The best live chat software for 2026 includes tools that offer comprehensive functionality, CRM-integrations, automation with AI capabilities, enterprise-level support, and full-featured free options.
For B2B teams, data-enriched platforms like ZoomInfo Chat add a layer of intelligence that turns website conversations into qualified pipeline.
Best Live Chat Software for Customer Support
The best live chat software in 2026 depends on your specific needs:
B2B teams needing visitor intelligence: ZoomInfo Chat routes based on ICP fit and enriches conversations with firmographic data
Enterprise support operations: Zendesk and LiveChat deliver omnichannel ticketing with extensive integrations
Budget-conscious teams: HubSpot and Tawk.to offer robust free plans with solid feature sets
E-commerce businesses: Re:amaze and Tidio specialize in retail support with cart integration
Conversational marketing: Drift and Intercom excel at product-led growth and ABM playbooks
1. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo Chat combines live chat with B2B intelligence to turn website conversations into qualified pipeline. The platform identifies visitors, scores them against your ICP, and routes chats to the right rep based on account fit, territory, or ownership.
Key Differentiators:
Visitor intelligence: See firmographics, technographics, intent signals, and buying committee data before the conversation starts
ICP-based routing: Automatically prioritize high-fit accounts and send them to your best reps
Inline scheduling: Prospects book meetings directly in chat while intent is highest
Full data enrichment: New contacts get appended with verified company and contact information from ZoomInfo's database of 100 million companies and 500 million contacts
Main Features:
Intelligent lead routing based on firmographics, technographics, and ICP scoring
Comprehensive visitor insights including intent signals and buying committee data
Integrated meeting scheduler for instant booking during conversations
Real-time notifications through Slack and Microsoft Teams
Bi-directional CRM sync with Salesforce and HubSpot
Ideal For:
B2B sales teams focused on high-value accounts
Revenue operations teams needing data enrichment at point of capture
Enterprise companies with complex routing requirements
Teams using account-based marketing strategies
Pricing:
Custom pricing based on company size and feature requirements
Available as part of broader ZoomInfo platform subscriptions
Contact sales for specific pricing tiers
Learn More about ZoomInfo Chat
2. LiveChat
LiveChat offers a comprehensive live chat platform with extensive customization options and integration capabilities. The platform supports multi-channel communication and provides detailed analytics to track performance and customer satisfaction.
LiveChat's feature set includes canned responses, file sharing, chat archives, and visitor tracking. The platform integrates with over 200 tools and supports multiple languages for global teams.
3. HubSpot
HubSpot combines live chat with native CRM integration, making it the strongest option for teams already using HubSpot's ecosystem. Every chat automatically syncs to contact records, creating complete visibility across sales, marketing, and service teams.
The platform includes:
Free tier: Basic chat and CRM features at no cost
AI-powered routing: Automated ticket assignment and chatbot responses
Omnichannel inbox: Manage chat, email, and social in one interface
Learn More about HubSpot Service Hub
4. Tidio
Tidio targets SMBs with AI-powered chat automation through its Lyro chatbot. The platform handles routine inquiries at scale without adding support staff, making it cost-effective for growing teams.
Core capabilities:
Lyro AI chatbot: Delivers personalized responses based on conversation context
Multi-channel dashboard: Manage website chat, email, and Messenger in one interface
Multi-language support: Serves global customer bases without language barriers
5. Zendesk
Zendesk delivers enterprise-grade support with omnichannel ticketing that consolidates chat, email, phone, and social media into one agent workspace. The platform integrates with over 1,200 apps, making it viable for complex tech stacks.
Features:
Omnichannel ticketing: Unified queue across all support channels
AI-powered automation: Route tickets and suggest responses automatically
Extensive integrations: Connect with CRM, analytics, and business intelligence tools
Global support: Multilingual capabilities for international teams
Learn More about Zendesk Support Suite
6. Tawk.to
Tawk.to provides a fully free live chat solution with no user limits or conversation caps. The platform includes features typically reserved for paid tiers, including visitor monitoring, ticketing, and knowledge base functionality.
While the core platform is free, Tawk.to offers paid options for additional services like dedicated support agents and advanced reporting. The platform supports unlimited agents and chat volume without cost.
7. Intercom
Intercom specializes in product-led growth with in-app messaging that engages users at critical moments in the product experience. The platform combines chat with automated workflows and AI agents for scalable support.
