# Best Live Chat Software with Targeted Emails Capabilities ## How Many Live Chat Software Products Does G2 Track? **Total Products under this Category:** 464 ### Category Stats (Jul 2026) - **Average Rating:** 4.47/5 The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings - **Top Trending Product:** Callbell (+2.42%) - Among all products in this category, Callbell recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month _Last updated: July 22, 2026_ ## How Does G2 Rank Live Chat Software Products? **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 100,500+ Authentic Reviews - 464+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## G2 Grid® for Live Chat Software ![G2 Grid® for Live Chat Software plotting products by satisfaction and market presence](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/grids.png?focus%5B%5D=574&focus%5B%5D=5494&focus%5B%5D=90225&focus%5B%5D=3270&focus%5B%5D=2743&focus%5B%5D=10366&focus%5B%5D=1281845&focus%5B%5D=19432) Highlighted products: Zendesk for Customer Service, Agentforce Service (formerly Salesforce Service Cloud), Qualified, Fin, Zoho Desk, Podium, WhatsApp Business Platform, and Birdeye. Underlying data: [Grid® JSON](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/grids.json?focus%5B%5D=zendesk-for-customer-service&focus%5B%5D=agentforce-service-formerly-salesforce-service-cloud&focus%5B%5D=qualified&focus%5B%5D=fin&focus%5B%5D=zoho-desk&focus%5B%5D=podium&focus%5B%5D=whatsapp-business-platform&focus%5B%5D=birdeye) **Sponsored** ### Social Intents Social Intents is a Live Chat and AI Chatbot platform designed to enhance communication between businesses and their website visitors. This solution enables teams to manage website chats directly from popular business collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, Zoom, and Webex. By integrating live chat and AI chatbots into platforms that organizations already utilize, Social Intents eliminates the need for context switching, allowing for a more efficient and cohesive communication experience. Primarily targeted at customer service and sales teams, Social Intents is ideal for organizations looking to improve their online engagement without the complications of adopting additional messaging tools. The platform is particularly beneficial for businesses that handle a high volume of inquiries and require a seamless way to interact with customers across various channels. By providing a unified communication solution, Social Intents helps companies streamline their customer interactions and enhance overall service quality. Users can engage visitors through a web chat widget and popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS, ensuring that customers can reach out through their preferred method. This flexibility in communication channels caters to diverse customer preferences, making it easier for businesses to connect with their audience. The ability to meet customers where they are enhances engagement and fosters a more responsive customer service environment. One of the standout features of Social Intents is its capability to build AI chatbots powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT. Users can train these chatbots with their website content in just one click, allowing for quick deployment and immediate assistance for common inquiries. This feature not only enhances response times but also ensures that customers receive accurate information. When more complex issues arise, the platform allows for seamless escalation to human agents, ensuring that customers receive the support they need without delay. The integration of AI chatbots with live chat capabilities offers significant benefits to organizations. By automating responses to frequently asked questions, businesses can free up their human agents to focus on more intricate customer interactions. This dual approach not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction by providing timely and relevant support. Social Intents distinguishes itself in its category by combining the power of AI with the personal touch of human interaction, creating a balanced and effective customer service solution. [Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=191&secure%5Bchosen_at%5D=2026-07-28T02%3A08%3A27Z&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=191&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=page_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=191&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=84670&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=191&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Flive-chat%2Ff%2Ftargeted-emails%3Fopen_modal_url%3D%252Fproducts%252Fhelpshift%252Fwishlists%253Fhost_path%253D%25252Fcategories%25252Flive-chat%25252Ff%25252Ftargeted-emails%2526source%253Dcategory&secure%5Btoken%5D=360246a6bccd95fd7a12c01ed0688a0d474c2c4dce121ac7f561ce6fcf17be02&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fsocialintents.com%2Fsignup.do%3Futm_campaign%3Dg2%26utm_content%3Dfree-trial%26utm_medium%3Dg2%26utm_source%3Dmyg2&secure%5Burl_type%5D=free_trial) ### [Fin](https://www.g2.com/products/fin/reviews) Fin is a single Customer Agent that can take on different roles, depending on what the conversation needs. Fin can handle sales, service, and more - all as part of one continuous experience for the customer. Key benefits of Fin AI Agent: - Automates complex tasks such as refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting. - Easy to configure with a no-code experience that anyone on your team can manage. - Works with any helpdesk, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Freshdesk – no migration required. - Affordable at scale with pricing starting at just $0.99 per outcome. - Provides complete visibility and control through tools to analyze, train, test, and deploy Fin across all channels. - Engages buyers as they explore your site, providing instant, relevant answers when intent is highest. - Moves prospects closer to a decision, answering questions about pricing and features, addressing objections, and matching solutions to their needs. - Closes opportunities by guiding qualified buyers to the right next step – booking meetings, starting trials, or handing off to sales with full context. How it works: Fin combines generative AI with deterministic rules to act just like your best human agents. You can give Fin detailed, step-by-step instructions, and it will follow them with speed and reliability – reducing time to resolution and improving customer satisfaction. Under the hood, Fin is powered by Fin APEX 1.0, the highest-performing, fastest model for customer service. Every layer is optimized for accuracy, speed, and reliability, so Fin can handle high volumes and complex queries with confidence. Proof of performance: - Fin resolves 67% of customer queries on average, with rates as high as 93% for some teams. - Trusted by 6,000+ customer service teams, including the world’s leading AI companies like Anthropic. - In independent tests, Fin consistently outperformed competitors, delivering higher resolution rates than Forethought, Decagon, and others. Ranked #1 AI Agent on G2, with the highest number of reviews. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 3,725 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Fin? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 8.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 8.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 8.2/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Fin? - **Seller:** [Intercom, Inc.](https://www.g2.com/sellers/intercom-inc) - **Company Website:** https://www.intercom.com/ - **Year Founded:** 2011 - **HQ Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Twitter:** @fin\_ai (45,225 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/fin/ (953 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** Customer Success Manager, CEO - **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 57% Small, 37% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Fin? