LiveChat vs tawk.to: Complete Comparison 2026

An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.

LiveChat

8.2(8,900 reviews)

Dedicated live chat platform for customer support with ticketing, canned responses, and rich messaging from $20/agent/mo.

7.4(5,200 reviews)

Completely free live chat software with unlimited agents, chat history, and a ticketing system used by over 6 million websites worldwide.

Aspect	LiveChat	tawk.to
Best For	Support teams of 3-20 agents who want a focused, reliable chat tool without platform bloat	Startups and small businesses that need live chat functionality without any budget
Pricing Model	Subscription	Freemium
Starting Price	$20/mo	Free
Deployment	cloud	cloud
Platforms	WEB, IOS, ANDROID, MAC, WINDOWS	WEB, IOS, ANDROID, WINDOWS, MAC
Rating	8.2/10	7.4/10

Dead simple setup — install the widget and start chatting within 15 minutes, no technical skills required
Agent dashboard is clean and fast with sneak peek typing preview that cuts response times
Staffing prediction feature helps managers schedule the right number of agents per shift
Multi-channel support pulls website, WhatsApp, Messenger, and email into one unified queue
Reliable uptime and performance — the company has 20+ years of experience doing this one thing well

AI chatbot requires separate ChatBot subscription starting at $52/month — not built in
Knowledge base is another separate product (KnowledgeBase) with its own pricing
Starter plan limits chat history to 60 days, which is frustratingly short
No built-in help desk comparable to Intercom or Zendesk — strictly a chat tool
Per-agent pricing adds up quickly for larger teams compared to flat-rate alternatives

Genuinely 100% free for unlimited agents, chat history, and websites — no credit card required
Real-time visitor monitoring shows who is on your site, what page they view, and their geographic location
Ticketing system included free handles conversations that extend beyond a single chat session
Mobile apps for iOS and Android let agents respond from anywhere without being at a desktop
Searchable chat history retained forever gives you a complete record of every customer conversation

Interface design is dated and cluttered compared to modern competitors like Intercom or Crisp
AI chatbot capabilities are basic — nowhere near the sophistication of Intercom Fin or Zendesk AI
Removing the tawk.to branding costs $29/month which undermines the free value proposition
Widget loading speed is slightly slower than premium alternatives which can affect page performance
Limited integrations with CRM and helpdesk tools compared to paid live chat platforms

Product	Pricing Model	Starting Price
LiveChat	subscription	$20/mo
tawk.to	freemium	Free0

Choose LiveChat if...

Support teams of 3-20 agents who want a focused, reliable chat tool without platform bloat

Choose tawk.to if...

Startups and small businesses that need live chat functionality without any budget

Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.