Website chat comparison

Website chat products compared on cost and scope.

Public prices are normalized to the same conversation volumes. The tables show what those prices actually buy.

10 comparison rows · 9 priced series · Source checks through August 23, 2026 · Per-product dates in the CSV · No aggregate score

Cost by monthly conversation volume

The lowest public path to recurring autonomous AI, normalized to the same volumes.

Select product names to hide or show them. Both axes are logarithmic; lines join the eight modeled points.

Swipe the graph horizontally to see the higher-volume scenarios.

Estimated monthly website-chat cost by monthly conversation volumeCost curves for nine priced series from approximately 22 to 3,000 conversations per month. Filled points use exact public prices, hollow points are calculated estimates, and upward arrows indicate published minimums. Message-metered products use 8 AI messages per conversation. The chart shows month-to-month pricing for one month.$0$10$25$50$100$250$500$1,000$2,000$3,500225/week6515/week15035/week300≈70/week650150/week1,000≈230/week1,500≈350/week3,000≈700/weekChatbaseChatbase: ≈22 conversations/month, $40+ for one month (Hobby; at least 176 message credits)Chatbase: ≈65 conversations/month, $40+ for one month (Hobby; at least 520 message credits)Chatbase: ≈150 conversations/month, ≈$80+ for one month (Hobby + whole 1,000-credit recharge packs; at least 1,200 message credits)Chatbase: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$120+ for one month (Hobby + whole 1,000-credit recharge packs; at least 2,400 message credits)Chatbase: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$230+ for one month (Standard + whole 1,000-credit recharge packs; at least 5,200 message credits)Chatbase: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$310+ for one month (Standard + whole 1,000-credit recharge packs; at least 8,000 message credits)Chatbase: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$470+ for one month (Standard + whole 1,000-credit recharge packs; at least 12,000 message credits)Chatbase: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$860+ for one month (Pro + whole 1,000-credit recharge packs; at least 24,000 message credits)Chatway AI SupportChatway AI Support: ≈22 conversations/month, ≈$11 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈65 conversations/month, ≈$32.50 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈150 conversations/month, ≈$75 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$150 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$325 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$500 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$750 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Chatway AI Support: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$1,500 for one month (all conversations assumed resolved by AI)Crisp / HugoCrisp / Hugo: ≈22 conversations/month, $45 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈65 conversations/month, ≈$45–$46.50 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈150 conversations/month, ≈$47.50–$55 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$55–$70 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$72.50–$105 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$90–$140 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$115–$190 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Crisp / Hugo: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$190–$340 for one month (Mini + Hugo PAYG at Crisp's estimated average cost)Intercom / FinIntercom / Fin: ≈22 conversations/month, ≈$61 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈65 conversations/month, ≈$103 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈150 conversations/month, ≈$188 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$336 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$683 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$1,029 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$1,524 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Intercom / Fin: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$3,009 for one month (1 Essential seat + one Fin support outcome per conversation)Smartsupp / MiraSmartsupp / Mira: ≈22 conversations/month, $20 for one month (100 Mira conversations)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈65 conversations/month, $20 for one month (100 Mira conversations)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈150 conversations/month, ≈$40 for one month (200 Mira conversations; assumes 100-conversation capacity steps)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$60 for one month (300 Mira conversations; assumes 100-conversation capacity steps)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$140 for one month (700 Mira conversations; assumes 100-conversation capacity steps)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$200 for one month (1000 Mira conversations; assumes 100-conversation capacity steps)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$300 for one month (1500 Mira conversations; assumes 100-conversation capacity steps)Smartsupp / Mira: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$600 for one month (3000 Mira conversations; assumes 100-conversation capacity steps)Stand ChatStand Chat: ≈22 conversations/month, $0 for one month (Base; assumes no week exceeds 15 conversations)Stand Chat: ≈65 conversations/month, $0 for one month (Base; assumes no week exceeds 15 conversations)Stand Chat: ≈150 conversations/month, $10 for one month (Pro)Stand Chat: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$25 for one month (Pro + $0.10/chat overage)Stand Chat: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$60 for one month (Pro + $0.10/chat overage)Stand Chat: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$95 for one month (Pro + $0.10/chat overage)Stand Chat: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$145 for one month (Pro + $0.10/chat overage)Stand Chat: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$295 for one month (Pro + $0.10/chat overage)tawk.to AI Assisttawk.to AI Assist: ≈22 conversations/month, ≈$29 for one month (Growth; 176 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈65 conversations/month, ≈$29 for one month (Growth; 520 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈150 conversations/month, ≈$59 for one month (Growth + whole 1,000-credit top-up packs; 1,200 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$89 for one month (Growth + whole 1,000-credit top-up packs; 2,400 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$129 for one month (Business + whole 1,000-credit top-up packs; 5,200 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$189 for one month (Business + whole 1,000-credit top-up packs; 8,000 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$309 for one month (Business + whole 1,000-credit top-up packs; 12,000 AI messages)tawk.to AI Assist: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$519 for one month (Enterprise + whole 1,000-credit top-up packs; 24,000 AI messages)TextText: ≈22 conversations/month, ≈$74.50 for one month (Essential + automatic 50-resolution refills; one user)Text: ≈65 conversations/month, $99 for one month (Growth; one user)Text: ≈150 conversations/month, $99 for one month (Growth; one user)Text: ≈300 conversations/month, ≈$198 for one month (Growth + automatic 50-resolution refills; one user)Text: ≈650 conversations/month, ≈$544.50 for one month (Growth + automatic 50-resolution refills; one user)Text: ≈1,000 conversations/month, ≈$891 for one month (Growth + automatic 50-resolution refills; one user)Text: ≈1,500 conversations/month, ≈$1,386 for one month (Growth + automatic 50-resolution refills; one user)Text: ≈3,000 conversations/month, ≈$2,871 for one month (Growth + automatic 50-resolution refills; one user)Tidio / LyroTidio / Lyro: ≈22 conversations/month, $39 for one month (50 Lyro conversations)Tidio / Lyro: ≈65 conversations/month, $75 for one month (100 Lyro conversations)Tidio / Lyro: ≈150 conversations/month, $110 for one month (150 Lyro conversations)Tidio / Lyro: ≈300 conversations/month, $210 for one month (300 Lyro conversations)Tidio / Lyro: ≈650 conversations/month, $525 for one month (750 Lyro conversations)Tidio / Lyro: ≈1,000 conversations/month, $700 for one month (1,000 Lyro conversations)Assumed conversations per month — logarithmic scaleEstimated monthly cost (USD) — logarithmic scale
Billing
8

