Our interpersonal skills have evolved with the advancement of technology. Likewise, the interaction with a business and its customers has also changed. In our daily hustle, we need quick replies and instant solutions to our queries. Therefore, live Chat tools on websites have become essential. Retaining customers take a lot of effort, so with the live chat option, you are not only helping them out with a problem but also nurturing the relationship. 

You need a live Chat Software on your website so you can connect with your customer before their patience runs out. 

Over 41% customers expects a live chat on websites. This is something you can’t neglect; no being able to offer live chat option would simply result in losing the business. 

With live chat being the most preferred mode of communication – 42% customers using chat compared to 23% for email and 16% for social media, it’s imperative for every enterprise to add live chat option on their website. 

Interesting, right? 

Well, a customer doesn’t want to waste even a single minute; they want quick solutions so they can make faster decisions. Hence, it’s vital to have a live chat tool on your website. 

Before we take a leap to the best live chat options for 2021, let’s first understand what exactly live chat software is. 
 

What is live chat software and how does it work? 

Live chat software is a real-time communication channel that connects a prospect or a customer with the respective customer care executive. It aims to provide customer support without any waiting time. 

You’ll be surprised to know that, according to AMA, live chat increases conversion by staggering 20%. Live chat tool is much more than just a customer support portal; it also increases your sales and customer retention. 

The live chat window on the website lets your visitor connect with the reps by simply typing the message. It’s the easiest and quickest way to communicate with customer care representatives. Moreover, it boosts the overall productivity of your customer support reps by providing a seamless chat system that looks after overall customer management. 

How to pick the right live chat software for your business? 

Once you decide that you want to bring live chat option to your website, you need to consider a few criteria before getting to the options. To ensure optimal team productivity and customer satisfaction, consider the following factors before making a decision. 

1. Get the software with features that prove beneficial for your sales reps. There are numerous software for common requirements, and then there are software that are developed especially for sales, lead qualification, etc. So, do your research about what the live chat software and what it is offering. 

2. How many agents can the software accommodate? Live chat software comes with a plan and limitation for how many numbers of customer reps can get access to it. Whether you have 10 reps or 100, check the software plan so there’s no hassle afterwards. 

3. Nowadays, customers approach from various platforms, so it’s crucial to get a software that integrates with other channels so you can engage with your customer in no time. 

4. An intuitive live chat tool with automated features is a boon for any company. Time is not a boundary for customers; they can make purchase at any time of the day (or night). So, your automated software must be ready to send quick replies or connect the customer with the right representative. 

5. Apart from the main features, you also need to pay heed to the add-ons and plans that the software offers. This can be helpful when you wish to expand your busines. 

Pros and cons of a live chat software 

Once you’ve weighed down the pros and cons, you can finally get a live chat that works best with your company. So, let’s take a look at the list of best live chat software for 2021

List of best live chat software for 2021 

Here’s our own list of top 20 live chat software that excels in customer services and have been preferred by a lot of companies. 

1. LiveChat

LiveChat is a well-renowned brand in the market. By offering services such as online chat, converting prospects into qualified leads, online surveys, reports and analytics, and integrations with over 170 apps, this software is highly recommended for companies that want to scale their business. 

The cloud-based platform lets you engage with website visitors via web, mobile and desktop applications. Your reps can manage every customer interaction seamlessly with LiveChat across multiple platforms. 

Key features 

• Ability to track your customer team’s performance and sales 
• LiveChat boosts conversion rate by a substantial number 
• Has ticket forms so the visitor can leave their message when the rep is unavailable  
• Excel at managing your team with agent accounts and chat supervision 
• Exclusive chat tools such as message sneak-peek for improved customer experience 

• Pre-chat survey allows you to qualify the leads and prioritize hot leads 

Pricing and plan

Starter – $16 per month per agent 

Team – $33 per month per agent 

Business – $50 per month per agent 

Enterprise – Custom rates 

2. Intercom

Intercom is an all-inclusive live chat platform for marketing and customer support teams. You or your team can seamlessly manage all customer requests from multiple channels. Intercom automatically assigns sales or support requests to the right team member, eliminating the manual effort. 

The collaborative inbox is highly beneficial in solving customer queries and communicating with other team members from just one place. Moreover, Intercom also provides team performance reports to determine which team is crushing the sales quotes.

