Last Updated: January 15, 2026
Live chat software increases sales by 15-30% and 79% of businesses report positive effects on revenue. This comparison covers 15 platforms from free (Tawk.to) to €14/month (Boei) to enterprise (Intercom, Drift).
| Software | Starting Price | AI Chatbot | Best For | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boei | €14/month | ✅ Included | ✅ Included | SMBs wanting all-in-one | 4.7/5 |
| Tawk.to | Free | ❌ | ❌ | Zero budget | 4.4/5 |
| LiveChat | €20/agent | Add-on ($59/mo) | Add-on | Pure live chat focus | 4.5/5 |
| Crisp | €25/month | Limited | €95/month extra | Mid-size support teams | 4.5/5 |
| Tidio | €29/month | €0.50/conversation | €59/month extra | E-commerce stores | 4.7/5 |
| Help Scout | €20/agent | ✅ Included | ❌ | Email-first support | 4.8/5 |
| Intercom | €74/agent | €0.99/conversation | Add-on | Enterprise teams | 4.5/5 |
| Freshchat | €15/agent | Add-on | Add-on | Freshworks ecosystem | 4.2/5 |
| Zendesk Chat | €49/agent | Add-on | Add-on | Existing Zendesk users | 4.3/5 |
| Drift | $2,500/month | ✅ Included | ❌ | Enterprise sales teams | 4.4/5 |
| Olark | $29/agent | ❌ | ❌ | Simple live chat | 4.3/5 |
| Userlike | €90/month | Limited | Add-on | German/EU market | 4.5/5 |
| Smartsupp | €19.50/month | Limited | ❌ | Small e-commerce | 4.3/5 |
| Pure Chat | $49/month | ❌ | ❌ | Basic needs | 4.1/5 |
| Chaport | €15/month | ❌ | ❌ | Budget multi-channel | 4.5/5 |
Best overall: Boei for SMBs wanting AI chatbot + WhatsApp + live chat + CRM in one tool without per-agent fees. €14/month flat rate replaces 3-4 separate tools.
Best free: Tawk.to for bootstrapped startups testing live chat. Lacks AI and multi-channel but costs nothing forever.
Best for pure live chat: LiveChat for teams focused solely on human chat with robust integrations. €20/agent/month, proven 20+ year track record.
Best for enterprises: Intercom for large teams needing advanced product tours and in-app messaging. €74+/agent/month, premium features justify premium price.
Short answer: Boei is the best live chat software for most websites in 2026 because it includes AI chatbot, WhatsApp, 50+ channels, shared inbox, and lead CRM for €14/month flat rate - less than competitors charge for basic live chat alone.
Detailed answer:
The "best" depends on your specific needs:
What it does: Boei is a complete omnichannel communication platform that combines live chat, AI chatbot (GPT-5 & Claude), WhatsApp, 50+ messaging channels, shared inbox, and visual lead tracking in one tool. Unlike competitors that charge separately for each feature, Boei includes everything for a flat €14/month with unlimited team members.
Key Strengths:
Unbeatable value at €14/month flat rate - No per-agent fees, no per-conversation charges, no hidden costs. Includes AI chatbot (2,000 messages/month), WhatsApp, all 50+ channels, shared inbox, and lead CRM. Competitors charge €100-300/month for similar features.
True omnichannel from day one - Visitors can reach you via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, email, phone, custom forms, or live chat - all through one widget. Boei's AI chatbot works natively on WhatsApp too — auto-replying to incoming messages and delivering conversations with AI summaries to your shared inbox. Most competitors focus on 1-2 channels and charge €59-95/month extra for WhatsApp.
AI chatbot learns from your website automatically - Enter your domain, Boei's AI crawls and learns your content in minutes. Answers questions with source citations to prevent hallucinations. Supports 95+ languages with auto-detection. No manual training required like Intercom or Drift demand.
Key Weaknesses:
Newer brand with less name recognition - Launched in 2019 vs LiveChat (2002) or Zendesk (2007). Enterprise buyers may prefer established vendors despite higher costs.
Best for SMBs, not enterprise complexity - If you need advanced product tours, in-app messaging across mobile apps, or dedicated customer success managers, Intercom or Drift are better fits (at 50-100x the cost).
Ideal customer: Small businesses (1-50 employees), e-commerce stores, SaaS companies, and agencies who want a complete communication solution without juggling 3-4 separate tools. Perfect for teams tired of paying per-agent or per-conversation.
Pricing: €14/month Pro plan includes everything. €99/month Business plan adds 10,000 AI messages and priority support. 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
What it does: Tawk.to is a free live chat platform that lets you chat with website visitors in real-time. It's the most widely used free live chat software, trusted by 35% of all websites using chat. Unlike freemium tools with limited features, Tawk.to is actually free forever with unlimited agents and websites.