Products with a public monthly billing option.

Only Chatbase and tawk.to change with this setting. Chatbase uses the one-credit-per-reply minimum; some models use up to six.

Public rateEstimateRange↑Published minimumLines stop at custom pricing.
Pricing assumptions

Public list prices exclude taxes, negotiated terms, and unrelated add-ons. Annual costs apply published discounts; otherwise monthly charges repeat for 12 months. Crisp uses its published Hugo range, Smartsupp rounds to the next 100 conversations from its public examples, and Tidio becomes custom above 1,000 conversations.

Intercom assumes one billed Fin support outcome per conversation, Text one AI resolution for one user, and Chatway every conversation resolved by AI. Drift has no comparable current public package and is omitted.

Download pricing data (CSV) → Volumes, message assumptions, numeric bounds, calculation status, notes, and sources.

How each product charges

AI price and billing unit, human-chat entry, and the next material gate.

Chatbase
Recurring AI price and unit
Free: 50 message credits/month. Hobby: $40/month for 700; each AI reply uses 1–6 credits.
Human-chat entry
Hobby has two members but no Helpdesk. Helpdesk starts at $150/month.
Next plan or add-on
Standard adds Helpdesk, API, voice, telephony, campaigns, and advanced integrations.
Chatway
Recurring AI price and unit
10 starter credits, then $0.50 per resolved AI conversation; public docs conflict on whether every AI-handled conversation is billed.
Human-chat entry
Free: one seat, unlimited human chats and websites.
Next plan or add-on
Solo is $29/month. Team is $79 and adds four seats, automation, and Help Center.
Crisp
Recurring AI price and unit
Mini: $45/workspace with $5 Hugo credit. Hugo averages $0.05–$0.10 per conversation and continues PAYG.
Human-chat entry
Free: two seats and unlimited human conversations.
Next plan or add-on
Essentials is $95 and adds ten seats, workflows, knowledge, omnichannel, analytics, and routing.
Intercom
Recurring AI price and unit
Essential: $39/seat monthly, plus $0.99 Fin support outcomes or $9.99 sales qualifications.
Human-chat entry
Plans include live chat; full seats are billed.
Next plan or add-on
Advanced is $99/seat and adds workflows, multiple inboxes, round robin, ticket portal, and custom reports.
LiveChat / Text
Recurring AI price and unit
Text Essential: $25/user monthly with ten AI resolutions; 50-resolution refills cost $49.50.
Human-chat entry
LiveChat Starter or Text Essential: $25/user monthly.
Next plan or add-on
Text Growth is $99/user and adds 200 resolutions, campaigns, workflows, supervision, and reporting.
Smartsupp
Recurring AI price and unit
Mira: $20/month for 100 AI conversations on one website; public tiers cover 100–5,000.
Human-chat entry
Free: one operator and 25 chats/month. Solo is $24 for unlimited human chats.
Next plan or add-on
Mira plus Solo starts at $44/month; higher human plans add operators, workflows, and history.
Stand Chat
Recurring AI price and unit
$0 Base: 15 conversations/week. Pro: $10/month for 150, then $0.10 each. Each new conversation counts once; messages and AI replies do not multiply usage.
Human-chat entry
Unlimited reps and sites. Page views and widget loads are not metered.
Next plan or add-on
Pro adds documents and sitemaps, custom signals, AI digests, longer history, top-ups, and branding removal.
tawk.to
Recurring AI price and unit
Hobby: 100 AI-message credits/month free. Growth: $29 for 1,000; each generated AI message uses one credit.
Human-chat entry
Unlimited human agents, chats, and sites in the free core product.
Next plan or add-on
Growth adds three AI agents, human escalation, top-ups, and API. Branding removal is $39/property/month.
Tidio
Recurring AI price and unit
Lyro: $39/month for 50 recurring AI conversations; self-serve tiers stop at 1,000.
Human-chat entry
Free: ten seats and 50 billable human conversations/month.
Next plan or add-on
Customer Service Growth is $59 and adds permissions, analytics, and assignment; Plus starts at $300 plus usage.

