15 Free WordPress Live Chat Plugins for 2024

In today’s interconnected world, instant communication is key to retaining and satisfying customers and free live chat plugins for WordPress can help with just that. 

They enable real-time communication between website visitors and support teams, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.

According to a Forrester report, 42% of US online adults said it was important for retailers to offer live online chat on their websites, up significantly from 27% in 2019.

In this blog, we will explore the top 15 WordPress live chat plugins which are free of cost & easy to use to help you deliver exceptional customer service and drive business growth. Here’s a quick summary:

What is WordPress Live Chat Plugin?

A WordPress live chat plugin is an extension that allows users to incorporate real-time messaging functionality into their WordPress websites. 

It enables visitors to communicate directly with site administrators or customer support representatives, facilitating instant interaction for inquiries, support, or sales assistance. 

These plugins typically offer features like customizable chat widgets, offline messaging, chat history, and integration with popular messaging platforms or CRM systems.

Which Free WordPress Live Chat Plugin is Best for Your Business?

Option #1: ProProfs Live Chat

ProProfs Chat is an excellent option for businesses looking to automate their customer support process, from answering routine inquiries to qualifying leads. This live chat plugin can turn your business into a lead-generation machine with multiple-choice and open-response questions.

Option #2: Zendesk

Zendesk is a powerful tool with a range of features, including ticketing, customer feedback, and real-time analytics. Its user-friendly interface allows operators to manage multiple conversations simultaneously.

Option #3: LiveChat

LiveChat is a comprehensive customer service interface that offers an automated omnichannel platform. It provides a round-the-clock chatbot interface that allows companies to answer their prospects’ queries and create tickets.

Top 15 Free WordPress Live Chat Plugins for 2024

A WordPress live chat plugin tool should ideally include real-time communication capabilities, ease of integration with WordPress, and user-friendly interfaces. Let’s explore 15 such live chat tools. 

1. ProProfs Chat

Best for 24/7 Delightful Customer Support With WordPress Live Chat Plugins

What I love the most is its AI-powered chatbot for 24/7 support automation, significantly reducing response times and enhancing customer satisfaction. By integrating with popular CRMs like BIGContacts, I can sync all my customer data and conversations in one place.

ProProfs Chat also allows you to manage multiple channels and domains seamlessly, making it easy to connect with customers wherever they are, whether on your website or social media.

Its reports and analytics are useful for analyzing customer support. They offer detailed insights with metrics like CSAT score, operator ratings, and average response times.

What you will like: 

• Seamless integration with ProProfs Knowledge Base for self-help articles
• Lead qualification based on multiple-choice and open-response questions
• Intelligent chat routing to human agents when needed
• Ready-to-use templates and canned responses for lead generation, accelerated support success, ticketing, etc.
• Stored chat transcripts to access past customer conversations and offer personalized support. 

What you may not like:

• Sometimes, frequent updates can be overwhelming for new users
• The free plan doesn’t have an option to include more operators (capping applies to a single operator).

Pricing:

A Forever Free plan for a single operator. Paid plan starts at $19.99/agent/month.

Related Blog: 21 Free Live Chat Software for 2024 [In-Depth Comparison]

2. Zendesk Chat

Best for Zendesk Suite Users

Zendesk Chat seamlessly integrates with other Zendesk tools, providing a unified platform for customer service. I like how this integration allows for efficient management of all customer interactions across various channels, enhancing the overall support experience.

The best part was the analytics feature that provided insights into chat performance, agent productivity, and customer satisfaction. The tool seamlessly integrates with the Zendesk Suite, including ticketing, knowledge base, and CRM software. 

What you will like:

• AI-powered automation for quick issue resolution and ticket creation
• Detailed customer profiles for personalized support interactions
• Integration with platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, and Shopify.

What you may not like: 

• Complex setup and configuration process
• Limited flexibility in designing chatbot conversations.

Pricing: 

Paid plan starts at $55/month.

Related: Zendesk Alternatives: 10 Best Customer Support Software in 2024

3. LiveChat

Best for Boosting Sales & Customer Engagement With Live Chat

I’ve used LiveChat, which was a great choice for my online communication needs. With LiveChat, I could chat in real-time with my website visitors, making it super convenient for them to ask questions to our customer service team.