Key Strengths:
Truly free forever - No hidden costs, no credit card required, unlimited agents, unlimited websites. Monetizes by offering paid chat agent services (optional) instead of charging for the software.
Simple and lightweight - Quick 5-minute setup, clean interface, works on any website. No bloat or complexity. Perfect for testing live chat before investing in paid tools.
Mobile apps included - iOS and Android apps to respond on-the-go. Desktop apps for Windows, Mac, Linux also available at no cost.
Key Weaknesses:
No AI chatbot - Pure human live chat only. If you're offline, visitors see "We're away" message. No 24/7 automated responses like Boei, Tidio, or Intercom offer.
No multi-channel support - Only live chat on your website. No WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or other channels. Visitors must chat on your site or leave.
Ideal customer: Bootstrapped startups, freelancers, and micro-businesses testing live chat for the first time. Also good for businesses that only need basic human chat and have team members available during business hours.
Pricing: Free forever. Optional paid services: hire Tawk.to agents at $1/hour if you don't want to hire your own team.
What it does: LiveChat is a dedicated live chat platform focused on real-time human conversations between businesses and customers. Founded in 2002, it's one of the oldest and most established chat tools, used by 38,000+ businesses including PayPal, Adobe, and McAfee. No AI chatbot or multi-channel in base plan.
Key Strengths:
Deep integration ecosystem - 200+ native integrations with CRMs, help desks, e-commerce platforms, and analytics tools. Strong API for custom builds. Best-in-class for connecting to existing tech stacks.
Robust team chat management - Advanced features like chat routing, skill-based assignment, canned responses, chat tags, supervision tools, and detailed agent performance reports. Built for support teams of 5+ agents.
Excellent uptime and reliability - 99.99% uptime SLA on Enterprise plan. Been in business 20+ years with proven stability. Enterprise buyers trust the brand.
Key Weaknesses:
Per-agent pricing gets expensive fast - €20 per agent/month (Starter), €41/agent (Team), €59/agent (Business). For 5 agents: €100-295/month. Boei covers same team for €14/month flat.
AI chatbot costs extra - ChatBot add-on is $52-169/month additional. WhatsApp also extra. What Boei includes for €14/month costs €80-150/month with LiveChat once you add AI and WhatsApp.
Ideal customer: Mid-size businesses (50-200 employees) with dedicated support teams who only need live human chat. Works best if you already have separate AI and multi-channel tools and just need best-in-class live chat.
Pricing: Starter €20/agent/month, Team €41/agent, Business €59/agent. 14-day free trial. ChatBot add-on $52-169/month.
What it does: Crisp combines live chat, basic CRM, knowledge base, and team collaboration tools. Popular in EU markets with strong GDPR compliance. Offers shared inbox for managing conversations across chat, email, and limited social channels.
Pros: GDPR-focused with EU servers, clean interface, good for teams of 3-10 agents, includes basic automation and canned responses.
Cons: WhatsApp costs €95/month extra (Boei includes free), per-workspace pricing hurts agencies with multiple sites, AI features limited compared to competitors.
Best for: European mid-size businesses wanting GDPR compliance and willing to pay €25-95/month per workspace.
Pricing: Basic €25/month, Pro €95/month (includes WhatsApp). 14-day free trial.
What it does: Tidio specializes in e-commerce live chat with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integrations. Lyro AI chatbot handles product questions and order tracking. Popular among online stores.
Pros: Excellent e-commerce automations, good Shopify integration, visual chatbot builder, mobile apps included, solid free plan for testing.
Cons: Lyro AI costs €0.50/conversation (adds €150-1,500/month at scale), WhatsApp costs €59/month extra, per-seat pricing for team members, costs 7x more than Boei with realistic AI usage.
Best for: E-commerce stores on Shopify/WooCommerce willing to pay €100-200/month for specialized automations.
Pricing: Free plan available. Starter €29/month. Lyro AI €0.50/conversation. WhatsApp €59/month extra. 7-day free trial.
What it does: Help Scout is an email-focused help desk that added live chat. Excels at shared inbox management for support teams. AI features included on all plans at no extra cost (unlike competitors).
Pros: Best shared inbox for email support, AI included without per-conversation fees, excellent for support teams prioritizing email over chat, clean simple interface, 4.8/5 G2 rating.
Cons: Live chat is secondary feature (email is primary), no WhatsApp or multi-channel beyond email and chat, per-agent pricing at €20-50/agent.