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users appreciate Fin's **quick and accurate responses** , significantly reducing support workload and enhancing query resolution. - Users find Fin's **ease of use** exceptional, with intuitive navigation and helpful features simplifying the overall experience. - Users value the **ease of use** of Fin, enjoying streamlined onboarding and effective conversation tracking features. - Users value the **efficiency** of Fin, appreciating its easy integration and intuitive interface for seamless operations. - Users appreciate the **automation features** of Fin, enhancing efficiency and client management without overwhelming support teams. ##### Cons - Users find the lack of **missing features** in Fin limits usability and complicates user experience significantly. - Users find Fin's **lack of nuance and outdated information** frustrating, often leading to verification with human support. - Users find the **limited features** of Fin restrict their ability to fully leverage its capabilities and control. - Users experience a **steep learning curve** with Fin, finding its setup and functionality demanding and complex. - Users express concerns over Fin's **high pricing** , with many features requiring additional payment, leading to unexpected bills. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Fin? **["End: Efficient technical support and an easy-to-use platform"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/fin-review-13135986)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Ricardo M._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/fin-review-13135986) **["Efficient AI Support with Some Routing Challenges"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/fin-review-7350999)** **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars _— Marianna A._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/fin-review-7350999) ### [Kustomer](https://www.g2.com/products/kustomer/reviews) Kustomer is the Intelligent Customer Experience Platform empowering brands to put customers at the center of every interaction. By unifying customer data, conversations, and AI-powered workflows into one seamless workspace, teams deliver service that delights, retains, and drives growth. With Kustomer, support becomes faster, smarter, and more personal. **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 531 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Kustomer? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 8.0/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Kustomer? - **Seller:** [Kustomer](https://www.g2.com/sellers/kustomer) - **Company Website:** https://www.kustomer.com - **Year Founded:** 2015 - **HQ Location:** Short Hills, US - **Twitter:** @kustomer (2,203 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/10517045/ (283 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** Customer Service Representative, Member Experience Associate - **Top Industries:** Consumer Services, Retail - **Company Size:** 65% Medium, 21% Small #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Kustomer? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users find Kustomer's interface **intuitive and user-friendly** , enhancing efficient management of customer information and interactions. - Users appreciate the **intuitive interface and centralized customer information** in Kustomer, enhancing efficiency and communication. - Users appreciate the **centralized customer information** in Kustomer, enhancing efficiency and streamlining communication processes. - Users appreciate the **efficiency** of Kustomer, benefiting from its intuitive interface and seamless integration with other platforms. - Users highlight the **efficiency of automation** in Kustomer, streamlining tasks and enhancing overall productivity in customer service. ##### Cons - Users experience **slow performance** with Kustomer, leading to workflow disruptions and frustrating handling times. - Users often experience **slow loading** times with Kustomer, hindering fast customer resolution and impacting productivity. - Users find the **learning curve steep** , with a complex interface that complicates navigation and onboarding. - Users find Kustomer's **complexity** challenging, especially newcomers, which hinders navigation and requires extensive training. - Users find Kustomer's interface **not intuitive** , leading to challenges in navigation and longer onboarding times. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Kustomer? **["Dynamic Email Macros and CSAT Tracking That Fit Support Teams Perfectly"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/kustomer-review-13160487)** **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars _— Sangram Z._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/kustomer-review-13160487) **["Unified View and Workflow Ease with Kustomer"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/kustomer-review-11826298)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Austin J._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/kustomer-review-11826298) ### [Re:amaze](https://www.g2.com/products/re-amaze/reviews) Re:amaze is a helpdesk and customer messaging platform designed for websites, stores, and apps. Use Re:amaze to provide exceptional customer support through live chat, email, social media, mobile SMS/MMS, VOIP, and FAQ Knowledge Bases. Businesses of all shapes and sizes also rely on Re:amaze for sales and marketing automation using features such as Re:amaze Cues (a way to automatically message online customers), Re:amaze Chatbots, Re:amaze Live Dashboard (to monitor online customer activity in real time), and send customer satisfaction surveys (to gauge service quality and gather feedback). Re:amaze offers native integrations with many popular 3rd party apps such as Slack, Shopify, BigCommerce, Stripe, MailChimp, Google (Analytics, Tag Manager, Suite), ShipStation, Klaviyo, and much more. Businesses can also use a single Re:amaze account to manage customer service for multiple businesses or stores with the Multi-Brand feature. **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 137 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Re:amaze? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.6/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Re:amaze? - **Seller:** [GoDaddy](https://www.g2.com/sellers/godaddy) - **Year Founded:** 1997 - **HQ Location:** Scottsdale, AZ - **Twitter:** @GoDaddy (274,844 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/7846/ (9,011 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NYSE:GDDY #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** Owner, President - **Top Industries:** Retail, Sporting Goods - **Company Size:** 81% Small, 17% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Re:amaze? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users commend the **great customer support** of Re:amaze, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction with the product. - Users value the **flexibility** of Re:amaze, appreciating its versatile options and helpful AI features. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Re:amaze? **["Great Chat!"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/re-amaze-review-7329257)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Greg R._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/re-amaze-review-7329257) **["Absolutely amazing tool, very intuitive and integrates well"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/re-amaze-review-7694891)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Christoph D._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/re-amaze-review-7694891) ### [Crisp](https://www.g2.com/products/crisp/reviews) Crisp is the ultimate all-in-one AI-powered multichannel customer support platform that helps businesses connect instantly with their customers or leads waiting for support. With its quickly evolving set of tools, Crisp is leading companies through the AI-driven revolution by using conversations to unlock hypergrowth. Customers use Crisp to provide a modern customer lifecycle experience for potential customers, generate more qualified leads, automate customer help, and improve customer satisfaction score, transforming customer support into a new revenue channel. Get started for free today and join 700 000 businesses using Crisp at crisp.chat With an easy UX, companies can leverage a modern customer support platform. Crisp is your one-stop for managing your multichannel customer support strategy. While using Crisp, you'll access the following: - Multichannel shared inbox to centralize all inbound messages coming from Emails, WhatsApp Business, Instagram, phone calls, and more. - Website AI chat widget to support customers from your website - AI features for customer support teams to unlock incredible productivity gains - AI Chatbot software for customer service trained upon many different sources to automatically resolve tickets and drain support queue - Knowledge base software to make your customers more autonomous, increase search engine visibility and drive better answer for your AI-powered messages. - Native Mobile Chat support SDKs for Android, React Native & iOS to embed native support chat experiences right in your mobile apps. - Support CRM software to get to get to know who you're dealing with - Customer support analytics software to measure customer support ROI, build custom dashboards and track customer support teams' CSAT. - Live Translate (Talk like a native in your customers' language) - MagicType (See what your customers are typing in real-time) - Screen Sharing (With no additional plugin needed) - Multiple integrations (Slack, Stripe, Linear, WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce, Zapier, n8n, Make, Hubspot, Salesforce, Jira, Trello, ...) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 199 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Crisp? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Crisp? - **Seller:** [Crisp IM SARL](https://www.g2.com/sellers/crisp-im-sarl) - **Year Founded:** 2015 - **HQ Location:** Nantes, FR - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/crisp-im/ (20 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** CEO, Founder - **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 86% Small, 12% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Crisp? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users praise the **exceptional customer support** from Crisp, making every interaction a pleasure and enhancing overall satisfaction. - Users love Crisp for its **user-friendly features** like Shortcuts and AI automation, enhancing support efficiency and personalization. - Users love the **advanced segmentation and AI features** of Crisp, enhancing customer support and boosting engagement significantly. - Users love the **user-friendly interface** of Crisp, which facilitates quick resolutions without complications. - Users love the **intuitive interface** of Crisp, which simplifies managing customer conversations efficiently and effectively. ##### Cons - Users find the **missing features** in Crisp limit its potential, especially for article management and notifications. - Users note the **limited features** of Crisp, especially in article editing and analytics, impacting overall usability. - Users find the **lack of essential features** in Crisp frustrating, affecting usability and efficiency during daily tasks. - Users find Crisp to be **expensive** , especially as essential features are locked behind higher-tier plans. - Users find the **learning curve frustrating** , as understanding the logic and building workflows requires significant time investment. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Crisp? **["All-in-One Helping Turn Customer Conversations into Sales."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/crisp-review-13042879)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Verified User in Automotive_ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/crisp-review-13042879) **["Perfect Solution for Diverse App Branding and Support"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/crisp-review-12844712)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Ketul P._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/crisp-review-12844712) ### [Chaport](https://www.g2.com/products/chaport/reviews) Chaport is an all-in-one messaging platform that provides a multi-channel live chat, chatbots, a knowledge base, and more. It helps businesses grow and thrive by providing them an easy way to engage with website visitors, get more qualified leads, boost sales, and improve customer service. Today Chaport is used by more than 30,000 teams all over the world. Why Chaport? Chaport offers you a set of powerful features to help you convert website visitors into loyal customers. Yet, it remains user-friendly and makes communication with customers as easy and enjoyable as chatting with friends. The installation process is simple and takes no more than 5 minutes. Just add a chat widget to your website and start answering your customers' questions. If you also need a chatbot, you can create it in minutes, thanks to Chaport's WYSIWYG chatbot builder. Key features: – Live chat: Talk to your customers in real time. – Chatbots: Let chatbots answer common questions and qualify leads. Offer instant help 24/7, even when your team is offline. – Knowledge base + FAQ bot: Provide your customers with a knowledge base and activate an FAQ bot to automatically suggest articles in the chat widget. – Integrations with Facebook, Viber, Telegram, etc.: Answer questions from all channels in one place. – Auto-invitations: Initiate more chats with your website visitors. – Saved replies: Prepare answer templates to frequently asked questions, answer in a few clicks, and save your time. – Typing insights: Read messages even before they are sent and answer faster. – Web-, desktop, and mobile apps: Chat with customers wherever you are. – Zapier & API: Integrate Chaport with your website more closely or connect it to third-party apps. – And much more... Sign up today and increase your sales! Free trial available. **Average Rating:** 4.8/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 22 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Chaport? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 7.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 6.3/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Chaport? - **Seller:** [Chaport](https://www.g2.com/sellers/chaport) - **Year Founded:** 2014 - **HQ Location:** Alhambra, USA - **Twitter:** @ChaportLiveChat (55 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaport/about (4 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Company Size:** 83% Small, 13% Medium #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Chaport? **["Easy to Use, Affordable, and Great Value with 4 Operators Included"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/chaport-review-13060559)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Verified User in Wholesale_ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/chaport-review-13060559) **["Best WordPress Chat Plugin—Helpful Visitor Chat Support"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/chaport-review-12520803)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Joseph G._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/chaport-review-12520803) ### [HelpCrunch](https://www.g2.com/products/helpcrunch/reviews) HelpCrunch is an AI customer service platform for your Support, Sales, and Marketing. All in one. Scale customer communications with AI in all channels while keeping it personal and controllable. The platform combines AI Agents and AI chatbots, omnichannel live chat and shared inbox, knowledge base, and marketing+sales automation tools. Try HelpCrunch for free for 14 days and see how AI can resolve up to 80% of customer questions. 🧠 AI Agents Not your typical chatbot. Not just ChatGPT. Trained exclusively on your content and fully under your control. ⏵ Save time, reduce workload – automatically handle up to 80% of customer questions. ⏵ Scale without hiring – create multiple agents for different products, workflows, or tasks. ⏵ Be everywhere your customers are – live chat, iOS/Android, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber. ⏵ Reliable answers only – near-zero hallucinations; anything missing gets routed to your team. ⏵ Handle complexity effortlessly – multi-part questions, follow-ups, topic changes. ⏵ Automate smarter – add AI Agents into chatbot flows for flexible, context-aware automation. 🤖 No-Code AI Chatbots Build custom AI journeys to automate replies, tagging, routing. Works in all channels, zero coding needed. 💬 Live Chat & Multichannel Inbox Manage conversations from website, email, in-app widget, messengers, and social in a single inbox. Assign chats, add tags, track history, and keep context clear across your team. 📚 Knowledge Base
 Build a self-service help center with SEO-friendly articles, categories, and search. Reduce tickets while giving customers 24/7 access to answers. 📧 Email & Campaigns
 Send one-off newsletters, automated onboarding sequences, or targeted campaigns. Segment users by behavior and deliver the right message at the right time. 🎯 Popups & Auto Messages
 Trigger personalized chat messages or popups based on visitor behavior – engage leads instantly, promote offers, and drive conversions. 📊 Analytics & Performance Track AI deflection rates, CSAT, first response times, workload, hours saved by automation, and more. HelpCrunch gives you visibility into both human and AI support. 😉 Why HelpCrunch?