Key features

• Qualify leads in an efficient way by using chatbots 
• Automated answers are here to help you with frequently asked questions 
• Utilize targeted messages and tours to get your customers acquainted with the company 
• Live chat to connect with customers and visitors in real-time 

• Customize the tool as per your company’s requirements 

Pricing and plan

Start – $39 per month 

Grow – $99 per month 

Accelerate – $499 per month 

Scale – $999 per month 

3. Zendesk

Earlier known as Zopim, Zendesk is a customizable live chat system developed for companies that want to reach customers and engage with them based on their behavior. It offers brilliant automated triggers, pre-chats, offline forms, chatbots, and analytics to track sales performance. 

Zendesk enables you to observe your team’s productivity and anticipate your customers’ needs to reach out at the right time.  

Key features 

• Funnel conversations from multiple channles in just one place 
• Enhance customer outreach by using automated triggers to targeted customers 
• Chat routing to assign the conversation to respective rep 
• Use chat analytics to identify the problems and track the sales reps’ performance 

• Pre chat and offline forms enables to engage with customers even when offline 

Pricing and plans 

Support – Starts at $5 (Essential) per agent per month and goes up to $199 (Elite) per agent per month 

Support Suite – Professional plan is for $89 per agent per month and Enterprise plan is for $149 per agent per month 

Custom – built plan for personalized support with custom rates. 

4. JivoChat

JivoChat is one of the most popular live chat systems in the market. With its wide range of features and commendable services, it provides seamless platform for communication. Their live chat widget can be accessed from any channel and chat logs let you understand the customer experience. 

Connet with your customers through live chat, email and social media platforms to seize every opportunity. JivoChat also lets you interact with multiple visitors at the same time, resulting in improved team productivity. 

Key features 

• Seamless communication with customers through various channels 
• Compatible with commonly used social media platforms 
• Custom triggers send automated messages to visitors 
• Enables you to analyze the reports to track performance of team members 
• You can customize the live chat and can translate it in 20 languages 

Pricing and plans 

Basic version – Free for first 5 agents 

Professional version – $13 per agent per month 

5. Smartsupp 

A unique solution to customer support, Smartsupp is trusted by over 425,000 websites. It also provides omnichannel support to hike your conversion rates and drive more sales. The USP of this software is its built-in video recording feature that records the actions of your visitors. You can utilize this option to understand where the customer is reaching a dead end and guide them in the right way. 

Key features 

• Automated messages that you can personalize for your visitors 
• Excellent integrations for hassle free customer support 
• Built-in video recording to track the action on website 

• Chatbots to engage with customers at the right time 
• You can connect with google analytics for better insights 

Pricing and plans 

Free plan – For 3 agents for lifetime 

Standard plan – $15 for 3 agents per month 

Pro plan – $29 per agent per month 

6. Acquire

A cloud-based communication software, Acquire aims to bring the customer and company closer by providing better and effective communication methods. It’s a one-stop solution for omnichannel customer experience, integrations, and video chat. Moreover, Acquire offers the most intuitive and advanced chat bots and co-browsing option to share screen and resolve customer queries. 

Key features

• Route the chats to customer support rep when the bot isn’t able to answer 

• Provide personalized online help with video call facility 
• Help your customer in real time by screen share and co-browsing 
• Intuitive chatbots for quick reply and higher customer retention 
• Funnel VOIP and SMS messages to the dashboard and connect to customers without any hassle 

Pricing and plans

Not available on the website 

7. Tidio

The features and services of Tidio are immensely impressive. The automation in their software is at its finest, along with live chat and navigation of visitors to understand their behavior. It is customizable to match the layout of your website and has a mobile app as well so you can keep in touch with your visitors even when on the go. The automation workflow is highly effective and you can set up multilingual chat as well.  

Key features 

• With a live chat system, generate more leads by connecting with your customers in real-time 
• Set up automated personalized replies with triggers of a certain occurrence 
• Receive customer messages in one place for better management 
• Integrate with your preferred tools for improved productivity 
• Navigate your visitors and reach out to them in real-time 

Pricing and plans

Free plan – Forever free for 3 agents 

Chatbots – $18 per month 

Communicator – $18 per month ($10 for additional chat operator per seat) 

Email marketing – $10 per month  

8. SnapEngage

SnapEnage provides omnichannel experience to engage with customer at any platform. It also consists of mobile-optimized visitor chat window which notifies an agent when a customer visits through their phone. Its automation synchronizes the leads and contacts with the helpdesk for efficient communication. Moreover, chatbots and live chat options helps you connect with every single visitor and turn them into leads. 

