Best Live Chat & Chatbot Software for Admin Controls

We evaluated 32+ providers to determine the best live chat & chatbot software for admin controls in the following list.

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Administration

Entry Price
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$20/month

Zoho Desk

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Rank 1

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Zoho Desk helps one simplify customer service operations, improve agent productivity, and deliver lasting customer experiences.

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8.5/10
Ease of Use
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8.1/10
Support
Show details
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Pricing
Plan 1
$20
Plan 2
$35
Plan 3
$50
Included Users
1
Price per Additional User
$20
Free Plan
x
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Support
Email
x
Chat
x
Phone
x
Implementation Services
info
x
Response Time
info
4
Response Quality
info
100%
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Live Chat Features
Live Chat Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
0
Live Typing
info
x
Browsing History
info
x
File Sharing
info
x
Transfers Between Agents
info
x
Multilingual Setup
info
x
Live Visitors List
info
x
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Chatbot Features
Chatbot Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
0
No-Code Builder
info
x
AI Response Bots
info
x
Conversation A/B Testing
info
x
Templates
info
x
Conversation Routing
info
x
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Channels
Website Chat
info
x
Email
info
x
Instagram
info
x
Facebook
info
x
Twitter
info
x
WhatsApp
info
x
Telegram
info
x
Web Forms
info
x
Help Center
info
x
icon
Integrations
No. of Native Integrations
47
API Access
x
WordPress
x
Slack
x
Shopify
x
HubSpot
x
Salesforce
x
Stripe
x
Zapier Triggers
9
Zapier Actions
10
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Admin Controls
Ticketing System
info
x
Chat Assignment
info
x
Roles & Permissions
info
x
Workspace Dashboard
info
x
Mobile App
info
x
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Reporting
Predefined Reports
info
x
Custom Reports
info
x
Exporting Feature
info
x
Predefined Dashboards
info
x
Custom Dashboards
info
x

Pros

  • Decent customer support

  • Has a mobile app

  • Has a ticketing system

  • Offers agents workspace

Cons

  • Cannot integrate stripe

  • Does not support shopify integration

  • Most of the features available in the highest paid plan

Entry Price
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$20/month

HubSpot Service Hub

star
Rank 2

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Hubspot Service Hub is a cloud-based customer service platform designed for small to large businesses manage contacts, requests, deals, appointment schedules and more.

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8.7/10
Ease of Use
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9.3/10
Support
Show details
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Pricing
Plan 1
$20
Plan 2
$500
Plan 3
$1200
Included Users
2
Price per Additional User
$10
Free Plan
x
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Support
Email
x
Chat
x
Phone
x
Implementation Services
info
x
Response Time
info
1
Response Quality
info
75%
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Live Chat Features
Live Chat Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
Unlimited
Live Typing
info
x
Browsing History
info
x
File Sharing
info
x
Transfers Between Agents
info
x
Multilingual Setup
info
x
Live Visitors List
info
x
icon
Chatbot Features
Chatbot Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
Unlimited
No-Code Builder
info
x
AI Response Bots
info
x
Conversation A/B Testing
info
x
Templates
info
x
Conversation Routing
info
x
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Channels
Website Chat
info
x
Email
info
x
Instagram
info
x
Facebook
info
x
Twitter
info
x
WhatsApp
info
x
Telegram
info
x
Web Forms
info
x
Help Center
info
x
icon
Integrations
No. of Native Integrations
1340
API Access
x
WordPress
x
Slack
x
Shopify
x
HubSpot
x
Salesforce
x
Stripe
x
Zapier Triggers
23
Zapier Actions
54
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Admin Controls
Ticketing System
info
x
Chat Assignment
info
x
Roles & Permissions
info
x
Workspace Dashboard
info
x
Mobile App
info
x
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Reporting
Predefined Reports
info
x
Custom Reports
info
x
Exporting Feature
info
x
Predefined Dashboards
info
x
Custom Dashboards
info
x

Pros

  • Has a very good customer support

  • Offers pre-defined dashboard

  • Has a mobile app

  • Offers agent's workspace

  • Offers unlimited live chat and chatbot conversations

Cons

  • Does not offer AI response bot

  • Does not offer conversation A/B Testing

  • Cannot view live visitor's list

  • Does not support live typing

Entry Price
info
$20/month

Tidio

star
Rank 3

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Tidio is a powerful, all-in-one customer service platform that levels up the customer support and helps to generate more sales.

