your mobile device.
- Canned messages
You can monitor customer activity in real-time and see which team member responded to a customer.
Pros:
- Track the user's location, activity, where they clicked, etc.
- Browser-based, so you won't need to install any software
- A lot of customization features
Cons:
- Inconsistent notifications
- Somewhat difficult to integrate with websites and set up for some users
Tawk.to G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
8. Smartsupp
Best for Multichannel Management
When it comes to multichannel management in one place, Smartsupp is a good option.
With this live chat software, you can respond to your customers’ emails, chats, and Facebook messages in one place.
It comes as a mobile app as well to chat with your customers on the go.
Top Features of Smartsupp:
- Customization options of widget
- Data and conversation gathering
- Teams collaboration
What we like about Smartsupp is that it has a file-sharing feature that allows sending a photo or document with drag and drop.
Also, it has a chatbot that can send personalized messages to customers. Another prominent feature of Smartsupp is the video recording feature, which records visitor behaviors.
Pros:
- The ability to email when a user abandons the chat session
- User-friendly interface
- Records user sessions on screen
- Has a mobile app
Cons:
- Some users have reported that sometimes notifications don't show up on the Android app.
- You can't set up office hours in the free version
Smartsupp G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5.
9. Crisp.Chat
Best for Game-Based Customer Engagement
Crisp.Chat is a live chat software that brings together all your channels with its shared inbox feature. You can build chatbot scenarios, create GIFs and video previews, and share files.
Also, Crisp.Chat allows you to connect your live chat to social networks like Messenger and Twitter.
What caught our attention is that they offer a feature called CrispyBird, which is a game to keep your customers engaged while they wait for your response.
Top Features of Crisp.Chat:
- Ticketing system to organize
- Checking key events
- Lead management for conversations
This live chat software has free and paid plans. Forever free plan is best for personal websites and anyone who wants a basic live chat to communicate with customers. It covers 2 seats, a team inbox, and mobile apps.
Pros:
- Auto-translate feature
- Has a mobile app
- Great sync between web, desktop, and mobile apps
Cons:
- No way to have separate conversations with the same customer.
- Message history of the free plan is 30 days
- Integrations with services like PipeDrive caused issues and didn't work well for some users.
Crisp G2 Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
10. JivoChat
Best for Mobile Customer Support
Being the top-rated mobile customer support app at the App Store, JivoChat empowers support teams to handle chats from various platforms.
Top Features of JivoChat:
- Color-coded chats
- Message sneak-peek
- Canned responses
- Hotkeys
- Proactive chat
Various platforms that JivoChat works are websites, emails, Telegram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Pros:
- Provides visitor information (location, name, email address) under certain conditions
- Call back feature
- Ability to see the users type in before they click "send"
Cons:
- Inability to contact customers who leave the chat after stating it
- Limited SMS features
- The number of times the chat box popup on the webpage may get annoying for users
JivoChat G2 Rating: 4.8 out of 5.
11. Chatra
Best for Automated Customer Engagement
Chatra is a live chat software that enables you to initiate conversations with visitors on your website automatically.
It comes with features like read receipts and typing indicators so that customers can know when you are responding.
Top Features of Chatra:
- Google Analytics integration
- Access to JavaScript API
- Complete conversation history
One notable feature is that Chatra has an offline chat widget. Offline chat widgets let customers know that your team is busy and will get them back soon.
Pros:
- Its mobile app works great.
- Connects you with customers through your email and Facebook as well.
- Integrating Chatra into your website is simple and quick.
- The free version is perfect for small businesses.
Cons:
- Sometimes, the chat may lag.
- Lacks HTML support in messages
- Lacks the ability to send chat transcript manually
Chatra G2 Rating: 4.2 out of 5.
12. Zoho Desk
Best for Multichannel Support Automation
Zoho Desk is more than you think. With different kinds of channels, like SMS, phone calls, emails, and more, Zoho Desk is effective.
