Customer Support · head to head
LiveAgent vs LiveChat
The short version
- Only LiveAgent has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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; 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: LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, LiveChat covers Ticketing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which LiveAgent and LiveChat actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 LiveAgent
- Ticketing system
- Call center
- Social media
- Knowledge base
- Customer portal
- Magento
- Slack
- SSL
Only in LiveChat
- Ticketing
- Chat routing
- Analytics
- Canned responses
- File sharing
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- PCI DSS
Both cover
- Live chat
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Zapier
- GDPR
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
LiveAgent
- Multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messagesnot LiveChat
- Ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teamsnot LiveChat
LiveChat
- Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot LiveAgent
- Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot LiveAgent
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
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
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 LiveAgent if
- You need ticketing system.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want call center.
Choose LiveChat if
- You need ticketing.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- You also want chat routing.
Questions people ask
- Is LiveAgent or LiveChat better?
- Neither clearly leads. LiveAgent starts at Free and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, LiveAgent or LiveChat?
- LiveAgent has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LiveAgent and $20/month for LiveChat.
- Does LiveAgent or LiveChat run on more platforms?
- LiveAgent runs on Web, Ios, Android. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- Can I use LiveAgent for free?
- Yes. LiveAgent has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/month.
- What is LiveAgent best used for?
- LiveAgent is most often used for multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages, ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams. Of those, multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages and ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams are not what LiveChat is typically brought in for.
- What can LiveAgent do that LiveChat cannot?
- LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Call center, Social media, Knowledge base. LiveChat covers Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses. Both handle Live chat, WordPress, Shopify, Zapier.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceLiveChat: 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.
SourceLiveAgent: 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.
SourceLiveChat: Does LiveChat offer a free trial?
Yes, LiveChat provides a 14-day free trial with AI-driven features and no credit card required.
SourceLiveAgent: 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.
SourceLiveChat: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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