Software & SaaS · Ranked by price to features
9 Best Free Live Chat Software of 2026
By the Rankozo research desk · Updated November 9, 2026 · Next review December 24, 2026
tawk.to is the best free live chat software for small sites in 2026, with unlimited team members and no subscription; Freshchat suits teams that want a free shared inbox for up to 10 agents; and tawk.to stays at $0 unless you pay $29 a month to remove its branding.
- Tools ranked
- 9
- With free plan
- 9
- Cheapest paid plan
- Smartsupp, $17
- per month
By the numbers
- $299,071 millionGartner's November 2024 forecast put worldwide end-user spending on SaaS at $299,071 million in 2025, up 19.2% from 2024.Gartner
- $1 trillionIDC forecasts global public cloud spending above $1 trillion in 2026, up 21%, with SaaS the largest category at more than half of the total.IDC
- $55.7MOrganizations spend an average of $55.7 million a year on SaaS in 2026, an 8% increase, according to Zylo's SaaS Management Index.Zylo
- $11,800HubSpot's average subscription revenue per customer was $11,800 in the second quarter of 2026, up 4% as reported, across 306,446 customers.HubSpot
- $39Microsoft raised the US list price of Microsoft 365 E3 by 8%, from $36 to $39 per user per month, effective July 1, 2026.Microsoft
- 20 to 37%Tropic's renewal data show AI-driven price increases of 20 to 37%, compared with a typical annual uplift of 3 to 9%.Tropic
Comparison table
| Tool | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tawk.to | 01 | 8.7 | 9.6 | $29per month (branding removal add-on) | Yes |
| Freshchat | 02 | 8.6 | 8.9 | $19per agent per month | Yes |
| HubSpot | 03 | 8.4 | 8.3 | Free plan | Yes |
| Crisp | 04 | 8.3 | 7.9 | $45per workspace per month | Yes |
| Zoho SalesIQ | 05 | 8.3 | 8.5 | Free plan | Yes |
| JivoChat | 06 | 8.2 | 8.6 | $28per agent per month | Yes |
| Tidio | 07 | 8.2 | 7.6 | $24.17per month | Yes |
| Smartsupp | 08 | 7.7 | 7.2 | $17per month | Yes |
| Chatra | 09 | 7.3 | 6.6 | Free plan | Yes |
Click a column to sort. Prices are the cheapest paid plan quoted from each vendor's US pricing page; "Check price" means the US price check is pending.
How this ranking works
One method for every tool. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not run hands-on tests. Value carries the most weight.
Full methodThis list is for small websites that want a chat widget without a monthly bill and need to know where each free plan stops. We ranked nine tools with permanent free plans by value first, then features, then ease of use, and we put the agent and conversation caps of every free tier side by side. Paid prices are the cheapest upgrade in USD as shown on each vendor's pricing page on the check date. Three vendors showed euros from our location, so their paid prices are marked pending. We compared documented features and published prices.
The verdict
tawk.to leads because it lets you add unlimited team members for free and only charges for optional extras such as branding removal at $29 a month. Freshchat is the most generous capped plan with up to 10 agents on its free tier. HubSpot's free chat runs inside a free CRM for up to 2 users, Zoho SalesIQ allows 3 operators and 100 operator chat sessions, and Crisp gives 2 seats with no conversation limit. Tidio, JivoChat, Smartsupp and Chatra all work for free but cap seats, conversations or history sooner.
- 01Top value
tawk.to
8.7/10A free live chat platform that adds unlimited team members and earns money from optional add-ons and hired agents.
Price
$29per month (branding removal add-on)
Free for unlimited team members; branding removal $29 per month; AI Assist from $29 per month
“If you would like to remove the tiny "Powered by tawk.to" branding from our products, we charge $29/month.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Value (40%)
- 9.6
- Features (35%)
- 8.0
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.3
Best forSmall sites that want a chat widget for the whole team at no cost and can live with tawk.to branding.
