In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, offering seamless customer support is crucial for boosting sales and increasing customer satisfaction. One of the best ways to provide immediate assistance is through live chat, allowing you to interact with customers in real-time, answer their questions, and guide them through the purchasing process. Shopify merchants have access to numerous live chat apps that can help elevate their support system without breaking the bank.
In this blog post, we’ll review 10 free Shopify live chat apps you can use in 2024 to boost your store’s sales and improve customer support. Each app offers unique features, making it easier for you to choose the one that best fits your business needs.
1. ProProfs Chat
Best For: 24/7 Delightful Customer Support with AI Chatbots
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $19.99/operator/month
ProProfs Chat is an AI-powered live chat app designed to help you engage your customers 24/7. The app allows businesses to implement AI chatbots to provide automated support, helping reduce wait times and offering solutions even when live agents aren’t available. Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise, ProProfs ensures delightful customer experiences through features like real-time tracking, chat routing, and pre-chat forms.
Key Features:
- AI chatbots for automated responses
- Customizable chat widgets
- Real-time customer monitoring
- Multi-device support
2. Tawk.to
Best For: Free & Freemium Live Chat With Basic Features, Good for Small Businesses
Pricing: Free, Paid Plan at $29/month
Tawk.to is one of the most popular free live chat apps on Shopify, offering small businesses a robust set of features without any upfront costs. It enables you to monitor visitors on your website, respond to chats, and even manage multiple agents. Though the free plan is rich with features, you can upgrade for more advanced options like video chats.
Key Features:
- Free forever for unlimited agents
- Real-time visitor monitoring
- Canned responses and chat history
- Multilingual support
3. Tidio
Best For: Live Chat With Ticketing Functionality
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $24.17/month
Tidio combines live chat, email, and Messenger communication into one platform, making it a powerful all-in-one tool for Shopify merchants. The free plan allows for live chats, while the paid plans introduce more advanced features such as ticketing functionality and chatbot automation.
Key Features:
- Chatbots with AI automation
- Multi-channel support (live chat, Messenger, and email)
- Customizable chat widgets
- Visitor tracking and real-time notifications
4. Chatra
Best For: Multichannel Messaging for Business Communication
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $17/agent/month
Chatra offers multichannel messaging that lets you communicate with your customers across different platforms, including email and social media, all from one dashboard. It’s a great tool for improving customer experience, enabling merchants to engage with visitors and answer questions in real-time.
Key Features:
- Multichannel chat integration
- Typing indicators to reduce response time
- Chatbots and automation options
- Customer feedback collection
5. JivoChat
Best For: Mobile-Friendly Customer Support
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $19/agent/month
JivoChat is perfect for Shopify store owners who are always on the move. It allows for mobile-friendly live chat and phone support through its mobile app, making it easier to respond to customers in real-time. It’s especially helpful for businesses that need to provide support across multiple platforms, such as websites, social media, and email.
Key Features:
- Multilingual chat support
- Live chat and phone support integration
- Mobile app for on-the-go responses
- Advanced visitor tracking
6. Crisp
Best For: Creating Engaging Dialogues With Cutting-Edge Chatbot Technology
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $25/workspace/month
Crisp is known for its ability to create engaging customer dialogues through a combination of live chat and chatbot technology. It supports both real-time customer service and automated chat flows, making it ideal for businesses that want to offer proactive support and improve conversion rates.
Key Features:
- Automated chatbot flows
- Email and social media integration
- Customizable chat widgets
- Real-time messaging and visitor insights
7. HubSpot
Best For: Converting Sales & Engaging Customers With Free Live Chat
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $15/seat/month
HubSpot’s free live chat app is perfect for Shopify merchants looking to convert leads and engage customers at key moments in their journey. It allows you to set up targeted live chat, providing instant responses to website visitors, and integrates seamlessly with HubSpot’s CRM for a more personalized approach.
Key Features:
- Free live chat functionality
- CRM integration for personalized messaging
- Email capture and chatbot options
- Real-time visitor tracking
8. Gorgias
Best For: Real-Time Customer Support & Automated Self-Service
Pricing: Paid Plan starts at $10/month
Gorgias is designed for Shopify merchants who want to automate customer support while still providing real-time assistance when necessary. It integrates with your Shopify store to provide order information directly in the chat interface, which helps resolve customer queries quickly.
Key Features:
- Automated responses based on customer behavior
- Shopify integration for order management
- Multi-channel support (email, chat, social media)
- Customizable response templates
9. BestChat
Best For: Support, Lead Generation & User Experience
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $10/month/300 chats
BestChat focuses on both customer support and lead generation, offering tools that can boost sales and improve the user experience. The app provides live chat features that integrate well with CRM systems and offers automation tools for responding to customers in real-time.
Key Features:
- CRM and marketing automation integrations
- Real-time visitor tracking
- Customizable chat interface
- Chatbot support for lead generation
10. LiveChat
Best For: Boosting Sales & Customer Engagement With Live Chat
Pricing: Free Plan Available, Paid Plan starts at $20/person/month
LiveChat is a well-rounded live chat tool that offers excellent features for engaging customers and driving sales. It integrates seamlessly with Shopify and offers customer tracking, chat ratings, and automation tools to help manage customer conversations effectively.
Key Features:
- Customizable chat widgets
- Automated greetings based on visitor behavior
- In-depth analytics and reporting
- Multi-channel support
Conclusion
Choosing the right live chat app for your Shopify store depends on your business’s needs, the volume of customer interactions, and your budget. While all of these apps offer free plans to get started, some provide advanced features like AI chatbots, multi-channel support, and CRM integration, which may require upgrading to a paid plan.
For small businesses or those just starting, Tawk.to and ProProfs Chat are excellent free options with robust features. For those looking for more advanced tools, Tidio or Crisp might offer the right blend of automation and live support.
By integrating one of these live chat apps into your Shopify store, you can increase customer engagement, boost sales, and provide excellent support, all in real-time.
