FREE2026 Live Chat Software Comparison|Independent, data-backed — no sales callGet the PDF →

Spotsaas logo

Best Live Chat Software For Small Business

Top picks for Live Chat Software available for small business

8.2

SpotScore

Transform your website chats into valuable connections.

No ratings available

Free trial not available

Freemium not available

ZoomInfo Chat offers custom pricing plan

Visit website

9.8

SpotScore

Streamline customer support and boost satisfaction with LiveChat.

4.4

Very Good

Free Trial available

Freemium not available

Starts from $16/User/Month when Billed Yearly

9.8

SpotScore

Boost your sales, keep your customers, and grow.

4.3

Very Good

Free trial not available

Freemium not available

Starts from $59/Month

Why you can trust Spotsaas

Our research is independent and data-backed. We review thousands of tools and use real buyer signals — without the hype.

Filters

Features

+ Show 141 more

Share this page

Showing 1-20 out of 98

Top rated

List of the Best Live Chat Software For Small Business as of July 2026

8.2

SpotScore

ZoomInfo Chat - Live Chat Software

ZoomInfo Chat

RECOMMENDED

Transform your website chats into valuable connections.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Add to compare

What is ZoomInfo Chat?

Transform the way you build relationships with ZoomInfo Chat. This innovative platform enables you to quickly create valuable conversations with your website visitors in just a few clicks. With personalized AI-driven experiences, you can engage with potential leads and efficiently route ...

Read more about ZoomInfo Chat

ZoomInfo Chat offers custom pricing plan

9.8

SpotScore

LiveChat - Live Chat Software

LiveChat

Streamline customer support and boost satisfaction with LiveChat.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is LiveChat?

Introducing LiveChat, an advanced live chat software that offers a range of features to enhance communication between businesses and their customers. With a user base of over 23,000 companies across 150 countries, including the ability to view customers' messages in real-time, prepare canned ...

Read more about LiveChat
Free Trial·

Starts from $16/User/Month when Billed Yearly

9.8

SpotScore

Intercom - Live Chat Software

Intercom

Boost your sales, keep your customers, and grow.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

See Plans & Pricing

Add to compare

watch-demo

Watch Demo

What is Intercom?

Intercom, a sales, marketing, and support software, is designed to boost your customer acquisition and retention efforts. By utilizing its chat and bot features, you can efficiently qualify, route, and convert leads, resulting in faster sales and improved lead generation. Engage customers with ...

Read more about Intercom

Starts from $59/Month

Spotsaas Ads

Want your product up here? Put it in front of buyers the moment they're comparing your category.

Reach Live Chat buyersRank above rivals2M+ buyers a year

9.7

SpotScore

Crisp - Live Chat Software

Crisp

Transforming customer conversations, one click at a time.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Crisp?

Introducing Crisp, the ultimate live chat software that adds a personal touch to your conversations with visitors. With a wide range of tools and features, Crisp helps you turn visitors into loyal customers. From the ability to add emojis and files, to the Magic Browse feature that provides a ...

Read more about Crisp
Free Trial·

Starts from $25/User/Month, also offers free forever plan

9.7

SpotScore

tawk.to - Live Chat Software

tawk.to

Engage with customers in real-time, effortlessly.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Get Pricing Details

Add to compare

What is tawk.to?

tawk.to is a free live chat and messaging platform that lets businesses monitor and respond to customer inquiries and support tickets from a central dashboard. It includes FAQs, knowledge base articles, and quick-reply shortcuts to help teams respond faster, along with real-time visitor ...

Read more about tawk.to

9.6

SpotScore

JivoChat - Live Chat Software

JivoChat

Connect and convert with JivoChat.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is JivoChat?

JivoChat, a must-have for any e-commerce company, is a powerful communication tool that allows businesses to generate revenue by connecting with clients from anywhere. Through its intuitive interface, JivoChat seamlessly integrates various channels such as email, live chat, Facebook messaging, ...

