tawk.to vs LiveChat: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
tawk.to
Completely free live chat software with unlimited agents, chat history, and a ticketing system used by over 6 million websites worldwide.
LiveChat
8.2(8,900 reviews)
Dedicated live chat platform for customer support with ticketing, canned responses, and rich messaging from $20/agent/mo.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | tawk.to | LiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Startups and small businesses that need live chat functionality without any budget | Support teams of 3-20 agents who want a focused, reliable chat tool without platform bloat |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $20/mo |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, IOS, ANDROID, WINDOWS, MAC | WEB, IOS, ANDROID, MAC, WINDOWS |
| Rating | 7.4/10 | 8.2/10 |
Pros & Cons
tawk.to
Pros
- 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
Cons
- 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
LiveChat
Pros
- 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
Cons
- 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
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| tawk.to | freemium | Free0 |
| LiveChat | subscription | $20/mo |
Our Verdict
Choose tawk.to if...
Startups and small businesses that need live chat functionality without any budget
Choose LiveChat if...
Support teams of 3-20 agents who want a focused, reliable chat tool without platform bloat
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.