In addition to claiming to provide more ROI than its competitors, Zoho Desk gives importance to automating tasks and expanding the impact.
Top Features of Zoho Desk:
- Ticket management for different channels in one place
- Services that support the productivity of agents with their customers
- Regular reports to keep track of processes
Also, Zoho Desk is a transparent and helpful company with its policies by sharing its release notes and resources.
Pros:
- Easy-to-operate platform
- Clean and intuitive interface
- Customizable to deal with
- Effective admin tools to empower customers
- The contribution of AI, when necessary, for increasing support quality
Cons:
- Advanced features can be difficult for the learning curve.
- Most of the reviews suggest there is a limitation with integration that needs to be solved.
Zoho Desk G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.
13. Userlike
Best for Multichannel Support Integration
Userlike has a free live chat software option and paid plans.
The free plan of Userlike includes one widget and one seat.
Top Features of Userlike:
- Data privacy and GDPR
- Smart FAQ
- Accessing to previous conversations on customers’ side
Its live chat window for web and mobile has various features like image and video support, feedback options, and conversation tagging.
With conversation tagging, you can tag conversations with topics and better organize them.
Also, setting up canned messages for common questions is another positive feature.
Pros:
- Ability to live chat on Messenger, WhatsApp, and more
- Integration options with other tools like Pipedrive, Salesforce, and Slack
- Optimal user interface
Cons:
- Broken chat sessions
- The operator can't send the message back to the user once you close the chat window.
- No smartphone app
Userlike G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.
14. MyLiveChat
Best for Simultaneous Chat Sessions
With MyLiveChat, agents can have multiple simultaneous chat sessions. Sessions run in separate room tabs.
You can customize the visitor popup messenger by adding your company logo and agent photo, which is cool for matching the live chat to your brand image.
Top features of MyLiveChat
- Typing indicator
- File transfer
- Firewall support
- Geolocation
- Multi-language support
- Canned responses
MyLiveChat also has a spell checker feature to eliminate spelling mistakes.
One outstanding feature is the proactive chat, which allows you to initiate a one-on-one chat with your website visitors.
Pros:
- Easy to implement
- Set working hours for availability
Cons:
- No bot function for automatic replies
- Lacks proper product onboarding
- Inability to customize the chat button in the free version
- Unhelpful customer support
My LiveChat Capterra Rating: 4.3 out of 5.
15. Gist
Best for Centralized Customer Engagement
With Gist, businesses have access to an all-encompassing platform that centralizes their marketing, sales, and customer support efforts.
Features include live chat, email marketing, and a comprehensive dashboard.
Top Features of Gist
- Analytics and reporting to track performance and customer interactions.
- Integration with various platforms, such as Wordpress and Zapier.
- AI-powered chatbot.
Thanks to its ABM, forms, chatbots and automated scheduling on your website, you can turn visitors into leads and customers.
Pros:
- Excellent customer support.
- Easy to understand UI.
- Multiple filter options to create different customer segments.
- Edit chats after sending or re-open closed chats.
Cons
- Managing multiple organizations on one account can be confusing.
- Some documentation lacks clarity and important implementation details.
- Mobile app performance could be improved.
Gist G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5.
16. Rocket.Chat
Best for Omnichannel Help Desk
Rocket.Chat is designed to provide seamless interactions with your customers no matter how they choose to connect with you.
With this tool, you can manage all customer collaboration from a single central location, whether it's through phone, email, chat, or social media.
Top features of Rocket.Chat:
- Omnichannel help desk solutions.
- CRM integration, chatbots, and machine learning apps.
- One team inbox for all client communication.
This platform makes it easy to respond quickly to inquiries and track interactions to ensure a positive experience every time.
Pros:
- Unlimited chat history.
- Ability to auto-close inactive chats.
- Canned responses.
Cons:
- Issues handling large numbers of messages and users.