Read more about JivoChat
Free Trial·

Starts from $13/User/Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

9.5

SpotScore

Freshchat - Live Chat Software

Freshchat

Upgrade your customer service with intelligent messaging.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Freshchat?

Freshchat is an intelligent messaging system designed for a digital audience. It enhances customer service with a seamless blend of human and AI-driven assistance along many different messaging platforms. Its top-notch chatbots help to boost customer interaction while allowing businesses to ...

Read more about Freshchat
Free Trial·

Starts from $15/User/Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

9.4

SpotScore

Olark - Live Chat Software

Olark

Connect with customers. Streamline communication. Boost conversions.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Olark?

Olark is the ultimate chat software for your brand. It allows you to connect with your customers through automated messages and live chatting. With an easy-to-use interface, Olark offers features like automated messaging, comprehensive visitor insights, and custom pre-chat surveys. Keep track ...

Read more about Olark
Free Trial·

Olark offers custom pricing plan

9.3

SpotScore

Provide Support - Live Chat Software

Provide Support

Enhance customer support with effortless live chat.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Provide Support?

"Discover the ultimate solution to enhance customer support with Provide Support. This innovative software allows users to effortlessly set up live chat on their websites in just three simple steps. With a downloadable operator console and a mobile app, users can easily manage incoming requests ...

Read more about Provide Support
Free Trial·

Starts from $8.25/Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

9.3

SpotScore

Comm100 Live Chat - Live Chat Software

Comm100 Live Chat

Maximize customer satisfaction with personalized interactions.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

Add to compare

What is Comm100 Live Chat?

Comm100 Live Chat is the perfect customer service solution for businesses, providing an all-in-one platform to handle customer interactions. Through its AI-powered chatbox, businesses can personalize and streamline engagements through various channels such as email, SMS, social media, and live ...

Read more about Comm100 Live Chat
Free Trial·

Starts from $29/User/Month

9.3

SpotScore

SnapEngage - Live Chat Software

SnapEngage

Streamline customer engagement & boost sales with SnapEngage.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is SnapEngage?

SnapEngage is an advanced chat monitoring platform ideal for streamlining customer engagement and boosting sales through live chat. With its customizable workflows, it effortlessly captures and converts leads for businesses of all sizes. This omnichannel solution enables businesses to connect ...

Read more about SnapEngage
Free Trial·

Starts from $16/User/Month

9.3

SpotScore

Freshdesk Messaging (Formerly Freshchat) - Live Chat Software

Freshdesk Messaging (Formerly Freshchat)

Effortless customer service for the digital world.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Freshdesk Messaging (Formerly Freshchat)?

Introducing Freshdesk Messaging, formerly known as Freshchat, the ultimate solution for modern messaging needs. This software is designed to make customer service effortless for the digital-first customer, with live chat capabilities and a variety of messaging channels. With Smarter ...

Read more about Freshdesk Messaging (Formerly Freshchat)
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $19/agent/month when yearly, also offers free forever plan

9.3

SpotScore

Smartsupp - Live Chat Software

Smartsupp

Improve customer satisfaction with real-time chat.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

Add to compare

What is Smartsupp?

Smartsupp is a live chat platform that lets website operators engage visitors in real time, with visibility into screen views, clicks, and cursor movements to understand browsing behavior. Operators can customize the chat widget appearance and position to match their brand and stay connected ...

Read more about Smartsupp

Starts from $10/User/Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

9.3

SpotScore

LiveHelpNow - Live Chat Software

LiveHelpNow

Elevate your customer service with LiveHelpNow.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is LiveHelpNow?

LiveHelpNow is an exceptional customer service management software that elevates the support experience for both teams and individual customers. It enables flawless communication through chat, SMS, tickets, and FAQs, while offering the flexibility to connect with users through their preferred ...

Read more about LiveHelpNow
Free Trial·

Starts from $9/Month

9.3

SpotScore

Helpshift - Live Chat Software

Helpshift

Revolutionizing in-app customer support.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Get Pricing Details

Add to compare

What is Helpshift?

