The best live chat software depends on your team and your customers. Tidio and tawk.to suit small websites, LiveChat and Olark suit dedicated chat teams, Intercom and Zendesk suit businesses wanting chat joined to support, HubSpot suits businesses already on its CRM, Crisp suits lean teams, and Freshchat suits Freshworks users.
Live chat is the small box in the corner of a website that lets a visitor ask a question while they're still deciding. Answer quickly and you can turn a browser into a buyer. Leave it unanswered and it's worse than having no chat at all.
The tools below are well-known names that suit small businesses. I've stuck to what each one is known for rather than ranking them, so pick two and run them on your site for a few weeks to see which your team will keep up with.
What should you look for in live chat software?
- A tidy mobile app. If you run a small business, you'll answer from your phone more than you think.
- Chatbots and AI replies. Automated answers handle common questions out of hours.
- Canned responses. Saved replies for common questions keep answers quick and consistent.
- Integrations. Check the link to your website platform, CRM, ecommerce store and email.
- Offline handling. When nobody's online, the chat should collect an email rather than leave people hanging.
- Data and privacy. Check where chat data is stored and how it fits your privacy policy.
Live chat software compared
| Tool | Best for | Stand-out feature |
|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Small online shops | Live chat with AI chatbot features |
| LiveChat | Dedicated chat teams | Polished chat app with reporting |
| Intercom | Support-led businesses | AI agent and customer messaging |
| Zendesk | Teams that need a help desk | Chat joined to ticketing |
| HubSpot | HubSpot CRM users | Chat feeding straight into the CRM |
| tawk.to | Very small websites | Simple widget and apps |
| Crisp | Lean teams | Shared inbox across channels |
| Freshchat | Freshworks users | Messaging with bots and routing |
| Olark | Sales-focused small teams | Straightforward chat with transcripts |
Features change often, so check the vendor's current plans before you install.
The best live chat software
1. Tidio
Tidio combines live chat with AI chatbot features and is popular with small online shops, including Shopify and WordPress sites.
Who it suits: small ecommerce businesses that want chat and automated answers without a support team.
What stands out: the AI and automation side, which can answer common questions such as delivery and returns.
Watch out for: check the automated answers regularly so customers don't get stuck in a loop.
2. LiveChat
LiveChat, from the company Text, is a dedicated live chat app with a polished agent interface, canned responses, reporting and lots of integrations.
Who it suits: businesses with someone whose job includes answering chats every day.
What stands out: the agent experience. It's built to make answering many chats quick and organised.
Watch out for: it's chat-first. If you also need a full help desk, check how it links to one.
3. Intercom
Intercom is a customer messaging platform that combines live chat, an AI agent called Fin, a help centre and a shared inbox.
Who it suits: software and online businesses where support is a big part of keeping customers.
What stands out: its AI agent, which can answer questions from your help content before a person steps in.
Watch out for: it's a larger platform, so make sure you'll use enough of it to justify the setup.
4. Zendesk
Zendesk is one of the best-known customer service platforms. Its messaging and chat features sit alongside ticketing, so chats can become tracked support cases.
Who it suits: businesses that want chat, email and phone support managed in one help desk.
What stands out: the help desk link. A chat question that needs follow-up becomes a ticket without retyping.
Watch out for: it can be more system than a one-person business needs.
5. HubSpot
HubSpot includes live chat and chatbots within its CRM platform, so every conversation is recorded against the contact.
Who it suits: businesses already using HubSpot for marketing or sales.
What stands out: the CRM connection. You can see a visitor's history before you reply.
Watch out for: it's most useful if you're committed to HubSpot. On its own, a dedicated chat tool may be simpler.
6. tawk.to
tawk.to is a simple live chat widget with web, desktop and mobile apps, widely used on small business websites.
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Who it suits: very small businesses and solo owners who want chat on the site quickly.
What stands out: simplicity. You can add the widget and start answering in minutes.
Watch out for: check the branding options and add-ons against what you need before you rely on it.
7. Crisp
Crisp offers live chat plus a shared inbox that brings together chat, email and social messages, with chatbot and knowledge base features.
Who it suits: lean teams who want every customer message in one place.
What stands out: the shared inbox. Conversations from different channels sit side by side.
Watch out for: compare the integrations list with your existing tools before switching.
8. Freshchat
Freshchat is the messaging product from Freshworks, covering website chat, bots and routing, and it links with Freshdesk for support.
Who it suits: businesses using or considering Freshworks for their help desk.
What stands out: routing. Chats can be sent to the right person or team automatically.
Watch out for: it works best inside the Freshworks family, so think about that commitment.
9. Olark
Olark is a long-standing live chat tool known for being straightforward, with chat transcripts, saved replies and CRM integrations.
Who it suits: small sales and support teams who want simple chat without lots of extras.
What stands out: ease of use. There's very little to learn before you can start chatting.
Watch out for: if you want advanced AI features, compare it carefully with the newer tools.
How to choose live chat software
Be honest about who'll answer the chats and when. If it's you, between other jobs, choose a tool with a good phone app and automated answers for out of hours. If you have a support person, an agent-focused tool like LiveChat or a help desk like Zendesk will make their day easier.
Then add your top choice to your busiest page for a few weeks. Track how quickly chats get answered and what people ask about. The questions alone are marketing gold: they tell you what your website isn't explaining.
For what to look for in more depth, see my guide to live chat software features for small business. You might also like how to boost leads and sales using live chat and the best help desk software for small business.
Building a tool in this space? Here's how tools get considered for my roundups.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best live chat software for small business?
Tidio, tawk.to and Crisp are common choices for small websites. LiveChat, Intercom and Zendesk suit businesses with dedicated support people.
Do I need someone online all the time to use live chat?
No. Most tools collect an email when nobody's available, and chatbots can answer common questions out of hours.
Is live chat better than a contact form?
For many businesses, yes, because visitors get an answer while they're still deciding. It only works if chats are answered quickly.
Can live chat connect to my CRM?
Most of the tools here connect to popular CRMs. HubSpot and Zendesk include chat inside their own platforms.
