An online store needs live chat that connects to its store platform, can answer order questions outside business hours, and does not change price sharply in peak season. This list covers products whose vendors document store-platform integrations or sell AI agents billed by usage.
Check two things before you install: that the vendor lists your platform on its own integrations page, and how its AI is billed when traffic spikes. How live chat vendors bill for AI and does a chat widget slow your site? cover both.
Quick picks
- Zero-cost start: tawk.to — Free core with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and WordPress integrations; branding removal costs extra.
- Many store platforms: Smartsupp — Lists Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, BigCommerce, Wix and Squarespace integrations.
- Flat team price: Crisp — Essentials is $95 a month for 10 seats; Shopify, WooCommerce and PrestaShop listed.
- Shopify plus AI: Tidio — Lyro AI Agent starts at $39 a month for 50 AI conversations.
The ranking
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 $39 a month billed monthly per property according to the help center, while the marketing pages say $29.
Tidio
Small teams with low, predictable chat volume7.2- Paid plans from
- $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 $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
- $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 $45 a month for 4 seats to Plus at $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 $295 a month, and the Free plan has no full conversation history and caps you at 100 customer profiles.
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.
LiveChat
Established teams with budget per agent5.2- Paid plans from
- $19 per seat per month, billed annually
- Pricing model
- Per seat
- Free plan
- No free plan · 14-day trial
- EU data hosting
- Yes
LiveChat is a paid live chat and messaging platform from Text, a Polish company, billed per agent account from $19 a month on annual billing or $25 billed monthly. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and the autonomous AI Agent is sold in Text and ChatBot.com plans rather than in classic LiveChat plans. LiveChat suits established sales and support teams that want wide channel coverage and can afford a price that rises with every seat.
The catch: LiveChat has no free plan and Starter holds a single user, so any team of two or more pays the Team rate of $59 per person a month billed monthly, or $49 billed annually.
Zendesk
Multichannel support teams wanting one helpdesk4.9- Paid plans from
- $55 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
Zendesk sells live chat and messaging only as part of the Zendesk Suite, a per-agent helpdesk that starts with Suite Team at $55 an agent a month billed annually or $69 billed monthly; standalone Zendesk Chat is no longer sold to new customers. Zendesk AI agents are billed per automated resolution, with a small free allowance per agent each month. It suits teams that want chat, email, voice and social channels in one ticketing system and have the budget for per-agent Suite seats.
The catch: Live chat starts at Suite Team, $69 an agent a month billed monthly, and the Zendesk branding can only be removed on Suite Enterprise, which is quote-only.
Comparison table
| Product | Score | Pricing model | Paid plans from | Free plan | AI chatbot | EU data hosting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | $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 | $45 per workspace per month, billed monthly | Yes — Free | Hugo — billed per credit | Yes | Teams wanting flat pricing and EU hosting |
| 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 |
| LiveChat | 5.2 | Per seat | $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 |
| Zendesk | 4.9 | Seats plus AI usage | $55 per seat per month, billed annually | No free plan · 14-day trial | Zendesk AI agents — billed per resolution | On some paid plans | Multichannel support teams wanting one helpdesk |
Free-plan audit
| Product | Free seats | Conversations | Chat history | Remove branding | AI on the free plan | Beyond website chat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tawk.to | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Paid add-on | 100 / month | Yes |
| Tidio | 10 | 50 / month | Not documented | No | 50, one-off | Yes |
| Crisp | 2 | Unlimited | Not documented | No | No | Chat only |
| Smartsupp | 1 | 25 / month | 14 days | No | 10, one-off | Yes |
| LiveChat | No free plan · 14-day trial | |||||
| Zendesk | No free plan · 14-day trial | |||||
Free-plan audit: does your team fit a free live chat plan?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| tawk.to | Free (Free) | Free (Free) | Free (Free) |
| Tidio | $29 a month (Starter) | $129 a month (Growth) | $349 a month (Growth) |
| Crisp | Free (Free) | $95 a month (Essentials) | $95 a month (Essentials) |
| Smartsupp | €30 a month (Plus) | €99 a month (Expert) | €244 a month (Expert) |
| LiveChat | $118 a month (Team) | $295 a month (Team) | $590 a month (Team) |
| Zendesk | $138 a month (Suite Team) | $345 a month (Suite Team) | $690 a month (Suite Team) |
How to choose
If you run Shopify, tawk.to, Crisp, Smartsupp, Tidio and LiveChat all name a Shopify integration on their own pages, and so does Zendesk, so the choice comes down to pricing model and AI unit.
If you run WooCommerce, shortlist tawk.to, Crisp, Smartsupp, Tidio and LiveChat, which all document a WooCommerce integration; Zendesk's is third-party only. On PrestaShop, look at Crisp and Smartsupp.
If order questions spike in peak season, compare how AI is billed. Tidio and Smartsupp sell AI conversations in monthly blocks chosen in advance, and Tidio documents automatic upgrades at 95% of a limit; Zendesk and LiveChat charge per resolution, so the bill follows volume.
If you run a small shop with one person on chat, Smartsupp's Solo plan (€20 a month) or tawk.to's free core will cover it. Smartsupp's Free plan, at 25 conversations a month, works more like a trial than a plan to stay on.
Verdict
tawk.to is the default for a store that wants chat without a monthly bill: it lists Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, and agents are free. Ignore it if you sell on PrestaShop or Magento, or need EU hosting; Smartsupp lists both platforms, and Crisp hosts in the EU on every plan.