Helpshift, a cutting-edge SaaS Aggregator, offers a revolutionary customer service solution called MOBILE-FIRST CUSTOMER SERVICE. This innovative platform provides an unparalleled in-app assistance for leading mobile apps and games. What sets Helpshift apart is its pioneering approach of in-app ...

Read more about Helpshift

Helpshift offers custom pricing plan

9.2

SpotScore

Userlike - Live Chat Software

Userlike

Empowering real-time chat for exceptional customer communication.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Userlike?

Introducing Userlike, the ultimate real-time chat platform with the tagline "Empower Your Customer Communication". Seamlessly connecting internal team members, customers, and employees, this cloud-based software effortlessly integrates website chat with mobile messaging. Enjoy advanced features ...

Read more about Userlike
Free Trial·

Starts from $90/Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

9.2

SpotScore

Giosg - Live Chat Software

Giosg

Boost conversions and delight customers with Giosg.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Giosg?

Giosg is a live chat platform with AI-powered lead identification tools that connect sales, marketing, and customer support teams across a single customer journey. It personalizes visitor interactions, helps teams focus on warm leads, and tracks metrics like customer lifetime value (CLV) and ...

Read more about Giosg
Free Trial·

Giosg offers custom pricing plan

9.2

SpotScore

HelpCrunch - Live Chat Software

HelpCrunch

Revolutionize customer communication for ultimate success.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is HelpCrunch?

Introducing HelpCrunch, an intelligent platform designed for efficient customer communication. With its modern live chat and in-app messenger, it offers a rich toolbox of tools to convert prospects into paying customers and boost sales. It also includes auto messages, ticketing, email ...

Read more about HelpCrunch
Free Trial·

Starts from $12/User/Month when Billed Yearly

9.2

SpotScore

Acquire - Live Chat Software

Acquire

Streamline customer engagement and drive growth.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Get Pricing Details

Add to compare

What is Acquire?

. Acquire, with the tagline "Simplify customer engagement and boost business growth," is a conversational customer experience management platform. This software enables companies to easily connect and collaborate with their clients through video or chat, while also offering co-browsing ...

Read more about Acquire

Acquire offers custom pricing plan

9.1

SpotScore

ClickDesk - Live Chat Software

ClickDesk

Seamlessly serve your customers with ClickDesk.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

Add to compare

What is ClickDesk?

ClickDesk makes it easy to take care of customers. Create tickets from written, voice, video chat, and email messages. Turnaround times are automatically calculated from when a ticket is opened to when it's closed. Use powerful tools to manage knowledge articles that team can use when ...

Read more about ClickDesk

Starts from $12.99/User/Month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

Best Live Chat Software for Small Businesses (2026)

The best live chat for small businesses in 2026 — affordable, easy-to-run picks with free plans and fast setup, ranked on real data. No enterprise bloat.

For a small business, the best live chat isn't the most powerful one — it's the one a lean team can afford, set up in an afternoon, and actually keep using. That rules out a lot of the market.

Below are the picks that actually work at small-business scale, pulled from 113 tracked live chat products and filtered for price, free plans, and ease. Intercom, LiveAgent, and LiveChat come out on top.

The live chat list is ordered by Spotscore and review volume, but every tool cleared a small-business filter first — affordable entry pricing, a way to start free, and onboarding that doesn't need a specialist. Enterprise-only tools were left off on purpose.

What small businesses need from live chat

Small teams weigh live chat differently than big ones. Five things tend to decide whether a tool sticks or gets abandoned after a month.

