In today’s fast-paced digital world, customers expect quick and efficient responses when interacting with businesses. One way to meet this demand is by incorporating live chatbots into your customer support strategy. Live chatbots provide 24/7 customer assistance, resolve basic inquiries, and free up human agents to handle more complex issues. Below is a list of the 9 best live chat bot apps for customer support, detailing their features, benefits, and why they stand out in the market.
1. Intercom
Intercom is one of the most well-known live chatbots for customer support. It combines automation with a human touch by routing customers to live agents when necessary. It integrates seamlessly with CRMs, email marketing, and other tools to streamline support and customer engagement.
Key Features:
- AI-powered chatbots with smart workflows
- Detailed analytics and reporting
- Integration with over 250 apps and services
- Customizable bot responses
Why It’s Great: Intercom is perfect for businesses looking to integrate sales, marketing, and customer support in one platform.
2. Zendesk Chat
Zendesk Chat is widely used for its robust features and excellent integration with the Zendesk ecosystem. Its chatbots can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, reducing wait times for customers. Additionally, Zendesk’s AI technology can suggest articles or provide answers based on customer queries.
Key Features:
- Proactive chat to engage customers at the right moment
- AI-powered answer suggestions
- Integration with the Zendesk ticketing system
- Customizable chatbot interface
Why It’s Great: Zendesk Chat is ideal for businesses that already use the Zendesk platform for customer support and ticket management.
3. Tidio
Tidio is a versatile live chat solution that combines chatbots with human support. It offers an easy-to-use interface, making it suitable for small businesses and startups. The bot automates responses based on predefined rules, enabling companies to handle customer queries efficiently.
Key Features:
- Real-time live chat with chatbot automation
- Integrates with popular platforms like Shopify and WordPress
- Supports multi-language chats
- Automated email follow-ups for unanswered queries
Why It’s Great: Tidio is highly customizable and affordable, making it perfect for small to medium-sized businesses.
4. Drift
Drift focuses on conversational marketing and customer engagement, using chatbots to qualify leads and book meetings with sales representatives. Drift’s chatbot can be trained to initiate personalized conversations, guiding website visitors based on their behavior and engagement history.
Key Features:
- Conversational marketing with chatbots
- Integration with CRM tools like HubSpot and Salesforce
- AI-powered chatbots for lead generation and qualification
- Book meetings directly via chat
Why It’s Great: Drift is ideal for businesses that want to use live chat for both customer support and lead generation.
5. LivePerson
LivePerson offers AI-powered chatbots that can scale with large enterprise needs. It provides a seamless chat experience across various channels like websites, apps, and social media. LivePerson’s bots can handle complex workflows, making them ideal for larger businesses with significant customer support requirements.
Key Features:
- Multi-channel support (web, app, social media)
- AI bots that improve with machine learning
- Integration with backend systems like CRM and inventory management
- Predictive AI to improve customer engagement
Why It’s Great: LivePerson is best suited for large enterprises looking for a scalable, AI-driven chatbot solution.
6. Freshchat
Freshchat offers a powerful mix of chatbots and live chat support. It helps automate repetitive tasks and provides intelligent, context-based responses to customers. Freshchat also offers detailed customer journey insights, helping businesses better understand their audience.
Key Features:
- Customizable chatbots with intelligent routing
- Omnichannel support (mobile apps, websites, etc.)
- Real-time chat with conversation history
- Analytics and reporting tools
Why It’s Great: Freshchat is an excellent solution for businesses of all sizes that want to streamline customer support and increase customer engagement.
7. HubSpot Chatbot Builder
HubSpot integrates chatbots seamlessly with its CRM system, making it easier to track customer interactions. HubSpot’s Chatbot Builder lets you create bots without coding knowledge and integrate them into your website to automate customer support and lead generation processes.
Key Features:
- Fully integrated with HubSpot CRM
- Drag-and-drop chatbot builder
- Personalized messaging for individual customers
- Seamless handoff from chatbot to human agent
Why It’s Great: HubSpot’s Chatbot Builder is best for businesses already using HubSpot’s CRM or marketing tools and want an easy way to add chatbot functionality.
8. BotPress
BotPress is a developer-friendly open-source chatbot framework that allows businesses to build highly customizable chatbots. It offers enterprise-level features and is ideal for companies looking to design their bots from the ground up without relying on pre-built templates.
Key Features:
- Open-source chatbot framework
- Highly customizable workflows
- Integrates with most business tools via API
- Supports multiple channels, including web, mobile, and social media
Why It’s Great: BotPress is perfect for businesses with technical expertise that want full control over their chatbot development and workflows.
9. Crisp
Crisp offers a live chat solution with powerful chatbot integration. It’s particularly popular among small businesses and startups due to its simplicity and affordable pricing. Crisp allows you to integrate bots that can handle FAQs, bookings, and even customer feedback collection.
Key Features:
- Easy-to-use chatbot builder
- Pre-built integrations with Slack, Messenger, and other tools
- Shared inbox for teams to manage all conversations
- Video chat and co-browsing for enhanced customer support
Why It’s Great: Crisp is an affordable yet powerful live chat solution that provides excellent support for smaller businesses looking to integrate chatbots with live chat.
Conclusion
Choosing the right live chat bot app for customer support depends on your specific needs, whether you’re a small business looking for affordability or a large enterprise requiring scalability. Intercom, Zendesk, and Tidio are popular for their balance of functionality and ease of use, while Drift and LivePerson excel in customer engagement and lead generation. For companies already using platforms like HubSpot or Freshchat, the integration options make them natural choices.
Each of these apps offers distinct features that can enhance customer support, reduce response times, and improve overall satisfaction. Evaluate your business needs and choose the one that fits your support goals and budget.