 ⏵ Multichannel by design: web, mobile, messengers, email, and social.
 ⏵ All-in-one: support, marketing automation, and lightweight CRM in one tool.
 ⏵ Scales with your business, from startups to enterprises. ⏵ No-code setup in minutes.
Free migration from other tools. Make service your competitive advantage with HelpCrunch – the secret behind more efficient teams, without extra headcount. **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 233 #### How Do G2 Users Rate HelpCrunch? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.6/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 8.0/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind HelpCrunch? - **Seller:** [HelpCrunch](https://www.g2.com/sellers/helpcrunch) - **Year Founded:** 2016 - **HQ Location:** Palo Alto, CA - **Twitter:** @HelpCrunchCom (334 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/4846760/ (18 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** CEO, Founder - **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 83% Small, 15% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About HelpCrunch? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users benefit from the **ease of use** of HelpCrunch, finding it intuitive and seamless for support management. - Users appreciate the **comprehensive features** of HelpCrunch, effectively combining live chat, email, and knowledge base management. - Users value the **helpful features** of HelpCrunch, enhancing communication and engagement with clients effortlessly. - Users appreciate the **intuitive live chat** of HelpCrunch, enabling immediate client support and seamless communication. - Users praise the **excellent customer support** of HelpCrunch, noting fast responses and helpful onboarding assistance. ##### Cons - Users find the **limited customization** options restrictive, wishing for greater flexibility in widgets and templates. - Users note that the **live chat loads slowly** in some locations, impacting performance and user experience. - Users experience **chat issues** such as slow loading times and limitations in functionality needing improvement. - Users find the **pricing high** for small businesses, especially with additional costs for features like the AI editor. - Users experience **slow loading** times with HelpCrunch, frustrating their interactions and overall site performance. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of HelpCrunch? **["Tornado Team Loves HelpCrunch – Essential Live Chat for Our Apps"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpcrunch-review-12151003)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Tornado D._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpcrunch-review-12151003) **["Affordable and Feature-Rich Chat Solution"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpcrunch-review-12883421)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Konstantin M._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpcrunch-review-12883421) ### [LiveAgent](https://www.g2.com/products/liveagent/reviews) LiveAgent is a comprehensive help desk and live chat software designed to revolutionize customer support. By offering an all-in-one solution, LiveAgent empowers businesses to deliver personalized interactions that leave a lasting impression. With the fastest chat widget available and a reputation as the #1 rated live chat software for SMBs in 2025, LiveAgent is trusted by industry leaders such as BMW, Yamaha, Huawei, and Oxford University. These companies use LiveAgent to provide top-tier customer service that stands out in a competitive marketplace. Key Features of LiveAgent LiveAgent combines an omnichannel universal inbox, real-time live chat, a built-in call center, and a robust customer service portal to streamline communication. Personalization is at the heart of the software, allowing businesses to enhance interactions through features such as customer segmentation, automation, a built-in CRM, and powerful analytics. Additionally, LiveAgent offers an intuitive customer knowledge base to further improve service efficiency. With access to over 175+ features and 200+ integrations, LiveAgent adapts to your unique business needs and scales as your company grows. Try LiveAgent for Free Start your journey with LiveAgent today with a 1-month free trial—no credit card required. Discover how this advanced tool can transform your customer support operations. 200+ Features Included: • POP3 accounts • Email piping • Forwarding • Departments • Priorities • Statuses • Tags • Rules • Ticket Routing • Canned/Predefined messages • Email templates • Voice integration • Real-time website monitoring and statistics • Chats • Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Slack integration • Knowledge base • Live Suggestions as you type • Feedback and Contact forms • Agent rating and gamification • Multilingual support • Ticket filters • File sharing and attachments • Chat button templates and much more Exclusive for Startups LiveAgent’s Startup Program offers startups free access to the platform for the first 6 months. After this period, startups can continue enjoying the benefits of LiveAgent at a discounted rate. This program provides a cost-effective way for emerging businesses to leverage world-class customer support tools during their growth phase. Experience the power of LiveAgent and join the ranks of industry-leading companies that prioritize exceptional customer service. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 1,481 #### How Do G2 Users Rate LiveAgent? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 8.4/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind LiveAgent? - **Seller:** [QualityUnit](https://www.g2.com/sellers/qualityunit) - **Year Founded:** 2004 - **HQ Location:** Bratislava - **Twitter:** @qualityunit (480 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/3516632/ (61 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** CEO, Owner - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software - **Company Size:** 68% Small, 29% Medium #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About LiveAgent? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of LiveAgent, enjoying its intuitive interface and quick support responses. - Users appreciate the **ease of use and feature-rich capabilities** of LiveAgent, enhancing customer communication and support efficiency. - Users appreciate the **centralized customer communications** of LiveAgent, enhancing engagements and boosting customer experience significantly. - Users appreciate the **ease of use** of LiveAgent, benefiting from its efficient ticketing system and centralized communications. - Users value the **efficiency** of LiveAgent, praising its streamlined ticketing and centralized communication for improved productivity. ##### Cons - Users find the **learning curve steep** , requiring significant training to utilize LiveAgent effectively and efficiently. - Users express frustration with **missing features** in LiveAgent, affecting mobile usability and communication flexibility. - Users find the **user experience not intuitive** , leading to frustration with navigation and feature access. - Users find that the **steep learning curve** of LiveAgent requires significant training for effective usage over time. - Users face **integration issues** with LiveAgent, especially with telephony and automation within Magento and WhatsApp. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of LiveAgent? **["It supports simplified customer access to assistance services across all channels."