LiveChat alternatives: free and cheaper live chat tools, and what changed with Text

LiveChat is polished, popular live chat software, and in 2026 its pricing page started leading with a new product called Text. If you are paying per agent and wondering whether a free or cheaper tool would do, this guide explains the change, prices a three-person team, and compares eight alternatives.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 17 October 2026 · 8 min read

What happened to LiveChat's pricing, and what is Text?

Text is a newer customer service product from the team behind LiveChat.com, HelpDesk.com and ChatBot.com, combining chat, tickets and AI in one inbox. LiveChat's pricing page now leads with Text plans, while existing LiveChat plans remain listed further down the same page.

Both sets of prices, as shown on livechat.com in October 2026:

Extra AI resolutions on Text come in packs of 50 for $49.50, which is $0.99 each. Text counts one resolution when the AI directly solves a customer question; several questions in the same chat count as one. Both products offer a 14-day trial with no card. WhatsApp is available through the LiveChat marketplace rather than built into a plan.

LiveChat's strengths are well known: a fast, reliable widget, strong reporting and over 200 integrations. Our ReplyKit vs LiveChat page compares it with an AI agent.

What does LiveChat cost a team of three today?

On LiveChat's own price list, between $57 and $237 a month for three people on yearly billing, depending on the plan and how much you lean on AI. Take a hypothetical three-person boutique travel agency where the AI fully resolves 150 chats a month.

Olark's figure comes straight from its own example: three agents with the AI total $458 a month. These tools differ a lot in depth, so use the table to see the shape of the cost, then trial the two or three that fit. If you want to see where we land, our plans are on one page.

Is there a free LiveChat alternative?

Yes. LiveChat itself has no free plan, only a 14-day trial, but several tools do:

• tawk.to is the most generous: free live chat with no stated cap on agents or chats, and paid add-ons for branding removal ($29 a month) and AI Assist (from $29). See tawk.to alternatives for its limits.
• Smartsupp Free covers one operator and 25 conversations a month across live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger.
• JivoChat Free covers a small team on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram and Viber.
• Tidio Free gives 50 conversations and a one-off 50 AI conversations.
• HubSpot's free tools include live chat for two users, with HubSpot branding.
• Zoho SalesIQ Free gives three operators and 100 chats a month.

A free tool is a fine replacement if a person is always there to answer. If the reason you bought LiveChat was speed, remember that a free widget with nobody online is slower than a paid one with AI. Our piece on first response time explains why that gap matters, and live chat versus an AI chat widget covers the trade-off.

Eight LiveChat alternatives compared

All prices from each vendor's pricing page in October 2026. We make ReplyKit, so weigh our view accordingly.

The free and low-cost group: tawk.to, Smartsupp, JivoChat, Tidio

These replace LiveChat's widget for much less. tawk.to and Smartsupp are the cheapest; Smartsupp's Solo plan ($17) gives one operator unlimited conversations, and its Mira AI agent is one of the lowest AI prices we saw. JivoChat suits teams on many apps, though WhatsApp needs its Professional plan ($42 per agent) plus a $27 add-on. Tidio is the most polished for ecommerce.

The CRM and helpdesk group: HubSpot, Zendesk

Pick these if chat is one part of a bigger customer system. HubSpot's free chat connects to its free CRM; Zendesk's Suite Team ($55 per agent yearly) brings a full ticketing helpdesk. Both get expensive once AI volume grows. Our guide to help desk software for small business compares them in depth.

The flat-AI option: Olark

Olark's AI Website Agent is $400 a month billed yearly with unlimited conversations and no token costs. That is expensive for a small site but predictable for a busy one. Human-only live chat is $29 per agent.

The WhatsApp-first option: ReplyKit

An AI agent for WhatsApp and website chat that answers, qualifies leads and books appointments. Details below.

What to export before you leave LiveChat

Do this while your subscription is active. A short checklist:

1. Chat transcripts. On Text Essential, history is kept for 60 days, so export anything you need for records.
2. Canned responses. Copy them into a document; they are the fastest way to seed a new tool or an AI's knowledge.
3. Frequent questions. Pull the 20 questions you answer most. They become your FAQ or the Q&A pairs an AI answers from.
4. Integrations. List every marketplace app you rely on (CRM, ecommerce, WhatsApp) and check the new tool supports each one.
5. Widget code. Note every site where the LiveChat snippet is installed, so you remove it everywhere when the new widget goes live.
6. Billing dates. On yearly billing, time the switch to your renewal date.

Where ReplyKit fits for LiveChat users

ReplyKit fits a small business that bought LiveChat to catch enquiries, then found most customers would rather message on WhatsApp, or that nobody is online when they arrive. One line of code adds a website assistant, and the same AI answers WhatsApp from your website, PDFs and price lists. It captures name, need, budget and timing, scores leads hot, warm or cold, and books real open slots with a reminder about 24 hours before. You take over any chat in one click.

WhatsApp connects with Quick Connect, a QR pairing that links your number as a device in about two minutes. It is unofficial, not the WhatsApp Business API, and a number can be restricted. You see one plain notice, and pressing Connect accepts section 3 of our Terms. AI replies are capped per number (30 an hour and 200 a day by default), and we recommend a dedicated number. To compare it against your LiveChat account, start a 7-day free trial.

Stay with LiveChat or Text, or choose Zendesk, if you need ticketing, email, Messenger, a large integration marketplace, detailed agent reporting or a big team of human agents. ReplyKit has none of those beyond its own inbox and a CSV export.

Frequently asked questions

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp, or by LiveChat or Text or any other vendor named here. Prices for other vendors are taken from their public pricing pages as checked in October 2026 and may change. This article is general guidance, not financial advice.