Key features 

• Dynamic automation to streamline all leads and contacts 

• Chatbots to connect quickly with visitors 
• Live chat tool to engage with customers and provide solutions 
• Mobile-optimized chat window to reach visitors in real-time 
• Customized design to match your website 
• Analytics and reports to track the performance 

Pricing and plans 

Essential – Starts at $16 per month 

Professional – Starts at $26 per month 

Enterprise – Custom rates 

9. Pure Chat

Pure Chat is a free live chat software that provides unlimited chats and unlimited operators. Its chatbot is also beneficial in scheduling appointments, capturing leads, and also accepting payment. Their advanced dashboard and customizable widget allow you to take charge of the layout and conversations. Pure Chat is also accessible on iOS and android apps. 

Key features 

• Limitless reach with unlimited chats and operators 
• Automated chatbot for leads qualification and scheduling other tasks 

• Powerful dashboard and widgets to provide a customized look 
• Pre-chat information form and automatic chat alerts for smooth communication
• Easily get information of visitors and their location details 

Pricing and plans 

Growth – $39 per month 

Pro – $79 per month 

10. Userlike

Userlike is another effective and unique live chat tool that lets the customer choose which department they want to connect with. Moreover, it provides seamless communication with chat transcript forward that lets you route the chat to another rep and the customer won’t have to repeat themselves. Moreover, it also consists of a smart customer profile where you can look up the customer’s profile once they enter their email address. Overall, it’s very effective for every type of business as it can be integrated with CRM. 

Key features

• Proactive chats to reach out to customers and guide them the right way 
• Widget routers to track where the customer is and learn their preference 
• The visitor has an option to choose the rep they have interacted with in the past 
• Screen share option to interact with multiple visitors at once 
• Smart customer profiles to understand your leads 

Pricing and plans

Free – 1 widget, 1 seat

Teams – $90 per month, 4 widgets, 4 seats, 1 channel

Corporate – 290 per month, 10 widgets, 10 seats, 3 channels

Business – $720 per month, 20 widgets, 20 seats, 5 channels

11. Zoho Desk

For easy automation and quick communication, Zoho Desk is the one you need. Interact with your customers in real time and boost your productivity. Zoho desk automates the process and collects contact information, sends automated messages to common queries. Its multi-channel ticketing system funnels messages from various platform in one tab so you can get to the questions without any hassle. 

Key features

• Web-form widget is customizable so your visitor can fill in the form with required details and send their questions as tickets 
• Interact with customers in real-time and provide a personalized experience with live chat 
• You can also reply to your customers’ tweets and chats right from your helpdesk
• Get context by going through the previous tickets raised by your customer and get all information in no time 

• Track the performance with reports and analyze the customer experience with your website 

Pricing and plans 

Free plan – Free for 3 agents 

Standard plan – $12 per month per agent 

Professional plan – $20 per month per agent 

Enterprise plan – $35 per month per agent 

12. Crisp chat

Crisp chat is a one-stop solution for all your customer support needs. From a shared inbox that lets you access messages from all platforms to a co-browsing option to parallelly guide your customer, it offers exclusive features for businesses. Moreover, you can retarget your leads to convert them into life-long customers. Crisp chat also provides chatbots so the users can get automated replies for frequently asked questions. 

Key features 

• Give your customer an enhanced experience by using video, audio, gif, and much more 
• The live chat tool keeps the customer engaged during the waiting time  
• Any incoming messages from users can be routed to the respective personnel to close the deal 
• Crisp chatbot automatically replies to common questions, saving time for both user and the rep 
• Integrate it with your CRM and experience automation at its best 

Pricing and plans 

Basic – Free, includes 2 seats 

Pro – $25 per month per website, includes 4 seats 

Unlimited – $95 per month per website, unlimited seats 

13. Chaport

Build connections with your visitors by replying via live chat tool of Chaport, and send auto-invitations to visitors to initiate a conversation. If no one is available online to solve customer queries, the users have an option to write questions via live chat. Just simply enter your email and you’ll get notified when your query has been answered. So, never miss out on any important lead.  

Key features 

• Get easy access to visitor’s information such as contact details, location, name, etc
• Assign the chat to another colleague or join a group chat 

• Multilingual chat widget lets the user view the widget in their native language 
• Answer your visitors from any channel in just one place 
• Connect it with your preferred apps and boost productivity 

Pricing and plans 

Free plan – Free for 1 operator 

Pro – $9.80 per month per operator 

14. Olark

Olark is one of the leading live chat software in the market. With their simplified communication mode and powerful automation, Olark is preferred by many companies. Customize the messages as per your visitor’s activity on the website. Your sales rep can get context by collecting customer information even before the chat commences. The powerful integrations of Olark enable you to build an impeccable customer relationship. 

