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tawk.to vs Zoho Desk

tawk.to logo

tawk.to

Live Chat

100% free live chat software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Customer Support

Context-aware help desk software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: tawk.to removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan; Zoho Desk free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats
  • They diverge on capability: tawk.to covers Live chat, Zoho Desk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which tawk.to and Zoho Desk actually diverge.

Attributes where tawk.to and Zoho Desk differ
Attributetawk.toZoho Desk
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, MacWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20131996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 tawk.to

  • Live chat
  • Ticketing
  • CRM
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Wix

Only in Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Zoho CRM
  • Slack
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

tawk.to

  • Website live chat and visitor engagementnot Zoho Desk
  • Customer support automationnot Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

  • Multi-channel supportnot tawk.to
  • IT help desknot tawk.to
  • Customer servicenot tawk.to

Where each one falls short

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

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

Zoho Desk

  • Free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats

Pricing, plan by plan

tawk.to

Free
  • Free Core SoftwareFree
    • Live chat software with no feature limitations
    • Chat pages
    • Knowledge base (hosted help center)
  • Branding Removal$29/month
    • Remove Powered by tawk.to widget branding
  • AI Assist Premium$29/month
    • AI-powered chatbot automation
  • Hired Chat Agents$1/hour
    • Professional trained agents 24/7/365

Zoho Desk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Email ticketing
    • Help center
  • Standard$14/month
    • Social channels
    • Workflow automation
    • Customer happiness ratings
  • Professional$23/month
    • Multi-department
    • Round-robin assignment
    • Custom fields
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • AI Zia
    • Multi-brand help center
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose tawk.to if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want ticketing.
tawk.to review

Choose Zoho Desk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want multi-channel support.
Zoho Desk review

Questions people ask

Is tawk.to or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. tawk.to starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, tawk.to or Zoho Desk?
tawk.to starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free.
Does tawk.to or Zoho Desk run on more platforms?
tawk.to runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac. Zoho Desk runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use tawk.to for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is tawk.to best used for?
tawk.to is most often used for website live chat and visitor engagement, customer support automation. Of those, website live chat and visitor engagement and customer support automation are not what Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can tawk.to do that Zoho Desk cannot?
tawk.to covers Live chat, Ticketing, CRM, Video chat. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Both handle Knowledge base, GDPR, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

tawk.to: How much does tawk.to cost?

tawk.to is free for core live chat, knowledge base, ticketing, and CRM. Premium add-ons start at $29/month for branding removal or AI Assist, and $1/hour for hired chat agents.

Source
Zoho Desk: What is the starting price and trial period?

Zoho Desk offers a free forever plan with 3 user licenses, plus paid tiers starting from ₹420 per user per month when billed annually. A 15-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

Source
tawk.to: Is tawk.to free forever?

Yes, tawk.to's core software including live chat, knowledge base, ticketing, and contacts is free forever with no feature limitations.

Source
Zoho Desk: Are there lock-ins or hidden costs?

No lock-ins and no hidden costs. Once your 15-day free trial ends, your plan automatically downgrades to the free plan.

Source
tawk.to: How are tawk.to's hired chat agents priced?

Hired chat agents are billed at $1 per hour with professional trained staff providing 24/7/365 support.

Source
Zoho Desk: What payment methods are accepted?

Zoho Desk accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal. Bank transfer or check transfer is accepted for yearly subscriptions.

Source
Zoho Desk: Are there discounts for annual commitments?

Yes, Zoho Desk offers discounts on upfront annual commitments, with savings up to 34% off monthly rates.

Source
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