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/liveagent-review-12558141)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Edjelie M._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/liveagent-review-12558141) **["A highly reliable service, saving you money while delivering superior customer support."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/liveagent-review-12346553)** **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars _— Jessica R._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/liveagent-review-12346553) ### [Helpshift](https://www.g2.com/products/helpshift/reviews) Helpshift is an AI-Native Customer Support and Engagement Platform designed to maximize Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) by facilitating meaningful interactions between brands and their customers. This solution integrates three foundational pillars: advanced technology that enhances the customer experience, AI that scales engagement efforts, and expert human services that deliver strategic value. Together, these elements create a comprehensive customer engagement framework that is both efficient and empathetic, applicable to digital-first businesses operating across mobile, web, and in-app environments. Targeted at customer experience leaders, support operations teams, product managers, and community directors, Helpshift caters to organizations seeking to optimize customer interactions and drive measurable business outcomes. The platform is particularly beneficial for teams looking to streamline support processes, enhance customer engagement, reduce churn, and maintain brand safety across digital touchpoints. With Helpshift, brands can effectively manage customer conversations and turn them into actionable insights that contribute to retention and growth. The platform's versatility allows it to address a range of use cases, from automated customer service and proactive engagement to community management and trust and safety operations. Helpshift offers four essential solutions: Support, Engagement, Trust and Safety, and Community. The Support solution delivers efficient AI-powered customer service through Care AI for instant resolution, Language AI for native multilingual support across 75+ languages, and AI Copilot for agent productivity, augmented by elite human specialists with 24/7 global coverage. The Engagement solution enables brands to create proactive experiences with Engage AI, which predicts churn risk and identifies upsell opportunities, supported by dedicated VIP Account Managers who deliver concierge service. The Trust and Safety solution combines best-in-class partner technology for automated moderation, age verification, and toxicity-detection filters with Guard AI for monitoring and quality assurance of AI- and human-agent conversations, plus expert moderators and threat analysts for nuanced content review and complex escalations. The Community solution uses Community AI to analyze sentiment trends across social platforms and pairs that intelligence with expert community managers who shape culture and engage directly with audiences. The platform's key features include a native SDK that embeds directly into mobile, web, and PC applications for seamless customer interactions without disrupting the user experience. Unified Orchestration connects in-app, web, and social touchpoints with shared context, while Real-Time Intelligence surfaces behavior insights that drive decisions. Enterprise-Grade Security includes SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA, and COPPA, among other certifications. By bridging the gap between operational efficiency and empathetic engagement, Helpshift empowers organizations to reduce operational costs, increase customer satisfaction, protect brand reputation, and foster stronger community health. **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 341 #### How Do G2 Users Rate Helpshift? - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10) - **Lead Development:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Customization :** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10) - **Co-Browsing:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.1/10) #### Who Is the Company Behind Helpshift? - **Seller:** [Keywords Studios](https://www.g2.com/sellers/keywords-studios) - **Company Website:** https://www.keywordsstudios.com - **Year Founded:** 1998 - **HQ Location:** Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland - **Twitter:** @KeywordsStudios (5,057 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/keywordsstudios (11,564 employees on LinkedIn®) #### Who Uses This Product? - **Who Uses This:** Customer Service Representative, Customer Support - **Top Industries:** Computer Games, Entertainment - **Company Size:** 62% Medium, 22% Small #### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Helpshift? _AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_ ##### Pros - Users value the **ease of use** of Helpshift, finding it user-friendly and efficient for managing customer support tasks. - Users appreciate the **user-friendly ticket management system** and automation tools that enhance efficiency and customer experience. - Users value the **efficient case management** system in Helpshift, enhancing organization and accelerating resolution times for customer issues. - Users value the **efficient ticket management and automation** in Helpshift, enhancing resolution times and user experience. - Users find Helpshift to provide **navigation ease** , making ticket tracking and customer interactions straightforward and efficient. ##### Cons - Users face **connection issues** and unresponsiveness, leading to frustrations with the product's reliability. - Users frequently face **software unresponsiveness** , leading to connection issues and frustrating loading delays. - Users find the product's **difficult navigation** challenging, especially due to the lack of a mobile app. - Users often experience **downtime** with Helpshift, impacting their connection and responsiveness during critical moments. - Users feel the **lack of detail** in reporting features hinders effective tracking of agent performance and customer satisfaction. #### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Helpshift? **["Highly Customizable, But Setup Needs Streamlining"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpshift-review-13113397)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Sean T._ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpshift-review-13113397) **["Lightning-Fast Onboarding, Easy to Use, and Straight-forward Interface"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpshift-review-13115642)** **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars _— Verified User in Computer Games_ [Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/helpshift-review-13115642) - ‹ Prev‹ Prev - 1 - [2](/categories/live-chat/f/targeted-emails?filters%5Bverified_features%5D%5B%5D=2088&open_modal_url=%2Fproducts%2Fhelpshift%2Fwishlists%3Fhost_path%3D%252Fcategories%252Flive-chat%252Ff%252Ftargeted-emails%26source%3Dcategory&order=g2_score&page=2#product-list) - [3](/categories/live-chat/f/targeted-emails?filters%5Bverified_features%5D%5B%5D=2088&open_modal_url=%2Fproducts%2Fhelpshift%2Fwishlists%3Fhost_path%3D%252Fcategories%252Flive-chat%252Ff%252Ftargeted-emails%26source%3Dcategory&order=g2_score&page=3#product-list) - [Next ›Next ›](/categories/live-chat/f/targeted-emails?filters%5Bverified_features%5D%5B%5D=2088&open_modal_url=%2Fproducts%2Fhelpshift%2Fwishlists%3Fhost_path%3D%252Fcategories%252Flive-chat%252Ff%252Ftargeted-emails%26source%3Dcategory&order=g2_score&page=2#product-list) Spotlight Categories [Chatbots Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/chatbots) [Network