Best Customer Support Chat Apps in 2026

Last updated: January 2026

Customer support chat apps let you talk to customers in real-time on your website or app. Top options include Intercom ($29/seat/month, best for conversational AI), Zendesk ($19/agent/month, best for enterprise), Freshdesk (free tier available, best value), and Tidio ($29/month, best for small business). Most platforms now include AI chatbots that handle 60-85% of queries automatically.

Live chat increases conversions. Customers prefer it over email and phone. The right tool depends on your team size, budget, and whether you need basic chat or a full support platform.

This guide covers 12 customer support chat apps from free options to enterprise platforms.

Customer Support Chat App Comparison Table 2026

Full Support Platforms

Intercom

The leader in conversational customer support. AI-first approach with Fin AI agent that resolves issues autonomously. Proactive messaging, in-app support, and product tours. Best for companies that want AI handling first-line support.

Best for: Product-led companies, SaaS, AI-first support

Key features:

• Fin AI agent (resolves queries autonomously)
• In-app messaging and product tours
• Proactive customer engagement
• Shared inbox for team collaboration
• Knowledge base integration
• Custom bots and workflows

Pricing:

• Essential: $29/seat/month
• Advanced: $85/seat/month
• Expert: $132/seat/month
• Fin AI: $0.99 per resolution

Strengths: Best AI capabilities, excellent for proactive engagement, modern UX Weaknesses: Expensive at scale, usage-based AI pricing adds up

Zendesk

Enterprise-grade support platform with 18 years of experience and 100,000+ customers. Handles high volumes across email, chat, phone, and social. Complex routing, SLA management, extensive customization.

Best for: Enterprise, high-volume multi-channel support

Key features:

• Omnichannel support (email, chat, phone, social)
• Advanced workflow automation
• Robust ticketing system
• 1,000+ integrations
• Custom reporting and analytics
• Multi-brand support

Pricing:

• Support Team: $19/agent/month
• Suite Team: $55/agent/month
• Suite Professional: $115/agent/month
• Suite Enterprise: Custom

Strengths: Most comprehensive, proven at scale, extensive integrations Weaknesses: Complex setup, higher total cost, can feel bloated for small teams

Freshdesk

Strong alternative to Zendesk at lower cost. Nearly 700 integrations, Freddy AI handles up to 86% of queries. Good feature parity with Zendesk for less money.

Best for: Growing teams wanting enterprise features at lower cost

Key features:

• Freddy AI (86% query resolution)
• Omnichannel support
• 700+ integrations
• Team collaboration tools
• SLA management
• Knowledge base

Pricing:

• Free: Up to 2 agents
• Growth: $15/agent/month
• Pro: $49/agent/month
• Enterprise: $79/agent/month

Strengths: Best value for features, strong AI, generous free tier Weaknesses: UI less polished than competitors, some features locked to higher tiers

Small Business Solutions

Tidio

All-in-one for small business. Live chat, AI chatbots, and email marketing combined. Lyro AI resolves up to 67% of queries. Easy setup, designed for ecommerce.

Best for: Small businesses, ecommerce, quick setup

Key features:

• Lyro AI chatbot (67% resolution rate)
• Live chat widget
• Email marketing tools
• Visitor tracking
• Shopify/WooCommerce integration
• Multilingual support

Pricing:

• Free: 50 conversations/month
• Starter: $29/month
• Growth: $59/month (250-2,000 chats)
• Tidio+: $749/month (enterprise)

Strengths: Easy to set up, good AI for price, ecommerce focused Weaknesses: Limited at scale, basic reporting on lower tiers

HubSpot Live Chat

Free live chat integrated with HubSpot CRM. Conversations sync to contact records. Good for businesses already using HubSpot. Basic features free, advanced AI costs extra.

Best for: HubSpot CRM users

Key features:

• Free live chat widget
• CRM integration (automatic logging)
• Chatbot builder
• Meeting scheduling
• Team inbox
• Mobile apps

Pricing:

• Free: Basic chat + CRM
• Service Hub Starter: $20/month
• Service Hub Professional: $100/month

Strengths: Free tier is genuinely useful, seamless CRM integration Weaknesses: Best features require HubSpot ecosystem, AI is add-on cost

Crisp

Affordable all-in-one platform. Live chat, shared inbox, knowledge base, and chatbot at one price. Per-workspace pricing (not per-agent) makes it cheaper for larger teams.

Best for: Teams wanting all-in-one at low cost

Key features:

• Live chat with video/audio calls
• Shared inbox (email, chat, social)
• Knowledge base
• Chatbot builder
• Co-browsing
• Live translation

Pricing:

• Free: 2 agents
• Mini: €45/month (4 agents)
• Essentials: €95/month (10 agents)
• Plus: €295/month (20 agents, +€10/extra)

Strengths: Per-workspace pricing saves money, feature-rich for price Weaknesses: Smaller ecosystem, less known in US market

Dedicated Live Chat

LiveChat

Focused live chat tool with 200+ integrations. Fast, reliable, customizable widget. Does one thing well. Good for teams that want chat without a full support platform.

Best for: Teams wanting dedicated, reliable live chat

Key features:

• Fast chat performance
• Customizable widget
• 200+ integrations
• Canned responses
• Chat routing
• Analytics and reports

Pricing:

• Starter: $24/agent/month
• Team: $49/agent/month
• Business: $69/agent/month
• Enterprise: Custom

Strengths: Fast, reliable, focused on chat excellence Weaknesses: Chat only (no ticketing), costs add up per agent

Olark

Simple, straightforward live chat. Easy setup, clear pricing, does the basics well. Good for small teams that just need chat.

