Live chat software allows you to add chat widgets to your website so you can communicate with customers and prospects in real-time. The best live chat solutions can be live-chat-specific software, help desk platforms that connect customers with live agents, as well as CRMs with chat capabilities. To help you choose the best software for you, we reviewed dozens of options and ranked the best live chat software and their primary use cases.
Here are the top live chat software for customer service and lead generation:
- HubSpot CRM: Best free and best overall live chat option for sales & service (free starting price)
- Freshsales: Best live chat option with premium sales features (free starting price)
- ChatBot: Best software option for AI-driven chatbots (14-day free trial)
- LiveChat: Best live chat software for third-party integrations (14-day free trial)
- Tidio: Best live chat choice for well-designed chat widgets (free starting price)
- Chatra: Best live chat software for online visitor analytics (free starting price)
- ClickDesk: Best live chat option for text, voice, and video chat (free starting price)
How We Evaluated the Best Live Chat Software
Live chat can be used for lead capture on a lead generation website or for customer service. To determine the best, we looked at both live chat software as well as help desk and CRM solutions offering live chat functionality. We scored each top option on six specific categories, using key subcriteria to assign each option an overall score out of five. Also identified were primary use cases for each of the best choices.
Evaluation Criteria
The three most important categories to choosing a live chat option are pricing, features, and ease-of-use. Also included in our scoring was customer service and a roundup of user scores across the Internet.
How much does each solution cost and are there free tools available?
How do the core features stack up against the competition? This includes third-party compatibility, social media integration, lead scoring and automation.
How user-friendly is the interface? Is it easy for novice users to navigate, or does it require some familiarity with next-gen software?
Finally, our expert score determines the overall value, usefulness and popularity of each solution.
Does the solution go beyond the basic webchat format with support for voice (VoIP) or video chat? How intelligent are their AI-driven chatbots?
The presence of customizable reports, analytics and dashboards can go a long way in setting one solution apart from the competition.
Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless noted.
Overall, we found HubSpot CRM to not only be the best overall live chat option, but also the best free sales software option for those on a budget or looking to try before they buy. Check out our analysis for each of our top options below, including the use cases for each.
Bottom Line: Best Live Chat Software
Modern consumers want instant gratification. If their messages are left unanswered for too long, most will quickly find another company to meet their needs. The best live chat software makes it easy to connect with customers as well as serve as a lead generation software tool, while some of the more advanced options let you use AI-powered chatbots to provide round-the-clock service.
