LiveChat bills every agent and has no free plan: Team costs US$59 per agent a month billed monthly, and the cheaper Starter plan is limited to one user. For a team of five or ten, that per-seat price is the main reason buyers compare alternatives.
The alternatives below include free products, flat workspace prices and cheaper per-seat plans, each listed for a reason documented by that vendor. The worked examples further down show the list-price cost for teams of 2, 5 and 10. For head-to-heads, see LiveChat vs Tidio and LiveChat vs tawk.to; for the background, the LiveChat review.
Why teams look beyond LiveChat
- No free plan. LiveChat offers a 14-day trial, then a paid plan is required.
- Every agent is billed. Starter at US$25 is limited to one user, so a team needs Team at US$59 per agent a month billed monthly, and five agents pay five times that.
- The AI Agent is sold separately. LiveChat's AI Agent, at US$0.99 per resolution, is part of Text and ChatBot.com plans, not the classic LiveChat plans.
- No branding removal on the listed plans. The pricing page does not list removing LiveChat branding on Starter, Team or Business.
- Short history on the entry plan. Starter keeps chat history for 60 days.
The alternatives, ranked
tawk.to
Budget teams wanting unlimited free agents8.5- Paid plans from
- Free
- Pricing model
- Free, with paid add-ons
- Free plan
- Yes — Free
- EU data hosting
- No
tawk.to is a US-based live chat, ticketing and knowledge base platform whose core product is free with unlimited agents, conversations and chat history. The vendor earns from optional add-ons bought per property (roughly one website or brand), such as branding removal, AI Assist credits and hired human agents. tawk.to suits small businesses and solo operators who want real support on a free plan and can accept US data hosting.
The catch: Data is stored only in the United States, and removing the Powered by tawk.to badge costs US$39 a month billed monthly per property according to the help centre, while the marketing pages say US$29.
Tidio
Small teams with low, predictable chat volume7.2- Paid plans from
- US$24.17 per workspace per month, billed annually
- Pricing model
- Tiers by conversation volume
- Free plan
- Yes — Free
- EU data hosting
- Yes
Tidio is a Polish live chat and help desk suite that sells three separately metered quotas: human-handled conversations, Lyro AI Agent conversations and Flows chatbot visitors. Every self-serve plan, including Free, includes 10 seats, so the bill grows with conversation volume rather than headcount, from US$29 a month billed monthly on Starter. Tidio suits small shops and support teams with several people but modest, predictable chat volume.
The catch: The Free plan covers only 50 human-handled conversations a month, and at the limit agents can neither see nor answer new messages until the quota resets or the plan is upgraded.
Crisp
Teams wanting flat pricing and EU hosting6.9- Paid plans from
- US$45 per workspace per month, billed monthly
- Pricing model
- Per workspace
- Free plan
- Yes — Free
- EU data hosting
- Yes
Crisp is a French customer support suite (shared inbox, chat widget, CRM, knowledge base) that charges a flat monthly price per workspace with a fixed number of seats and no conversation cap. Paid plans run from Mini at US$45 a month for 4 seats to Plus at US$295 for 20, and the Hugo AI agent is metered through included USD credits. Crisp suits small and growing teams that want a predictable bill, many channels and data held in the EU.
The catch: The Crisp watermark stays on every plan below Plus at US$295 a month, and the Free plan has no full conversation history and caps you at 100 customer profiles.
Freshchat
Teams wanting many agents on a free plan6.8- Paid plans from
- US$19 per seat per month, billed annually
- Pricing model
- Seats plus AI usage
- Free plan
- Yes — Free
- EU data hosting
- Yes
Freshchat is Freshworks' live chat and messaging product, with a Free plan for up to 10 agents and paid plans billed per agent from US$19 a month on annual billing. Its Freddy AI Agent is sold in packs of 100 sessions for US$49, available from the entry paid plan. It suits small and mid-sized teams that want several people on chat for free and may later move up to Freshworks' helpdesk.
The catch: Freddy AI Agent is billed per 24-hour session whether or not the question gets resolved, and rule-based bot flows and builder previews draw from the same session pool.
Smartsupp
Small online stores with up to three people6.1- Paid plans from
- €14 per workspace per month, billed annually
- Pricing model
- Per workspace
- Free plan
- Yes — Free
- EU data hosting
- Not documented
Smartsupp is a live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger inbox from Brno, Czechia, sold per workspace: Solo covers 1 operator, Plus 3 and Expert 5. Its Mira AI Agent is an add-on billed in blocks of 100 conversations a month, and prices are published in EUR, USD, CZK and PLN. The "Powered by Smartsupp" logo stays on the widget on every plan, paid ones included.