Monitoring Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/network-monitoring) [Job Search Sites](https://www.g2.com/categories/job-search-sites) [Help Desk Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/help-desk) [Experience Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/experience-management) Similar Categories - [Help Desk](/categories/help-desk) - [Customer Self-Service](/categories/customer-self-service) - [Social Customer Service](/categories/social-customer-service) - [Appointment Reminder](/categories/appointment-reminder) - [Call & Contact Center](/categories/call-contact-center) - [Client Onboarding](/categories/client-onboarding) - [Co-Browsing](/categories/co-browsing) - [Complaint Management](/categories/complaint-management) - [Contact Center Outsourcing Services](/categories/contact-center-outsourcing-services) - [Contact Center Payments](/categories/contact-center-payments) - [Conversational Support](/categories/conversational-support) - [Customer Communications Management](/categories/customer-communications-management) - [Customer Education](/categories/customer-education) - [Customer Service Automation](/categories/customer-service-automation) - [Customer Success](/categories/customer-success) [Browse Live Chat Themes](/categories/live-chat/themes) Benefits of Live Chat Software with Targeted Emails capabilities include: Sends automated emails to further engage clients and potential clients. Below are the top-rated Live Chat Software with Targeted Emails capabilities, as verified by G2’s Research team. Real users have identified Targeted Emails as an important function of Live Chat Software. Compare different products that offer this feature so you can decide which is best for your business needs. Top Tools at a Glance | | Scalable omnichannel ticket operations | User Review "Unified Omnichannel Support with Powerful Automation and Analytics" | | | Salesforce-centered service operations | User Review "The Evolution of Service: Bridging the Gap Between Data and Action." | | | AI SDR website meeting conversion | User Review "Outstanding AI SDR Platform with Measurable Results" | | | Knowledge-base AI support deflection | User Review "End: Efficient technical support and an easy-to-use platform" | | | Omnichannel help desk automation | User Review "Easy Setup, Intuitive Ticketing, and Great Value with Zoho Desk" | | | Local business messaging and review capture | User Review "Fees less like a review collection tool and more like a digital front desk" | | | WhatsApp-based customer conversation scale | User Review "Simple, Reliable Customer Communication with WhatsApp Business Platform" | | | Reputation-led customer messaging | User Review "Exceptional Support and Ease of Use, Minor Email Hiccups" | | | Website chat automation for lead capture | User Review "I honestly didn't expect Lyro AI to work this well" | | | CRM-connected support and self-service | User Review "Ticket management and centralized support with automations that enhance the experience" | * * * Show More * * * ## How Do You Choose the Right Live Chat Software? ### What You Should Know About Live Chat Software ### What is Live Chat Software? Live chat software allows website visitors to get a response in real time from a company’s customer service agents, sales representatives, or virtual assistants. These products are typically deployed as a widget in the bottom corner of a business’ website and may be activated when a user clicks on the widget. Alternatively, a pop-up chat window may prompt a user to start a conversation. Companies searching for the best live chat software for business websites typically weigh widget customization, chatbot capability, and integration with their existing customer support stack. Based on G2 reviews, customer support and sales teams evaluate live chat software by comparing real-time response speed, customer engagement features, and ecommerce platform integrations. Live chat solutions can be used in a wide variety of contexts, including customer service, technical support, sales, and marketing. Most often, businesses implement live chat to provide website visitors with a direct channel to receive real-time customer support. For example, live chat agents can assist visitors with website navigation or answer questions about a business’ products or services. Live chat is also an effective method for lead generation. When a website visitor is interested in purchasing a product or service, live chat can be used to connect them with a sales representative. If a representative is unavailable, live chat widgets include a lead capture form to collect the prospect’s information so a salesperson can follow up with them as soon as possible. Although live chat windows exist on a website 24/7, this doesn’t mean a business needs their agents to be available to answer inquiries all day. An offline mode allows website visitors to submit questions or concerns that can be handled either by a chatbot or by an agent when the live chat is back online. Live chat often serves as a company’s first line of defense to help chat agents answer quick questions and escalate deeper concerns in an organized way. The goal of these products is to increase efficiency for both the agent and the customer. #### What Types of Live Chat Software Exist? **Text only solutions** Text-only live chat software allows agents and customers to communicate via text form. Typically, the customer will be approached by a pop-up chat window that helps initiate a conversation. **Voice or video solutions** Live chat software with video or voice capabilities--in addition to text--allow a more personalized conversation with customers. Video chat conversations are especially helpful for complex questions that require a visual representation. Face-to-face video conversations are not the only features of video and voice live chat; users can enable screen sharing to visually convey an issue that’s difficult to explain via text. ### What are the Common Features of Live Chat Software? Live chat functionality can vary from product to product. When considering a live chat solution for a business, it’s important to consider which features will be most beneficial to the particular use case. The following are some core features within live chat software: **Analytics:** Reporting related to live chat analytics gives administrators insight into customer service metrics such as support response time, overall support performance, and customer satisfaction. These insights help managers understand the highs and lows of the customer experience and the team’s performance. **Visitor monitoring:** Real-time visitor monitoring tracks where visitors are on the website and how long they stay on a certain web page. These insights give a sense of where visitors are gravitating to on a web page and can even help generate leads. **Response templates:** For common questions, canned responses are very efficient. Agents can have responses ready to send as soon as a common question pops up. **Branding:** Since live chat exists on a company’s website, it’s important for the widget and conversation window to match the company’s branding and website design. To accomplish this, live chat products offer customizable design options to change the colors and images of the application. Branding customization features ensure a seamless brand experience for customers. **Customer feedback:** After a live chat conversation, a customer can rate the conversation and share feedback on whether or not their question was adequately handled. Managers can use this feedback to further understand the quality of an agent’s work. **Proactive messages:** While live chat is already an approachable