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Best Live Chat Software (September 2026)

This list ranks live chat, messaging, and support chatbot platforms for businesses evaluating customer communication tools. Rankings are based on chatbot automation capabilities, integration options with existing support systems, and pricing structure across plan tiers.

7 tools rankedMaintained by SaaS Picks
  1. 1Top pickSmartsupp logoSmartsuppsmartsupp.comBest for E-commerce and small to medium-sized businesses
  2. 2Chatra logoChatrachatra.comBest for Small to mid-sized e-commerce and support teams
  3. 3Pure Chat logoPure Chatpurechat.comBest for Small businesses adding chat to their website

At a glance

All 7 tools in this ranking, in order.

#ToolDetails
1Smartsupp logoSmartsuppsmartsupp.comDetails ↓
2Chatra logoChatrachatra.comDetails ↓
3Pure Chat logoPure Chatpurechat.comDetails ↓
4HubSpot Live Chat logoHubSpot Live Chathubspot.comDetails ↓
5Userlike logoUserlikeuserlike.comDetails ↓
6Tawk.to logoTawk.totawk.toDetails ↓
7Help Scout logoHelp Scouthelpscout.comDetails ↓

The 7 best Live Chat tools

Live chat, messaging and support chatbots.

  1. 1Smartsupp logo

    Smartsupp

    Top pickFree plan

    smartsupp.com

    Best for E-commerce and small to medium-sized businesses

    Smartsupp is a live chat platform that also offers chatbots and visitor recording features, designed to help e-commerce and small to medium-sized businesses engage website visitors in real time. It provides a dashboard for managing conversations across web chat, email, and some social channels, along with automated triggers to initiate conversations based on visitor behavior. Visitor recordings allow teams to review how users navigate a site. The platform is suited to online stores and support teams seeking to combine live chat with basic automation and behavioral insight tools.

    • Live chat
    • Chatbots
    • Visitor recordings
    Ranked #1 of 7 in Live Chat · Smartsupp profileVisit smartsupp.com
  2. 2Chatra logo

    chatra.com

    Best for Small to mid-sized e-commerce and support teamsFree trial

    Chatra is a live chat platform that lets businesses communicate with website visitors in real time through a chat widget. It combines live chat with basic CRM features, allowing teams to view visitor information, past conversations, and cart activity for e-commerce sites. Chatra supports proactive chat triggers, offline messaging, and integrations with platforms like Shopify and WordPress. It also offers a shared team inbox so multiple agents can manage conversations. The tool suits small to mid-sized businesses and online stores looking for a straightforward way to engage customers and provide support.

    • Live chat widget
    • Shared team inbox
    • E-commerce integrations
    Ranked #2 of 7 in Live Chat · Chatra profileVisit chatra.com
  3. 3Pure Chat logo

    purechat.com

    Best for Small businesses adding chat to their websiteFree trial

    Pure Chat is a live chat platform that lets businesses add a chat widget to their website to communicate with visitors in real time. It includes visitor tracking, allowing operators to see who is browsing and where they are located, along with chat transcripts and basic reporting on conversations. The tool supports multiple operators and can be customized to match a site's branding. Pure Chat is aimed at small businesses and sales or support teams looking for a straightforward way to engage website visitors without a complex setup process.

    • Live chat widget
    • Visitor tracking
    • Chat transcripts
    Ranked #3 of 7 in Live Chat · Pure Chat profileVisit purechat.com
  4. 4HubSpot Live Chat logo

    hubspot.com

    Best for Sales and support teams using HubSpot CRM

    HubSpot Live Chat is a messaging tool included within HubSpot's CRM platform, allowing businesses to communicate with website visitors in real time. It integrates with HubSpot's CRM so conversations are logged against contact records, and it supports chatbot automation for routing inquiries or answering common questions. Chat widgets can be customized to match a brand's appearance and targeted to specific pages. It suits sales and support teams already using HubSpot who want chat history connected to broader customer data and marketing or service workflows.

    • Live chat widget
    • Chatbot automation
    • CRM conversation history
    Ranked #4 of 7 in Live Chat · HubSpot Live Chat profileVisit hubspot.com
  5. 5Userlike logo

    userlike.com

    Best for SMBs needing GDPR-compliant website chatFree trial

    Userlike is a live chat and customer messaging platform for websites, allowing businesses to communicate with visitors in real time and continue conversations via channels such as WhatsApp. It includes a message routing system, chatbot and automation capabilities, and a shared inbox for support teams. The platform is developed and hosted in Germany, which may appeal to organizations with GDPR compliance requirements. Userlike suits small to mid-sized businesses looking to combine website chat with messaging channel integration and basic automation for customer service and sales conversations.

    • Live chat widget
    • WhatsApp integration
    • Chatbot automation
    Ranked #5 of 7 in Live Chat · Userlike profileVisit userlike.com
  6. 6Tawk.to logo

    Tawk.to

    Free plan

    tawk.to

    Best for Small businesses and startups needing website chat

    Tawk.to is a live chat platform that lets businesses add a chat widget to their website to communicate with visitors in real time. It includes ticketing, a knowledge base builder, and basic CRM features for tracking visitor activity and history. Agents can respond via desktop or mobile apps, and the platform supports canned responses, file sharing, and multilingual chat. Tawk.to is suited to small businesses and startups seeking a low-cost way to add customer messaging and support functions to their site without extensive setup.

    • Live chat widget
    • Ticketing system
    • Knowledge base builder
    Ranked #6 of 7 in Live Chat · Tawk.to profileVisit tawk.to
  7. 7Help Scout logo

    helpscout.com

    Best for Small to mid-sized customer support teamsFree trial

    Help Scout is a customer communication platform that combines a shared email inbox with a live chat widget called Beacon, which also surfaces knowledge base articles to site visitors. It allows support teams to manage conversations from chat, email, and self-service content in a single interface, with features such as saved replies, tagging, and workflow automation. The tool is aimed at small to mid-sized customer support and success teams looking to consolidate multiple communication channels without a complex ticketing setup.

    • Shared inbox
    • Live chat widget
    • Integrated knowledge base
    Ranked #7 of 7 in Live Chat · Help Scout profileVisit helpscout.com

Frequently asked

What is the best Live Chat tool right now?
Smartsupp tops this ranking, followed by Chatra and Pure Chat. The full order, with what each tool is for, is on this page.
How many Live Chat tools does this ranking cover?
7 tools are ranked here, from 1 to 7: Smartsupp, Chatra, Pure Chat, HubSpot Live Chat, Userlike, Tawk.to, Help Scout.
How does SaaS Picks decide the order?
Position reflects our editorial read of how well a tool fits the mainstream buyer in this category. SaaS Picks is funded by listings, so companies can pay to appear or to upgrade how their entry is shown.

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