tawk.to is the simplest answer to the free live chat question because it does not cap seats. Its live chat page says you can add unlimited team members, and its inbox demo shows transfers, whispers and as many seats as you need, all free. Features include smart triggers based on URL, behavior or referrer, real-time visitor insight, routing to departments, shortcuts and canned replies, file sharing and translation across more than 50 languages. Apps cover iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. The company explains that it makes money from optional extras: removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs $29 a month, the AI Assist chatbot starts at $29 a month, and trained human agents can answer chats for $1 an hour. The trade-off is that the free widget always carries tawk.to's name, and the AI bot is not part of the free core. For a small site that only needs people answering visitors, nothing else here costs less. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓No seat limit on the free plan, the most open cap in this list
- ✓Chat transfers and teammate whispers are included at no cost
- ✓Paid extras are optional, so the core chat never needs a subscription
- ✕Free widget shows Powered by tawk.to branding
- ✕Removing branding costs $29 a month, more than some full paid plans
- ✕AI chatbot answers need the paid AI Assist add-on
- Free plan agents:
- Unlimited team members
- Branding removal:
- $29 per month
- AI Assist:
- From $29 per month
- Hired chat agents:
- $1 per hour
Bottom line: tawk.to gives a whole team live chat for free with no seat cap. Pay only if you want the branding removed or an AI bot answering for you.
- 02
Freshchat
8.6/10Freshworks' messaging and live chat product, with a free plan for up to 10 agents.
Price
$19per agent per month
Free for up to 10 agents; Growth $19 per agent per month billed annually, Pro $49, Enterprise $79
“$19 /agent/month, billed annually Expand support across channels, with AI Growth” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Value (40%)
- 8.9
- Features (35%)
- 8.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.2
Best forTeams of up to 10 people who want a free shared inbox and a clear per-agent upgrade path.
Freshchat has the most generous fixed seat limit among the capped free plans here. Its pricing page lists the Free plan at $0 for up to 10 agents, with a chat widget on web and mobile apps, a shared inbox, email connection and roles and permissions. That is enough for a small support team to split chats without paying. Growth costs $19 per agent per month billed annually and adds social media messengers, text messaging, reporting and dashboards, plus the Freddy AI Agent at $49 per 100 sessions. Pro at $49 adds multilingual conversations, intelligent routing and multiple SLA policies, and Enterprise is $79. The free plan is narrow on channels, so a business that wants Instagram or WhatsApp in the same inbox will need Growth. AI usage is metered on top of seats, which makes cost harder to predict at higher volume. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Ten free agents is the highest fixed cap in this list
- ✓Free plan works on web and inside mobile apps
- ✓Paid tiers are published per agent with annual prices
- ✕Social and SMS channels need the paid Growth plan
- ✕Freddy AI Agent sessions are billed on top at $49 per 100
- ✕Per-agent pricing adds up for a full ten-agent team
- Free plan agents:
- Up to 10
- Cheapest paid plan:
- Growth, $19 per agent per month billed annually
- AI agent:
- $49 per 100 sessions on Growth
- Annual discount:
- Save 20%
Bottom line: Freshchat Free is the best capped plan for teams up to 10 agents. Upgrade to Growth only when you need social channels or reporting.
- 03
HubSpot
8.4/10Free live chat and chatbot builder built into HubSpot's free CRM.
Price
Free plan
See vendor pricing (USD check pending); free plan for up to 2 users
US price check pending. Vendor pricing page
- Free plan
- Yes
- Value (40%)
- 8.3
- Features (35%)
- 8.5
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.6
Best forSmall businesses that want every chat saved to contact records in a free CRM.
HubSpot's free live chat is the right pick when chat is really a lead capture tool. The product page says you can start with live chat and the chatbot builder for free with no credit card, and every conversation is stored in a universal inbox on the free CRM, so each visitor's chat history sits on their contact record. From that inbox you can reply, take notes, send emails, schedule tasks and create tickets. Bots can qualify leads, book meetings and answer common questions without code. You can set chat office hours, capture email for missed chats, get notifications and reply in Slack, and add your logo to the widget. The limit is seats: the Service Hub pricing table lists the free plan at up to 2 users, and Starter allows up to 10. The paid price displayed in euros from our location, so we mark the USD figure as pending. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Chats log to contact records automatically
- ✓Chatbots for lead qualification and meeting booking at no cost
- ✓No credit card needed to start
- ✕Free Service Hub plan is limited to 2 users
- ✕Paid price showed in euros from our location, so USD is pending
- ✕Advanced automation sits in higher paid editions
- Free plan users:
- Up to 2
- Chatbot builder:
- Included free
- Starter user limit:
- Up to 10 users
- Paid price in USD:
- Pending
Bottom line: HubSpot is the best free chat when you also want a CRM, but only two people can use the free plan. Larger teams will need a paid seat.
- 04
Crisp
8.3/10A customer messaging platform with a free chat widget and shared inbox, priced per workspace instead of per agent.