Product-led features:
In-app messaging: Reach users inside your product with contextual messages
24/7 AI agents: Automated support that handles common questions without human intervention
Real-time assistance: AI suggests responses to agents during live conversations
Multi-language support: Serve global user bases in their native languages
8. LiveAgent
LiveAgent combines live chat with helpdesk ticketing in a multi-channel support platform. The system routes conversations from email, social media, phone, and chat into a unified ticketing system.
The platform includes features like automated ticket distribution, SLA management, and comprehensive reporting. LiveAgent supports over 40 integrations with popular business tools and CRM systems.
9. Re:amaze
Re:amaze specializes in customer support for e-commerce businesses, with native integrations for Shopify, BigCommerce, and other online retail platforms. The platform consolidates customer conversations from multiple channels into a single interface.
Key features include order lookup during chat sessions, automated workflows based on customer purchase history, and FAQ automation. The system integrates directly with e-commerce platforms to provide agents with order context during conversations.
10. 3CX
3CX delivers unified communications combining voice, video, and live chat in a single platform. The system supports both cloud and on-premise deployment, giving teams flexibility in how they host their communication infrastructure.
The platform includes features like call queues, IVR, and web conferencing alongside chat capabilities. Integration with CRM systems allows agents to view customer data during conversations.
11. Smartsupp
Smartsupp focuses on visitor tracking and behavior analytics alongside live chat functionality. The platform records visitor sessions, allowing teams to replay customer interactions and understand browsing patterns.
Smartsupp includes chatbot automation for handling routine inquiries and routing qualified leads to human agents. The platform provides detailed analytics on chat performance and visitor engagement metrics.
12. Drift
Drift's Conversation Cloud enables personalized buyer engagement at every stage, from marketing to post-sales. Its AI-powered tools help streamline interactions, strengthen relationships, and improve pipeline generation.
The platform excels at conversational marketing and account-based marketing playbooks. Drift routes conversations based on account fit and buyer intent, connecting high-value prospects with the right sales representatives.
What is Live Chat Software?
Live chat software enables real-time messaging between businesses and website visitors through a chat widget embedded on web pages. The technology connects customers to support agents or automated chatbots, providing instant assistance without requiring phone calls or email exchanges.
Modern live chat platforms include three core components:
Chat widget: The customer-facing interface that appears on websites, often in the bottom corner of the screen
Agent console: The backend dashboard where support teams manage conversations, view customer data, and access chat transcripts
Routing engine: The system that distributes incoming chats to available agents based on rules, skills, or workload
Most platforms support reactive chat (customer-initiated) and proactive chat (triggered by behavior like exit intent or time on page). Advanced systems integrate with CRMs to surface customer context during conversations.
Core Features of Live Chat Software
Essential capabilities that separate basic chat from strategic support tools:
Routing and assignment: Direct conversations to the right agent based on skills, availability, or account ownership
Canned responses: Pre-written message templates that speed up common replies and maintain consistency
Chat triggers: Automated prompts based on visitor behavior, page views, or time spent on site
Chatbots and automation:AI-powered bots that handle routine inquiries and qualify leads before human handoff
Chat transcripts: Searchable conversation history that provides context for future interactions
Analytics and reporting: Metrics on response times, resolution rates, agent performance, and customer satisfaction
CRM integration: Bi-directional sync that logs chat data to customer records and surfaces contact history during conversations
File sharing: The ability to exchange documents, screenshots, or other files during chat sessions
Co-browsing: Screen sharing capabilities that let agents guide customers through complex processes
Mobile optimization: Responsive design that works across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
Data-Powered Chat Routing and Qualification
The difference between basic chat and revenue-generating chat comes down to data. Standard routing sends chats to whoever's available. Data-powered routing sends the right chat to the right rep at the right time.
B2B teams using enriched data can route based on:
Firmographic matching: Company size, industry, revenue, and employee count determine ICP fit
Technographic data: Current technology stack reveals product compatibility and integration potential
Intent signals: Research activity and content consumption indicate buying stage and topic interest
Account ownership: Existing account assignments ensure continuity with assigned reps
Geographic territory: Location-based routing connects visitors with regional sales teams
ZoomInfo Chat applies this intelligence automatically. When a target account visitor hits your site, the system matches them against ICP criteria, checks ownership, and routes accordingly. No manual lookups or qualification calls, just clean handoffs to reps who already know the account.
CRM and Chat Integration for Unified GTM
Chat conversations that don't sync to your CRM are lost opportunities. Every interaction should flow into your system of record, creating a complete timeline of customer engagement.
