Best Live Chat Software for Small SaaS: 7 Picks Compared
The best live chat software for a small SaaS depends on how you work. Crisp is the best free plan for a two person team. Tawk.to is the best free option if you accept its logo. Chatwoot is the best open source pick. Indiehacker Studio is the best fit if you run several apps and want chat, feedback and bug reports in one inbox for a flat $12 a month. Intercom and Olark suit support teams with a budget.
Whatever you pick, look for a usable free plan, a price that does not grow per seat, and an email fallback for when you are away.
Prices below were checked on the vendors’ pricing pages in October 2026. They change often, so confirm before you buy.
How did we pick?
We looked at what matters when you are the whole support team:
- Free plan that is enough to start, not a 7-day demo.
- Pricing model: per seat, per conversation or flat.
- Where you answer: browser, phone app, email.
- Offline flow: does the visitor get your reply if they left?
- Weight: how much the widget adds to your page.
Fair warning: Indiehacker Studio is our product. We list its gaps as plainly as everyone else’s.
Which live chat tools are best for a small SaaS?
| Tool | Free plan | Paid pricing model | Mobile app | AI bot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiehacker Studio | 1 site, 50 conversations a month | Flat $12 a month | No | No |
| Crisp | 2 seats | Per workspace, from $45 a month | Yes | Paid credits |
| Tawk.to | Yes, with branding | Free core, paid add-ons | Yes | Paid add-on |
| Chatwoot | 2 agents, 500 conversations a month (cloud) | Per agent, from $19 | Yes | Paid plans |
| Tidio | Yes, capped conversations | Metered by conversations | Yes | Paid add-on |
| Olark | No, 14-day trial | Per agent, $29 a month | Not listed on pricing | Separate AI plan |
| Intercom | No | Per seat plus AI usage | Yes | Yes |
1. Indiehacker Studio: best for founders running several apps
One script tag adds a bubble with three tabs: live chat, feedback with a rating, and bug reports with screenshots, screen recordings and files. Every site you run gets its own project, and every conversation lands in one inbox. The same script also gives you cookieless analytics, and Pro adds Stripe revenue per project. If the visitor leaves before you answer, the bubble asks for an email and your reply goes there.
Limits to know: no mobile app, no Web Push yet (browser notifications only while a dashboard tab is open, plus email for new conversations), and no AI bot. File attachments and recordings are Pro only.
Price: Free for one site and 50 conversations a month. Pro is a 14-day trial, then $12 a month or $120 a year for every site you run (fair use 50).
2. Crisp: best free plan for a two-person team
Crisp’s free plan includes the chat widget, a shared inbox, mobile apps and two seats, which covers most small products. Paid plans are priced per workspace: Mini is $45 a month for 4 seats, Essentials $95 for 10. AI answers run on credits included in paid plans.
Watch for: the jump from free to $45 a month is steep if you only want one feature from Mini.
3. Tawk.to: best if you want free and do not mind the logo
Tawk.to’s core chat is free, with apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. You pay for extras: removing the “Powered by tawk.to” branding is $29 a month, and AI Assist starts at $29 a month. More in our Tawk.to alternative guide.
Watch for: the free tool comes with the branding, and the dashboard is busy for someone who just wants to answer five chats a day.
4. Chatwoot: best open source option
Chatwoot is an open source support platform you can self-host, or use in the cloud. The cloud free plan allows 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only, with 30 days of data retention. Paid cloud plans start at $19 per agent a month.
Watch for: self-hosting means you run the servers, updates and backups.
5. Tidio: best if you want chat plus automation
Tidio combines live chat with flows and an AI agent. The free plan has a monthly cap on conversations a human replies to, and paid plans are metered by conversations, with AI and automation billed separately. Check the Tidio pricing page for current numbers.
Watch for: usage based billing is harder to predict as you grow.
6. Olark: best for teams that want a classic tool
Olark’s human live chat costs $29 per agent a month, with a 14-day free trial and no permanent free plan. Its AI website agent is a separate plan at $400 a month, billed annually. See our Olark alternative guide.
Watch for: per agent pricing adds up if more than one person answers.
7. Intercom: best for funded teams with a support function
Intercom is a full customer service suite: inbox, help center, tickets and an AI agent, priced per seat plus AI usage. It covers a whole support team, which is more than a solo founder needs.
Watch for: cost, and the setup time a suite asks for.
Which live chat software should you pick?
- One app, tight budget: Crisp or Tawk.to free.
- You want to self-host: Chatwoot.
- Several apps, one person answering: Indiehacker Studio, so every site shares one inbox; see running several side projects from one dashboard.
- A support team with a budget: Intercom or Olark.
Whatever you choose, set up the away flow and an honest greeting. Our website chat guide covers the habits, and how to add a chat box to a website covers the install.
FAQ
What is the best free live chat software?
For one product, Crisp and Tawk.to have the most generous free plans. Chatwoot is free if you self-host it.
Do I need an AI chatbot?
Not on a small product. A fast human reply with context beats a bot that guesses, and you learn more from answering yourself.
Is per seat pricing bad for solo founders?
Not if only you answer. It hurts when a cofounder or helper joins and the bill doubles.
Can live chat replace a bug tracker?
No, but a bug report tab in the widget feeds one. See bug reporting tools and bug trackers for small teams.
Next step: try it on your site
Indiehacker Studio adds live chat, feedback, bug reports and cookieless analytics from one script, for every site you run. Start free or see pricing.