Softwr

Live Chat · head to head

LiveChat vs Plain

LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plain logo

Plain

Customer Support

AI support infrastructure built for B2B teams

From
$35/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Plain foundation plan limited to 2,000 credits per month may be restrictive for high-volume teams
  • They diverge on capability: LiveChat covers Live chat, Plain covers Multi-channel consolidation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LiveChat and Plain actually diverge.

Attributes where LiveChat and Plain differ
AttributeLiveChatPlain
Starting price$20/month$35/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionTiered pricing per seat with credit system
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, API
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded2002Unknown

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 LiveChat

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

Only in Plain

  • Multi-channel consolidation
  • AI agents
  • Workflow automation
  • Sidekick assistant
  • Insights engine
  • Linear and Jira integration
  • Help Center and Knowledge Base
  • API-first extensibility

What people use each for

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

LiveChat

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

Plain

  • Consolidating support from multiple channels into one inboxnot LiveChat
  • Automating support workflows with AI agentsnot LiveChat
  • Extracting insights and trends from customer conversationsnot LiveChat
  • Building custom support solutions with API accessnot LiveChat
  • Implementing AI-assisted customer support at scalenot LiveChat

Where each one falls short

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

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

Plain

  • Foundation plan limited to 2,000 credits per month may be restrictive for high-volume teams
  • Pricing increases significantly from Foundation to Horizon ($35 to $299 per month)
  • No published pricing for Frontier (custom) plan
  • Additional seat costs ($99 per seat) add up for larger teams
  • Credit-based system requires monitoring usage to avoid overages

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Plain

$35/month
  • Foundation$35/month
    • 2,000 credits per month
    • Slack and email channels
    • Ari AI agent
  • Horizon$299/month
    • 15,000 credits per month
    • All Foundation features
    • Microsoft Teams integration
  • Frontier$null/custom
    • Custom credit allowance
    • All Horizon features
    • Discord channels

Which should you pick?

Choose LiveChat if

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

Choose Plain if

  • You need multi-channel consolidation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want ai agents.
Plain review

Questions people ask

Is LiveChat or Plain better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveChat starts at $20/month and Plain at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LiveChat or Plain?
LiveChat starts at $20/month and Plain at $35/month.
Does LiveChat or Plain run on more platforms?
LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Plain runs on Web, API.
What is LiveChat best used for?
LiveChat is most often used for live chat support on a website with agent routing, handling customer conversations across chat, sms and messaging channels. Of those, live chat support on a website with agent routing and handling customer conversations across chat, sms and messaging channels are not what Plain is typically brought in for.
What can LiveChat do that Plain cannot?
LiveChat covers Live chat, Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics. Plain covers Multi-channel consolidation, AI agents, Workflow automation, Sidekick assistant.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Plain: What is included in the Foundation plan?

The Foundation plan ($35/month per seat) includes 2,000 credits per month, support for Slack and email, Ari AI agent, Linear and Jira integrations, and Help Center access. Up to 5 seats are included.

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
Plain: Can I use Plain with Microsoft Teams?

Yes, Microsoft Teams integration is available on the Horizon plan ($299/month) and higher.

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
Plain: Is there a free trial for Plain?

Yes, Plain offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. You can also get 50% discount through their startup program.

Source
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