Best Cheap Live Chat & Chatbot Software

You've sat down at your desk, coffee in hand, ready to tackle the day's work. Suddenly, you find yourself flooded with customer queries waiting to be answered from last night's graveyard shift. The emails pile up at a rate that would give any inbox a stress headache. Thankfully, a solution is available at your fingertips: live chat and chatbot software.

Using software already makes customer support cheaper and often eliminates having to hire many customer service reps because some replies can be automated through a chatbot, and the rest lands in your live chat software that catches requests from multiple channels. But the pricing can vary drastically depending on the software you use. Therefore, we have identified the most affordable options to help you choose the best live chat and chatbot software that fits your budget.

We understand that budget constraints might be holding you back from acquiring top-tier tools. But here's the kicker – cost does not always equate to quality, especially not when you're searching for the ideal live chat and chatbot software. Here's everything you need to know about the cheapest solutions.

What Makes the Cheapest Live Chat & Chatbot Software?

Before we jump into affordable live chat and chatbot software, let's pause for a moment and think. Have you ever wondered what truly defines 'cheap'? Is it just the low cost? Or should it include relevant features packed into a cost-effective bundle?

Truth be told, affordability is not solely about finding the lowest price. It's about getting the right balance between value and cost. If live chat and chatbot software is cheap but doesn't tend to your customer service needs effectively, it could become more expensive in the long run, and you might even experience a loss in user satisfaction or productivity.

So how do we strike that balance? Through our detailed analysis and research, we've looked at which solutions have a good base of features while scoring the pricing of each provider based on the following weights to find the cheapest options out there.

Included Users

Buying a family meal that only feeds two people wouldn't be very effective. The same logic applies when considering the number of users included in live chat and chatbot software's pricing model.

Every company has a certain number of team members that need access to the software. While it can only be one person, it could also be 10. As a small business, you might be the only person dealing with requests and live conversations. As such, you wouldn't want to be paying for fifteen users every month.

In contrast, sizable enterprises may require dozens or even hundreds of individual operators to manage their volume of customer interactions. Therefore, understanding how many users the software package includes is crucial in assessing cost-effectiveness. When looking for the cheapest software, keep an eye on how many seats are included so you’re not overpaying by default.

To consider all scenarios (solopreneurs, forward-looking companies, and large teams) equally, we checked how many users are included in each plan to build a direct correlation to the price.

Entry Price

Let's discuss the elephant in the room - the monthly entry price. It's undeniable how significant this attribute is when determining what is affordable. After all, the price you pay each month is what makes or breaks your operational budget.

Given its relevance, we've assigned the monthly entry price a whopping 50% weightage. But remember, a seemingly low monthly cost should not come at the expense of the essential features you need. There's no point in purchasing a software at a throwaway price that doesn't meet your customer service expectations.

A viable live chat and chatbot software should ideally balance an attractive price with a pleasant set of features. You can use our Comparison Tool to view different providers' entry-level prices alongside the features they include. That way, you can make a decision without missing out on anything you need for your business.

Price per Additional User

We've considered the number of included users and the base monthly price, but your business can start growing at any time. You'll then onboard additional staff to join your team. The cost of adding additional users to the software becomes a crucial consideration.

This factor is particularly relevant for small businesses that risk outgrowing their initial plans. Companies with fluctuating seasonal staff numbers might also use this consideration. An unexpected surge in costs for adding a few more users can take a toll on your budget.

For example, if you start with five customer support agents but quickly grow to fifteen within a year, you want an option that doesn't excessively charge for each new user you add. Pricing models that become exponentially expensive as you scale might look cheap at first glance. Yet, they can put unnecessary strain on your finances over time.

Therefore, choose software with a relatively flat rate for extra users. A reasonable and predictable price range guarantees peace of mind and ensures resources are better managed without hidden surprises.

10 Best Cheap Live Chat & Chatbot Software

How to Choose a Cheap Live Chat & Chatbot Software For Your Needs

Start by recognizing your fundamental needs. Do you need reliable software for handling requests yourself, or is a whole team behind it? Do you plan to invite more users in the future? Make sure you are well positioned so that all current team members and those in the future fit into your budget.

Next, think of all the functions your software should accomplish. Having a list of features you need will immediately help you eliminate providers that don't fit your business requirements. Additionally, pay attention to conversation limits. Conversations via chatbot or live chat are limited by most providers and scale with the price. Therefore, make sure to check how many conversations are included, if you need more, and how that affects the price.

Finally, wrapping these suggestions up in one place: be sure to check out our comprehensive study on our overall Best Picks page. They offer holistic insights into top-performing software across different criteria.

However, we also strongly recommend starting with our Finder Tool. Just answer a few questions, and you'll receive a personalized recommendation for the perfect live chat and chatbot software. It's fast, efficient, and provides a tailored result that you can trust.

Above all, remember to take your time while weighing your choices. Don't settle for an inferior product without first gathering the facts and comparing various options against one another. Remember that you can easily test several tools for free to see which one you like best.