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TalkingDot vs LiveChat

TalkingDot vs LiveChat

Looking for a free LiveChat alternative? Here is a fair, side-by-side look at pricing and features — including when LiveChat may be the better choice for you.

Plans checked October 2026 · Source: LiveChat pricing page

TalkingDot

Free live chat software with a shared inbox, chatbots, a help center, proactive messages and reports — free forever, with unlimited teammates and no per-seat pricing. It is a plain PHP + MySQL app that can also be self-hosted.

Price: $0 — every feature included
Teammates: unlimited
Automation: rule-based chatbots and an answer bot (no AI agent)
Channels: website chat, hosted chat page and email

LLiveChat

A per-agent live chat app for sales and support teams on websites and messaging channels, with AI agents offered through its sister product Text.

Free plan: No (14-day trial)
Pricing: Per user, from $19 / mo
Free trial: 14 days, no credit card

LiveChat pricing

No free plan. A 14-day free trial (no credit card).

Starter$19 / moBilled annually; $25 monthly. One user, 60-day chat history, 100 tracked visitors.

Team$49 / user / moBilled annually; $59 monthly.

Business$79 / user / moBilled annually; $89 monthly.

EnterpriseCustomRequest a call.

AI & automation: “Text Intelligence” AI features are part of the plans (more on higher tiers). An AI chatbot agent is sold separately through the Text product, from $19/user/mo.

A knowledge base is a separate product (KnowledgeBase, from $49/mo). Private REST API use is metered after 1,000 free requests.

Prices in USD as listed on livechat.com/pricing/, checked October 2026. Taxes may apply; prices can differ by region and change at any time.

Feature comparison

	TalkingDot	LiveChat
Free plan	Yes — every feature, free forever	No — 14-day free trial
Teammates on the free plan	Unlimited (the operator may set a cap)	No free plan (Starter is one user)
Paid pricing basis	No paid plans	Per user per month
Shared inbox, assignment & teams	Yes	Team chat with routing, transfers and supervision
Chatbot flows	Yes, included	Separate products (Text AI Agent, ChatBot.com)
AI / automation pricing	Rule-based bots & answer bot included; no AI agent	AI features in plans; AI Agent via Text from $19/user/mo
Help center / knowledge base	Yes, included	Separate product, from $49/mo
Proactive / targeted messages	Yes, included	Yes, all plans (Starter: one recurring campaign)
REST API & webhooks	Yes, included	Yes; private API use metered after 1,000 free requests
Remove "Powered by" branding	Shown by default; the operator can let workspaces hide it	Enterprise plan only
Self-hosting	Yes (plain PHP + MySQL)	No — cloud service

“Not verified” means we could not confirm it on LiveChat's public pages. Spotted something out of date? Let us know and we'll fix it.

When TalkingDot is a good fit

You want every feature free, with unlimited teammates and no per-seat bill as you grow.
You prefer human-first support, helped by rule-based chatbots, routing and an answer bot.
You want a REST API, webhooks and a help center without upgrading.
You would like the option to self-host on your own PHP hosting.

When LiveChat may suit you better

You want a long-established, dedicated live chat app with a marketplace of integrations.
You need staffing prediction and advanced agent performance reports (Business plan).
You want AI agents and live chat from the same company (Text).

Switching from LiveChat

1
Create a workspace
Sign up free and customize the messenger to match your brand.
2
Import contacts
Export contacts from LiveChat as CSV and import them in Contacts.
3
Swap the snippet
Replace the old chat snippet with yours. If you used a JavaScript API, see the JavaScript API.