  • A price that fits a small budgetFor live chat, per-user costs should stay reasonable as you add a few seats — not enterprise contracts built for hundreds of users and a procurement cycle. For most small teams the entry tier lands in the low double digits per user.
  • A free plan or real trialA way to start at zero cost and prove the live chat earns its keep before any money changes hands. 4 of the picks below ship a genuinely free tier, not just a time-boxed trial.
  • Setup without an IT teamOnboarding your live chat should be something a non-technical founder or office manager finishes in a day, not a quarter. If it needs a consultant to stand up, it's the wrong fit at this size.
  • Day-one ease of useA live chat interface clean enough that the whole team adopts it without training — at a small company, software nobody uses is just a line item.
  • Core features, not bloatThe handful of live chat capabilities a small team actually uses daily, without paying for enterprise modules that sit idle and complicate the screen.
  • Room to growPricing and features that scale with you, so hitting 20 or 50 people doesn't force a painful, mid-stride migration to a different live chat tool.

Best live chat for small businesses

These are the highest-ranked live chat that fit a small-business profile — affordable, easy to adopt, and well reviewed. Each is on Spotsaas with verified ratings.

#ProductSpotScoreRatingReviewsStarting price
19.84.302,496$59
2
LiveAgentFree plan
9.84.70870$15
39.84.40791$16Free trial
49.74.20274
5
CrispFree plan
9.74.30140$25
69.64.941,957Free trial
7
JivoChatFree plan
9.64.2092$13
8
FreshchatFree plan
9.54.50630$15

Intercom

Intercom earns its place for small teams: it starts at $59/month. With a 4.3 rating across 2,496 reviews, it's a dependable live chat choice that won't overwhelm a lean team or demand a dedicated admin.

LiveAgent

LiveAgent earns its place for small teams: it starts at $15/month and offers a free plan to begin at zero cost. With a 4.7 rating across 870 reviews, it's a dependable live chat choice that won't overwhelm a lean team or demand a dedicated admin.

LiveChat

LiveChat earns its place for small teams: it starts at $16/month with a free trial to test first. With a 4.4 rating across 791 reviews, it's a dependable live chat choice that won't overwhelm a lean team or demand a dedicated admin.

tawk.to

tawk.to earns its place for small teams: it's priced for small budgets. With a 4.2 rating across 274 reviews, it's a dependable live chat choice that won't overwhelm a lean team or demand a dedicated admin.

Live Chat pricing for a small-business budget

Entry plans for the small-business picks start at $13/month, and 4 offer a genuinely free plan. Below is each live chat pick's entry price, lowest first — a realistic view of what a small team actually pays.

$13JivoChat pricingFree plan
$15LiveAgent pricingFree plan
$15Freshchat pricingFree plan
$16LiveChat pricingFree trial
$25Crisp pricingFree plan

The sticker price is rarely the real cost — check what you pay once a few teammates are added and the add-ons you actually need are switched on.

Free and freemium live chat

If budget is the hard constraint, start here. These live chat picks offer a genuinely free plan you can run indefinitely, not just a trial.

  • LiveAgentFree plan; paid upgrades from $15/mo.
  • CrispFree plan; paid upgrades from $25/mo.
  • JivoChatFree plan; paid upgrades from $13/mo.
  • FreshchatFree plan; paid upgrades from $15/mo.

What to watch out for

A few traps catch small businesses buying live chat. Knowing them upfront saves money and a painful switch later.

  • Enterprise pricing in disguiseSome live chat tools advertise a low entry tier but gate the features you need behind plans priced for big companies.
  • Tools that need an adminIf a live chat platform assumes a dedicated operator, a small team will under-use it and still pay full price.
  • Per-seat costs that scale badlyA reasonable per-user price can turn painful as a live chat rollout grows — model it before you commit.
  • Lock-in and hard exportsCheck you can get your data out cleanly; switching live chat later shouldn't be a hostage situation.

Setup and ease of use

For a small team, time-to-value matters more than feature count. The best live chat here get a team productive the same week, with templates and guided setup instead of a services engagement.

A practical test: during the free trial, see how far you get without reading a manual or booking a call. The live chat options above are filtered for self-serve setup, but the right one for you is the one your specific team finds obvious on day one.

Best live chat for small business, by need

Cheapest

JivoChatLowest entry price at $13/month.

Best free plan

LiveAgentA genuinely free live chat plan to start at zero cost.

Most reviewed

IntercomThe most battle-tested here (2,496 reviews).