Price
$45per workspace per month
Free plan with 2 seats; Mini $45 per month per workspace with 4 seats; Essentials $95 with 10 seats
“Mini For early-stage companies who want to improve their customer service. $ 45 Per month, per workspace” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Value (40%)
- 7.9
- Features (35%)
- 8.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.6
Best forSolo founders and pairs who want unlimited conversations and an easy move to a flat team price.
Crisp is the pick for a solo founder or a pair who do not want to count conversations. The pricing FAQ explains that Crisp does not bill on consumption, and the Free plan includes a website chat widget, 2 seats, a shared inbox, mobile apps, chat SDKs, contact forms, push notifications and integrations with Shopify, Adobe, WooCommerce and PrestaShop. The catch is data: the plan table lists 100 customer profiles on Free, and no AI credits. Mini costs $45 a month per workspace and includes 4 seats, a shared email inbox, shortcuts, chat triggers, private notes, unlimited data retention and $5 of AI credits. Essentials at $95 covers 10 seats and adds omnichannel messaging. Extra agents are $10 a month. Because the price is per workspace, Crisp gets cheaper per person as a team fills its seats, but a single operator pays more than on Smartsupp or Tidio. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of all features. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Crisp says it does not limit or bill by conversation count
- ✓Workspace pricing covers 4 seats on Mini and 10 on Essentials
- ✓Ecommerce integrations included on the free plan
- ✕Free plan has 2 seats and no AI credits
- ✕Free plan holds up to 100 customer profiles
- ✕Mini at $45 is a big first step for a solo site
- Free plan seats:
- 2
- Free customer profiles:
- 100
- Extra agents:
- $10 per month each
- Free trial:
- 14 days on any plan
Bottom line: Crisp Free is the best choice for two people who want no conversation caps. Mini at $45 for 4 seats makes sense once a small team forms.
- 05
Zoho SalesIQ
8.3/10Zoho's live chat and visitor tracking tool, with a free plan for three operators.
Price
Free plan
See vendor pricing (USD check pending); free plan for 3 operators and 100 operator chat sessions
US price check pending. Vendor pricing page
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 15 days
- Value (40%)
- 8.5
- Features (35%)
- 8.3
- Ease of use (25%)
- 7.8
Best forSmall teams that want visitor insight with chat and may use other Zoho apps.
Zoho SalesIQ is a good free plan for sites that want to see who is browsing before they reply. The pricing page lists three operator licenses on Free, visitor insights for 10,000 visitors a month, 100 operator chat sessions and basic visitor information. Engagement tools on Free include canned replies, file sharing and voice notes, and there is a mobile SDK, a desktop app and a mobile app. The Basic plan, priced per operator per month billed annually, raises limits to 50,000 tracked visitors and 1,000 operator chat sessions and adds proactive web messages, chat routing and transfer, translation, a chatbot, audio calls and screen sharing. The main free constraint is the 100 operator chat sessions, which a site with steady traffic can use up. Paid prices displayed in euros from our location, so the USD figure is pending. A 15-day trial needs no credit card. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Three free operators, more than HubSpot or Crisp
- ✓Visitor tracking is part of the free plan
- ✓15-day trial with no credit card
- ✕100 operator chat sessions can run out on a busy site
- ✕Paid price showed in euros from our location, so USD is pending
- ✕Proactive chat and routing need a paid plan
- Free plan operators:
- 3
- Free chat sessions:
- 100 operator chat sessions
- Free visitor tracking:
- 10K visitors a month
- Free trial:
- 15 days, no credit card
Bottom line: Zoho SalesIQ Free suits three-person teams that want visitor tracking with chat. Watch the 100 operator chat session limit.
- 06
JivoChat
8.2/10A chat and messenger inbox that is permanently free for up to 5 agents.
Price
$28per agent per month
Free for up to 5 agents; Basic $28 per agent per month billed annually, Professional $42, Enterprise $56
“BASE Basic Approach customers via chat and boost your conversions $28 Per agent per month if billed annually” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Value (40%)
- 8.6
- Features (35%)
- 7.9
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.0
Best forSmall teams that want website chat plus Telegram, Facebook and Instagram in one free app.
