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Amazon Lex vs LiveChat

Amazon Lex logo

Amazon Lex

Live Chat

AWS conversational AI service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Lex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Lex pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit); 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: Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, LiveChat covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Lex and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Lex and LiveChat differ
AttributeAmazon LexLiveChat
Starting priceFree$20/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, AWS CloudWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20062002

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

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 Amazon Lex

  • Speech recognition
  • Natural language understanding
  • Voice and text
  • Lambda integration
  • AWS services
  • Lambda
  • DynamoDB
  • SNS

Only in LiveChat

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon Lex

  • Chatbot developmentnot LiveChat
  • Voice-based conversational AInot LiveChat
  • Natural language understandingnot LiveChat

LiveChat

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

Where each one falls short

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

Amazon Lex

  • Pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit)
  • Speech requests cost $0.004 each, text requests $0.00075 each, training costs $0.50 per minute
  • Variable costs can accumulate quickly for high-volume applications

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

Amazon Lex

Free
  • Standard Usage$0.004/per speech request
    • Speech requests at $0.004 each
  • Text Requests$0.00075/per text request
    • Text requests at $0.00075 each

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 Amazon Lex if

  • You need speech recognition.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, AWS Cloud.
  • You also want natural language understanding.
Amazon Lex 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 Amazon Lex or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Lex 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, Amazon Lex or LiveChat?
Amazon Lex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Lex and $20/month for LiveChat.
Does Amazon Lex or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Amazon Lex runs on Web, AWS Cloud. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Amazon Lex for free?
Yes. Amazon Lex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/month.
What is Amazon Lex best used for?
Amazon Lex is most often used for chatbot development, voice-based conversational ai, natural language understanding. Of those, chatbot development and voice-based conversational ai are not what LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Lex do that LiveChat cannot?
Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Natural language understanding, Voice and text, Lambda integration. LiveChat covers Live chat, Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Lex: How much does Amazon Lex cost?

Amazon Lex charges $0.004 per speech request and $0.00075 per text request with no upfront commitments or minimum fees required.

Source
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
Amazon Lex: Is there a free tier for Amazon Lex?

Yes, new AWS customers receive 10,000 text requests and 5,000 speech requests per month free for the first year. Additional $200 in AWS Free Tier credits are available for new customers as of July 15, 2025, with all credits expiring within 12 months.

Source
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
Amazon Lex: What is the example monthly cost for Amazon Lex?

For 8,000 speech requests ($32) and 2,000 text requests ($1.50), the approximate monthly total is $33.50, though actual costs vary based on usage volume.

Source
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
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