Best for: Support teams of 5-20 where email is primary channel and live chat is supplemental. Budget €100-250/month for 5 agents.
Pricing: Standard €20/agent/month, Plus €35/agent, Pro €50/agent. 15-day free trial.
What it does: Intercom is an enterprise customer communication platform with advanced features: product tours, in-app messaging, sophisticated automation, and Fin AI chatbot. Used by Atlassian, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Pros: Most advanced feature set, excellent in-app messaging for SaaS products, sophisticated automation and routing, dedicated customer success managers on Enterprise plans, proven at scale.
Cons: Expensive at €74/seat minimum + €0.99/conversation for AI (realistic cost: €300-1,000/month), 12-month contracts required, complex setup takes weeks, overkill for SMBs.
Best for: Enterprise companies ($10M+ revenue) with large support teams and budgets to match. Need advanced product tours and in-app messaging.
Pricing: Essential €74/agent/month. Fin AI €0.99/resolution. WhatsApp add-on pricing. Annual contracts required. 14-day free trial.
What it does: Freshchat is Freshworks' live chat and messaging tool, part of their customer service suite. Integrates deeply with Freshdesk, Freshsales, and other Freshworks products.
Pros: Good value at €15/agent, excellent if using other Freshworks products, Freddy AI included in higher tiers, mobile app quality above average.
Cons: Less powerful standalone vs competitors, AI features limited vs Boei or Intercom, per-agent pricing adds up, weaker integrations outside Freshworks ecosystem.
Best for: Businesses already using Freshworks (Freshdesk, Freshsales). Budget €45-150/month for 3-10 agents.
Pricing: Growth €15/agent/month, Pro €39/agent, Enterprise €79/agent. 21-day free trial.
What it does: Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) is Zendesk's live chat tool. Part of larger Zendesk Suite for customer service. Deep integration with Zendesk Support ticket system.
Pros: Seamless integration with Zendesk ecosystem, enterprise-grade reliability and security, strong analytics and reporting, trusted by large enterprises.
Cons: Expensive at €49/agent minimum, AI Answer Bot costs extra €0.99-1.99/resolution, only makes sense if using Zendesk Suite, overkill if you just need chat.
Best for: Enterprise companies already invested in Zendesk Suite. Budget €150-500/month minimum.
Pricing: Suite Team €49/agent/month, Suite Growth €79/agent, Suite Professional €99/agent. Answer Bot €0.99-1.99/resolution extra. 14-day trial.
What it does: Drift specializes in conversational marketing and sales for enterprise B2B companies. Focuses on qualifying leads and booking meetings for sales teams. Starting at $2,500/month.
Pros: Excellent for B2B sales automation, sophisticated lead routing and qualification, strong Salesforce integration, proven ROI for enterprise sales teams, includes AI chatbot.
Cons: Extremely expensive ($2,500-10,000+/month), annual contracts only, built for enterprise sales not support, overkill for SMBs, complex setup requires consultant.
Best for: Enterprise B2B companies with sales teams of 20+ and marketing budgets of $50,000+/year. Need sophisticated lead qualification.
Pricing: Premium starts at $2,500/month. Advanced and Enterprise higher. Annual contracts required. Custom demo needed.
What it does: Olark offers straightforward live chat without bells and whistles. Been around since 2009. Focused on simplicity over features.
Pros: Simple setup, basic features done well, transparent pricing at $29/agent, good for small teams wanting just chat.
Cons: No AI chatbot, no WhatsApp, limited multi-channel, per-agent pricing, better alternatives at similar price (Boei €14 includes more).
Best for: Small teams wanting simple human chat only. Budget €90-150/month for 3-5 agents.
Pricing: $29 per agent/month. 14-day free trial.
What it does: German-based live chat platform with strong GDPR compliance. Popular in DACH region. Offers live chat, chatbot builder, and messaging channels.
Pros: German company with EU servers, excellent GDPR compliance, good for European businesses, includes WhatsApp on higher plans, clean interface.
Cons: Expensive at €90/month starting price, per-operator pricing on higher tiers, less competitive globally vs Boei or Crisp, AI features limited.
Best for: German/Austrian/Swiss companies prioritizing GDPR and EU data residency. Budget €90-250/month.
Pricing: Team €90/month (4 operators), Corporate €290/month (8 operators). 14-day free trial.
What it does: Czech-based live chat focused on small e-commerce stores. Offers basic chatbot, video recordings, and live chat.
Pros: Affordable at €19.50/month, includes basic chatbot and visitor recording, good for micro e-commerce, EU-based.
Cons: Limited AI compared to competitors, basic features only, no WhatsApp, better alternatives exist (Boei €14 includes more).
