Best live chat software for ecommerce in 2026

Which chat option fits your store?

The short answer

Richpanel combines chat, AI order actions and a helpdesk. Evaluate Tidio for smaller-store chat, Gorgias for Shopify workflows, and Fin for Intercom or another inbox. Compare LiveChat for agent-led chat, Crisp for workspace plans and Re:amaze for ecommerce channels.

See our AI customer service comparison for broader AI options, or the Shopify-specific cut for Shopify requirements.

Richpanel publishes this comparison and is included in it. Vendor sources are linked in the table.

Decide what happens after a shopper opens chat

Test the whole conversation. Can customers get a correct answer, complete a permitted order change or reach a person with context?

Recurring requests. Start with tracking, exchanges, delivery pauses and address changes. Include questions that need judgment and should reach your team.

Speed and quality. Measure response time, confirmed resolutions and customer satisfaction together. A fast reply is useful only if it helps the customer.

Check how the chat connects to the rest of your support. See AI chatbot vs. AI agent for how to distinguish an answer from a completed action.

Compare chat and AI costs together

A free widget may still require people to answer every request. Paid plans may charge separately for seats, AI usage or other channels.

Gorgias prices helpdesk tickets and AI resolutions. Fin charges for outcomes, with other costs depending on the helpdesk setup. Tidio uses AI allowances. Confirm the current LiveChat and Crisp plans, included seats and AI usage limits.

Richpanel human seats cost $99/month each on annual billing. AI averages about $0.20 per conversation, with a $200/month minimum. Model choice and billing terms affect usage costs. Include your remaining agent workload when comparing costs. Per-conversation charges still rise with usage.

Test routing, busy periods and handoffs

Use a busy-period scenario in the trial, including chats that need to continue by email.

Check whether requests reach agents with the right permissions. Test queues, unavailable agents and what happens when a customer leaves the chat.

When chat moves to email, the next agent should see the history and actions already attempted. Check this even when both channels share a vendor.

Set expectations for response times

Show customers when a person is available. Test AI responses outside those hours and how urgent or sensitive cases reach your team.

Let AI handle the repeat work it can complete accurately. Keep people available for exceptions and requests that need judgment.

Assess the cost for a small team

A free widget may be enough at low volume. Compare the hours spent answering repetitive chats with the cost and quality of automation.

What to test before choosing

Use your own chats, policies and order systems. Include tone, approvals and handoffs in the success criteria.

Can it resolve your tickets?

Test 100 representative tickets. Count confirmed resolutions, mistakes and human handoffs separately. An unanswered follow-up is not proof of success.

Can it complete an order change?

Ask the AI to update an address or pause a delivery within your rules. Check what happens when permission is missing or an action fails.

Can you test before launch?

Review historical chats before launch. Ask how your team investigates mistakes, changes instructions and approves automatic replies.

Does context carry across channels?

Start a chat and continue it by email or social. Verify that your team sees the whole conversation. Confirm voice integrations separately.

What does rollout require?

Ask who connects systems, writes instructions and trains the team. Separate an initial demonstration from a tested pilot and full deployment.

What will you pay at peak?

Include helpdesk fees, AI usage, minimum commitments and overages. Per-conversation pricing also grows with usage.

What carries over when you switch?

Confirm history imports, saved replies and app connections. Start with AI drafts for approval if your team needs to review quality before automatic replies.

Agree on success criteria before the pilot. Include accuracy, completed work, response time and customer satisfaction.

Compare ecommerce chat options

The table compares capabilities and billing models. Original research dates are listed below. Confirm exact actions and current terms in your trial.

