heyly.io takes the opposite approach from chat. Instead of waiting for someone to type a question, you put a short video greeting in the corner of your website — your face, your voice, and up to 5 action buttons (Book a call, WhatsApp, See pricing, etc). It plays once, stays out of the way, and tracks who watched and what they clicked. Designed for sites that don't have 5 reviews yet — the founder is the proof.
Strengths
- Real face on your website in 30 seconds
- Under 30KB — doesn't slow your page
- Free forever plan, no card
- GDPR-friendly, EU-built
Best for
Solo founders, agencies, accountants, consultants, coaches — anyone where trust is the conversion bottleneck.
Pricing
Free for 1 site / 1 video / 1k views per 30 days. Pro €19/mo unlimited.
Tidio combines live chat, AI chatbots (Lyro), and email automation. Best fit for e-commerce sites with consistent traffic. The free plan covers 50 conversations/mo, then jumps to $29/mo for the lowest paid tier. If you want a chatbot that handles repetitive questions and you have the volume to justify it, Tidio works well.
Strengths
- Strong Shopify/WooCommerce integrations
- Lyro AI handles common questions
- Solid mobile app for replies on the go
Best for
E-commerce stores with steady traffic and predictable support questions.
Pricing
Free tier limited; paid plans from $29/mo.
Intercom is the heavyweight in conversational support. Fin AI agent, advanced workflows, deep CRM integrations. The catch: pricing starts at $39/seat/month and climbs quickly. Most solopreneurs and small teams will find 80% of features unused. If you're scaling a SaaS company with a real support team, Intercom is a reasonable choice — otherwise, it's overkill.
Strengths
- Best-in-class help center + chat combo
- Powerful automation and routing
- Strong reporting and team analytics
Best for
Funded SaaS startups with dedicated support staff.
Pricing
From $39/seat/mo. Add-ons (Fin AI, Surveys) extra.
Drift positions itself as a revenue tool — chatbots that qualify leads, book meetings, and route conversations to AEs. It works best when there's a sales team waiting on the other end. For self-serve products, content businesses, or solo operators, Drift is engineered for a problem you don't have. Pricing isn't public on the marketing site, which usually means “contact sales.”
Strengths
- Strong CRM and meeting-booking integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Custom playbooks for outbound + inbound
- Live chat with sales-team routing
Best for
B2B SaaS with a real sales motion and an SDR/AE team.
Pricing
Custom — typically $2,500+/mo for the cheapest paid tier.
LiveChat is one of the oldest names in the category and still one of the most reliable. The UX is clean, the agent panel is fast, and integrations cover most CRMs and helpdesks. No AI bells and whistles by default — you get what the name says, a live chat. Pricing per agent makes it predictable, but it scales linearly with team size.
Strengths
- Mature product, very stable
- Clean agent experience
- 200+ integrations
Best for
Teams that want a reliable chat tool without learning a new AI suite.
Pricing
From $20/agent/mo. 14-day trial, no card.
Olark is the “simple, kind chat” choice. WCAG-accessible by default, tidy admin, fair pricing. No chatbot, no AI agent, just live chat. If your priority is “something that works, doesn't feel creepy, and respects users,” Olark is a smaller-team-friendly pick that doesn't bloat over time.
Strengths
- Accessibility-first design
- Clean, focused product
- Reasonable pricing for small teams
Best for
Mission-driven small businesses and nonprofits.
Pricing
From $29/seat/mo (annual). No free tier — 14-day trial.
Tawk.to is the “free forever” option. Live chat, ticketing, knowledge base — no monthly fee, ever. It makes money by selling add-ons ($29/mo to remove their branding, $1/hr for hired chat agents). Quality varies, but if budget is the constraint and you don't mind a Tawk badge on your widget, it's hard to beat zero.
Strengths
- Genuinely free, with unlimited agents
- Mobile + desktop apps included
- Ticketing + knowledge base bundled
Best for
Bootstrappers and freelancers who need chat at zero cost.
Pricing
Free. $29/mo to remove branding.