Live chat software is one of the most common features on commercial websites today, offering direct communication between businesses and customers. However, deciphering the intricacies of live chat pricing during integration can be daunting.

From subscription models to hidden fees, understanding the true cost of implementing live chat is essential for businesses seeking to optimize their customer support strategies. Let’s get started!

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Article Roadmap

• How Much Does a Live Chat App Cost?
• Factors Affecting Live Chat App Costs
• Pricing Models
• Pricing for Best Live Chat Apps
• Best Practices
• FAQs
• Next Steps

How Much Does a Live Chat App Cost?

The most crucial thing you want to know before implementing live chat software is its pricing. Live chat costs mostly vary according to factors like the number of chat agents, customer support level, features and more.

Joel Wolfe, President and Founder of HiredSupport, gave us some ballpark estimates of live chat pricing:

The price range of live chat software is somewhere between $24 (per agent per month) to $85 (per agent per month). However, as a rule of thumb, the more features it has, the more cost you’ll have to bear.”

He also explained the pricing model:

The pricing model of live chat software is pay-per-agent. It varies from a small business setup to what should be used in an enterprise. The payment can either be made on a monthly or yearly basis.”

Regarding the factors affecting the pricing of live chat apps, Wolfe said:

Factors such as features and functionality are the major drivers of price change. If software is offering chatbots, personalization options, and integration capabilities with your operating system, a premium price would be charged.”

Lisa Richards, CEO and Creator of the Candida Diet, offered valuable insight into assessing software investments:

One way to determine whether or not the software is worth its price is by conducting a cost-benefit analysis to measure the potential benefits that your business will gain from the software (for example, improved customer satisfaction, higher sales and so on) compared with the cost of implementing it and maintaining it in the long term.”

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Factors Affecting Live Chat App Costs

Apart from features, you must consider some other factors before investing. Integration capabilities, staffing requirements and support levels significantly contribute to the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a live chat app.

Staffing Requirements

While the live chat application can offer a widget to facilitate communication with consumers, you need staff on the backend to answer real-time questions and ensure a smooth customer experience. However, hiring and training new staff can be costly. This is why having an in-house team of chat support agents may not be the most economical solution to attend to 24/7 inquiries.

You can outsource chat agent requirements to live chat vendors. However, it may impact the software pricing. The exact cost will depend on the number of chat agents required.

Basic Capabilities

Primary features like chat and monitoring, security, group organization, chat history, and reporting can significantly influence the pricing. When considering options, choosing more features will inevitably add hefty expenses to your overall software subscription model. Nevertheless, several solutions offer free versions that provide basic capabilities to handle your customer support needs.

Advanced Features

Many vendors offer advanced capabilities such as AI integration, chatbot support, predictive analytics and real-time translation. While these components may incur additional costs, they also offer significant advantages like higher customer satisfaction and retention.

Integrations

Live chat can be a great way to boost your lead generation and customer acquisition strategies. However, it’s not a standalone solution and requires support from other tools like CRM to realize its full potential.

Elaborating on the extra costs associated with integration, Richards said:

The software might cost a reasonable amount initially, but you might have to pay more to get it to fit your business and systems. For instance, it could be perfectly compatible with popular CRM systems such as Salesforce, Zendesk or HubSpot – but at a fee and after waiting in a queue, you might need an integration with your own unique customer relationship platform. There’s also the training and onboarding costs.”

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Pricing Models

Various vendors offer different pricing models for live chat apps. These include free options, subscription-based plans, pay-per-agent models, volume-based pricing, pay-per-lead structures and more. Let’s discover what each of these pricing models entails:

Free Options

Free live chat apps are increasingly common, and many vendors provide basic features in their no-cost versions. They are easier to configure and ideal for beginners.

However, these may not be sufficient to meet your customer support needs and are often used as trial versions before upgrading to paid options.

Subscription Plans

The most commonly used pricing model in the industry, subscription plans, involve a fixed price set by the vendor that remains consistent over time. You can enable auto payments to streamline the subscription process and save time.

Monthly subscription plans typically offer easier cancellation options. However, you can find yourself constrained by pre-built features as they offer limited customization possibilities.

Pay-Per-Agent Models

This is a popular pricing model where you pay based on the number of chat support agents using the application. It’s a great option if you want to scale your business gradually, as you pay only for the resources you need.

It’s similar to the subscription model, but costs depend on the number of users rather than predetermined amounts.

Volume-Based Pricing

In this pricing model, you pay according to the volume of chat sessions instead of the number of chat agents. The calculation of this volume varies from vendor to vendor. Some base it on the number of site visitors, while others consider the number of conversations or leads. This plan mitigates the risk of overpayment and helps you choose a pricing structure that’s best suited for the size of your business.

Perpetual Licenses

With a perpetual license, you make a one-time payment and have ongoing access to the software. This plan is ideal if you anticipate consistent live chat needs. Compared to monthly plans, it can result in cost savings over time. However, the initial upfront payment may be relatively high and could feel burdensome.

Custom Options

Custom live chat price allows you to choose your requirements and set a price accordingly. It helps you get a personalized software package with custom features. However, this plan can be the most expensive and lacks pricing transparency, potentially leading to overpayment.

Pricing for Best Live Chat Apps

According to our research, the five best live chat apps are LiveChat, LiveAgent, Freshdesk, Crisp and Zoho SalesIQ. Let’s look at their pricing options and features:

LiveChat — Best Overall

LiveChat offers four pricing plans: Starter, Team, Business and Enterprise. It also offers a free trial option. Basic annual pricing starts from $20 per agent per month, and advanced plans start from $41 per agent per month. This goes up to $149 per month for enterprise-grade apps.

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LiveAgent — Best for Ticket Management

LiveAgent also offers a free platform with basic features. However, you can also get a free trial before investing in the platform. The pricing starts from $9 per agent per month if billed annually and $15 per agent per month for monthly transactions. It offers four plans: Small, Medium, Large and Enterprise.

Freshdesk Messaging — Best for Platform Capabilities

Freshdesk has four pricing models, starting with a free version and going up to $69 per agent. It offers a free trial. You can also get a free demo to understand the features better before investing.

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Crisp – Best for Customer Collaboration

Crisp offers three pricing plans: Basic, Pro and Unlimited. The basic version is free and includes two agents. You can avail of a free trial on all plans for 14 days. The price starts from $25 per month per workspace.

Zoho SalesIQ – Best for Conversation Management

Zoho has four pricing models, starting with a free version. The pricing range starts at $350 per operator license per month and goes up to $1500 per operator license per month. You can also get a free demo to understand the platform’s capabilities.

Smitha Baliga is the CEO and CFO of TeleDirect. With over 20 years of experience in business and finance, her expertise in developing and implementing strategic plans has led to significant improvements in customer satisfaction, employee engagement and operational efficiency.

Smitha is passionate about building strong relationships with clients and fostering a culture of excellence that empowers employees to deliver outstanding results.

Joel Wolfe is the President and Founder of HiredSupport. He’s an experienced entrepreneur with a proven track record of building and scaling profitable businesses across diverse industries, including outsourcing customer service and SaaS. He’s also known for strategic vision, innovative problem-solving and leadership excellence.

He shares insights from his several years of experience in customer service, customer support, chatbots, customer support software (live chat, helpdesk, inbound & outbound calling), outsourcing, eCommerce, ChatGPT, AI, SaaS, business and startups.

Lisa Richards is a retail and small business and customer support expert. She’s the CEO and Creator of Candida Diet and offers insights on customer support, live chat, social media marketing and women’s leadership.