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Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head

LiveChat vs tawk.to

LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat & Chatbots

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
tawk.to logo

tawk.to

Live Chat & Chatbots

100% free live chat software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only tawk.to has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; tawk.to removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: LiveChat covers Chat routing, tawk.to covers Knowledge base.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LiveChat and tawk.to actually diverge.

Attributes where LiveChat and tawk.to differ
AttributeLiveChattawk.to
Starting price$20/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac
Founded20022013

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

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

  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • PCI DSS
  • HIPAA-ready

Only in tawk.to

  • Knowledge base
  • CRM
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • Wix
  • Google Analytics
  • SSL
  • Data encryption

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Ticketing
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • Zapier
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

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 tawk.to
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot tawk.to

tawk.to

  • Budget-conscious sites wanting free core live chat and paying only for specific add-ons like AI or staffed agentsnot 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

tawk.to

  • Removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • Enhanced AI Assist chatbot is a paid add-on starting at $29/month rather than included free
  • Human staffed chat agents are billed at $1/hour as a separate add-on

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

tawk.to

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • Unlimited agents
    • Unlimited history
    • Mobile apps
  • Hired Agent$1/hour
    • Professional agents
    • 24/7 coverage
    • Quality assured
  • Remove Branding$19/month
    • White label
    • Custom branding

Which should you pick?

Choose LiveChat if

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

Choose tawk.to if

  • You need knowledge base.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want crm.
tawk.to review

Questions people ask

Is LiveChat or tawk.to better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveChat starts at $20/month and tawk.to at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LiveChat or tawk.to?
tawk.to has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for LiveChat and Free for tawk.to.
Does LiveChat or tawk.to run on more platforms?
LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. tawk.to runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
Can I use tawk.to for free?
Yes. tawk.to has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/month.
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 tawk.to is typically brought in for.
What can LiveChat do that tawk.to cannot?
LiveChat covers Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses, File sharing. tawk.to covers Knowledge base, CRM, Video chat, Screen sharing. Both handle Live chat, Ticketing, Shopify, WordPress.
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Related pages

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