As the best WordPress live chat plugin, this tool has some fantastic features. It offers visitor analytics and contact history, which helped me have more informed conversations with my customers. Plus, the unlimited live chat feature ensured I could handle as many inquiries as needed without restrictions.

What you will like: 

• Message sneak peek to see what the customer is typing before they hit send
• Canned responses to answer common questions, saving time and effort
• Rich messages to send customers images, videos, and other multimedia files during a chat session.

What you may not like: 

• Some users have reported that the chat transfer feature can be confusing, leading to delays in resolving customer issues
• Outdated message tagging feature.

Pricing: 

Paid plan starts at $20/agent/month. 

Read Also: Top 13 LiveChat Alternatives in 2024

4. Tawk. to

Best for Free & Freemium Live Chat With Basic Features

Tawk.to offers a comprehensive, free platform for businesses to engage with their customers directly through live chat, ticketing, and a CRM system. This tool enables you to monitor visitor activity on your website in real-time, providing insights into what pages they visit and how often they return. With features like a Knowledge Base and team chat, it simplifies customer support and internal communication. 

Tawk.to enhances teamwork by allowing you to tag and assign conversations to appropriate team members, ensuring timely and relevant responses. By viewing the customer’s entire journey and data, your team can provide context-rich support, leading to impactful and memorable customer experiences. 

What you will like: 

• Allows users to send emojis, canned responses, and automated triggers to start conversations
• Has a dashboard that shows real-time data on visitors, chats, page views, and more
• It has a video and voice feature that allows users to make calls and screen share with visitors.

What you may not like:

• Users have to use external tools or platforms to measure and improve their chat performance.
• Does not have a GDPR compliance feature.

Pricing:

100% free. No premium version. 

Related blog: 11 Best Tawk.to Alternatives for Improved Customer Service in 2024

5. HubSpot Live Chat

Best for Converting Sales & Engaging Customers With Free Live Chat

I prefer Hubspot Live Chat primarily for its exceptional support in chatting on the go. Its seamless integration with Slack and a mobile app ensures I can respond to customer inquiries anytime, anywhere, keeping the communication lines open even when I’m out of the office. 

This flexibility is crucial for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and engagement. The ability to set chat office hours and capture emails for missed chats further enhances its utility, ensuring no opportunity for interaction slips through the cracks. 

What you will like:

• Change the appearance, language, and behavior of the chat widget to match your brand and website
• Create chat flows using a drag-and-drop interface
• It is responsive and can adapt to different screen sizes and devices. 

What you may not like:

• You have to choose between live chat and bot options when creating a chat flow, and you cannot easily switch between them during a conversation
• You may encounter some issues or limitations when using HubSpot live chat with Shopify or Zapier.

Pricing:

A free plan is available for up to 5 users. Paid plan starts at $15/month/seat.

Related Blog: 10 Best HubSpot Chat Alternatives to Boost Your Engagement in 2024

6. LiveAgent

Best for Simple & Feature-Rich Live Chat With Gamification for Agent Motivation

I love how LiveAgent adds a competitive and engaging element to customer support by awarding points and badges for achieving specific goals, such as resolving tickets quickly or receiving positive feedback. This gamified approach boosts team morale, increases productivity, and encourages continuous improvement.

The platform also offers real-time visitor monitoring, allowing agents to see who is browsing the website and proactively initiate chats. This helps address customer queries promptly, improve engagement, and increase conversion rates. 

What you will like:

• Supports canned responses, which are pre-written answers to common questions, ensuring quick and consistent replies
• Multi-channel integration capability – integrates seamlessly with email, social media, and phone support, providing a unified platform for managing all customer interactions
• Detailed reporting and analytics tools provide insights into agent performance, customer satisfaction, and other key metrics.

What you may not like:

• Has a steep learning curve for some users, especially those unfamiliar with help desk software
• It has some issues with the stability and reliability of the software, such as occasional bugs, glitches, and downtime.

Pricing:

A 14 & 30-day free trial is available. Paid plan starts at $29/month/agent. 