JivoChat stands out for putting messenger channels into its free plan. The pricing page describes the free version as permanently free for up to 5 agents, with online chat for websites, integration with Telegram, Facebook, Instagram and Viber, a callback feature, offline forms and apps for desktop, mobile and browser. The feature table stores chat history for 2 months on Free, against unlimited history on paid plans. Basic costs $28 per agent per month billed annually and adds proactive invitations, pre-chat buttons, real-time visitor monitoring, ready answers and anti-spam protection. Professional at $42 adds telephony and WhatsApp integration, and Enterprise is $56. Optional add-ons include a WhatsApp connection at $27 a month and an AI assistant at $13 a month on annual billing. The per-agent paid price is high next to Freshchat or Smartsupp, so JivoChat makes most sense for teams that can stay on the free plan. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Five free agents with messenger channels included
- ✓Callback requests on the free plan
- ✓Add-ons such as WhatsApp are priced separately
- ✕Free chat history is stored for 2 months
- ✕Basic at $28 per agent is the priciest entry seat here
- ✕Proactive invitations need a paid plan
- Free plan agents:
- Up to 5
- Free chat history:
- 2 months
- Cheapest paid plan:
- Basic, $28 per agent per month billed annually
- WhatsApp add-on:
- $27 per month billed annually
Bottom line: JivoChat Free is a strong option for up to five agents who also answer social messages. Export chats you need before the 2-month history window closes.
- 07
Tidio
8.2/10Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent in one tool, with a free plan capped by billable conversations.
Price
$24.17per month
Free plan with 50 billable conversations; Starter $24.17 per month billed annually for 100 conversations; Growth from $49.17
“Starter Handle all customer conversations in one tool. Reply faster with smarter features. $ 24.17 /mo.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7 days
- Value (40%)
- 7.6
- Features (35%)
- 8.5
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.8
Best forSmall online stores that want chat plus a taste of AI answers and expect light volume.
Tidio caps conversations rather than people, which suits a store where several staff dip in but chat volume is low. The pricing table lists 50 billable conversations and 10 seats on Free, and your first 50 Lyro AI Agent conversations are free for the lifetime of the account. Live chat and ticketing sit in one tool. Starter costs $24.17 a month billed annually and raises the quota to 100 billable conversations, with 100 Flows visitors, a live visitors list, operating hours and basic analytics. Growth starts at $49.17 a month for 250 or more conversations and adds automatic chat assignment, automatic replies, a live typing preview and macros. The weak point for a free list is volume: 50 billable conversations is fine for a hobby shop but not for a site that gets daily chats, and Lyro's free allowance does not renew. Paid trials last 7 days. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Seats are generous on Free and Starter
- ✓Lets you test an AI agent at no cost
- ✓Clear published conversation quotas on every plan
- ✕50 billable conversations is a tight cap for a busy store
- ✕Free Lyro conversations are one-off, not monthly
- ✕Starter covers only 100 billable conversations
- Free plan conversations:
- 50 billable conversations
- Free plan seats:
- 10
- Cheapest paid plan:
- Starter, $24.17 per month billed annually
- Free trial:
- 7 days
Bottom line: Tidio Free fits low-volume stores that want to test an AI agent. Busier sites will hit the 50 conversation cap and need Starter or Growth.
- 08
Smartsupp
7.7/10A live chat and AI agent tool for online shops, with a free plan for one operator.
Price
$17per month
Free plan for 1 operator and 25 conversations a month; Solo $17 per month billed annually; Plus $25 for 3 operators
“Handling it alone? Solo $17 / month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Value (40%)
- 7.2
- Features (35%)
- 7.6
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.5
Best forSolo store owners who want WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram next to web chat.
Smartsupp has the tightest useful free plan here but the cheapest verified upgrade. Its pricing page lists Free at $0 with 1 operator, 25 conversations per month, a 14-day history and channels for live chat, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. That is enough to try the tool on a quiet site, not to run support. Solo costs $17 a month billed annually for one operator and removes the cap with unlimited conversations, adds up to three connected email accounts, basic automated messages and 50 AI reply assists a month that can also translate messages. Plus at $25 a month billed annually covers 3 operators, 10 email accounts, Flows and MCP and API access. Separate AI agent plans handle automated answers on the website. For a solo owner who outgrows the free tier, $17 is a modest step, but a team that wants free seats will do better with tawk.to or Freshchat. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Cheapest verified paid plan in this list at $17 a month
- ✓Messenger channels included even on Free
- ✓Solo removes the conversation cap
- ✕Free plan allows one operator and 25 conversations a month
- ✕Free history is limited to 14 days
- ✕Paid plans are priced for small teams, Plus stops at 3 operators
- Free plan operators:
- 1
- Free conversations:
- 25 per month
- Free chat history:
- 14 days
- Cheapest paid plan:
- Solo, $17 per month billed annually
Bottom line: Smartsupp Free is a trial-sized plan for one person. Solo at $17 is the cheapest way here to get unlimited conversations from a paid plan.
