7 top live chat widgets for your website in 2024

Sara Ana Cemazar
November 8, 2023
·
min read

Live chat widgets enable website visitors to communicate seamlessly with sales and customer support agents. In the intensely competitive world, timely resolution to customer queries helps businesses stand ahead. 

In this article, we explore the top live chat providers in the market with an exhaustive comparison of their features, pricing, and user reviews. Read on to learn what are the different benefits businesses can derive from investing in live chat software. 

What is a live chat widget?

A live chat widget is a pop-up window that appears on your website, allowing customers and visitors to interact with you directly. The chat window appears when a visitor lands on the site pages, welcomes them, and offers a wide range of assistance.

On the chat window, visitors can seek support and information through interactions with live agents or chatbots. Robust live chat tools also collect real-time information about the visitors, allow file sharing, and deliver multi-channel support

Top benefits of introducing a chat widget to your website

There are many benefits of adding a live chat widget to your website. For one, it opens up a new digital communication channel right at the center of your business: your webpage.

1. Boost conversions

The live chat feature helps deliver real-time support and information to website visitors. 

A research study by Microsoft shows that the average attention span for an adult is 8 seconds. 

So, it is important to offer the information they seek quickly to avoid abandonment and motivate them to purchase. Also, a Forrester study shows that around 53% of visitors abandon purchases if they do not find a quick response to a question. 

The live chat feature allows customers to resolve their concerns and make quick purchasing decisions. This improves the conversion rates for businesses. 

2. Elevate customer satisfaction levels

The live chat widget appears at the bottom when a visitor lands on the website. Knowing that the business agents are only a few clicks away makes them feel comfortable. 

The sense of attachment and comfort is the rationale behind why live chat holds the highest customer satisfaction level of 82%. Being readily available to solve their queries improves customer satisfaction levels, ultimately increasing retention and loyalty. 

Around 53% of visitors abandon purchases if they do not find a quick response to a question

3. Maximize business productivity

You can automate responses to frequently asked questions on a live chat functionality. 

A study by Aberdeen Group shows that companies that use live chat save about 50% of their operating costs

Live chat software solutions allow agents to handle more queries, reducing the need for additional staffing. Automation helps reduce agents' burnout and use their energy and time productively to perform core operations requiring human intelligence. 

Also, chat widgets help route the queries to the most qualified agent, reducing manual transfers and exhaustion. 

4. 24/7 customer support

Businesses can handle customer queries using chatbots and canned responses on live chat widgets even outside business hours. This helps offer timely assistance and gain a competitive edge. 

5. Personalized experience

The live chat feature can also collect data about web visitors and customers. For instance, you can customize your widget to collect emails, phone numbers, and more. 

Doing so lets you personalize the offerings based on location, and device. You can also prioritize queries from returning customers so you get to retain them for longer. 

➡️However, you must pay attention to protecting your customer data under data regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA, especially if you work in a highly regulated industry. Be careful to choose a secure live chat solution to add to your web.

6 crucial features of a live chat widget

While a live chat widget has several benefits, it is important to choose the right set of features to unleash their fullest potential. The following are some of the important ones. 

1. Easy setup

While choosing the live chat widget for your website, choose one that is easy to set up, has no code, and can be learned quickly. It helps save time and resources. 

2. White labeling

White labeling allows businesses to customize the live chat tools to match their branding guidelines and design elements. Doing so allows businesses to offer consistent customer service across all communication channels

3. Integration

You must invest in a live chat widget that integrates seamlessly with the sales, CRM, helpdesk, and marketing tools you currently use. This offers a comprehensive insight into the process and reduces the hassle of switching from one platform to another. 

4. Good UI/UX

The widget should have a simple, intuitive UI/UX as it serves as a medium for customer communication. You must be able to create tickets, route queries to the right agents, and tag chats internally. 

5. Automation and chatbot integration

Most live chat tools come with chatbot integration. Choosing them helps you automate responses to frequently asked questions and handle customer queries even when beyond standard business hours. 

The automation increases business efficiency and enables agents to handle more queries in a shorter duration. 

6. Analytics

Live chat tools must be able to offer analytics and actionable insights on the number of total inquiries, queries resolved, average resolution time, and more. Such insights help evaluate agent performance and offer critical feedback. They also help businesses make informed staffing decisions. 

7 best live chat widget providers

The top performing tools when it comes to chat widgets have above 4-star reviews. They're run and tested by numerous users across the world. Here's an overview of the best tools and their specific characteristics.

1. Rocket.Chat

chat widget

Rocket. Chat is an open-source, secure platform that helps businesses streamline their communication with customers, team members, suppliers, and partners. It has robust security features with end-to-end encryption, customizable user permissions, two-factor authentication, and more. 