In top 3 for

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9.4/10
Ease of Use
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7.6/10
Support
Show details
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Pricing
Plan 1
$20
Plan 2
$19
Plan 3
$289
Included Users
3
Price per Additional User
NA
Free Plan
x
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Support
Email
x
Chat
x
Phone
x
Implementation Services
info
x
Response Time
info
0
Response Quality
info
84.21%
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Live Chat Features
Live Chat Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
100
Live Typing
info
x
Browsing History
info
x
File Sharing
info
x
Transfers Between Agents
info
x
Multilingual Setup
info
x
Live Visitors List
info
x
icon
Chatbot Features
Chatbot Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
1,000
No-Code Builder
info
x
AI Response Bots
info
x
Conversation A/B Testing
info
x
Templates
info
x
Conversation Routing
info
x
icon
Channels
Website Chat
info
x
Email
info
x
Instagram
info
x
Facebook
info
x
Twitter
info
x
WhatsApp
info
x
Telegram
info
x
Web Forms
info
x
Help Center
info
x
icon
Integrations
No. of Native Integrations
30
API Access
x
WordPress
x
Slack
x
Shopify
x
HubSpot
x
Salesforce
x
Stripe
x
Zapier Triggers
1
Zapier Actions
0
icon
Admin Controls
Ticketing System
info
x
Chat Assignment
info
x
Roles & Permissions
info
x
Workspace Dashboard
info
x
Mobile App
info
x
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Reporting
Predefined Reports
info
x
Custom Reports
info
x
Exporting Feature
info
x
Predefined Dashboards
info
x
Custom Dashboards
info
x

Pros

  • Very good customer support

  • Has a mobile app

  • Offers ticketing system

  • Supports conversation routing

  • Offers multi-lingual support

Cons

  • Does not offer phone support

  • Does not support conversation A/B testing

  • Does not offer web forms and help centers

  • Does not supports custom reports

Entry Price
info
$24/month

LiveChat

star
Rank 4

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LiveChat is an online customer service software with online chat, help desk software, and web analytics capabilities.

Scroll back
Scroll forward
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9.3/10
Ease of Use
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2.8/10
Support
Show details
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Pricing
Plan 1
$24
Plan 2
$49
Plan 3
$69
Included Users
1
Price per Additional User
$24
Free Plan
x
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Support
Email
x
Chat
x
Phone
x
Implementation Services
info
x
Response Time
info
No response
Response Quality
info
0
icon
Live Chat Features
Live Chat Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
100
Live Typing
info
x
Browsing History
info
x
File Sharing
info
x
Transfers Between Agents
info
x
Multilingual Setup
info
x
Live Visitors List
info
x
icon
Chatbot Features
Chatbot Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
0
No-Code Builder
info
x
AI Response Bots
info
x
Conversation A/B Testing
info
x
Templates
info
x
Conversation Routing
info
x
icon
Channels
Website Chat
info
x
Email
info
x
Instagram
info
x
Facebook
info
x
Twitter
info
x
WhatsApp
info
x
Telegram
info
x
Web Forms
info
x
Help Center
info
x
icon
Integrations
No. of Native Integrations
191
API Access
x
WordPress
x
Slack
x
Shopify
x
HubSpot
x
Salesforce
x
Stripe
x
Zapier Triggers
5
Zapier Actions
0
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Admin Controls
Ticketing System
info
x
Chat Assignment
info
x
Roles & Permissions
info
x
Workspace Dashboard
info
x
Mobile App
info
x
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Reporting
Predefined Reports
info
x
Custom Reports
info
x
Exporting Feature
info
x
Predefined Dashboards
info
x
Custom Dashboards
info
x

Pros

  • Supports ticketing system

  • Supports conversation routing

  • Offers chatbot templates

  • Offers visitor's browsing history

Cons

  • Very poor customer support

  • Doesn't offer phone and email support

Entry Price
info
$12/month

LiveAgent

star
Rank 5

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LiveAgent is an online Help Desk solution for e-commerce businesses at the small and midsize levels. The platform offers live chat application, ticket management, online self-service portals, and change and license management, all as either in-suite or standalone applications.

In top 3 for

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8.9/10
Ease of Use
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8.8/10
Support
Show details
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Pricing
Plan 1
$12
Plan 2
$35
Plan 3
$59
Included Users
1
Price per Additional User
$12
Free Plan
x
icon
Support
Email
x
Chat
x
Phone
x
Implementation Services
info
x
Response Time
info
0
Response Quality
info
100%
icon
Live Chat Features
Live Chat Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
Unlimited
Live Typing
info
x
Browsing History
info
x
File Sharing
info
x
Transfers Between Agents
info
x
Multilingual Setup
info
x
Live Visitors List
info
x
icon
Chatbot Features
Chatbot Functionality
info
x
No. of Conversations
info
0
No-Code Builder
info
x
AI Response Bots
info
x
Conversation A/B Testing
info
x
Templates
info
x
Conversation Routing
info
x
icon
Channels
Website Chat
info
x
Email
info
x
Instagram
info
x
Facebook
info
x
Twitter
info
x
WhatsApp
info
x
Telegram
info
x
Web Forms
info
x
Help Center
info
x
icon
Integrations
No. of Native Integrations
222
API Access
x
WordPress
x
Slack
x
Shopify
x
HubSpot
x
Salesforce
x
Stripe
x
Zapier Triggers
2
Zapier Actions
4
icon
Admin Controls
Ticketing System
info
x
Chat Assignment
info
x
Roles & Permissions
info
x
Workspace Dashboard
info
x
Mobile App
info
x
icon
Reporting
Predefined Reports
info
x
Custom Reports
info
x
Exporting Feature
info
x
Predefined Dashboards
info
x
Custom Dashboards
info
x

Pros

  • Highly intuitive ticketing and ticket management system

  • Very easy to setup and work with

  • Improved lead capture and engagement

  • Value for money

Cons

  • Poor statistics and reporting functionality

  • No grading of rights making it difficult to distribute partial admin rights

  • Have issues with integrating with other software tools

Show more
  • Our ranking applies to each individual plan that a provider offers. Subsequently, the scores of each plan are merged using a dynamically weighted model.

