79% of consumers prefer live chat because they get instant answers. Yet most websites still rely on contact forms and emails that take 24–48 hours to answer. In a world where customers expect responses in under 60 seconds, that gap costs sales.
Chatbots and live chat tools are no longer a “nice to have” — they're the communication infrastructure that can double a website's conversion rate. The problem? There are dozens of options, each with different strengths, and the wrong choice means money wasted on a tool nobody uses.
In this guide we compare the 6 best chatbot and live chat tools, explain when to use each type, and give you a clear plan for implementation.
When to use a chatbot vs. live chat
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The right tool depends on your conversation volume, question complexity, and available staff. Here are the 3 main scenarios:
Live chat: real-time human support
Ideal for complex questions, high-value products/services, or situations that require empathy and human judgment. Examples: technical consulting, price negotiations, complaint resolution. The downside: it requires available staff and doesn’t scale without additional costs.
Chatbot: 24/7 automation
Perfect for frequently asked questions (FAQs), lead qualification, appointment scheduling, and collecting initial information. A well-configured chatbot can handle 60–80% of website interactions without human intervention. Available 24/7, zero wait time.
Hybrid: the best of both worlds
The chatbot handles simple questions and qualifies leads, then automatically transfers complex conversations to a human agent. This approach reduces your team’s workload by 50–70% while ensuring no customer goes unanswered.
Comparison: 6 chatbot & live chat tools
We tested and compared the most popular tools on the market. Here's a quick overview before we dive into the details:
| Tool | Type | Best For | Key Feature | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Hybrid | SMBs, e-commerce | AI chatbot + live chat | €29/mo |
| Manychat | Chatbot | Social media, DTC brands | Instagram/FB/WhatsApp automation | Free / $15/mo |
| Landbot | Chatbot | Lead generation | Visual no-code builder | €40/mo |
| Wati.io | Chatbot | WhatsApp Business | Official WhatsApp API | $49/mo |
| Intercom | Hybrid | Enterprise, SaaS | AI + unified inbox | $39/user/mo |
| Drift | Hybrid | B2B, sales teams | Revenue acceleration | Custom pricing |
Detailed review of each tool
Tidio
Tidio is one of the most popular hybrid solutions: it combines an AI chatbot (Lyro) with live chat in a single platform. It's ideal for SMBs and online stores that want to automate answers to common questions while keeping the option to transfer to a human agent.
The Lyro AI chatbot can resolve up to 70% of conversations automatically, using your website content as its knowledge base. Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, and other popular platforms. Also includes basic email marketing features.
Pricing: Free plan available (50 conversations/month). Paid plans start at €29/month. AI Lyro is a separate add-on.
Try TidioManychat
Manychat is the market leader for social media conversation automation. If you sell through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp, Manychat is the obvious choice. It lets you create automated flows that respond to comments, DMs, and messages — ideal for DTC brands and e-commerce.
Key strength: automating Instagram comment replies (comment-to-DM) and building sales sequences in Messenger. Integrations with Shopify, Stripe, Zapier, and Google Sheets.
Pricing: Free plan up to 1,000 contacts. Pro from $15/month for unlimited contacts and advanced features.
Try ManychatLandbot
Landbot is a no-code chatbot builder with an excellent visual drag-and-drop interface. It's ideal for marketing teams that want to create conversational flows for lead generation without depending on developers.
It can replace traditional website forms with conversational experiences that have 2–3x higher completion rates. Also supports WhatsApp as a channel. Includes conditional logic, calculations, and native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, and Google Sheets.
Pricing: Limited free plan (100 chats/month). Paid plans start at €40/month.
Try LandbotWati.io
Wati.io is the specialist solution for the WhatsApp Business API. If WhatsApp is your primary customer communication channel, Wati offers everything you need: automated chatbots, broadcast messaging, shared team inbox, and integrations with popular CRMs.
Build no-code conversation flows, send automated order confirmations and notifications, and manage all WhatsApp conversations from a single dashboard. Ideal for e-commerce, services, and hospitality businesses.
Pricing: From $49/month for 5 users. Includes access to the official WhatsApp Business API.
Try Wati.ioIntercom
Intercom is the enterprise solution for customer communication. It combines live chat, an AI chatbot (Fin), unified inbox, knowledge base, and advanced automations in a single platform. It's used by SaaS and tech companies because it offers deep product integration (in-app messages, guided tours, onboarding).
Pricing: From $39/user/month. Costs can escalate quickly as you add features and users. It's an investment that only makes sense with high conversation volume and a dedicated support team.
Drift
Drift (now part of Salesloft) is focused on B2B and “revenue acceleration.” It's not a simple live chat — it's a platform that identifies website visitors, qualifies them automatically, and connects them directly with the right sales rep. Includes AI chatbots, automatic meeting scheduling, and integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot.
Pricing: Custom pricing (typically over $2,500/month). Only justified for B2B companies with sales teams of 5–10+ people and high-value deals.
Practical implementation tips
Regardless of which tool you choose, success depends on how you implement it. Here are the ground rules:
- ✓Start with 3–5 frequently asked questions and automate the answers. Don’t try to cover everything on day one.
- ✓Set a maximum response time for live chat (under 60 seconds) and configure auto-messages when the team is unavailable.
- ✓Use a proactive welcome message — don’t wait for the visitor to start the conversation. A simple “Can I help you with something?” increases interactions by 40%.
- ✓Collect contact details early in the conversation (email or phone) so you can follow up even if the visitor leaves the site.
- ✓Review conversations weekly: which questions repeat, where does the chatbot get stuck, which conversations led to sales.
- ✓Test the tool on a free plan before committing financially. Every solution on this list has a trial or free tier.
Golden rule: a simple chatbot that works beats a complex system that nobody configures. Start small, measure results, and optimize gradually.
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