For buyers in the United States
The United States has no general federal privacy law, so the expensive risk for a website chat widget is California's wiretapping statute. Plaintiffs sue site owners under Penal Code § 631 for helping a third-party chat vendor read messages in transit, and § 637.2 sets damages at $5,000 per violation with no proof of harm required. Show a short notice at the chat input before the first message: the chat is recorded, a named vendor processes it, and here is the privacy policy. This is general information, not legal advice.
The vendor contract matters as much as the notice. Courts are split on whether a chat vendor is a mere extension of your website or a separate listener, and some find it enough that the vendor is capable of using transcripts for its own benefit, such as model training. Ask for terms that limit the vendor to providing the service to you. Do not wait for California's SB 690: as of 18 September 2026 the official bill history shows it on the Governor's desk, neither signed nor vetoed, and the final text does not touch § 631 chat claims.
If an AI bot answers first, label it as a bot in its first message and make it answer "am I talking to a human?" truthfully; California, Utah and Maine each have a disclosure rule, and the FTC treats overstated AI claims as deception. Get prior express written consent before sending marketing texts to a number collected in chat. Health providers need a signed business associate agreement with the chat vendor before any patient information goes through the widget, and vendors often reserve that for higher plans.
Live chat, privacy and the law: what a US business should check
Frequently asked questions
Which live chat works with Shopify?
tawk.to, Crisp, Smartsupp, Tidio, LiveChat and Zendesk all document a Shopify integration on their own pages.
Which live chat works with WooCommerce?
tawk.to, Crisp, Smartsupp, Tidio and LiveChat document WooCommerce integrations on their own pages. For Zendesk, only third-party WooCommerce apps are available.
How much does an AI chatbot for an online store cost?
It depends on the billing unit. Smartsupp's Mira AI Agent costs €20 per 100 conversations on monthly billing, Tidio's Lyro starts at $39 for 50 conversations, and Zendesk charges $2 per automated resolution on pay as you go.
Does a chat widget slow down my store?
We have not measured it. Does a chat widget slow your site? explains what to check with your own speed tools before and after installing.
Keep reading
- Best live chat software in 2026best list
- Best free live chat software in 2026best list
- Best live chat software for small businessbest list
- Best live chat software with an AI chatbotbest list
- Best live chat software with EU data hostingbest list
- Is a free live chat plan enough for your team?guide
- Per-seat vs per-workspace pricing: what your team size does to the billguide
Sources
- tawk.to pricing — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- tawk.to add-ons — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Add-on pricing and key features — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Why is tawk.to free? — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- tawk.to live chat — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- How to manage billing for AI Assist — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- How to add message credits (overages) to your AI Assist plan — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- How to purchase tawk.to's Hired Agent service — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Why do you need my personal data? — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Data Processing Addendum — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Sub-processors — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Data protection — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- GDPR — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- What languages does tawk.to support? — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- An introduction to integrations in tawk.to — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- How to add the tawk.to widget to your mobile application — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Viewing, deleting and exporting your chat history — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- Q1 2026: omnichannel grows, automation expands and AI gets smarter — tawk.to · September 18, 2026
- tawk.to company profile — Dealroom · September 18, 2026
- Tidio pricing — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Lyro AI Agent — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- About Tidio — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The free version and downgrading your account — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The monthly conversations limit — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The Lyro AI agent limit — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- The monthly flow limit — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Automatic upgrades — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Chat history — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Change and add languages in your chat widget — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Lyro multilanguage support — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Privacy Policy and GDPR compliance — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- How are security matters handled at Tidio — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Tidio trust centre — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Tidio integrations — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Tidio mobile SDK — Tidio · September 18, 2026
- Crisp pricing — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Getting started with the Free plan — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Hugo pricing and billing explained — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- How to increase my limits and quotas — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Crisp EU GDPR compliance status — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Crisp compliance status with SOC 2 — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Crisp compliance with ISO 27001 — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Crisp sub-processors — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- What languages are supported by Crisp — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Chatbox SDKs — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- About Crisp — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Crisp live chat — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Crisp AI Core Update (Hugo launch, AI replies become paid) — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Summer 2026 Crisp product update — Crisp · September 18, 2026
- Smartsupp pricing — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- Can I remove the chat box logo? — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- Data privacy and GDPR — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- AI shopping assistant FAQ — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- Smartsupp integrations — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- About Smartsupp — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- Smartsupp product updates — Smartsupp · September 18, 2026
- Introducing Abugo — ABUGO Group · September 18, 2026
- WooCommerce integration — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat pricing — Text · September 18, 2026
- Text pricing (plans with the AI Agent) — Text · September 18, 2026
- ChatBot.com pricing — Text · September 18, 2026
- Pay-per-agent pricing model — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat subscription policy — Text · September 18, 2026
- Data storage policy — Text · September 18, 2026
- Data Processing Addendum — Text · September 18, 2026
- List of sub-processors — Text · September 18, 2026
- How to change the chat widget language — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat Marketplace — Text · September 18, 2026
- LiveChat features — Text · September 18, 2026
- Shopify integration — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- WordPress plugin — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk pricing — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk free trial — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- About automated resolutions for AI agents — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- About automated resolution tiers — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Announcing expanded access to AI agent capabilities for all Zendesk customers — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- About the Data Center Location add-on — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Regional Data Hosting Policy — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Messaging vs live chat: which is right for you? — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- About Zendesk Chat plan types (legacy) — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk Trust Center — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk live chat — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk AI agents — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk Copilot — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk for Startups — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Hello Sugar customer story — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk completes acquisition of Forethought — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Consortium led by Hellman & Friedman and Permira completes acquisition of Zendesk — Permira · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk press — Zendesk · September 18, 2026
- Zendesk on the Vendr marketplace — Vendr · September 18, 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