- Might be buggy.
- Support service could be improved.
Rocket.Chat G2 Rating: 4.2 out of 5.
17. Freshchat
Best for Social Channel Support
Freshchat is mostly outstanding with its availability in terms of social channels, like WhatsApp, Instagram, and iMessage.
Like most of its competitors, Freshchat provides multilingual support for a wider range of experience.
Top Features of Freshchat:
- Various ways of managing admin tools
- Insight reports to improve customer experience
- Bulk actions to manage and apply conversations and team members
Freshchat offers reactive and proactive solutions at the same time to meet the needs of customers. That’s how you will learn how to know when your customers need you.
Pros:
- Effective integrations that help resolution
- Advanced email notifications
- Personalization for admin and customers
- Canned responses to speed up the process
- The impact of AI chatbots on messaging multiple
Cons:
- Freshchat lacks of auto-solve the problems sometimes.
- There should be some improvement on the mobile app.
Freshchat G2 Rating: 4.4 out of 5.
18. Chaport
Best for GDPR Compliance Guarantee
Chaport is a no-code chatbot that lets you create chatbots with easy-to-use scenarios.
With Chaport’s chat widget, it is possible to generate leads, boost sales, and increase engagement with your customers.
Top Features of Chaport:
- Chaport offers solutions by sizes and industries
- Knowledge base and FAQ bot to provide suggestions to customers
- Multichannel customer support with automation
The best part about Chaport is that it provides reports by integrating Google Analytics and complies with GDPR.
Pros:
- Quick customer service
- Easy to install on a website
- Mobile-friendly
- Straightforward integrations
- Further customization options with API access
Cons:
- Documentation can be improved.
- Auto-invitations need some improvement in triggering logic.
Chaport G2 Rating: 4.7 out of 5.
19. ThriveDesk
Best for Workflow Automation
ThriveDesk is an all-in-one customer support platform with its live chat, email, contact form, live chat providers, integrations, and API.
It allows you to create seamless workflows to reduce the burden of workload, and that is how you can easily manage the steps and subjects.
Top Features:
- Customizable brand matching live chat widget
- Ticket management system for bulk data
- Writing SEO-based articles and arranging reports
Besides, ThriveDesk serves email and in-app notifications in addition to help of increasing team efficiency.
Pros:
- Practical user interface
- Cooperative user management platform
- Community and knowledge base
- Feature-rich chat widget
- Self-service portal
Cons:
- The Android app needs some development.
- More integrations should be added.
ThriveDesk G2 Rating: 5 out of 5.
20. Re:amaze
Best for Pre-built Chatbot Structures
Re:amaze is another software that can be counted as a free live chat software with its impactful free trial.
Various integrations that can help customer service stand out at a great scale.
Top Features:
- Automatic message sending
- Native in-chat video calls
- FAQ and status page enabled
As a GoDaddy brand, Re:amaze helps you build custom chatbots with its pre-built structures.
Pros:
- A quite facile chatbot experience
- The multi-brand approach
- Multiple team members
- Substantial analytics and reporting capabilities
- Functional automations
Cons:
- Reaching older comments can be hard, so it needs to be improved.
- You might need some HTML knowledge while adding an image.
Re:amaze G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5.
Bonus: Hiver
Best for GMail Integration
Hiver is the world’s first helpdesk built for Google Workspace.
With Hiver’s live chat widget, support managers can delegate incoming chat queries to agents and track their status till the point of resolution.
Top features:
- Auto-assign of incoming customer chat queries
- Custom-built chat templates
- Measure customer satisfaction with short surveys.
- Real-time alerts for support managers when chat queries aren’t responded to on time.
- Hiver’s mobile app (Android & iOS) for on-the-go live chat support.
Since Hiver’s live chat feature works within Gmail’s native interface, your support team can get started in minutes with minimal training.
Hiver is a great option for teams looking for an intuitive solution to manage email and chat queries together.
