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Customer Support · head to head

Balto vs LiveAgent

Balto logo

Balto

Customer Support

Real-time guidance that prompts contact centre agents mid-call rather than scoring them afterwards

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveAgent logo

LiveAgent

Customer Support

All-in-one help desk software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LiveAgent has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Balto the prompts only work if agents read them, and on floors with fast handle-time targets agents learn to ignore the panel, which turns an expensive live system into an ordinary after-the-fact scorer.; LiveAgent social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price
  • They diverge on capability: Balto covers Real-time prompts, LiveAgent covers Ticketing system.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Balto and LiveAgent actually diverge.

Attributes where Balto and LiveAgent differ
AttributeBaltoLiveAgent
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOSWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Balto

  • Real-time prompts
  • Real-Time Coaching
  • Playbook builder
  • Automated scoring
  • Balto AI Suite
  • Compliance checklists
  • Dialler and CCaaS integrations

Only in LiveAgent

  • Ticketing system
  • Live chat
  • Call center
  • Social media
  • Knowledge base
  • Customer portal
  • WordPress
  • Shopify

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Balto

  • A debt collection floor that must read a required disclosure on every call and wants the prompt to fire rather than a scorecard to record the failure afterwardsnot LiveAgent
  • An insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made againnot LiveAgent
  • A high-turnover outbound floor where new starters need on-screen scaffolding for the first eight weeks instead of a supervisor sitting beside themnot LiveAgent
  • A healthcare intake centre that needs auditable evidence that specific consent language was spoken on every recorded callnot LiveAgent

LiveAgent

  • Multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messagesnot Balto
  • Ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teamsnot Balto

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Balto

  • The prompts only work if agents read them, and on floors with fast handle-time targets agents learn to ignore the panel, which turns an expensive live system into an ordinary after-the-fact scorer.
  • Playbooks are trigger-phrase driven and need continuous maintenance as products, scripts and objections change, so the tool quietly degrades unless someone owns it as a standing job.
  • Real-time transcription on noisy lines and strong accents misfires, producing prompts that fire on the wrong cue and train agents to distrust the panel entirely.
  • It is voice-first, so a contact centre where most volume has moved to chat and messaging gets far less from it than the per-agent price implies.
  • No pricing is published and there is no self-serve tier, so evaluating it means a sales cycle plus a technical integration into your telephony before you can judge whether agents will actually use it.

LiveAgent

  • Social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price
  • The entry plan is limited to 3 email accounts, 2 live chat buttons and 3 contact forms
  • WhatsApp numbers are rationed by plan, at 5 on Large Business and 20 on Enterprise
  • The advertised prices require annual billing, and monthly billing raises the entry plan from $10 to $13 per agent
  • Every published price is a discounted rate against a higher regular price

Pricing, plan by plan

Balto

On request
  • Balto$undefined/year
    • Real-time agent guidance
    • Real-Time Coaching for supervisors
    • Automated call scoring

LiveAgent

Free
  • Small Business$10/month
    • Ticketing
    • Live chat
    • Knowledge base
  • Medium Business$19/month
    • Everything in Small
    • Call center
    • IVR
  • Large Business$33/month
    • Everything in Medium
    • Social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)
  • Enterprise$46/month
    • Everything in Large
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Balto if

  • You need real-time prompts.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want real-time coaching.
Balto review

Choose LiveAgent if

  • You need ticketing system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live chat.
LiveAgent review

Questions people ask

Is Balto or LiveAgent better?
Neither clearly leads. Balto starts at On request and LiveAgent at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Balto or LiveAgent?
LiveAgent has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Balto and Free for LiveAgent.
Does Balto or LiveAgent run on more platforms?
Balto runs on Web, Windows, macOS. LiveAgent runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use LiveAgent for free?
Yes. LiveAgent has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Balto starts at On request.
What is Balto best used for?
Balto is most often used for a debt collection floor that must read a required disclosure on every call and wants the prompt to fire rather than a scorecard to record the failure afterwards, an insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made again, a high-turnover outbound floor where new starters need on-screen scaffolding for the first eight weeks instead of a supervisor sitting beside them, a healthcare intake centre that needs auditable evidence that specific consent language was spoken on every recorded call. Of those, a debt collection floor that must read a required disclosure on every call and wants the prompt to fire rather than a scorecard to record the failure afterwards and an insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made again are not what LiveAgent is typically brought in for.
What can Balto do that LiveAgent cannot?
Balto covers Real-time prompts, Real-Time Coaching, Playbook builder, Automated scoring. LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Live chat, Call center, Social media.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Balto: How is this different from Gong or Chorus?

Those analyse calls after they end. Balto changes the call while it is happening by prompting the agent live, which matters for compliance and much less for post-hoc coaching.

LiveAgent: How much does LiveAgent cost?

LiveAgent charges per agent on annual billing: Small Business at $10/agent/month, Medium at $19/agent/month, Large at $33/agent/month, and Enterprise at $46/agent/month (regular rates are $15, $29, $49, and $69 respectively). Monthly billing costs 30% more.

Source
Balto: Does it need my telephony vendor to cooperate?

Yes. It needs a live audio stream, so it integrates at the CCaaS or dialler layer with Five9, Genesys, Amazon Connect and similar. An unsupported platform is a blocker, not a config change.

LiveAgent: Does LiveAgent offer a free trial?

Yes, LiveAgent provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, offering full access to all features including AI agents.

Source
Balto: What does it cost?

Balto does not publish pricing. Expect a quoted per-agent annual contract, with the rate depending on seat count and which modules you licence.

LiveAgent: Are AI agents included in all LiveAgent plans?

Yes, all LiveAgent plans include free AI agents with features like chatbots, answer assistants, human handover, and autoresponders.

Source
Balto: Will it work for chat teams?

Not well. The product is built around live voice, and text channels are not where its strength is.

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