Best for: Simple live chat needs

Key features:

• Easy setup
• Chat transcripts
• Automated messages
• Visitor insights
• CRM integrations
• Customizable widget

Pricing:

• Standard: $29/seat/month
• Pro: Custom pricing

Strengths: Simple and focused, transparent pricing Weaknesses: Limited features compared to platforms, basic reporting

Tawk.to

Completely free live chat. Unlimited agents, unlimited chats. Makes money through optional paid services (video chat, removing branding). Surprisingly capable for free.

Best for: Budget-conscious teams, startups

Key features:

• Unlimited agents (free)
• Unlimited chats (free)
• Mobile apps
• Ticketing system
• Knowledge base
• Visitor monitoring

Pricing:

• Free: All core features
• Remove branding: $19/month
• Video + voice: $29/month
• AI Assist: $29/month

Strengths: Genuinely free, feature-rich for the price (zero) Weaknesses: Free model raises questions, paid support optional

Shared Inbox Focus

Help Scout

Clean shared inbox for email and chat support. Beacon widget combines chat, knowledge base, and AI answers. Human-focused approach, less automation than competitors.

Best for: Teams wanting simple, human-focused support

Key features:

• Shared inbox (email + chat)
• Beacon widget
• Knowledge base (Docs)
• AI Answers ($0.75/resolution)
• Collision detection
• Saved replies

Pricing:

• Free: 5 users, 1 inbox
• Standard: $50/user/month
• Plus: $75/user/month
• Pro: Contact sales

Strengths: Clean interface, human-focused, good knowledge base Weaknesses: Expensive per user, AI is additional cost

B2B Sales Focus

Drift (Salesloft)

Conversational marketing for B2B sales. Qualifies leads, books meetings, accelerates pipeline. Not for post-sale support. Premium pricing for enterprise sales teams.

Best for: B2B sales teams, enterprise lead generation

Key features:

• AI chatbots for lead qualification
• Meeting booking automation
• Conversational landing pages
• Account-based marketing
• Sales alerts and routing
• Revenue analytics

Pricing:

• Advanced: Starting ~$2,500/month
• Premier: Custom enterprise pricing

Strengths: Best for B2B sales, deep Salesloft integration Weaknesses: Very expensive, sales-only (not support), requires Salesloft ecosystem

How to Choose

By Team Size

By Budget

By Primary Need

AI in Customer Support Chat

Most platforms now offer AI chatbots:

• Intercom Fin: Best AI, $0.99/resolution
• Freshdesk Freddy: 86% resolution rate, included in plans
• Tidio Lyro: 67% resolution rate, affordable
• Zendesk AI: Enterprise-grade, usage-based pricing
• Help Scout AI Answers: $0.75/resolution

AI handles FAQs, order status, basic troubleshooting. Humans handle complex issues, complaints, edge cases. Most teams see 50-70% of queries resolved by AI.

Which Customer Support Chat App Should You Choose?

For small business: Tidio or Tawk.to (free). Easy setup, good AI, affordable.

For growing teams: Freshdesk or Crisp. Best value for features.

For AI-first support: Intercom. Best AI capabilities, modern approach.

For enterprise: Zendesk. Proven at scale, comprehensive features.

For HubSpot users: HubSpot Live Chat. Free, integrated with your CRM.

Start with free tiers to test. Upgrade when you need more agents, AI, or features.

FAQs About Customer Support Chat Apps

What is the best free live chat software?

Tawk.to is completely free with unlimited agents and chats. HubSpot offers free live chat with CRM integration. Freshdesk and Tidio have free tiers with limited features. Crisp offers free chat for 2 agents. For zero-cost live chat with no catches, Tawk.to is the clear winner.

How much does live chat software cost?

Free options exist (Tawk.to, HubSpot Free). Small business: $29-59/month (Tidio, Crisp). Per-agent pricing: $19-50/agent/month (Zendesk, LiveChat, Help Scout). Enterprise: $2,500+/month (Drift). AI chatbot features often cost extra: Intercom Fin charges per resolution, Zendesk AI is an add-on. Budget $30-100/month for small teams, $500-2,000/month for mid-market.

What's the difference between Intercom and Zendesk?

Intercom is AI-first and conversational, built around proactive messaging and in-app support. Zendesk is ticketing-first, built for high-volume support across channels. Intercom: best for SaaS, product-led companies, proactive engagement. Zendesk: best for traditional support operations, complex routing, high ticket volumes. Intercom Fin resolves 66% of queries; Zendesk handles 100,000+ customers at enterprise scale.

Do I need a full support platform or just live chat?

Just live chat (LiveChat, Olark, Tawk.to) if you only need real-time website chat. Full platform (Intercom, Zendesk, Freshdesk) if you need ticketing, email support, knowledge base, and AI automation. Signs you need the full platform: more than 100 conversations/month, multiple support channels, team larger than 2 agents, need for reporting and analytics. Most growing businesses upgrade within 6-12 months.

How effective are AI chatbots for customer support?

Modern AI chatbots resolve 50-86% of queries automatically. Intercom Fin: 66% resolution rate. Freshdesk Freddy: up to 86%. Tidio Lyro: up to 67%. They handle FAQs, order status, and basic troubleshooting well. Complex issues, complaints, and edge cases still need humans. ROI is typically 3-6 months if you have 500+ queries/month.