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Best AI Live Chat Tools with a Free Trial in 2026

10 AI tools ranked, each with a short verdict.

Updated · How we rank

VERIFIEDLISTER SCORE · UPDATED Get your company ranked

Key takeaways

  • Top pick: Chatbase, best for: Customer support teams.
  • Also near the top: SiteGPT and onWebChat.
  • How it was ranked: 10 AI tools compared, each scored on fit to the list (40%), evidence on the site (20%), published detail (20%) and buying signals (20%). Each verdict is below.

Best AI live chat tools with a free trial: Top 10 Ranked. Chatbase ranks first, with a Lister Score of 98.0.

Chatbase takes the top spot on this list for Customer support teams. onWebChat is built for businesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance. Social Intents serves Teams using Microsoft Teams or Slack.
Best AI Live Chat Tools with a Free Trial in 2026, compared
RANKENTRYBEST FORSCOREFROM
1ChatbaseThe AI tool requires no code and is ready in minutesCustomer support teams98.0–
2SiteGPTThe AI tool enables seamless escalation to human agents when necessarycustomer support teams98.0–
3onWebChatThe AI tool recommends products with photos and prices directly inside the chat interfacebusinesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance96.0–
4ResolveAIThe AI tool requires no coding for setupbusinesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance96.0–
5Social IntentsThe AI tool handles routine questions and qualifies leads automaticallyTeams using Microsoft Teams or Slack96.0–
6Soft AwareBuilt for South African small businesses and agenciesSouth African small businesses and agencies96.0–
7ChatBot by TextBuilt for eCommerce teamsTeams under 500 tickets/month94.0$19/month
8ChatonboOffers flat monthly pricing without any per-conversation fees or meteringe-commerce stores and support teams94.0–
9TwigAnswers customer questions via phone, text, and chat–94.0–
10IntercomBuilt for Startups, small businesses, and enterprisesGrowing tech companies and SaaS businesses90.0$39/month
CURATED · UPDATED HOW WE RANK →

How to choose

Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:

  • Chatbase (#1): Customer support teams
  • SiteGPT (#2): customer support teams
  • onWebChat (#3): businesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance
  • ResolveAI (#4): businesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance
  • Social Intents (#5): Teams using Microsoft Teams or Slack
  • Soft Aware (#6): South African small businesses and agencies
  • ChatBot by Text (#7): Teams under 500 tickets/month
  • Chatonbo (#8): e-commerce stores and support teams
  • Intercom (#10): Growing tech companies and SaaS businesses

Each entry's Lister Score on this ranking weighs fit to the list (40%), evidence on the site (20%), published detail (20%) and buying signals (20%).

Each entry's full verdict is below.

The ranking, in detail

01

Chatbase

One agent for every customer interaction

Chatbase is a leading AI agent platform for customer experience. It builds conversational agents that resolve issues across chat, email, and voice.

PROS
  • The AI tool requires no code and is ready in minutes.
  • The AI tool publishes agents across multiple channels with a single click.
Best for
Customer support teams
Pick something else if
you need unlimited messaging volume.
98.0
02

SiteGPT

Make AI your expert customer support agent

SiteGPT instantly answers visitor questions with a personalized chatbot experience.

PROS
  • SiteGPT allows you to train the chatbot with your own content to echo your brand voice.
  • The AI tool enables seamless escalation to human agents when necessary.
Best for
customer support teams
98.0
03

onWebChat

AI chatbot for websites with live chat handoff

onWebChat provides automated customer support and live chat handoff capabilities.

PROS
  • The AI tool automatically sets up by reading your website pages in about two minutes.
  • The AI tool recommends products with photos and prices directly inside the chat interface.
CONS
  • Auto product sync and order tracking features are available only for WooCommerce and OpenCart stores.
Best for
businesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance
Where it falls short
Auto product sync and order tracking are limited to WooCommerce and OpenCart stores.
Pick something else if
you use a different e-commerce platform.
96.0
04

ResolveAI

Custom AI Chatbot with your own data

ResolveAI is a customizable AI chatbot that integrates with business data to provide automated support. It enables companies to engage customers and streamline operations through natural language interactions.