The catch: The "Powered by Smartsupp" branding cannot be removed or hidden on any plan, including Expert and Enterprise.
Intercom
Support teams building around an AI agent4.9- Paid plans from
- US$29 per seat per month, billed annually
- Pricing model
- Seats plus AI usage
- Free plan
- No free plan · 14-day trial
- EU data hosting
- On some paid plans
Intercom is a customer service helpdesk whose live chat widget, the Messenger, comes with every plan, sold per full seat from US$29 a month on annual billing and US$39 on monthly billing. Its Fin AI Agent is available on all plans and billed separately at US$0.99 per outcome. The company behind it renamed itself Fin in May 2026 and has been owned by Salesforce since September 10, 2026; Intercom suits teams that want a full helpdesk with an AI agent built in and can pay per seat for it.
The catch: Intercom has no free plan and no included Fin allowance on standard plans, so the bill is seats at up to US$39 each plus US$0.99 for every Fin outcome, including customers who simply leave after Fin's answer.
Comparison table
| Product | Score | Pricing model | Paid plans from | Free plan | AI chatbot | EU data hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveChat | 5.2 | Per seat | US$19 per seat per month, billed annually | No free plan · 14-day trial | AI Agent (sold in Text and ChatBot.com plans) — billed per resolution | Yes | Established teams with budget per agent |
| tawk.to | 8.5 | Free, with paid add-ons | Free | Yes — Free | AI Assist — billed per credit | No | Budget teams wanting unlimited free agents |
| Tidio | 7.2 | Tiers by conversation volume | US$24.17 per workspace per month, billed annually | Yes — Free | Lyro AI Agent — billed per conversation | Yes | Small teams with low, predictable chat volume |
| Crisp | 6.9 | Per workspace | US$45 per workspace per month, billed monthly | Yes — Free | Hugo — billed per credit | Yes | Teams wanting flat pricing and EU hosting |
| Freshchat | 6.8 | Seats plus AI usage | US$19 per seat per month, billed annually | Yes — Free | Freddy AI Agent — billed per session | Yes | Teams wanting many agents on a free plan |
| Smartsupp | 6.1 | Per workspace | €14 per workspace per month, billed annually | Yes — Free | Mira AI Agent — billed per conversation | Not documented | Small online stores with up to three people |
| Intercom | 4.9 | Seats plus AI usage | US$29 per seat per month, billed annually | No free plan · 14-day trial | Fin AI Agent — billed per resolution | On some paid plans | Support teams building around an AI agent |
What it costs at 2, 5 and 10 seats
| Product | 2 seats · 100 conversations a month | 5 seats · 500 conversations a month | 10 seats · 2,000 conversations a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveChat | US$118 a month (Team) | US$295 a month (Team) | US$590 a month (Team) |
| tawk.to | Free (Free) | Free (Free) | Free (Free) |
| Tidio | US$29 a month (Starter) | US$129 a month (Growth) | US$349 a month (Growth) |
| Crisp | Free (Free) | US$95 a month (Essentials) | US$95 a month (Essentials) |
| Freshchat | Free (Free) if the undocumented conversations limit allows; otherwise US$46 a month (Growth) | Free (Free) if the undocumented conversations limit allows; otherwise US$115 a month (Growth) | Free (Free) if the undocumented conversations limit allows; otherwise US$230 a month (Growth) |
| Smartsupp | €30 a month (Plus) | €99 a month (Expert) | €244 a month (Expert) |
| Intercom | US$78 a month (Essential) | US$195 a month (Essential) | US$390 a month (Essential) |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to LiveChat?
Yes. tawk.to documents unlimited agents and conversations for free, Tidio Free covers 10 seats and 50 conversations a month, and Crisp Free covers 2 agents. See free live chat software.
Which LiveChat alternative is cheapest for a team of five?
At list prices, tawk.to costs nothing, and Crisp Essentials at US$95 a month covers the team with no conversation cap. LiveChat Team costs US$59 per agent a month billed monthly. The worked examples on this page and the free-plan audit show the arithmetic.
Which alternative keeps EU hosting like LiveChat?