- 09
Chatra
7.3/10A simple live chat widget for small stores, with one agent free forever.
Price
Free plan
See vendor pricing (USD check pending); one agent free forever
US price check pending. Vendor pricing page
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 10 days
- Value (40%)
- 6.6
- Features (35%)
- 7.2
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.5
Best forA single shop owner who wants a basic widget and expects very few chats.
Chatra keeps its widget simple, and its free plan is the most limited in this list. The plans page lists Free with one agent free forever, and the comparison table shows a maximum of 5 chats per month on Free against no limit on Essential and Pro. The widget works online and offline on unlimited websites, with iOS and Android apps, a browser dashboard and integrations including WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Ecwid, Slack, Help Scout and Zapier. Paid plans add an email help desk, Facebook Messenger and Instagram, bots, targeted messages, detailed visitor information and shopping cart contents. Essential and Pro are priced per agent per month and come with a 10-day trial without a credit card, but the page showed euros from our location, so the USD price is pending. Chatra is easy to set up, yet a site with any regular chat traffic will outgrow the free tier almost at once. We compared documented features and published prices.
- ✓Free plan needs no credit card
- ✓Works on unlimited websites
- ✓10-day paid trial with no credit card
- ✕Plan table lists a maximum of 5 chats a month on Free
- ✕One agent only on the free plan
- ✕Paid price showed in euros from our location, so USD is pending
- Free plan agents:
- 1
- Free chats per month:
- 5, per the plan table
- Free trial:
- 10 days on paid plans
- Paid price in USD:
- Pending
Bottom line: Chatra Free works only as a test of the widget. For ongoing free chat, the plans above give far more room.
What to check before you pay
Check the agent cap first
Free plans differ most on seats. tawk.to allows unlimited team members, Freshchat up to 10 agents, Tidio lists 10 seats, JivoChat up to 5 agents, Zoho SalesIQ 3 operator licenses, HubSpot and Crisp 2 users or seats, and Smartsupp and Chatra one person. Count everyone who will answer chats, including the owner.
Then check the conversation cap
Some free plans limit how many chats you can handle. Tidio Free includes 50 billable conversations, Smartsupp Free 25 conversations a month and Zoho SalesIQ Free 100 operator chat sessions. Chatra's plan table lists a maximum of 5 chats a month on Free. Crisp says it does not bill on conversation volume. Estimate monthly chats before you pick a capped plan.
Look at chat history limits
A free plan can delete old conversations. Smartsupp Free keeps a 14-day history and JivoChat Free stores chat history for 2 months. If you need old transcripts for refunds or disputes, pick a tool without a short history window or plan for the paid tier.
Price the first upgrade, not only the free tier
The first paid step varies a lot. Smartsupp Solo is $17 a month billed annually for one operator, Freshchat Growth $19 per agent billed annually, Tidio Starter $24.17 a month billed annually, JivoChat Basic $28 per agent billed annually and Crisp Mini $45 a month for a workspace with 4 seats. A per-workspace price favors teams of three or four.
Expect branding on free widgets
Free widgets usually show the vendor's name. tawk.to says branding stays on for free and costs $29 a month to remove. If a branded widget is a problem for your site, compare that fee with the entry paid plans of the other tools.
FAQ
Which free live chat software has no agent limit?
tawk.to says you can add unlimited team members for free. Among capped plans, Freshchat Free allows up to 10 agents, JivoChat up to 5, Zoho SalesIQ 3 operators, and HubSpot and Crisp 2 users or seats.
Which free live chat plans limit conversations?
Tidio Free includes 50 billable conversations, Smartsupp Free 25 conversations a month and Zoho SalesIQ Free 100 operator chat sessions. Chatra's plan table lists 5 chats a month on Free. Crisp says it does not bill on conversation volume.
Is tawk.to really free?
Yes. tawk.to says its chat is free for life if you keep the Powered by tawk.to branding. It charges $29 a month to remove branding, from $29 a month for the AI Assist chatbot and $1 an hour for hired chat agents.
What is the cheapest paid live chat upgrade?
Among verified USD prices, Smartsupp Solo costs $17 a month billed annually for one operator with unlimited conversations. Freshchat Growth is $19 per agent billed annually, Tidio Starter $24.17 a month billed annually and JivoChat Basic $28 per agent billed annually.
Do free live chat plans keep chat history?
Not always. Smartsupp Free keeps a 14-day history and JivoChat Free stores chats for 2 months. Crisp includes unlimited data retention from its Mini plan at $45 a month.
Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.
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