Related Blog: 10 Best LiveAgent Alternatives to Enhance Customer Support 2024

7. Tidio

Best for Live Chat With Ticketing Functionality

Tidio allows support teams to manage customer inquiries efficiently by converting chat interactions into support tickets. These tickets can be tracked, prioritized, and resolved systematically, ensuring no customer query is overlooked. 

The plugin also supports real-time chat, enabling instant communication with website visitors. This immediate engagement helps address customer queries promptly, reduce waiting times, and improve overall customer satisfaction. 

What you will like:

• Customizable live chat, allowing businesses to tailor the chat widget’s appearance to match their branding
• Offers chatbots that can handle common customer queries and tasks, such as answering FAQs, capturing leads, and providing basic support, even when human agents are unavailable
• Seamlessly integrates with email, Facebook Messenger, and other communication channels.

What you may not like:

• Does not have a built-in knowledge base feature to create and share self-help resources
• Does not offer much flexibility and control over the design and behavior of your chatbot. 

Pricing:

A free plan is available (limited to 100 chatbot triggers). Paid plan starts at $29/month.

Related Blog: Top 11 Tidio Live Chat Alternatives & Competitors

8. JivoChat

Best for Proactive Chat Invitations

I recently talked with my fellow industry professional, who wholeheartedly endorsed JivoChat based on his personal experience. They shared that Jivo Live Chat is one of the best live chat plugins for WordPress if online customer engagement is your priority. 

One feature particularly highlighted was the proactive chat invitations and strategically placed chat buttons. Jivo’s chatbots, which work around the clock, were commended for their ability to provide customer support, answer frequently asked questions, and ensure that potential leads are not lost.

What you will like: 

• Allows users to monitor real-time website visitors
• Multi-channel communication, including live chat, email, phone calls, and social media messaging
• Seamless integration with popular CRM tools like Salesforce.

What you may not like:

• Limited mobile app functionality as compared to its web version
• Brand customization options are limited.

Pricing:

A free plan is available (with limited features). Paid plan starts at $19/agent/month.

Related Blog: 10 Best JivoChat Alternatives to Improve Your Customer Support in 2024

9. Freshchat

Best for Freshworks Suite Users

Freshchat’s Proactive Messaging capability allows businesses to initiate chats based on visitor behavior, such as time spent on a page or specific actions taken. This proactive approach helps engage visitors more effectively and can lead to higher conversion rates by addressing potential questions or concerns before they escalate.

The platform’s AI-powered chatbot handles routine inquiries and tasks, like answering FAQs, scheduling appointments, or capturing leads. These chatbots operate around the clock, addressing customer queries promptly, even outside regular business hours. 

What you will like: 

• Seamlessly integrates with various communication channels like email, social media, and messaging apps
• Intuitive dashboard and detailed analytics provide valuable insights into customer interactions and support performance
• Customization options enable businesses to tailor the chat widget’s appearance and behavior to align with their brand identity.

What you may not like:

• Sometimes, it’s hard to merge a customer with 2 different accounts, and it may bug out
• There is no way to find out how many surveys an agent receives, there is no dashboard for it, and you can only find out by actual ticket.

Pricing:

A free plan is available for up to 10 agents. Paid plan starts at $17.94/agent/month. 

Good Read: 11 Best Freshchat Alternatives & Competitors Worth Considering in 2024

10. Chaport

Best for Multi-Channel Communication

Chaport’s multi-channel communication allows businesses to manage chats from their website, mobile apps, and social media platforms, all in one place. I like how this integration ensures a seamless customer experience across different touchpoints and helps maintain consistent communication.

The platform’s automatic chat invitations help businesses engage with website visitors proactively based on their behavior. By sending personalized messages to visitors who meet certain criteria, companies can increase the chances of conversion and provide timely assistance, improving overall customer satisfaction.

What you will like: 

• Group chats and departmental routing enable chats to be automatically assigned to the appropriate department or team member based on predefined rules
• Detailed analytics and reporting tools provide insights into chat volume, response times, customer satisfaction, and agent performance
• Customization capabilities to tailor the chat widget’s design to match their branding.

What you may not like: 

• The triggering logic for auto-invitations is somewhat simple. You can’t combine “and” + “or” condition
• I have noticed that users have to create their own saved replies, and it can not be added by the admin for all users.