Platform	Chat and AI capabilities	Chat and AI billing	Order actions	Best fit
Richpanel	Automatic replies or drafts for approval. QA review.	Human seats + AI usage. See pricing below.	Shopify and connected-app actions within your permissions	AI order actions with team controls
Tidio (Lyro)	AI answers and supported actions	Plan and AI conversation allowance	Shopify integration. Test required actions.	Smaller stores evaluating chat and AI
Gorgias	AI answers and order actions	Helpdesk ticket plan + AI resolutions	Shopify and ecommerce app integrations	Teams using Shopify app workflows
Intercom (Fin)	AI answers and connected actions	Fin outcomes + helpdesk costs, depending on setup	Test required store integrations	Intercom messaging or AI on another helpdesk
LiveChat	Agent-led chat and AI options	Confirm seat and AI plan charges	Test required store integrations	Teams prioritizing agent-led chat
Crisp	Chat, AI answers and workflows	Workspace plans with seat and AI allowances	Test Shopify actions on the required plan	Teams evaluating workspace-based pricing
Re:amaze	AI answers and agent assistance	Seat plans and AI allowances	Shopify and multi-store basics; order lookup and actions	Ecommerce teams needing multiple stores

Check current terms before signing. Send corrections to amit@richpanel.com.

Check what happens when your chat or AI allowance runs out. Include extra seats, usage and the work left for agents in the cost comparison.

Which option fits your team?

Use these starting points to choose vendors for a trial. Verify the required integrations and permissions in each one.

Tidio (Lyro)

Tidio fits smaller stores evaluating chat and AI answers. Check conversation allowances and required Shopify actions. Compare the paid plan you would actually need, rather than the free entry offer.

Gorgias

Gorgias fits teams whose existing workflows work well. Its Shopify integrations support ecommerce operations. Ask whether improved instructions or permissions can resolve your current gaps before migrating. Include ticket and AI usage in the quote.

Intercom (Fin)

Fin fits teams using Intercom messaging or seeking a separate AI service. It supports answers and connected actions. Compare its outcome fees with your helpdesk costs, and test the ecommerce workflows you need.

LiveChat

LiveChat fits teams prioritizing agent-led chat. Test routing, saved responses, reporting and store context. Confirm current AI options and their separate costs if you plan to automate requests.

Crisp

Crisp fits teams evaluating workspace-based chat pricing. Check included seats, AI credits and overages on the plan you need. Test order actions and cross-channel handoffs before assuming a flat plan covers all usage.

Re:amaze

Re:amaze fits ecommerce teams comparing inbox, chat and AI features together. Check plan allowances and required order actions. Include seat costs and any AI limits in the quote.

Richpanel

Richpanel fits teams automating routine chat with order context and team approvals. It also connects chat with other support channels.

Aeons reports 63% of conversations resolved automatically. Its published AI CSAT is 4.39/5 against a 4.33 team-wide average. Aeons case study [2] Richpanel bills human seats plus AI usage. Include model choice and the AI minimum in your comparison. Test required app actions. Voice uses partner integrations, and there is no free standalone chat plan.

Choose a shortlist for your needs

Use your preferred support model and required integrations to narrow the list.

AI order actions with team approvals: Richpanel.
Smaller store focused on chat: Tidio.
Existing Shopify support workflows: Gorgias.
Intercom messaging or AI on another inbox: Fin.
Agent-led chat: LiveChat.
Workspace-based pricing: Crisp. Check AI allowances.
Ecommerce chat and multiple stores: Re:amaze.

Ask each shortlisted vendor for a customer reference with similar ticket volume and integrations.

Questions to ask during the trial

Run these tests on your own chats and store policies.

Test 100 of our historical chats.

Review correct answers, completed actions and failures. Include unusual cases and missing information.

What counts as a resolution?

Ask how the vendor treats silence, reopened tickets and human handoffs. Apply the same definition across your trial.

Show an approved order change in chat.

Test an address edit or delivery pause. Verify the result in the order system and check how failed actions reach an agent.

Show the bill at normal and peak volume.

Include AI usage, helpdesk charges, required add-ons, minimums and overages. Ask what happens when a limit is reached.