Though Hiver is not fully free, you can give it a try for learning the tool and deciding to use it for websites.
Pros:
- Minimal setup and training costs since Hiver works on top of Gmail.
- Complete visibility and insights into your team’s performance.
- Customize the chat widget based on your site’s design preferences.
- Personalized engagement with website visitors
Cons:
- Compatible only with businesses that use Google Workspace.
Hiver G2 Rating: 4.6 out of 5.
What are The Benefits of Using Free Live Chat Software?
Positive word of mouth is a super-effective trick in creating brand loyalty and helping businesses grow. But what does it have to do with live chat?
Customers love talking about their live chat experiences.
According to Kayako's live chat study, 29% of consumers spread a positive live chat experience.
Besides, here are some benefits of using live chat as your support channel:
-
Increased customer satisfaction: Imagine having a magic wand that could make your customers happy with a quick wave. That's what live chat can do for your business! It's like having a personal assistant that's always available to help your customers out.
-
Improved sales: Picture a shopping cart that's just about to roll away, with a customer hesitating to buy. Live chat is like having a superhero on standby, ready to jump in and save the sale with a quick chat.
-
Cost-effective: Live chat is often less expensive than traditional customer service methods such as phone support.
-
Greater efficiency: It allows multiple customers to be assisted simultaneously, increasing the efficiency of customer service.
-
Insight into customer needs and preferences: Live chat transcripts can give you a glimpse into their thoughts and desires, helping you make better business decisions.
-
Increased accessibility: Live chat is like a bridge that connects you to your customers, no matter where they are. Customers get help at any time and from any device, increasing accessibility for customers who may have difficulty reaching a business by phone.
-
Better engagement: Think of live chat as the ultimate ice-breaker for your business. It allows customers to engage with your business in real-time, which can help build stronger relationships and increase loyalty.
Wrap Up
And that's a wrap for our best free live chat software suggestions you can add to your website.
Live chat support on your website greatly improves your brand's trustability.
However, if you are starting your business or have a small business, most well-established live chat software can burden your budget.
No need to worry. You can still provide real-time support to your customers with free live chat software.
We gathered 15 best free live chat software in this blog post so you can choose the one that suits your business needs.
Have another free live chat solution for websites or further ideas on this topic?
Tell us in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Does Free Live Chat Software Work?
Free live chat software integrates a chat widget into a website or platform.
When customers or visitors initiate a chat, they are connected with a customer service representative who can assist them with their inquiries or concerns.
In addition, the chat can be conducted in real time, allowing for immediate communication and resolution of issues.
2. What is the Best Free Live Chat Software?
You can choose either Tawk.to or Tidio since both are tested and used by many website owners.
If your business is more focused on social platforms like WhatsApp business, Instagram, Facebook, etc., FreeChat is also a great option.
3. Is it Possible to Customize Chat Widgets with Free Live Chat Software?
Yes, many free live chat software offer customization options, such as the ability to choose the chat widget's color, size, and position on the website.
Some also allow businesses to customize the chat window with their branding or logo.
4. Will My Customer's Personal Information Be Protected When Using a Free Live Chat Tool?
Many free live chat tools have security measures in place, such as encryption and data privacy policies, to protect customer information.
However, it's important to research the specific security measures of any free live chat tool you're considering and ensure they meet your business's needs.
5. Can I Integrate a Free Live Chat Tool with My CRM System?
Some free live chat tools offer integration with CRM systems, allowing you to track customer interactions and pull up customer information during a chat.
However, the level of integration may be limited compared to paid options.
Check These Out!
- 11 SMS Marketing Software to Grow Your Business in 2023
- 12 Best Web Scraping Tools in 2023 to Extract Online Data
- Top 20 Must-Know Vital Chatbot Statistics 2023
- 15 Best Website Analytics Tools to Use in 2023
- 13 Best Email Template Builder Software That You Should Use