Pricing: 

A free plan is available for up to 2 operators. Paid plan starts at $29/month/4 operators. 

Related blog: How To Enhance Business Interactions With Multichannel Chatbots

11. Chatra

Best for Offline Chatting

Chatra‘s approach of blending the immediacy of live chat with the convenience of email communication is particularly appealing. This live chat for WordPress respects our time and that of our customers, allowing for interactions to occur at a pace that suits everyone. The tool’s ability to collect email addresses discreetly is a bonus, facilitating follow-up conversations and nurturing leads effectively.

I find Chatra’s offline chat feature particularly beneficial. It ensures that we can still capture queries and engage with visitors even when we’re unavailable to chat in real-time. This capability means we never miss out on potential interactions or leads, as visitors can leave their questions and contact information. We can then follow up via email or through the app at a time that suits us best.

What you will like: 

• Has a chat history feature that lets you see previous conversations with your customers
• The chat distribution feature assigns chats to the most suitable agents based on their availability
• Provides a premade replies feature that lets you save and reuse common responses.

What you may not like: 

• Lacks a ticketing system, which means you cannot track and manage customer issues effectively
• The basic reporting feature limits your ability to analyze and improve your chat performance.

Pricing: 

A free plan is available (limited to one agent). Paid plan starts at $21/month. 

Related Blog: 10 Best Chatra Alternatives in 2024

 12. WP-Chatbot for Messenger

Best for Cross-Platform Integrations

WordPress Chat’s seamless integration with Facebook Messenger allows businesses to manage website and Messenger conversations from a single platform. This multi-channel capability consolidates customer interactions, providing a unified and efficient communication experience.

The plugin also supports real-time chat, enabling businesses to provide instant support to website visitors. This feature is crucial for addressing customer inquiries promptly, reducing response times, and improving overall satisfaction. The chat widget is also customizable, allowing businesses to tailor its appearance to match their branding, ensuring a consistent and professional look.

What you will like:

• Chatbot automation to handle common queries and tasks, such as answering FAQs and capturing lead information
• Can be set up quickly without requiring any coding knowledge
• Enables robust analytics and reporting tools, offering insights into chat interactions, customer behavior, and support performance.

What you may not like: 

• Not as feature-rich as its competitors
• Lacks AI capabilities like context-sensitive automated responses. 

Pricing: 

Available to download for free. 

13. REVE Chat

Best for Omnichannel Customer Engagement

REVE Chat is an exceptional tool for facilitating real-time collaboration between customers and support agents. I found the platform quite feature-rich and robust, with features like Co-Browsing, letting agents directly interact with a customer’s browser, and significantly improving first-call resolution by guiding them through complex processes or troubleshooting issues live.

Moreover, the live video chat solution adds a personal touch to digital interactions, allowing for face-to-face communication and enhancing customer trust and satisfaction. Integrating AI-powered chatbots with live chat ensures that customers receive instant, automated responses, streamlining the support process and freeing agents to handle more complex queries. 

What you will like:

• Allows businesses to manage chats from various platforms, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, and Messenger, in one place.
• Create smart AI-powered chatbots that can handle common queries, provide information, and generate leads 24/7.
• Offers video and voice call options for a more personalized and engaging experience.

What you may not like: 

• Lacks a native mobile application for iOS or Android devices, which limits its accessibility and functionality on mobile devices
• Does not allow users to customize the appearance and behavior of the chat widget, chatbot, or video and voice call buttons. 

Pricing:

Paid plan starts at $13.5/agent/month. 

Related Blog: 10 Best REVE Chat Alternatives in 2024

14. Userlike

Best for Live Chat & AI Customer Support

Userlike has my favorite multi-channel support, which allows businesses to manage conversations from their website, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and more, all within a single interface. This integration ensures consistent and efficient communication across various platforms, providing a seamless customer experience.

The platform’s automation through chatbots can handle common inquiries, schedule appointments, and gather customer information. These bots operate around the clock, providing continuous support and freeing up human agents to focus on more complex tasks. 

What you will like:

• Enables insights into chat performance, customer behavior, and agent productivity
• It is easy to install and does not require extensive technical knowledge
• An intuitive dashboard that allows administrators to manage settings, monitor chats, and analyze performance effortlessly.

