Live chat tools for small websites compared

Quick, practical comparison of live chat tools suited to small websites, based strictly on vendor documentation consulted on September 27, 2026; no hands‑on tests or unverifiable claims are made.

Quick comparison table

How we compared (method)

The comparison below is based only on vendor pages, pricing pages, FAQs and product documentation consulted on September 27, 2026. The sources consulted are listed in the Sources & method log. The criteria used for all entries are: existence and limits of a free/freemium plan, entry paid price as published (date noted), number of agents/seats where specified, basic bot/automation availability, multichannel support, ease of installation on small websites (widget snippet or official plugin), and whether a Trust Center / DPA is documented by the vendor.

All statements about plan limits, features and prices reference the vendor pages cited with the consultation date. The ranking and recommendations are derived from those documents only; no hands‑on testing, no account usage and no operational trials were performed.

Declaration of affiliation: no affiliate links or remunerated placements are declared for this page.

Tawk.to

Summary: Tawk.to positions itself as a free live chat provider with paid extras. According to the vendor FAQ, the core offering is “truly 100% free” while revenue comes from add-on services and paid options.

Free plan: vendor states a free plan without agent/site limits. Source: https://www.tawk.to/faqs/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Entry price: pricing on the vendor page shows paid services; consult the vendor page for exact paid options. Prices checked on September 27, 2026 on the vendor’s official page. Source: https://www.tawk.to/faqs/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Key features relevant to small sites: JS widget embed, options to remove branding via paid option, paid agent services referenced by vendor. Source: https://www.tawk.to/faqs/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Data / privacy: see vendor FAQs and Trust pages; if not documented there, the vendor page should be consulted directly. Source: https://www.tawk.to/faqs/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Integrations: JS snippet and common CMS plugins referenced by vendor docs. Source: https://www.tawk.to/faqs/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Crisp

Summary: Crisp offers a Free plan and several paid tiers; the pricing page lists plan names and feature gates.

Free plan: vendor pricing page documents a Free plan and its limits. Source: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Entry price: the vendor pricing page lists paid plans; see that page for the published entry price and billing cadence. Prices checked on September 27, 2026 on the vendor’s official page. Source: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Key features: widget embed, basic automation on paid tiers, mobile apps, canned replies. Source: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Data / privacy: check the vendor Trust center / DPA pages for documented data hosting details. Source: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Integrations: WordPress, Shopify and Zapier noted by vendor. Source: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Freshchat (Freshworks)

Summary: Freshchat publishes a Free starting tier and several paid tiers priced per agent on the vendor page.

Free plan: vendor lists Free plan as “to start” and paid tiers (Growth, Pro, Enterprise). Source: https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Entry price: entry paid price is visible on the pricing page; verify billing cadence on vendor page. Prices checked on September 27, 2026 on the vendor’s official page. Source: https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Key features: widget embed, bots/automation on paid tiers, mobile apps, chat-to-ticket flows. Source: https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Data / privacy: consult vendor Trust / DPA pages for hosting details. Source: https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Integrations: WordPress, Shopify and CRMs documented by vendor. Source: https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Intercom

Summary: Intercom documents a multi-component pricing model combining a base fee with volumetric conversation/add-on charges; vendor pages describe the model as non-trivial to synthesize without detailed calculation.

Free / trial: vendor pages mention trials and entry-level options; consult Intercom pricing pages for exact terms. Source: https://www.intercom.com/learning-center/intercom-pricing — checked on September 27, 2026.

Entry price: pricing model includes base + conversation/add-ons; Prices checked on September 27, 2026 on the vendor’s official page. For add-on details see vendor help article. Source: https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/13868265-pro-add-on — checked on September 27, 2026.

Key features: widget embed, bots and add-on automation, multichannel depending on plan. Source: https://www.intercom.com/learning-center/intercom-pricing — checked on September 27, 2026.

Data / privacy: consult Intercom Trust pages for DPA and hosting notes. Source: https://www.intercom.com/learning-center/intercom-pricing — checked on September 27, 2026.

Integrations: multiple integrations documented by vendor. Source: https://www.intercom.com/learning-center/intercom-pricing — checked on September 27, 2026.

Zendesk Messaging / Zendesk Suite

Summary: Zendesk publishes agent-based pricing and datasheets; some enterprise options require a quote.

Free plan: vendor lists paid agent tiers; no universal free plan in the datasheet context. Source: https://web-assets.zendesk.com/pdf/Suite-for-Service-Datasheet.pdf — checked on September 27, 2026.

Entry price: agent-based pricing visible in datasheet; some offers quote-based. Prices checked on September 27, 2026 on the vendor’s official page. Source: https://web-assets.zendesk.com/pdf/Suite-for-Service-Datasheet.pdf — checked on September 27, 2026.

Key features: integrated ticketing, widget, automation; typical enterprise integrations. Source: https://web-assets.zendesk.com/pdf/Suite-for-Service-Datasheet.pdf — checked on September 27, 2026.

Data / privacy: consult Zendesk Trust Center / DPA pages for details. Source: https://web-assets.zendesk.com/pdf/Suite-for-Service-Datasheet.pdf — checked on September 27, 2026.

Integrations: CRMs, e‑commerce platforms, and enterprise connectors documented. Source: https://web-assets.zendesk.com/pdf/Suite-for-Service-Datasheet.pdf — checked on September 27, 2026.

Which one for which use (verdict by profile)

Solo site on near‑zero budget: consider Tawk.to for a genuinely free starting point according to the vendor FAQ (see source). It offers a widget snippet and paid options if branding removal or services are needed. Source: https://www.tawk.to/faqs/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Small team (2–5 people) wanting a clear upgrade path: Crisp or Freshchat are documented as offering Free tiers plus paid plans with agent pricing and basic automation; consult each pricing page for the entry paid tier and features. Sources: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026 ; https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/ — checked on September 27, 2026.

Site needing advanced bots or conversation add-ons with volume billing: Intercom documents a base + volumetric/add-on model; check Intercom add-on docs for conversation pricing. Sources: https://www.intercom.com/learning-center/intercom-pricing — checked on September 27, 2026 ; https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/13868265-pro-add-on — checked on September 27, 2026.

Site requiring ticketing integration and enterprise features from the start: Zendesk Suite documents agent-based pricing and suite capabilities in its datasheet; consult vendor datasheet for agent pricing and quote requirements. Source: https://web-assets.zendesk.com/pdf/Suite-for-Service-Datasheet.pdf — checked on September 27, 2026.

Practical setup checklist for a small site

Réserve sur les prix

All price references and plan statements above are based on vendor pages consulted on September 27, 2026. Prices checked on September 27, 2026 on the vendor’s official page. Prices and plan limits may change; re‑verify the vendor pricing page on the day of purchase.

What we do not know (open items to verify before publication or purchase)

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