Best for: Very small e-commerce stores in EU wanting basic chat on tight budget. Budget €20-50/month.
Pricing: Standard €19.50/month (3 agents), Pro €39/month (unlimited). 14-day free trial.
What it does: Simple live chat software for small businesses. No-frills approach. Been around since 2012.
Pros: Simple to use, affordable at $49/month for basic features, unlimited chats included, mobile apps.
Cons: No AI chatbot, no multi-channel, limited integrations, per-seat pricing on Growth plan, better free alternatives exist (Tawk.to).
Best for: Very small businesses wanting basic chat. Budget $50-150/month.
Pricing: Growth $49/month (4 users), Pro $99/month (10 users). 30-day free trial.
What it does: Affordable live chat with basic multi-channel support (Facebook, Telegram, Viber). Good value for micro businesses.
Pros: Cheap at €15/month, includes multiple channels, simple chatbot builder, good mobile apps, better value than Olark or Pure Chat.
Cons: Limited AI, no WhatsApp, basic features only, small team and company (support may be slower), Boei offers more at €14.
Best for: Micro businesses wanting multi-channel on tight budget. Budget €15-30/month.
Pricing: €15/month (2 operators), €29/month (4 operators). Forever free plan available.
| Feature | Boei | Tawk.to | LiveChat | Crisp | Tidio | Intercom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Price | €14/mo | Free | €20/agent | €25/mo | €29/mo | €74/agent |
| AI Chatbot | ✅ Included | ❌ | Add-on $52+ | Limited | €0.50/chat | €0.99/chat |
| ✅ Included | ❌ | Add-on | €95/mo | €59/mo | Add-on | |
| Live Chat | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Facebook Messenger | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Instagram DMs | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Email Integration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shared Inbox | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lead CRM | ✅ Visual Kanban | ❌ | ❌ | Basic | Basic | ✅ Advanced |
| Team Members | Unlimited | Unlimited | Per-seat cost | Per-seat cost | Per-seat cost | Per-seat cost |
| Mobile Apps | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Analytics | ✅ | Basic | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Advanced |
| GDPR Compliant | ✅ EU servers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free Trial | 7 days | Forever free | 14 days | 14 days | 7 days | 14 days |
Boei:
Tawk.to:
LiveChat:
Tidio:
Intercom:
€14/month = €168/year for complete omnichannel platform
Boei replaces:
Your savings with Boei: €1,212-3,492 per year
Time savings ROI:
Lead generation ROI:
If you're a small business owner (1-10 employees) trying to capture leads 24/7 without hiring full-time support staff:
→ Choose Boei - AI chatbot handles questions around the clock in 95+ languages, captures lead details automatically, integrates with your CRM. Costs less than hiring one support hour per month (€14 vs €40+/hour).
If you're a bootstrapped startup testing live chat for the first time with zero budget:
→ Choose Tawk.to - Free forever, covers basic human chat during business hours. Upgrade to Boei (€14/mo) when you need 24/7 AI coverage and multi-channel (WhatsApp, Messenger).
If you're a mid-size company (50-200 employees) with a dedicated 10+ person support team and already use separate AI/WhatsApp/CRM tools:
→ Choose LiveChat - Best-in-class live chat with 200+ integrations and enterprise reliability. Per-agent cost (€20-59/agent) makes sense at your scale if chat is your primary support channel and you need deep tech stack integration.
If you're an e-commerce store trying to reduce cart abandonment and provide instant product support:
→ Choose Boei (best value) or Tidio (specialized automations) - Boei offers better value at €14/month vs Tidio's €100-200/month realistic cost. Tidio has slightly better e-commerce-specific automations (browse abandonment triggers, product recommendations) but costs 7-14x more.
If you're an enterprise SaaS company ($10M+ revenue) needing advanced product tours, in-app messaging across mobile apps, and dedicated customer success manager:
→ Choose Intercom - Premium features justify premium price (€300-1,000/month). Boei doesn't offer sophisticated in-app messaging for iOS/Android apps or white-glove enterprise onboarding. Intercom excels here.
If you're a support team of 5-10 agents who prioritize email support with live chat as secondary channel:
→ Choose Help Scout - Excellent shared inbox for email-first teams. AI included without per-conversation fees. €20-35/agent is reasonable if email is primary channel and you need collaborative inbox features.
If you're an agency managing 5+ client websites and need multi-site deployment:
→ Choose Boei - Unlimited websites included in €14/month. Competitors charge per workspace (Crisp, Intercom) or per domain, quickly multiplying costs. Manage all clients from one dashboard.
START HERE
↓
What's your monthly budget?
