Best Live Chat Software for Small Business

Podium is a customer communication platform that consolidates messages, reviews, and customer interactions into one place for efficient management. Reviewers frequently mention the simplicity and effectiveness of Podium in streamlining customer communication, improving response times, and enhancing overall customer engagement. Users mentioned that Podium can be expensive for small businesses, with some advanced features and customization options only available on higher-tier plans, and integrations with other tools can be restrictive.

Zendesk is a customer support tool that consolidates all customer communications into a single platform, automates repetitive tasks, and provides valuable insights. Reviewers frequently mention the ease of use, the ability to manage customer support across multiple channels in one place, and the time-saving automation features. Users mentioned that Zendesk can be overwhelming for smaller teams due to its complexity, the pricing can become expensive when adding advanced features, and some useful capabilities are locked behind higher-tier plans.

Fin by Intercom is an AI-powered customer support tool that provides automated responses to customer inquiries, reducing the workload for human agents. Reviewers frequently mention the efficiency of Fin by Intercom in handling routine customer inquiries, its ability to pull content from various resources for accurate responses, and its adaptability to different conversations. Users reported issues with Fin by Intercom's understanding of multiple languages, its struggle with complex issues requiring investigation, and the occasional provision of incorrect information to customers.

Tidio is a customer chat portal that manages real-time visitor conversations on websites and offers automated AI features for handling common inquiries. Reviewers appreciate Tidio's clean and customizable interface, quick support, easy setup, and the ability to manage conversations from multiple platforms in one place, with features like automation flows, AI suggestions, and detailed dashboards for tracking customer interactions. Users mentioned concerns about the high pricing, the need for more customization options, occasional glitches with the chat widget, limitations in analytics, and the lack of certain features in the free and lower-tier plans.

Smartsupp is a live chat platform that allows businesses to communicate with website visitors in real time and organize conversations within the team. Reviewers appreciate the ease of setup and use, the clear interface, the ability to communicate with visitors instantly, and the real-time tracking of visitor behavior on the website. Reviewers mentioned limitations in features in the lower plans, occasional lack of clarity in the conversation history, and a desire for more advanced customization options and detailed analytics.

Birdeye is a platform that manages online reputation, customer engagement, and reviews across multiple locations from a centralized dashboard. Users frequently mention the ease of use, the ability to consolidate reviews in one place, and the efficient management of online reputation as key benefits of Birdeye. Users experienced a learning curve when first implementing all features across multiple locations and found some features overwhelming due to the multitude of tools packed into the platform.

Jotform AI Agents is a product designed to automate client interactions and manage administrative tasks, providing 24/7 support by answering client questions and managing service requests. Reviewers frequently mention the ease of setup, the ability to train the AI, and the efficiency of automating client interactions and administrative tasks as key benefits of Jotform AI Agents. Reviewers noted issues with the level of customization in complex conversational flows, occasional bugs, and challenges with the site's user interface and user experience.