PROS
  • The AI tool requires no coding for setup.
  • The AI tool converses in any language out of the box.
CONS
  • The Basic plan limits training sources to only twenty data files.
Best for
businesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance
Where it falls short
The Basic plan restricts you to only twenty training data sources.
Pick something else if
you need more than twenty training files on the basic tier.
96.0
05

Social Intents

AI customer support from your existing collaboration tools

Social Intents provides AI customer support and live chat natively within Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, and Google Chat. It unifies website chat, WhatsApp, SMS, and email into one platform for teams to answer customers directly.

PROS
  • The AI tool handles routine questions and qualifies leads automatically.
  • The AI tool allows users to switch between ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini models.
Best for
Teams using Microsoft Teams or Slack
Where it falls short
The Starter plan restricts users to only 250 conversations per month.
Pick something else if
you need more than 250 monthly conversations.
96.0
06

Soft Aware

Deployable AI receptionist for your website

Soft Aware Reception acts as a digital front desk that greets visitors and answers questions using trained business knowledge.

PROS
  • The AI tool deploys directly to your own hosting via SFTP or FTP without proprietary lock-in.
  • The AI tool processes data in-memory on local South African servers with zero retention for training.
Best for
South African small businesses and agencies
Where it falls short
Live chat stops working once the monthly conversation quota is exhausted.
Pick something else if
you need unlimited conversations without interruption.
96.0
07

ChatBot by Text

Flat-rate pricing with AI resolutions and bundled helpdesk for sub-500 ticket teams

ChatBot by Text is an AI chatbot software for websites. It automates customer service and sales.

PROS
  • Flat monthly pricing provides budget predictability for small teams
  • Bundled live chat and helpdesk eliminates tool proliferation
CONS
  • Pricing model becomes less attractive above 500 monthly tickets
  • Limited scalability for teams experiencing rapid growth
Best for
Teams under 500 tickets/month
Where it falls short
Pricing becomes less attractive for teams handling more than 500 monthly tickets.
Pick something else if
you handle over 500 tickets per month.
94.0
08

Chatonbo

Turn visitors into customers with an AI agent

Chatonbo is an AI chatbot and agent platform for websites that answers questions and captures leads. It acts as a shopping assistant by tracking orders and sending checkout links.

PROS
  • The AI tool tracks real order status and provides instant answers to the most common support question.
  • Chatonbo offers flat monthly pricing without any per-conversation fees or metering.
Best for
e-commerce stores and support teams
94.0
09

Twig

AI receptionist that never misses a call

Twig provides an AI receptionist named Sera that answers calls and texts around the clock.

PROS
  • Twig answers customer questions via phone, text, and chat.
  • The AI tool gets most businesses live in under thirty minutes.
Best for
Small businesses needing quick setup
Where it falls short
It cannot quote premiums or bind coverage for insurance clients.
Pick something else if
you need an AI agent that can bind insurance policies.
94.0
10

Intercom

The complete conversational relationship platform

Intercom is a complete system for AI and human customer service. It is the only helpdesk with a natively integrated AI Agent named Fin.

PROS
  • Powerful automation and custom bots
  • Excellent integration ecosystem
CONS
  • Can become expensive as contact volume grows
Best for
Growing tech companies and SaaS businesses
Where it falls short
Costs escalate quickly as contact volume grows due to per-outcome fees.
90.0

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best AI live chat tools with a free trial?

Chatbase ranks first on Lister. Chatbase is a leading AI agent platform for customer experience. It builds conversational agents that resolve issues across chat, email, and voice.

What are the top 10 AI live chat tools with a free trial?

1. Chatbase; 2. SiteGPT; 3. onWebChat; 4. ResolveAI; 5. Social Intents; 6. Soft Aware; 7. ChatBot by Text; 8. Chatonbo; 9. Twig; 10. Intercom.

Are there free options for AI live chat tools with a free trial?

No free option is confirmed in the recorded pricing for this ranking. Check each provider's pricing page for current plans and trials.

What do the top four say they are built for?

Chatbase and SiteGPT both say they are built for Customer support teams, and onWebChat and ResolveAI both for businesses seeking automated customer support and sales assistance.

What should a buyer check before signing up?

onWebChat states that auto product sync and order tracking features are available only for WooCommerce and OpenCart stores, and ResolveAI that the Basic plan limits training sources to only twenty data files. Those are the limits each AI tool publishes itself, not a full account of any plan.

Sources

Where we checked each company's facts, and when.

Sources for 5 more companies

Some links on Lister are affiliate links. Rankings are not affected.

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