↓
├─ Under €20/month?
│ ├─ Need AI chatbot + WhatsApp? → **Boei** (€14/mo, everything included)
│ └─ Only need basic chat? → **Tawk.to** (Free forever)
│
├─ €20-100/month?
│ ├─ Team size 1-5 people?
│ │ ├─ Want all-in-one? → **Boei** (€14/mo, unlimited team)
│ │ └─ Only need pure chat? → **LiveChat** (€20/agent) or **Crisp** (€25/mo)
│ └─ Team size 6-15 people?
│ └─ Email-first support? → **Help Scout** (€20/agent, AI included)
│
├─ €100-500/month?
│ ├─ High conversation volume (3,000+/month)?
│ │ └─ **Avoid per-conversation pricing** → Choose Boei, Help Scout, or LiveChat
│ └─ E-commerce specialized features?
│ └─ **Tidio** (if budget allows €100-200/mo) or **Boei** (better value)
│
└─ €500+/month (Enterprise)?
├─ Need product tours & in-app messaging? → **Intercom** (€74+/agent)
├─ B2B sales focus? → **Drift** ($2,500+/mo)
└─ Already use Zendesk Suite? → **Zendesk Chat** (€49+/agent)Simplified decision tree:
Live chat software pricing in 2026 ranges from free to €2,500+/month depending on features and business size:
Per-conversation AI fees:
WhatsApp add-ons:
Per-agent multipliers:
ChatBot add-ons:
Most affordable complete solution: Boei at €14/month includes AI chatbot, WhatsApp, 50+ channels, shared inbox, lead CRM, and unlimited team members - everything competitors charge €100-300/month for combined.
What you get:
What you DON'T get:
When free is enough:
What you get over free:
When paid is worth it:
ROI example:
Best value paid option: Boei (€14/month) gives you AI chatbot + WhatsApp + 50 channels + shared inbox + lead CRM for less than a single support hour costs - and less than competitors charge for basic chat alone.
Based on your needs and budget:
For Boei (recommended for most):
Total configuration time: 5-10 minutes
For WordPress:
For Shopify:
For other websites (HTML, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow):
</body> tag in your website HTMLCode example:
<script>
(function(w, d, s) {
var js = d.createElement(s);
js.src = "https://cdn.boei.help/boei.js";
d.head.appendChild(js);
})(window, document, 'script');
</script>For Boei:
For other tools:
For Boei:
For per-agent tools:
For Boei:
Total setup time: 10-30 minutes depending on complexity
WordPress: Use plugin (easiest) or embed code in theme footer
Shopify: Install Boei app from App Store (1-click)
Wix: Add HTML embed in Site Settings → Custom Code
Squarespace: Add Code Injection in Settings → Advanced
Webflow: Add custom code in Project Settings → Custom Code → Footer
HTML sites: Paste code before </body> tag
Start adding live chat to your website with Boei's 7-day free trial
What you get for €14/month:
Compare to competitors:
Boei saves you: €100-290/month = €1,200-3,480/year
Start Free 7-Day Trial - No Credit Card Required
Good for:
What's missing:
Most common question: "Can I really get AI chatbot + WhatsApp + CRM for €14/month?"
Answer: Yes. We built Boei because we were tired of paying €300/month for separate tools. We believe SMBs deserve enterprise features at fair prices. No tricks, no hidden fees. €14/month, everything included.
Start your 7-day free trial now - no credit card required, cancel anytime, full access to all features.
Article by
Ruben is the founder of Boei, with 12+ years of experience in conversion optimization. Former IT consultant at Ernst & Young and Accenture, where he helped product teams at Shell, ING, Rabobank, Aegon, NN, and AirFrance/KLM optimize their digital experiences. Now building tools to help businesses convert more website visitors into customers.
Get 30% more conversations and effortlessly convert them into customers.
Don't wait, experience it for free yourself!
URL
Trusted by 10,000+ businesses
Quick 5-min, no code setup
Discover effective lead capture strategies tailored for small and medium-sized businesses. Learn how to overcome common challenges in lead generation with actionable tips and industry insights to boost your conversion rates.
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about integrating Facebook Messenger into your WordPress blog so your readers can chat with you directly from their mobile devices – without ever leaving the site!
Discover how to use Facebook Messenger auto reply to enhance your customer engagement and deliver prompt responses.
Learn how a chatbot service desk cuts ticket volume by 40-70% and response times from hours to seconds. Complete 2026 guide with setup steps and best practices.
Master Discord Chat Widget for superior website engagement. Elevate user interaction and experience effectively.
With bike energy 
from Utrecht 
KVK: 20145923 - BTW: NL001143413B86