Zendesk Chat leads for enterprise-grade support with comprehensive CRM integration, while Intercom excels for product teams prioritising user onboarding and targeted messaging. Drift specialises in conversational marketing and lead qualification, making it ideal for B2B sales organisations.
RANKENTRYSCORETRENDFROM
1Zendesk ChatHandles over 10 million chat conversations monthly across enterprise clients95.0NEW$55/month 2IntercomUsed by over 25,000 businesses to manage billions of customer conversations annually92.7NEW$39/month 3DriftSpecialises in identifying and routing high-value leads through conversational engagement90.3NEW$2,000/month 4LiveChatPowers conversations across more than 30,000 websites with dedicated uptime guarantees88.0NEW$20/month 5FreshchatProcesses messages across six major channels with unified inbox management85.7NEW$15/month 6OlarkDelivers visitor context and browsing history to support agents in real time83.3NEW$31/month 7CrispOffers unlimited team members on all plans, differentiating from seat-based competitors81.0NEW$25/month 8JivoIntegrates phone calling directly into the chat interface for unified communication78.7NEW$50/month 9HubSpot Live ChatIncluded free with HubSpot CRM, reducing total platform investment76.3NEWFree 10Comm100Provides AI-powered chatbots trained on customer support data for superior automation74.0NEW$29/month The ranking, in detail
01
Enterprise live chat with powerful CRM integration
Zendesk Chat provides comprehensive live chat, messaging, and ticketing integration within the Zendesk platform. Built for large support teams, it offers advanced routing, detailed reporting, and seamless workflow automation.
From $55/monthBest for Large enterprises needing integrated customer support systems
95.0
02
Customer messaging platform for product and support teams
Intercom combines live chat, in-app messaging, and email into a single customer communication platform. It excels at product education and targeted user engagement with powerful segmentation capabilities.
From $39/monthBest for Product teams prioritising user onboarding and targeted engagement
92.7
03
Conversational marketing platform for B2B revenue acceleration
Drift focuses on conversational marketing and lead qualification through live chat, chatbots, and email. It integrates tightly with sales tools to identify and engage high-value prospects in real time.
From $2,000/monthBest for B2B companies focused on sales pipeline acceleration
90.3
04
Lightweight live chat software with AI-powered automation
LiveChat is a dedicated live chat platform offering real-time visitor monitoring, chat routing, and AI-powered chatbots. It serves as a pure-play alternative to heavier enterprise suites.
From $20/monthBest for Small to medium businesses seeking affordable, focused live chat
88.0
05
Omnichannel messaging platform from Freshworks
Freshchat is Freshworks' messaging solution supporting live chat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS. It integrates deeply with Freshdesk and Freshsales for unified customer communication.
From $15/monthBest for Freshworks ecosystem users requiring omnichannel messaging
85.7
06
Simple live chat built for sales and support teams
Olark provides straightforward live chat with visitor monitoring, mobile apps, and integration capabilities. It emphasises ease of use and transparent visitor context for quicker support.
From $31/monthBest for Mid-market businesses prioritising conversational simplicity
83.3
07
Versatile messaging platform with browser automation and ticketing
Crisp combines live chat, helpdesk ticketing, knowledge base, and chatbot automation into one platform. It serves solopreneurs and small teams with straightforward pricing and no seat limits.
From $25/monthBest for Startups and small teams seeking unified support in one platform
81.0
08
Affordable omnichannel communication for growing teams
Jivo provides live chat, phone calling, email, and messaging integration on a single platform. It targets growing businesses seeking cost-effective omnichannel communication without enterprise complexity.
From $50/monthBest for Growing businesses seeking affordable omnichannel support
78.7
09
Live chat built into the HubSpot CRM platform
HubSpot Live Chat is included free with most HubSpot plans, offering basic chat, chatbots, and visitor monitoring. It works seamlessly within HubSpot's broader ecosystem of sales, marketing, and service tools.
From FreeBest for HubSpot users seeking native live chat without additional costs
76.3
10
Enterprise messaging with AI chatbots and extensive integrations
Comm100 offers live chat, chatbots, messaging, and ticketing for larger organisations. It emphasises AI automation and integration flexibility for complex support environments.
From $29/monthBest for Enterprise organisations requiring extensive AI automation and integration
74.0
Frequently asked questions
What are the main differences between live chat, chatbots, and ticketing systems?
Live chat connects visitors with human agents in real time for immediate support. Chatbots provide automated responses to common questions without human involvement. Ticketing systems organise customer requests into tracked queues for asynchronous resolution. Many modern platforms combine all three approaches.
Which live chat software is best for e-commerce businesses?
LiveChat and Olark excel for e-commerce with strong visitor monitoring, real-time availability display, and sales-focused features. Intercom is excellent if product education and onboarding matter. For larger e-commerce operations, Zendesk Chat provides superior reporting and integration with broader support infrastructure.
How much does live chat software typically cost?
Pricing ranges from free (HubSpot Chat) to £20-£50 monthly for SMB solutions like LiveChat and Freshchat, rising to £2,000+ monthly for enterprise platforms like Drift. Most vendors charge per agent or per conversation volume. Consider setup time, integration needs, and reporting requirements when comparing total cost of ownership.