Best as you grow

IntercomHighest-ranked live chat overall — room to scale past the small-team stage.

Bottom line

For most small businesses, the smart move with live chat is to start free or cheap, prove it earns its place, and only pay up as the team grows. Intercom is the strongest all-round pick here, JivoChat is the budget choice at $13/month, and LiveAgent is the place to start if you need a free plan. Shortlist two or three, run the free live chat trials with your real data, and let ease of setup break the tie.

Small business FAQs

Most Popular FAQs

What is the best live chat for a small business?

Intercom, LiveAgent, and LiveChat rank highest among small-business-friendly live chat on Spotsaas. The right pick depends on your budget, team size, and whether you need a free plan to start.

Intercom · LiveAgent · LiveChat

What is the cheapest live chat for small businesses?

JivoChat has the lowest entry price among the small-business picks at $13/month, with the core features a small team needs.

JivoChat · JivoChat pricing

Is there a free live chat for small businesses?

Yes — LiveAgent, Crisp, JivoChat offer a genuinely free plan you can run without paying, then upgrade as you grow.

LiveAgent · Crisp · JivoChat

Choosing FAQs

How much should a small business pay for live chat?

Entry plans among these picks start around $13/month per user. Most small teams land in the low double digits per user; price it at next year's headcount, not today's.

JivoChat pricing

What should a small business avoid when buying live chat?

Avoid live chat that gates the essentials behind enterprise tiers, assumes a dedicated admin, or makes exporting your data hard. For a small team, ease and predictable pricing beat a long feature list you'll never touch. If a sales call is required just to see live chat pricing, it's usually built for a bigger buyer.

Free vs paid live chat — when should a small business upgrade?

Start on a free live chat plan if one fits, and upgrade when you hit its limits — usually more users, higher volume, or a feature you now depend on. The picks above are chosen so that paid tiers stay affordable as you grow, so upgrading is a step up, not a cliff.

LiveAgent

Which live chat is easiest for a small team to set up?

The picks above are filtered partly for fast, self-serve setup; Intercom and LiveAgent are common choices for getting live in days, not weeks.

Intercom · LiveAgent

How we rank: Small-business fit (price, free plan, customer-type), then Spotscore and verified review volume.

Sources: Spotsaas product database (Spotscore, ratings, pricing, customer-type signals) — live as of generation. Spotsaas editorial guides (WP-verified, published).

Frequently Asked Questions About Live Chat Software

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The most important Live Chat Software features to evaluate are Self Service Portal, Contact Management, Marketing Automation, Customer Support, Multiple Company, Multi-user Login. Most buyers prioritize ease of use, reporting, and integration capabilities. Look for tools that cover your core workflow before comparing advanced features.

Live Chat Software pricing varies widely — from free plans to enterprise contracts. 15 products on Spotsaas offer a free plan or trial:

The top rated Live Chat Software based on verified user reviews and SpotScore are Respond.io, ChatGen, IntelliTicks. These tools score highest on ease of use, feature depth, and customer support — updated monthly from real buyer feedback.

Start by listing your must-have features — commonly Self Service Portal, Contact Management, Marketing Automation, Customer Support, Multiple Company, Multi-user Login. Then filter by team size, budget, and integrations you already use. Compare at least 3 options using free trials before committing. Spotsaas lets you compare side-by-side in minutes.

Yes — 15 Live Chat Software on Spotsaas offer a free plan or trial. Free plans cover core features for small teams; paid upgrades unlock advanced reporting and integrations.

The best Live Chat Software for small businesses are affordable, quick to set up, and scale without complexity. Look for per-user pricing, no long-term contracts, and strong onboarding support.

About the reviewer

Rajat Gupta is the founder of Spotsaas. Over the past two years, he has reviewed 2,000+ tools across CRM, HR, AI, and finance — applying hands-on product research and a background in commerce and the CFA program to evaluate software through a business and ROI lens. His goal: help teams make software decisions they won't regret.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].