heyly.io isn't a chat tool — it's a video greeting widget. Instead of waiting for a visitor to type, you put a short pre-recorded hello in the corner of your site, with up to 5 action buttons (book a call, WhatsApp, see pricing). It plays once, stays out of the way, and tracks who watched and clicked. If trust is your real bottleneck — not handling support volume — this replaces an over-engineered Intercom setup with a 2-minute install.
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 — sites where the founder IS the proof.
Pricing
Free for 1 site / 1 video / 1k views per 30 days. Pro €19/mo unlimited.
Crisp packages live chat, a shared team inbox, chatbot flows, and a knowledge base into a single tool. Pricing starts at $25/mo flat (not per seat) which makes it dramatically cheaper than Intercom for small teams. The interface feels more cluttered, but most of the Intercom feature checklist is there at a fraction of the cost.
Strengths
- Flat pricing, not per-seat
- Shared inbox + chatbot bundled
- Knowledge base included
Best for
Small teams who want Intercom-style breadth without the bill.
Pricing
From $25/mo flat (Basic). Pro plans up to $295/mo.
Tidio's strength is the bundled AI chatbot (Lyro) that handles repeat questions. It integrates cleanly with Shopify and WooCommerce. The free plan covers 50 conversations/mo, paid starts at $29/mo. If you're running an e-commerce store and most of your support tickets are “where is my order?” — Tidio's AI will eat them.
Strengths
- Lyro AI chatbot handles common questions
- Strong Shopify / WooCommerce fit
- Clean mobile app
Best for
E-commerce stores with high volume of repetitive support.
Pricing
Free tier (50 conversations/mo). Paid from $29/mo.
Drift overlaps with Intercom on chat but positions itself as a revenue tool — qualify leads, book meetings, route to AEs. If you have a real B2B sales motion with SDRs and AEs taking inbound calls, Drift is purpose-built for that. If you don't, it's the wrong tool. Pricing is hidden behind “contact sales,” which usually means $2,500+/mo.
Strengths
- Salesforce / HubSpot integrations are best-in-class
- Built-in calendar routing
- Outbound playbooks
Best for
B2B SaaS with a real sales team waiting on the other end.
Pricing
Custom. Realistically $2,500+/mo for the cheapest paid tier.
Front isn't strictly a chat tool — it's a shared inbox that handles email, SMS, social DMs, and chat in one team workspace. People moving off Intercom often pick Front because the inbox metaphor is more familiar than Intercom's conversation rails. Better suited for teams that get most inbound via email + a chat sidekick.
Strengths
- Real email client UX for shared inboxes
- Handles email, SMS, chat, and social
- Strong team collaboration features
Best for
Teams where most inbound is email, with chat as secondary.
Pricing
From $19/seat/mo (annual).
LiveChat is the established name in pure chat. No AI agent, no over-engineered support suite — just reliable live chat with 200+ integrations. Pricing per agent is predictable, the agent panel is fast, and the product hasn't drifted from its original purpose in 20 years. A safe pick for teams who want chat and nothing else.
Strengths
- Very mature, stable product
- Clean agent panel
- 200+ integrations
Best for
Teams who want chat without learning a new AI suite.
Pricing
From $20/agent/mo (annual). 14-day trial.
Tawk.to is the budget end of the category — chat, ticketing, knowledge base, all free, with unlimited agents. They monetise through add-ons: $29/mo to remove their branding, $1/hr for hired chat agents. Quality of UX is rougher than paid tools, but if Intercom's $39/seat made you wince, Tawk's $0 makes the math very obvious.
Strengths
- Truly free forever (with branding)
- Unlimited agents
- Ticketing + knowledge base bundled
Best for
Bootstrappers, freelancers, and budget-constrained teams.
Pricing
Free. $29/mo to remove “Powered by Tawk.”