Crisp states EU hosting on every plan, Tidio states that data is kept in the EEA on every plan, and Freshchat lets you choose an EEA region at sign-up. tawk.to stores data in the United States. See EU-hosted live chat.
Related pages
- LiveChat reviewreview
- LiveChat pricing explainedpricing
- Best live chat software in 2026best list
Sources
- WooCommerce integration — Text · 18 September 2026
- LiveChat pricing — Text · 18 September 2026
- Text pricing (plans with the AI Agent) — Text · 18 September 2026
- ChatBot.com pricing — Text · 18 September 2026
- Pay-per-agent pricing model — Text · 18 September 2026
- LiveChat subscription policy — Text · 18 September 2026
- Data storage policy — Text · 18 September 2026
- Data Processing Addendum — Text · 18 September 2026
- List of sub-processors — Text · 18 September 2026
- How to change the chat widget language — Text · 18 September 2026
- LiveChat Marketplace — Text · 18 September 2026
- LiveChat features — Text · 18 September 2026
- tawk.to pricing — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- tawk.to add-ons — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Add-on pricing and key features — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Why is tawk.to free? — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- tawk.to live chat — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- How to manage billing for AI Assist — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- How to add message credits (overages) to your AI Assist plan — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- How to purchase tawk.to's Hired Agent service — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Why do you need my personal data? — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Data Processing Addendum — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Sub-processors — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Data protection — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- GDPR — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- What languages does tawk.to support? — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- An introduction to integrations in tawk.to — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- How to add the tawk.to widget to your mobile application — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Viewing, deleting and exporting your chat history — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- Q1 2026: omnichannel grows, automation expands and AI gets smarter — tawk.to · 18 September 2026
- tawk.to company profile — Dealroom · 18 September 2026
- Tidio pricing — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Lyro AI Agent — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- About Tidio — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The free version and downgrading your account — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The monthly conversations limit — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The Lyro AI agent limit — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- The monthly flow limit — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Automatic upgrades — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Chat history — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Change and add languages in your chat widget — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Lyro multilanguage support — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Privacy Policy and GDPR compliance — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- How are security matters handled at Tidio — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Tidio trust centre — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Tidio integrations — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Tidio mobile SDK — Tidio · 18 September 2026
- Crisp pricing — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Getting started with the Free plan — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Hugo pricing and billing explained — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- How to increase my limits and quotas — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp EU GDPR compliance status — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp compliance status with SOC 2 — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp compliance with ISO 27001 — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp sub-processors — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- What languages are supported by Crisp — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Chatbox SDKs — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- About Crisp — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp live chat — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Crisp AI Core Update (Hugo launch, AI replies become paid) — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Summer 2026 Crisp product update — Crisp · 18 September 2026
- Shopify integration — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- WordPress plugin — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freshchat pricing — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freddy AI Agent and chatbot sessions FAQs — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Understanding Freddy AI features and pricing — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- How can I remove the Freshworks branding from the widget? — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Provide multilingual support to your customers — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Where are your data servers located? — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freshworks sub-processors — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freshworks Trust Center — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- What is Freshchat? — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freshchat live chat software — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freshchat developer documentation — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Freshworks announces winners of the 2026 Global Customer Awards — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
- Smartsupp pricing — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- Can I remove the chat box logo? — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- Data privacy and GDPR — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- AI shopping assistant FAQ — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- Smartsupp integrations — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- About Smartsupp — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- Smartsupp product updates — Smartsupp · 18 September 2026
- Introducing Abugo — ABUGO Group · 18 September 2026
- Shopify integration — Fin (Intercom) · 18 September 2026
- WordPress plugin — Fin (Intercom) · 18 September 2026
- Intercom pricing — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Fin pricing — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Fin AI Agent outcomes — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Your workspace settings — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Early Stage program — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Usage-based channels — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Regional data hosting — Fin · 18 September 2026
- How data is hosted and processed in Intercom — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Intercom security — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Localize the Messenger to work with multiple languages — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Use Intercom in your preferred language — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Omnichannel helpdesk — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Intercom live chat — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Installing Intercom — Fin · 18 September 2026
- About Fin — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Today, Intercom becomes Fin — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Salesforce signs definitive agreement to acquire Fin — Salesforce · 18 September 2026
- Salesforce completes acquisition of Fin — Salesforce · 18 September 2026
- Lightspeed customer story — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Intercom on the Vendr marketplace — Vendr · 18 September 2026
This page was researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on it. We have not installed or tested these products ourselves. Method: How we review