What you may not like: 

• There’s no phone app
• Every request from the same client creates a new conversation, which could be confusing.

Pricing:

A free plan is available for up to 1 user. Paid plan starts at $90/month/4 seats.

Read Now: 10 Best Userlike Alternatives to Boost Your Conversions in 2024

15. Chaty

Best for Integrating Multiple Messaging Platforms

Chaty helps integrate multiple messaging platforms into a single widget. It allows website visitors to choose their preferred method of communication, whether WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, or others, ensuring they have convenient access to support.

Its customization capabilities enable businesses to tailor the chat widget to match their brand’s look and feel. This includes customizing the chat icon, colors, and positioning on the website, providing a cohesive user experience that aligns with the overall website design. 

What you will like:

• The widget can be set up without any coding knowledge
• Smart real-time chat provides immediate assistance to visitors by addressing questions and concerns promptly
• Can set up automated messages to greet visitors or provide instant replies to common queries.

What you may not like: 

• Even the basic paid plan has a visitor limit of 10,000 visitors
• Sometimes, the chat function on Instagram does not work correctly.

Pricing:

A free plan is available for up to 500 visitors. Paid plan starts at $12.5/month.

Evaluation & Selection Criteria

The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:

1. User Reviews/Ratings: Direct user experiences provide a ground-level perspective, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.
2. Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.
3. Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.
4. Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, considering its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.
5. Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they are getting their money’s worth. 
6. Personal Experience/Expert’s Opinion or Favorites: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the writer’s personal experience and the opinions of industry experts.

How to Choose the Best Live Chat Plugin for WordPress for Free

Choosing a robust and feature-rich free live chat plugin for WordPress can significantly enhance customer support and engagement.

Here are the key factors to consider:

• Features: Ensure the plugin offers essential live chat features like real-time chat, automation, multi-channel support, and customization options.
• Ease of Use: Look for a plugin that is easy to install, configure, and use without requiring technical expertise.
• Integration: Check if the plugin integrates well with tools and platforms you already use, such as CRMs, social media, and email.
• Mobile Compatibility: Ensure the chat widget is mobile-friendly to cater to users on all devices.
• User Reviews and Ratings: Read user reviews and ratings to gauge the reliability and performance of the plugin.
• Support and Documentation: Verify that the plugin offers good support and comprehensive documentation to assist you with issues.

Grab the Free Live Chat Plugin for WordPress Today! 

Live chat plugins for WordPress help improve customer support by enabling real-time communication between visitors and support teams. They also help increase conversion rates by providing instant assistance, answering queries, and resolving issues promptly.

Considering the overall features and ease of use of the above tools, if I had to choose only one tool, I would choose ProProfs Live Chat for its forever-free plan with all the premium features and its seamless integration with third-party services like Shopify and WordPress. 

I would still recommend going for a personalized demo before making the final decision. All the best!

Learn More About WordPress Live Chat Plugins

Why should you use a live chat plugin on your WordPress site?

Using a live chat plugin on your WordPress site enhances customer engagement and support. It allows real-time communication, improving user experience and potentially increasing conversion rates by providing immediate assistance and answers to visitors’ queries.

Is there any need for coding to install and use these Live Chat plugins on WordPress?

Installing and using live chat plugins on WordPress requires no coding. These plugins are designed for easy integration, often involving simple steps like installing the plugin from the WordPress dashboard and configuring settings through a user-friendly interface.

Are these Live Chat plugins compatible with the latest version of WordPress?

Yes, most live chat plugins are compatible with the latest version of WordPress. Plugin developers regularly update their products to ensure compatibility and security with the most recent WordPress releases.

How do these Live Chat plugins handle user data and privacy?

Live chat plugins handle user data and privacy by following standard data protection regulations. They typically offer features like data encryption, GDPR compliance, and customizable privacy settings to protect user information and ensure confidentiality.

Do these Live Chat plugins offer mobile responsiveness?

Yes, these live chat plugins offer mobile responsiveness. This feature ensures that the chat interface automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of smartphones and tablets, allowing for a seamless chat experience for users on mobile devices.