Best Live Chat Software

The best live chat and customer messaging tools, ranked for support and sales teams of every size.

1Intercom logo
Intercom

AI-first customer service & live chat

4.4(8,900)Paid

Intercom is a premium customer messaging platform combining live chat, a help desk, and the Fin AI agent. Powerful for support and sales, but priced for scaling teams.

$29/mo
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2Tidio logo
Tidio

Live chat + chatbots for small business

4.6(4,700)Freemium

Tidio is an affordable live chat and chatbot tool aimed at small businesses and ecommerce, with an easy setup and the Lyro AI assistant. Solid value with a free tier.

Free
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3Zendesk logo
Zendesk

Enterprise help desk with live chat

4.3(11,200)Paid

Zendesk is a mature, enterprise-grade support suite with ticketing, live chat, and a knowledge base. Best for larger teams needing omnichannel support at scale.

$19/mo
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4Crisp logo
Crisp

Affordable shared inbox & chat

4.5(2,100)Freemium

Crisp bundles live chat, a shared inbox, chatbot, and knowledge base at a flat per-workspace price rather than per-seat — great value for small teams.

Free
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5LiveChat logo
LiveChat

Sales-focused live chat platform

4.5(5,600)Paid

LiveChat is a dedicated, polished live chat platform with strong sales features, rich messaging, and a large integration marketplace. Reliable but seat-priced.

$20/mo
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Editor's choice
Intercom logo

Intercom

4.4(8,900)

AI-first customer service & live chat

From $29/mo
Try Intercom

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison
Intercom logoIntercomBest choice
Rating4.44.64.34.5
Starting price$29/moFree$19/moFree
Pricing modelPaidFreemiumPaidFreemium
API available
Best forSupport & sales teamsSmall business & ecommerceMid-market to enterpriseStartups & small teams
Live chat & Messenger
Fin AI agent
Help desk & inbox
Product tours
Outbound messages
Live chat
Lyro AI chatbot
Visual chatbot builder
Ecommerce widgets
Email integration
Omnichannel ticketing
Live chat & messaging
Knowledge base
AI agents
Reporting & SLAs
Shared inbox
Chatbot builder
Co-browsing
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Frequently asked questions

What is the best live chat software?+

Intercom is our #1 pick, rated 4.4/5. The full ranked list with pricing and trade-offs is above.

How did you rank these tools?+

Rankings weigh user ratings, feature depth, pricing value, and fit for the use case. We update them as products evolve.

Compare the top picks