asset, it’s helpful for website visitors to be prompted with a friendly pop-up greeting to let them know they’re invited to chat whenever they’d like. A proactive message is an approachable way to entice visitors to communicate with the company. **Integrations:** Live chat products should integrate seamlessly with a company’s technology stack to ensure the information shared in chat conversations is available across departments. Integrations with CRM software are important for storing and accessing customer information during a support conversation, as well as adding new contacts for lead generation. Live chat typically integrates with other customer service solutions, especially help desks, to improve omnichannel customer experiences. Many live chat software solutions will also offer the following features: - [Live chat software with in-app messaging capabilities](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/f/in-app-messaging) - [Live chat software with lead development capabilities](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/f/lead-development) - [Live chat software with knowledge base capabilities](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/f/knowledge-base) - [Live chat software with targeted email capabilities](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/f/targeted-emails) - [Live chat software with co-browsing capabilities](https://www.g2.com/categories/live-chat/f/co-browsing) ### What are the Benefits of Live Chat Software? Businesses of all types benefit from using live chat software to provide instant and approachable customer support. Using live chat makes customer support more efficient for both the agent and the customer for several reasons: **Customer engagement:** Live chat is a simple and accessible way for customers to approach a company. Customers are more likely to engage than if the company only offered phone and email support, because of its convenience. **Real-time support:** With live chat, website visitors don’t need to wait very long for an answer to a simple question. Without a long turnaround, visitors are more likely to engage with the company, knowing their time is not being wasted. In comparison, inquiries submitted via email or social media have an unpredictable response time. Since questions are answered quickly, agents are more productive and get through more inquiries. **Improved efficiency and productivity:** In comparison to phone calls, live chat is relatively cheap and takes less effort from both the customer and the agent. Additionally, it’s easy to multitask between different live chat conversations, allowing for more support in less time. Since live chatting requires reading and typing, conversations have more downtime between messages. This allows customer service agents to multitask and handle multiple chat windows at once. Depending on how many conversations are going on, agents can also use downtime to talk on the phone with another customer while handling live chat conversations. **Lead generation:** Live chat is approachable for customers, so it’s an easy way to begin a sales conversation. The informality of live chat makes a sales conversation more comfortable for the customer, so it’s a great opportunity to bring in a sale. ### Who Uses Live Chat Software? Professionals who communicate with customers directly, such as customer service teams and sales teams, use live chat to instantly chat with customers or gather data on the conversations customers have with customer service agents. **Customer service:** Customer service teams use live chat software to communicate with website visitors who use the feature to ask questions or voice concerns. If any complaints need to be escalated, chat agents can use routing features to transfer the conversation to a manager. When purchasing a live chat solution for customer service, businesses should remember to look for products that integrate with the company’s existing support software. **Sales:** Sales teams can utilize live chat software to generate leads. Since the buyer is expressing interest in the company by initiating a conversation using the live chat feature, it’s a great opportunity to spark a sales conversation. If a company wants to implement live chat to accelerate sales and improve conversion rates, it’s important to find a product that integrates with the CRM or system of record. #### Software Related to Live Chat Software Related solutions that can be used together with live chat tools include: [Help desk software](https://www.g2.com/categories/help-desk) **:** Help desk software provides a ticketing system for customer service teams to organize and respond to inquiries regarding a company’s products or services. Traditionally, help desks take in customer inquiries from email and web forms, but these solutions are increasingly supporting omnichannel customer service by incorporating other channels such as social media, live chat, SMS, and call center technology. As a result, many help desk solutions include a live chat tool. [Customer self-service software](https://www.g2.com/categories/customer-self-service) **:** Customer self-service software provides a platform for end users, prospects, or customers to access information and perform tasks without the assistance of customer support representatives. Customer self service can take many different forms and may include chatbots, intelligent virtual assistants, knowledge bases, FAQs, and community forums. [Social customer service software](https://www.g2.com/categories/social-customer-service) **:** Businesses use social customer service software to assist their customers via social networks and social messenger apps. These solutions collect customer inquiries from social media and assign them to support team members. While live chat software allows customers to receive support when visiting a company’s website, social customer service enables support teams to respond proactively to customer complaints or questions. Some live chat tools offer the ability to transfer chat interactions to social messaging platforms, so the conversation can be continued on the customer’s preferred platform. [Conversational marketing software](https://www.g2.com/categories/conversational-marketing) **:** Live chat tools may integrate with or include features of conversational marketing software. Conversational marketing helps businesses improve conversion rates by identifying and engaging with potential customers throughout their buying journey. These products accelerate the buying process by transferring qualified leads to sales representatives or facilitating follow-up conversations if a customer is not yet ready to buy. [Chatbots software](https://www.g2.com/categories/chatbots) **:** Chatbots, which are often called virtual agents or virtual assistants, are used in place of a human to conduct specific tasks or provide information based on written or spoken requests. Customer support tools, such as live chat, help desk, or contact center solutions, may already have chatbots implemented as a first line of defense when dealing with customers. ### Challenges with Live Chat Software Although live chat software can be implemented relatively quickly, the adoption of these tools can pose additional challenges. Before purchasing live chat software, businesses must make sure to have a plan to address potential issues before they arise. **Increase in support requests:** Naturally, adding an immediate and accessible means for customers to contact the business will result in an influx of support requests and conversations. To avoid overwhelming the business’ chat support team, companies can roll out the live chat product gradually. Users may also wish to open it up to smaller segments of customers over time rather than all at once.  **Staff training:** A big part of customer support is empathizing with the customer. For even simple inquiries, it’s important for agents to come across as friendly and approachable via live chat. Tone is sometimes difficult to read through text, so it’s easy for website visitors to misinterpret a message from a support agent. Agents should be trained on how to express empathy in text form to prevent any tone assumptions. **Spam or inappropriate messages:** While approachability is generally considered beneficial, it opens the possibility of potential scenarios involving inappropriate or irrelevant messages. Fortunately, many live chat offerings have a spam filter or block functionality, which allows agents to distinguish real messages or block aggressive customers. ### Which Companies Should Buy Live Chat Software? Any business with a website can use live chat software. These products are beneficial to companies of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. However, there are a few types of businesses that are particularly suited for live chat. **E-commerce:** E-commerce brands and any business that sells products online should consider buying a live chat solution. While customers browse an e-commerce site, they may run into technical issues or have questions about specific product specifications, shipping, or return policies. Live chat offers the opportunity for a business to answer a customer’s question right away, increasing the chance that the customer will complete their purchase. **Services:** Live chat can be very beneficial for businesses in the service industry, especially banking, healthcare, real estate, travel, and hospitality. For these industries, exceptional customer service is paramount to the success of the business. Live chat provides clients and prospects with an instant connection to a business so they can quickly resolve issues or have their questions answered. Based on G2 reviews, the most-cited evaluation criteria for live chat software on business websites are widget customization, chatbot quality with smooth AI-to-human handoff, and native integrations with the CRM and help desk already in use. For customer support teams, reviewers consistently call out omnichannel coverage across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and social messengers, alongside ease of use, as the day-to-day features that determine adoption. Ecommerce buyers specifically cite Shopify integration, mobile apps for responding to chats away from the desk, and visitor tracking as the difference between live chat solutions that drive customer engagement and ones that sit idle. Sales-led teams highlight high-intent visitor identification and real-time client support as the features that turn live chat from a support tool into a lead-generation channel. ### How to Buy Live Chat Software #### Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Live Chat Software Whether a company is purchasing a live chat solution for the first time or looking for a replacement, the first step is defining a list of requirements the product must meet for the business to be most productive. These requirements will help buyers narrow down the list of products to consider. First, buyers must evaluate the need for live chat software, and ask the following questions: - Who will be using the product most often? - How many users (or seats) do we need?  - Will it be used for customer service or technical support?  - Will the sales team use it for lead generation or guiding customers on their buying journey? At this point, it’s also important to list the features that will prove most useful for the teams using the product. For improving customer self-service and freeing up team members’ time, companies may require a product that can automate workflows to resolve customer issues without human assistance. Buyers must consider if the product should integrate with any other software their business uses, such as CRM or help desk. #### Compare Live Chat Software Products **Create a long list** Based on the list of requirements, buyers should create a long list of no more than 10 products that appear to meet the business needs. Consulting online review sites is a great way to start the long list. G2 has thousands of [software categories](https://www.g2.com/categories?q%5Bcategory_type_eq%5D=software) with over 1 million verified user reviews. G2’s Live Chat software category can help buyers find the highest rated or most popular products based on reviews from verified customers. **Create a short list** After consulting customer reviews and creating a long list of live chat software products, companies must begin eliminating the options that won’t work for their business. The easiest way to do this is to first eliminate the products outside budget. Small businesses or startups should look at each product’s pricing plans to determine if the product will still be affordable as the company scales up. At this point, buyers should also eliminate products that don’t offer all the required features. **Conduct demos** Once a short list of about three to five products is ready, companies should begin reaching out to vendors to schedule demos. Demos allow buyers to take a closer look at each live chat solution’s functionality and ease of use. This may also be the first opportunity to glimpse each vendor’s onboarding style and service levels and determine if they are helpful and communicative and whether they are focusing too much on the sales pitch. #### Selection of Live Chat Software **Choose a selection team** The company’s software selection team should already consist of a project manager to manage the process from start to finish and an executive sponsor to ensure buy-in from the company’s decision makers. Naturally, the selection team should also include several employees who will be using the live chat daily, such as sales representatives or customer service agents. **Negotiation** Before signing a contract, buyers should make sure to negotiate for the best price and ask about any discounts for which their business may qualify. This is also the time to discuss implementation and onboarding services and payment plans. **Final decision** Finally, it’s time to decide on a live chat software and sign the dotted line. In the days and months after the purchase, buyers must monitor the company’s progress with the new product. Is the live chat working as intended? Have users fully adopted all the features? Will the product scale with the company’s growth? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” the buyer should consider raising the concerns with the vendor. If they are unable to resolve these issues, it may be time to look for alternatives. ### Live Chat Software Trends **Screen sharing** Sometimes questions are easier to ask with visuals. To help prevent miscommunication, screen sharing allows the customer to show a support agent the basis of their question instead of communicating it through text. Since typing out questions can be a lengthy process for complex issues, screen sharing can help save time and prevent frustration for both the customer and the agent. **Automation** Using chatbots and automated responses for simple customer concerns means having an agent online 24/7 is not necessary. As artificial intelligence becomes more desirable to help businesses automate processes, live chat vendors continue to add features like intelligent responses and automated workflows to their products. These options ensure customers receive assistance at any hour, maintaining customer satisfaction and consistently generating leads.