Key features 

• Pre chat surveys and custom chatbox forms let you qualify more leads 
• Personalize the conversation by accessing the visitor information from their social media profile 
• Use co-browsing to assist your customer in real-time 
• Monitor your team’s performance and distribute chats for better team efficiency 
• Use automated messaging and gather contact information to save time 

• Integrate with CRM for enhanced experience 

Pricing and plans

Starts at $19 per agent per month 

15. ClickDesk

Increase conversion by connecting with visitors via voice and video chat and provide personalized solutions. ClickDesk lets you transfer chat to another suitable rep so you close every lead that comes your way. Furthermore, you can analyze the performance of customer support by using weekly and daily chat statistics. ClickDesk is one of a kind software that helps you build everlasting relations with customers. 

Key features 

• Provide support from anywhere with mobile app 
• Chat in real-time or use voice or video chat for better assistance 
• use personalized greetings with your customers to build an impressive rapport 

• Integrate with other social media platforms 
• Reports and stats to examine the performance 

Pricing and plans 

Free plan – Free for 10 users 

Lite – $14.99 per month 

Pro – $24.99 per month 

Enterprise – 39.99 per month 

16. Drift

Drift is a feature-driven live chat software that aims to provide an exceptional experience to sales reps and customers. Its powerful automation enables you to send personalized messages to important clients. The conversational AI assists the visitors in real-time so no leads fall through the crack. It offers a centralized data hub so you can fetch all the necessary details and insights of the customers. 

Key features 

• Conversational AI for faster communication 
• Live chat option to connect with visitors 
• Provide personalized experience to every visitor by getting insights into their profiles 
• Route important leads to the respective sales rep easily 

Pricing and plans 

Not available on the website  

17. Sendinblue

Sendinblue simplifies the communication process and helps in the marketing part as well. Its live chatbox offers personalization and customization option so it’s at par with your website. The marketing features of Sendinblue are also highly received by their users; email marketing, customer segmentation, retargeting, and much more! 

Key features 

• Helps convert more leads with the targeted and personalized visitor experience 
• Personalized communication to build strong customer relationships 
• Automatic segmentation of marketing messages to save time 
• Real-time statistics to keep track of all activities 

Pricing and plans 

Forever free plan 

Lite plan – $25 per month 

Premium – $65 per month 

Enterprise – custom rates 

18. Podium 

Podium is your one stop solution for boosting customer experience. It’s a conversation driven tool that helps you connect with every visitor on your website. Connect with users from multiple platform and revert from a single place.  

Key features

• Seamless conversation with live chat window of Podium 

• Customizable widgets to match your website standards 
• Google analytics tracking for better insights 
• Facility to route conversations from one place to another 
• Automated canned responses for frequently asked questions 

Pricing and plans 

Offers custom rates as per your requirements 

19. LiveAgent 

LiveAgent is an all-inclusive software for connecting with customers in multiple channels. LiveAgent provides an excellent helpdesk solution for improved user experience. Its dynamic automation lets you connect every visitor with the right rep by assigning tickets. the customer segmentation and universal inbox gives you access to view and revert to the customer tickets in a streamlined method. The chat history and contact information give context so you can serve your customer in a better way. 

Key features 

• Automatically sort conversations into tickets 
• Transfer and assign tickets to different reps and other departments 
• View tickets and respond to them from universal inbox 
• Get access to all customer information from one platform 
• Analyze your reps’ performance with time tracking feature 

• Time rules runs in the background and is executed if the condition is met 

Pricing and plans 

Free – forever free plan 

Ticket – $15 per month per agent 

Ticket+chat – $29 per month per agent 

All-inclusive – $39 per month per agent 

20. Chanty

Chanty lets you communicate and connect with visitors with its robust features. You can collaborate with your team and share files and conversations to provide context. This team chat tool is highly effective and team productivity as you can also convert the messages into tasks and organize them by using the kanban board. Chanty also integrates with various other apps to provide a smooth experience. 

Key features 

• Provides unlimited messaging forever 
• Helps you connect with other team members via audio and video calls 
• Manage tasks with ease by using a kanban board 
• Pin important messages so you don’t lose them 
• Discussion threads let you focus on the topic so you don’t have to scroll endlessly 

• Teambook is a centralized hub to organize your messages, tasks and pinned messages 

Pricing and plans 

Free – forever free plan 

Business – $3 per month per user  

Final thoughts

Technology is constantly evolving, and when we’re working in a digital world, we must stay updated with updates and features of software. So, when you’re choosing a live chat software for your business, you must do a thorough research and compare the features to determine which one fits the need of your company. 

The post Top 20 best live chat software services for 2021 appeared first on Salesmate.