We all want to foster seamless communication with customers and ensure their needs are met promptly. The efficiency of your live chat and chatbots relies heavily on its admin controls. With the right set of controls, you are empowered to manage user interactions for a superior customer experience.

But finding the right software with optimal admin controls might seem impossible at first, as the software options are seemingly endless.

The purpose of this page is to assist you in making a wise decision and choosing a live chat and chatbot software that offers comprehensive admin controls to manage your team and support the quality you can offer to customers.

What Makes the Best Admin Controls for Live Chat & Chatbot Software?

Our research found several attributes that make some admin controls better than others. We evaluated these criteria based on how they contribute to the overall process of live chat and chatbot software.

In the next few sections, we will explain each attribute in more detail - enabling you to gauge why and when these features are most helpful. For easy understanding, let's break it down into percentages.

Admin Controls Score Breakdown Live Chat and Chatbot Software

Ticketing System

A reliable ticketing system is at the heart of every efficient customer support suite. If available, this feature helps keep track of all customer requests or interactions and ensures none slip through the cracks.

Without a centralized system, managing and resolving these queries might become an uphill task. However, with ticketing in place, each inquiry is assigned a unique 'ticket.' These tickets can be prioritized based on urgency, and agents can manage and resolve issues effectively.

A quality ticket control system also gives you an overview of all the ongoing, pending, and resolved requests. This helps maintain transparency within the team and improve efficiency.

Agent & Department Assignment

Organizing your customer support team is also useful when managing customer queries. This brings us to the next critical admin control – Agent & Department Assignment.

Think of this feature as a virtual manager. Their job is to ensure that every incoming query reaches the right department or the best-suited agent without delay. While most admin controls have an impact on the live chat side, this one also plays a big role for chatbots, as you can configure who should be assigned to a request when your chatbot is about to transfer the interaction to someone on your team.

For instance, a product-related query goes directly to the product team, and a billing question lands in the lap of the accounts department. This accelerates problem resolution and minimizes customer waiting time.

Roles and Permissions

A highly useful feature for live chat software in particular is the ability to establish roles and permissions. This admin control provides an additional layer of security and doesn’t overwhelm your team due to the many available sections. It controls access to various types of data or objects within the software. Perhaps certain agents should have access to customer data, while others should oversee program settings.

These roles and permissions can also prevent unauthorized access and protect sensitive customer information. It also helps maintain a well-structured management system. One where everyone knows their role and has the tools they need to perform their job without cluttering their workspace with unrelated tasks.

Agent Workspace

Effective live chat software should provide the agents with a clean digital workspace. This feature should encompass:

  • A dashboard overview
  • Visibility of visitor and support status
  • Capability to capture notes around customer satisfaction
  • Queries or responses
  • Information on follow-up surveys for tracking agents' performance

Having a clear view of the customer's interaction history aids in nurturing relationships. Agents can personalize the conversation by being aware of past preferences or issues raised by the visitor. Sections like a custom dashboard help team members keep their focus, while surveys can raise their motivation to do better.

Mobile App

Finally, having access to your business operations on the go is becoming more than just a luxury. Imagine you’re waiting in line for an appointment. Why not use it to stay online and resolve additional customer inquiries?

This not only allows you to be more accessible but also provides more flexibility for your team. Representatives are no longer shackled to their desks. They can respond to customers in real time, even when away from the computer. Plus, it also provides notifications for new messages or status updates on existing tickets. With remote work becoming the norm, having a mobile app for your live chat solution can lead to uninterrupted customer service.

A good live chat software should come equipped with an intuitive mobile application for both iOS and Android. Any app usually allows you to manage your customer interactions effortlessly, no matter where you are.

10 Best Live Chat & Chatbot Software for Admin Controls

How to Choose a Live Chat & Chatbot Software with Great Admin Controls?

Choosing the right software with efficient admin controls is more than merely picking one with all the bells and whistles. It's crucial to identify what you need specifically. What suits your business and supports your customer service goals the best?

You may want to consider the number of agents contributing to your live chat support and what they need to be doing. Think of the unique customer service challenges your business faces and any specific features you might need to meet these demands.

After pinpointing your needs, use these insights and our Comparison Tool as an effective starting point. Our tool allows you to compare various live chat and chatbot software and their admin controls based on cost, functionality, ease of use, and other relevant attributes.

For an overall overview, visit our Best Picks to see which software tools rank best among all the criteria that we evaluated. Alternatively, our Finder Tool also takes into consideration all these factors and recommends software specifically for your requirements.

maricela-a.png

Maricela A.

Updated: Dec 4, 2023

Chatbot whisperer and live chat maestro, revolutionizing customer interactions with a touch of AI magic. I find my peace in perfecting conversational flows but also in dancing and art exhibitions.