Effective CRM integration delivers:
Bi-directional sync: Chat transcripts log to contact records, and CRM data surfaces in the agent console
Automatic enrichment: New contacts from chat get appended with firmographic and contact data
Unified timeline: Chat joins email, calls, and meetings in a single customer interaction history
Lead-to-account matching: New chat contacts automatically associate with existing account records
Workflow triggers: Chat events can kick off automated sequences, task creation, or lead scoring updates
The strongest integrations work with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other major CRMs to ensure chat data doesn't live in a silo. For revenue teams, this means every conversation contributes to pipeline reporting and attribution models.
Sales Intelligence and Workflow Automation in Live Chat
Adding intelligence to chat transforms it from a support channel into a pipeline generation tool. The right data layer automates decisions that used to require manual research and qualification.
Intelligence-driven workflows enable:
Automated lead scoring: Assign priority levels based on ICP fit, intent signals, and account tier
Buying committee insights: Surface key stakeholders and decision-makers from the visitor's company
Next-best actions: Suggest relevant content, case studies, or meeting types based on visitor profile
Smart handoff rules: Route to SDRs for new business, account execs for expansions, or CSMs for existing customers
SLA alerts: Notify managers when high-value chats go unanswered or exceed response time targets
Sequence enrollment: Automatically add chat contacts to nurture campaigns or follow-up sequences
This level of automation keeps reps focused on conversations rather than admin work. When the system handles routing, enrichment, and task creation, agents spend time selling instead of updating records.
Live Chat Software Pricing and Plans
Live chat pricing typically follows one of three models:
Per-agent pricing: Monthly fee multiplied by the number of seats, ranging from $15 to $100+ per agent depending on features
Flat-rate plans: Fixed monthly cost with caps on conversations, agents, or usage volume
Freemium models: Free basic plans with paid upgrades for advanced features, integrations, or higher usage limits
Enterprise considerations that affect total cost:
Integration requirements: Native CRM connectors, API access, and webhook support may require higher-tier plans
Security and compliance: SSO, SAML, SOC 2 certification, and GDPR compliance often live in enterprise tiers
SLA guarantees: Uptime commitments and dedicated support typically come with premium pricing
Annual contracts: Most vendors offer 10-20% discounts for annual commitments versus month-to-month billing
Usage overages: Watch for conversation caps, contact limits, or bandwidth restrictions that trigger additional fees
How to Choose the Right Live Chat Software
Selection framework for B2B teams:
Identify integration requirements: List your CRM, marketing automation, help desk, and other tools that need to connect with chat. Confirm API availability and integration depth.
Assess data capabilities: Determine if you need visitor identification, firmographic enrichment, or intent data. Basic chat handles conversations, data-powered chat drives pipeline.
Map routing complexity: Simple teams can use round-robin assignment. Complex sales orgs need territory routing, account ownership matching, and ICP-based prioritization.
Define security needs: Understand your compliance requirements (SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA) and confirm vendor certifications before contracting.
Plan for scale: Consider agent growth, conversation volume increases, and feature expansion. Switching platforms is expensive, so build in headroom.
Evaluate analytics depth: Basic platforms track chat volume and response time. Advanced systems measure pipeline contribution, conversion rates by segment, and revenue attribution.
Test the agent experience: Run trials with your actual team. The best features mean nothing if agents find the interface clunky or slow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which live chat features cut agent handle time the most?
Intelligent routing that sends chats to the right agent first, canned responses for common questions, and bot deflection for routine inquiries reduce handle time more than any other features.
How do live chat tools integrate with CRM and intent data?
Most platforms use APIs for bi-directional sync with CRMs, while advanced systems like ZoomInfo Chat add intent signals and firmographic enrichment through native integrations.
Final Take
The best live chat software for your team depends on what you're trying to accomplish:
Support teams: Prioritize ticket deflection, multi-channel consolidation, and chatbot automation
Sales teams: Need routing intelligence, pipeline visibility, and meeting scheduling
Revenue operations: Want data enrichment, CRM integration, and attribution tracking
For B2B organizations, the competitive advantage comes from combining chat with accurate company and contact data. When your system knows who's visiting, what they care about, and where they fit in your ICP, conversations start with context instead of discovery questions.
If your go-to-market team uses data to prioritize accounts and personalize outreach, your chat strategy should do the same. Connect visitor behavior to buying intent, route based on account fit, and give reps the intelligence they need to close deals.