Lowest public tier where each fact was verified; unknowns stay unknown. Drift is excluded because no current comparable public package or billing unit was found after its sunset announcement. Migration context →

What each product is built to do

A focused website chat, AI-agent builder, and full support suite are not equivalent products.

Product scope
AI-agent builder with sources, actions, and integrations; Helpdesk begins on Standard.
Human takeover or handoff
Standard routes ongoing widget and messaging conversations into Helpdesk.
Proactive chat
Delayed initial messages, with page-specific variants.
Contact capture and booking
Hobby actions can collect leads and book through Calendly or Cal.com.
Product scope
Live chat and multichannel support inbox with a usage-priced AI agent.
Human takeover or handoff
People can take over or reassign an AI conversation in the same workspace.
Proactive chat
Time and scroll triggers; paid page and country targeting; Team workflows.
Contact capture and booking
The default form captures name and email; no verified native scheduler.
Product scope
Customer-service workspace spanning live chat, inbox, AI, workflows, omnichannel, and ticketing.
Human takeover or handoff
Hugo escalates on Mini; routing and automatic assignment start on Essentials.
Proactive chat
Triggers on Mini; workflows on Essentials.
Contact capture and booking
Contact form on Free; Essentials can collect data and link or embed external booking.
Product scope
Legacy revenue-chat platform for playbooks, qualification, routing, meetings, and CRM workflows.
Human takeover or handoff
Legacy bots could qualify and route to reps; current sunset behavior is not fully documented.
Proactive chat
Legacy playbooks targeted by page, campaign, account, and behavior.
Contact capture and booking
Legacy qualification, CRM handoff, and meeting booking.
Product scope
Customer-service platform with Messenger, Inbox, tickets, Help Center, reports, and Fin.
Human takeover or handoff
Fin escalates into Inbox; requested human handoff is free, while a configured Procedure handoff may be billed.
Proactive chat
Outbound chats, banners, and tooltips are included; broader campaigns are a $99/month add-on.
Contact capture and booking
Stores leads and attributes; Fin for Sales can offer calendar availability.
Product scope
LiveChat is staffed chat; Text combines AI, takeover, Inbox, tickets, workflows, and channels.
Human takeover or handoff
Text includes AI-to-human takeover; standalone LiveChat uses a separate ChatBot product for AI.
Proactive chat
LiveChat Starter includes one recurring campaign; Text Essential includes three.
Contact capture and booking
Forms are included; LiveChat meeting booking uses a Calendly app.
Product scope
Live chat and multichannel inbox with separately priced Mira AI.
Human takeover or handoff
Mira can hand over to a person and can run with the Free live-chat plan.
Proactive chat
One automatic message on Free; workflows and visitor engagement on Plus.
Contact capture and booking
Forms and workflows collect visitor data; no verified native scheduler.
Product scope
Human-first website chat; AI Stand-ins cover when no eligible rep can answer.
Human takeover or handoff
Reps can watch, take over, or ask to join. Signals alert but do not route automatically.
Proactive chat
Reveal chat on load, delay, scroll, or from page controls.
Contact capture and booking
Captures name, email, and phone with consent; no native meeting scheduler.
Product scope
Free live chat, ticketing, CRM, and knowledge base; AI Assist is metered separately.
Human takeover or handoff
Human chat is free; automatic AI escalation starts on Growth.
Proactive chat
Triggers, visitor context, departments, and routing are included.
Contact capture and booking
Pre-chat details feed its CRM; no verified native meeting scheduler.
Product scope
Modular suite: Customer Service, Lyro AI, and Flows are separate products.
Human takeover or handoff
Lyro transfers to a person or ticket; people can enter active AI conversations.
Proactive chat
Flows—not Lyro—run targeted greetings and journeys under a separate quota.
Contact capture and booking
Surveys and Flows collect contacts; eligible Lyro tiers can use a Calendly action.

Detailed comparisons

Full facts, caveats, and first-party sources for each product.

Stand vs Chatbase→Stand vs Chatway→Stand vs Crisp→Drift migration and sunset contextsunsetStand vs Intercom→Stand vs LiveChat / Text→Stand vs Smartsupp→Stand vs tawk.to→Stand vs Tidio→Recurring free AI allowances→