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Customer Support · head to head

Balto vs LiveChat

Balto logo

Balto

Customer Support

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

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • They diverge on capability: Balto covers Real-time prompts, LiveChat covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Balto and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Balto and LiveChat differ
AttributeBaltoLiveChat
Starting priceOn request$20/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOSWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 LiveChat

  • Live chat
  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • Shopify
  • WordPress

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 LiveChat
  • An insurance enrolment team where a missed eligibility question means the application is rejected and the call has to be made againnot LiveChat
  • A high-turnover outbound floor where new starters need on-screen scaffolding for the first eight weeks instead of a supervisor sitting beside themnot LiveChat
  • A healthcare intake centre that needs auditable evidence that specific consent language was spoken on every recorded callnot LiveChat

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Balto
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot 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.

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Balto

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

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

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 LiveChat if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want ticketing.
LiveChat review

Questions people ask

Is Balto or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Balto starts at On request and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Balto or LiveChat?
Balto starts at On request and LiveChat at $20/month.
Does Balto or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Balto runs on Web, Windows, macOS. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
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 LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Balto do that LiveChat cannot?
Balto covers Real-time prompts, Real-Time Coaching, Playbook builder, Automated scoring. LiveChat covers Live chat, Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics.

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.

LiveChat: How much does LiveChat cost?

LiveChat pricing starts at $19/month for the Starter plan (annual billing). The Team plan is $49/person/month and includes unlimited users. The Business plan is $79/person/month with advanced features. Enterprise plans require a custom quote.

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.

LiveChat: Does LiveChat offer a free trial?

Yes, LiveChat provides a 14-day free trial with AI-driven features and no credit card required.

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.

LiveChat: What is the difference between LiveChat's Team and Business plans?

The Team plan ($49/person/month) tracks 400 visitors and includes unlimited campaigns and chat history. The Business plan ($79/person/month) tracks 1,000 visitors and adds work scheduler, advanced reporting, SMS, and Apple Messages support.

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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