Tawk to Review: Pricing, Limits and Alternatives
Tawk to (tawk.to) is free live chat software for websites: the chat widget, the inbox and the mobile apps cost $0, and you pay only for add-ons such as removing the “Powered by tawk.to” branding ($29 a month) or AI Assist (from $29 a month). Our verdict: it is a solid pick if you want free chat on one site and can live with the logo. If you run a small SaaS and want feedback, bug reports and analytics in the same place, or one inbox across several apps, an alternative may fit better.
Prices here come from tawk.to’s pricing page in October 2026; check it before you decide. Disclosure: we make Indiehacker Studio, one of the alternatives below, so weigh our view with that in mind.
What is Tawk.to and how do you use it?
To use Tawk to, sign up free at tawk.to, copy the widget script from the dashboard into your site, and answer chats at dashboard.tawk.to (the sign in page is dashboard.tawk.to/login) or in the mobile and desktop apps.
Tawk.to is a hosted live chat widget with a shared inbox, a knowledge base and ticketing. You add a script to your site, visitors chat from a bubble, and you answer from the web dashboard or the apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. The company makes money from add-ons and from hired agents, not from the chat itself.
How much does Tawk.to cost?
The chat is free and the extras are paid, as listed on the pricing page:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Live chat, inbox, apps | Free |
| Remove “Powered by tawk.to” branding | $29 a month |
| AI Assist | From $29 a month, with a free tier for low volume |
| Hire a trained chat agent | $1 an hour |
| Virtual assistants | From $7 an hour |
So the real choice is: free with the logo, or $29 a month to drop it.
What is Tawk.to good at?
- Free core chat. No trial clock on the chat itself.
- Apps everywhere. Phone and desktop apps, so you can answer on the go.
- Extras when you grow. Tickets, a knowledge base, and the option to pay someone to answer for you.
Where does Tawk.to fall short for a small SaaS?
Here is where it falls short when the site is a product, not a brochure:
- The branding costs as much as a paid tool. At $29 a month just to remove the logo, you are in the price range of tools that include more.
- No bug report flow. There is no bug report tab that attaches a screenshot or a screen recording with the page and browser. You get messages, then ask for details.
- A busy dashboard. Tickets, knowledge base and add-ons compete for attention when you only want to answer five chats a day.
- Nothing about your product’s numbers. Traffic and revenue live in other tools, so you jump between tabs to see whether the person chatting is a trial user or a paying customer.
None of these matter if you want a free chat box on one site. They matter when you run a product.
What are the best Tawk.to alternatives?
| Alternative | Best for | Free plan | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiehacker Studio | Founders with several apps who want chat, feedback, bug reports and analytics | 1 site, 50 conversations a month | $12 a month flat |
| Crisp | A two person team that wants a polished inbox | 2 seats | $45 a month per workspace |
| Chatwoot | Self-hosting, open source | Cloud: 2 agents, 500 conversations a month | $19 per agent a month |
| Olark | Teams that want a classic paid tool | 14-day trial | $29 per agent a month |
The full comparison, with Tidio and Intercom, is in the best live chat software for small SaaS.
Indiehacker Studio
One script tag adds a bubble with live chat, a feedback tab with ratings and a bug report tab (screenshots, screen recordings and files on Pro). Every site you run gets its own project, and all conversations land in one inbox. The same script gives you cookieless analytics, and Pro shows Stripe revenue per project, so you can see who you are talking to. If you are away, the bubble collects an email and your reply goes there.
Limits: no mobile app, no AI bot, and browser notifications only while a dashboard tab is open (new conversations also arrive by email). Free covers one site and 50 conversations a month with a small “Powered by”; Pro is $12 a month with no branding.
Crisp
A clean inbox with mobile apps and a free plan for two seats. Paid plans start at $45 a month for four seats.
Chatwoot
Open source, with a free cloud plan and the option to host it yourself. Good if you want control and do not mind running servers.
How do you switch from Tawk.to?
- Sign up for the new tool and copy its script.
- Replace the Tawk.to snippet in your layout once your open chats are answered.
- Set the greeting, color and away email so the new bubble feels like yours.
- Save any conversation history you want to keep from Tawk.to.
- Send a test message from a private window. Our chat box guide has a full test list.
FAQ
Is Tawk.to really free?
The core live chat is free. Branding removal and AI are paid add-ons.
How much does it cost to remove Tawk.to branding?
$29 a month, per tawk.to’s pricing page in October 2026.
Is Tawk.to good for a SaaS?
It works for chat. For bug reports with screenshots, feedback ratings and product numbers in one place, a SaaS focused tool fits better. See in-app feedback and bug reporting tools.
What is the cheapest Tawk.to alternative without branding?
Among the tools above, Indiehacker Studio Pro at $12 a month removes branding and covers up to 50 sites. Its screenshots, recordings and files in bug reports are Pro only.
Next step: try the alternative
If you want chat, feedback, bug reports and analytics from one script, start free with Indiehacker Studio or see pricing. For how to run chat as one person, read our website chat guide.