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Live chat pricing compared: per seat or one flat price
Most live chat tools charge per seat (per agent), so the bill grows with every teammate you add. Some add fees for AI answers, WhatsApp or removing their branding. The table shows what each tool costs for one and three agents, from the vendor's own pricing page, next to TalkingDot's flat price per account.
Updated · By the TalkingDot team
What live chat costs, tool by tool
| Tool | How it charges | 1 agent / month | 3 agents / month | AI pricing | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TalkingDot | $19 or $29 / mo per account (3 workspaces or 10 workspaces) — not per seat | $0 on Free | $0 on Free (300 conversations/mo) · $19/mo on Starter (unlimited) | Your own AI key — no per-answer fees | 2026-10-06 |
| Intercom | Per seat, plus $0.99 per AI outcome | $39 / $29 (A/B: $19 annual) | $117 / $87 | $0.99 per Fin outcome | 2026-10-04 |
| Zendesk | Per agent; live chat from $55 / mo | $69 / $55 (Suite Team) | $207 / $165 | 5–10 resolutions/agent incl., then $2.00 each | 2026-10-04 |
| LiveChat | Per user, from $19 / mo | $25 / $19 (Starter) | $177 / $147 (Team) | Text AI Agent from $19/user/mo | 2026-10-04 |
| tawk.to | Free; paid add-ons per property | $0 | $0 | Free 100 credits; $29–$399/mo | 2026-10-04 |
| Crisp | Per workspace, from $45 / mo | $0 (Free) / paid $45 | $45 (Mini, 4 seats) | Credits incl. from Mini ($5–$75) | 2026-10-04 |
| Tidio | By conversation volume, from $24.17 / mo | $0 (50 conv) / paid $29 / $24.17 | $0 (50 conv) / paid $29 / $24.17 | Lyro from $39/mo (50 conv) | 2026-10-04 |
| Freshchat | Per agent, from $19 / mo | $0 / paid $23 / $19 | $0 / paid $69 / $57 | 500 sessions incl., then $49/100 sessions | 2026-10-04 |
| HubSpot Service Hub | Per seat, from $20 / mo list | $0 (2 users) / paid $20 list | $60 list (promo from $21) | $0.50 per resolution (Pro+) | 2026-10-04 |
| Drift (Salesloft) | Sales quote only | Unverified (sales only) | Unverified | Not published | 2026-10-04 |
| Olark | Per agent, $29 / mo | $29 | $87 | $400/mo flat (annual), unlimited | 2026-10-04 |
| Chatwoot | Per agent, from $19 / mo | $0 (2 agents) / paid $19 | $57 (Startups) or $0 self-hosted | 300–800 credits incl.; $20/1,000 | 2026-10-04 |
| JivoChat | Per agent, from $28 / mo | $0 / paid ~$40 (derived) / $28 | $0 (if 5-agent free) / paid ~$120 / $84 | AI Agent $69/agent/mo (annual) | 2026-10-04 |
| Smartsupp | Per account, from $17 / mo | $0 / paid ~$24 (EUR 20) / $17 | ~$36 (EUR 30) / $25 (Plus) | Mira from $16/mo | 2026-10-04 |
| LiveAgent | Per agent, from $15 / mo | $19 / $15 | $57 / $45 | Included (no separate price) | 2026-10-04 |
| Zoho SalesIQ | Per operator, from $7 / mo | $0 / paid $10 / $7 | $0 / paid $30 / $21 | Zia/BYO AI included (no per-use price) | 2026-10-04 |
| Help Scout | Per user, from $25 / mo | $30 / $25 (Standard) | $90 / $75 | $0.75 per resolution | 2026-10-04 |
| Gorgias | By tickets, from $10 / mo | $10 (Starter, 50 tickets) | $10 (Starter, 3 seats) | $0.85–$1.00 per automated interaction | 2026-10-04 |
| Userlike (Lime Connect) | Per seat (min 3), from EUR 87 / mo | EUR 0 / paid EUR 105 / 87 (3-seat min) | EUR 105 / EUR 87 | AI Agent from EUR 99/mo | 2026-10-04 |
| Chaport | Per account, from EUR 29 / mo | EUR 0 / paid EUR 39 / 29 | EUR 39 / EUR 29 (Pro, 4 ops) | Not listed | 2026-10-04 |
| Re:amaze | Per team member, from $26.10 / mo | $29 / $26.10 | $59 flat (Startup, 500 conv) or $87 / $78.30 | 5–20 res/user incl., then $0.85 | 2026-10-04 |
Prices in USD from each vendor's own pricing page (EUR where a vendor only lists EUR); two prices are monthly / annual billing. “Not stated” or “unverified” means the vendor does not publish it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us through the contact page. Contact us.
What is per-seat pricing?
Per-seat (or per-agent) pricing multiplies the plan price by the number of people who answer chats. A $29 plan becomes $87 a month for three people and $290 for ten. It suits large teams with a fixed headcount; for small teams it means deciding who is allowed to answer.
What else adds to the bill?
- AI answers billed per resolution or with credits.
- Branding removal sold as an add-on or kept for top plans.
- Channels such as WhatsApp or SMS billed per conversation or message.
- Annual billing: many lower prices shown on pricing pages require paying a year up front.
How does TalkingDot charge?
One flat price per account, never per seat. Free includes every feature with 300 conversations a month and 1 workspace. Starter is $19 a month for 3 workspaces and Pro is $29 a month for 10 workspaces, both with unlimited conversations and teammates; extra workspaces are $9 a month each. The AI assistant runs on your own AI key, so there is no per-resolution fee. See pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does live chat software cost?
It depends on how the tool charges. Several tools have a free plan; paid plans are usually priced per agent per month, so the total depends on your team size. The table above shows what one and three agents pay on each tool, from the vendor's own pricing page.
Why is per-seat pricing expensive for small teams?
Every person who answers chats needs a paid seat, so adding a part-time helper or a founder who answers now and then raises the bill. Flat pricing per account lets the whole team answer for the same price.
Do AI chatbots cost extra?
Often. Some vendors bill AI answers per resolution or with credits on top of the plan — the table lists each tool's AI pricing as published. TalkingDot's AI assistant runs on your own AI key, so you pay your AI provider for the tokens used and no per-resolution fee.
Is TalkingDot priced per seat?
No. Every plan includes unlimited teammates: Free, Starter at $19 a month and Pro at $29 a month are priced per account.
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