Rocket.Chat offers both on-premises as well as cloud deployment. So, it is appropriate for businesses that handle sensitive data, operating in industries such as defense, healthcare, and finance. It helps secure your internal and customer communications with industry-grade protection and prevent data losses. 

On top of that, Rocket.Chat also provides open API to customize the live chat functionality to match your business requirements. 

Key features

  • End-to-end encryption
  • File sharing
  • Custom roles and access controls
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Audio and video conferencing
  • Omnichannel integration

G2 score 

4.2★ out of 5

Pricing

  • Community- $0/user/month
  • Enterprise- $7/user/month (minimum of 25 users)

Get started with Rocket.Chat’s secure collaboration platform

Talk to sales

2. Tidio

chat widget

Tidio is a popular live chat widget and helpdesk tool that automates customer support with conversational AI. It has an Android and iOS app, allowing customers to seek support using the mobile app. 

You can also set canned responses to commonly asked questions. The unique feature of Tidio is that it allows business agents to see what customers type even before they send. This reduces the response time. 

Key features

  • AI functionality
  • Mobile and desktop apps
  • Accessible conversation history
  • Canned replies
  • Multilanguage support

G2 score

4.7★ out of 5

Pricing

  • Free - 0 USD/month
  • Starter - 29 USD/month
  • Communicator - 25 USD/month
  • Chatbots - 29 USD/month

3. HubSpot

chat widget

HubSpot Live Chat is a key feature of its Service Hub along with other automation and self-service communication tools. It allows businesses to use chatbot functionality and automate customer conversations. It offers a mobile app to handle customer queries on the go. 

Key features

  • Appointment scheduling 
  • Ticket creation
  • Chatbot functionality
  • Schedule follow-ups

G2 score

4.4★ out of 5

Pricing

  • Free version available
  • Starter- 50 USD/month
  • Professional- 400 USD/month
  • Enterprise -1200 USD/month

4. Olark

live chat widget for customer service

Olark is a robust live chat widget that helps businesses streamline their sales and customer support in one go. It helps them enhance their productivity by automating customer conversations with templatized responses. 

It also integrates with popular tools like Slack, MailChimp, and others. 

Key features

  • Transcript archive
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Custom chatbox forms
  • Live chat analytics
  • Intelligent chat routing

G2 score

4.3★ out of 5

Pricing

Plans start at $29 per month

5. Tawk.to

live chat widget for customer service

Tawk.to is a commonly used live chat widget with a customizable design. Businesses can review conversations and evaluate the agent's performance.

The tool offers multilingual support and translates messages in around 45+ languages. So, it helps you develop a deeper sense of attachment with your customers. 

Key features

  • Custom chatbox forms
  • Integration with 100+ tools
  • Actionable insights
  • Multilingual support
  • Unlimited agents
  • Mobile app

G2 score

4.5★ out of 5

Pricing

Tawk.to is a free tool. But, if you wish to remove Tawk.to brand and white label it, then you must pay $19 per month. 

6. LiveChat

live chat widget for customer service

LiveChat offers an integrated customer service platform with a robust live chat platform. It has an advanced ticketing system, intelligent chat routing, canned responses, custom reports, real-time dashboards, and more crucial features. You can assign chats to the qualified agent so customers get timely support. 

Key features

  • Omnichannel support
  • Chat tagging
  • Integration with 200+ tools
  • Robust analytics and reporting
  • Group messages

G2 score

4.5★ out of 5 (735+ reviews)

Pricing

  • Starter - 19 USD/month
  • Team -39USD /month
  • Business -59USD /month
  • Enterprise -custom plan on request

7. Chatra

live chat widget for customer service

Chatra is a go-to chat widget for startups and small businesses. It has a multichannel dashboard that allows businesses to manage conversations on several channels simultaneously. It has a chatbot functionality helps businesses automate responses to frequently asked questions. 

Chatra also has a mobile app, so you can offer customer support even when you are not at the desk.

Key features

  • Intelligent queuing and routing
  • Multichannel dashboard
  • Desktop and mobile apps
  • Conditional automation
  • Chatbot functionality

G2 score

4.5★ out of 5

Pricing

  • Free - 0 USD/month
  • Starter - 25 USD/month
  • Business - 65 USD/month
  • BrevoPlus - Custom pricing plans

Get to know the world of chat apps

It can be hard to navigate the market with so many options.

Here are more resources on the topic: we hope it helps you choose the best chat widget for your website!

Frequently asked questions about <anything>

live chat widgets

What is the safest live chat site?

How can you use live chat?

How can I build a live chat?

What is the best online chat?

Sara is an SEO Strategist at Rocket.Chat. She is passionate about topics around digital transformation, workplace experience, open source, and data privacy and security.
Sara Ana Cemazar
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