Check which conversations, macros, tags and users import. Allow time to verify data, reconnect apps and train your team. Start with replies requiring approval. See our migration guide and Richpanel versus Gorgias comparison.

Limits of this comparison

A public comparison cannot establish how a product performs on your tickets.

No shared benchmark. We have not tested every vendor on an identical ticket set.
Products change. Original research dates appear below. Confirm current capabilities, allowances and rates before signing.
Other options. Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, Gladly, Kustomer and Shopify Inbox may fit. Related guides: Best Zendesk Alternatives, Best Gorgias Alternatives, Best Multichannel AI Support Platform and Best AI Customer Service for Shopify.

Use a trial to validate quality and total cost before deciding to move.

Other chat tools to consider

Check current features and pricing against your requirements. These tools have not been tested on a shared ticket sample here.

Tawk.to

Tawk.to offers chat tools. Check its current free-plan limits and separate AI options. Budget for people to handle requests outside your automation.

Olark

Olark offers agent-led chat. Confirm current pricing, store connections and automation options before comparing it with AI platforms.

Freshchat

Freshchat offers chat and Freddy AI options. Confirm plan requirements, session allowances and the actions available through your connected systems.

Zendesk Chat

Zendesk messaging connects chat to its support platform. Confirm the current AI allowances and whether the required voice, routing or reporting features need a different plan.

Help Scout and the Shopify Inbox widget

Help Scout offers inbox and chat features. Shopify Inbox provides Shopify storefront chat. Test each against your required channels and order actions.

Include human-support quality in the comparison. A tool may fit your team even when automatic resolution is not your main objective.

Questions about ecommerce live chat

What is the best live chat software for a Shopify store in 2026?

Choose around your chat volume, store apps, support model and budget. Run a trial that includes completed actions, human handoffs and customer satisfaction.

What is the difference between live chat and an AI agent that resolves?

Live chat is a channel. An AI agent can answer there and take permitted actions through connected systems. Test what it can complete, and when it hands over to a person.

Is free live chat good enough for an ecommerce store?

It can be at low volume when someone can answer reliably. Evaluate paid automation when repetitive chats consume more time than your team can spare.

Does live chat have to be a separate tool from my helpdesk?

No. Chat can share a helpdesk or connect to one. Test whether the history, order data and attempted actions follow the customer when a person takes over.

How fast can I add resolving AI chat without losing my history?

Plan for app connections, policy review, historical-chat tests and agent training. An initial demo is separate from deployment. Confirm what imports and what your team must rebuild.

How much does live chat software cost for ecommerce?

Compare plans, seats, AI usage, channel fees and overages at normal and peak volume. Richpanel bills human seats plus AI usage. Include model choice and the AI minimum in your comparison.

What features should ecommerce live chat software have?

Test order context, accurate answers, permitted actions, routing, saved history and reporting. Include a handoff to a person and a follow-up through another channel.

How many people do I need to staff live chat?

Use arrival patterns, handling time and target response times to plan staffing. Reduce the forecast only by the work your AI has demonstrated it can complete accurately.

What happens when a live chat turns into a support ticket?

The receiving agent should get the chat history, customer details and actions already attempted. Test this handoff across the exact tools your team uses.

Where the claims come from.

Inline citations [1]–[2] map to the entries below. Each competitor's pricing and product page used to source its table row is linked inline in the comparison table.

Vendor sources. The original June 2026 price examples are no longer presented as current quotes. Product links in the table are starting points. Confirm current plans, AI units, allowances and extra charges with each vendor.
Aeons customer results. Aeons reports 63% of conversations resolved automatically. Its published AI CSAT is 4.39/5 against a 4.33 team-wide average. Aeons case study

Version history, v1.1 (2026-06-18): added cost and feature FAQs (free plans, the chat widget, the mobile app, chat transcripts, self-service, ecommerce platform integrations). v1.0 (2026-06-04): initial publication. Table cells are a snapshot of public vendor documentation and pricing as of the publication date.