In an online shop, fast customer service often decides whether a sale happens at all. Live chat software connects your customers with your team directly on your website, at exactly the moment a question is holding up the purchase. So which live chat solution suits your business, and what does it cost?
In this article we compare seven providers from Germany and abroad: Chatarmin, Lime Connect (formerly Userlike), Sinch Engage (formerly MessengerPeople), Superchat, Zendesk, Smartsupp and Tidio. You will see features, prices with a reference date, and pros and cons, so you can make the right choice for your business.
What is live chat software?
Live chat software is a tool your team uses to answer customer enquiries in real time through a chat window on your website. Visitors ask questions without switching channels and get an immediate answer from a person or an AI agent.
Modern live chat software does much more than provide a chat window. Most providers bring website chat, WhatsApp, email and social media together in one shared inbox. On top of that come saved replies, routing to the right team member and chatbots that handle standard questions. Our live chat support guide shows how to run live chat well day to day.
Live chat software compared: the overview
Prices range from free plans to several hundred euros a month, depending on whether you pay per user or a flat fee. The table shows the seven providers at a glance.
| Provider | Based in | Channels | AI agent | Free plan | Starting price according to provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatarmin | Austria | Live chat, WhatsApp, email, Instagram, Facebook, contact forms | Yes | No | Individual quote |
| Lime Connect | Germany | Website chat, WhatsApp and other messengers | Yes, as an add-on | Yes | Pro from €87 per month (annual) |
| Sinch Engage | International (Sinch) | WhatsApp and other messengers, web chat | – | No, 14-day trial | Basics from €59 per month |
| Superchat | Germany | WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, SMS, email, web chat | Yes | Yes | Basic from €89 per month |
| Zendesk | USA | Live chat, messaging across web, mobile and social media, email | Yes | No, 14-day trial | Suite Team from €55 per agent per month (annual) |
| Smartsupp | Czech Republic | Website chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp | Yes (Mira AI) | Yes | Solo from €14 per month (annual) |
| Tidio | USA, offices in Poland | Website chat, video calls, ticketing | Yes (Lyro, as an add-on) | Yes | Starter from €24.17 per month (annual) |
"–" means: not shown in the provider's public documentation. Prices as of 5 November 2026, each taken from the provider's pricing page. You will find details and sources in each provider's section.
Live chat software 1: Chatarmin
Chatarmin is the right choice for e-commerce shops in the DACH region that want to handle live chat, WhatsApp and email in one inbox and resolve standard questions with AI. With armincx by Chatarmin, live chat, WhatsApp, email, Instagram, Facebook and contact forms all land in one shared omnichannel inbox.
AI agents that process orders
The armincx AI agents answer questions and carry out actions directly in your shop. They cancel orders, change addresses or start returns, because armincx connects directly to Shopify, JTL, Xentral, Shopware and Billbee. Our AI customer service benchmark shows the impact: across 131 shops and 2.9 million tickets, one in three tickets is already handled automatically.
WhatsApp marketing and support in one system
When a customer replies to a WhatsApp campaign with a support question, it becomes a ticket in armincx straight away. For phone enquiries there is also voice AI, which we cover in our article on the AI phone assistant. For automated replies directly in the messenger, you use the WhatsApp chatbot.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| AI agents carry out actions in your shop and ERP | No public price, quote only after a demo |
| Live chat, WhatsApp and email in one inbox | No free plan |
| German-speaking onboarding and support | Focus on e-commerce, less on other industries |
Live chat software 2: Lime Connect (formerly Userlike)
Lime Connect suits companies in any industry that want a proven website chat with messaging channels from a German provider. According to the company, it has been on the market for more than 15 years and is ISO 27001 certified.
One highlight is the AI-powered live translation via DeepL, which automatically translates customer messages into the agent's language (Lime Connect Help Centre). Add-ons connect Lime Connect with Slack and Salesforce.
Prices according to Lime Connect, as of 5 November 2026: Free plan with 1 seat, 1 channel and 200 conversations. Pro from €87 per month with annual billing or from €105 with monthly billing, both excluding VAT and with a minimum of 3 seats. The AI Agent add-on costs from €99 per month for 100 conversations.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| AI live translation | AI agent only as a paid add-on |
| ISO 27001, German provider | Pro plan only from 3 seats |
| Free plan for testing | Workflows as an add-on from €50 per month |
Live chat software 3: Sinch Engage (formerly MessengerPeople)
Sinch Engage specialises in customer communication via messengers and suits companies that mainly run WhatsApp campaigns and messenger service. A widget also lets you add a web chat to your website (Sinch Community). You can read more about the channel in our article on messenger marketing.
Prices according to Sinch, as of 5 November 2026: Basics from €59 per month for 1 user, with the other packages going up to Advanced at €739 per month. Each additional user costs €20 per month. There is no free plan, but there is a 14-day trial.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong focus on WhatsApp and messengers | Website chat is one channel among many |
| Campaigns and service in one platform | Additional users cost extra |
| 14-day free trial | No free plan |
Live chat software 4: Superchat
Superchat brings many messaging channels together in one inbox and adds an AI agent and review management. According to the provider, the AI agent answers enquiries on WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, web chat and email and also takes phone calls (Superchat). Facebook Messenger and Telegram can be connected as well.
A standout feature is review management: after a conversation, you send customers a link to an online review via their preferred channel. This helps you collect more reviews on platforms such as Google.
Prices according to Superchat, as of 5 November 2026: Free plan for 1 number, 1 seat and 30 active contacts. Basic from €89 per month, Professional from €149 and Advanced from €299, all net with a 12-month minimum term. An additional seat costs €19 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many channels including Telegram and SMS | 12-month minimum term |
| AI agent for chat, email and phone | Extra fees per conversation started |
| Built-in review management | Very limited free plan |
International live chat software at a glance
Zendesk, Smartsupp and Tidio are the best-known international alternatives, each with a very different target group. For companies with an international focus, they offer multilingual support and many integrations.
| Software | Key features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Zendesk | Complete service platform with ticketing | Larger teams with complex processes |
| Smartsupp | Low-cost entry, AI assistant Mira AI | Small shops and sole traders |
| Tidio | Easy setup, AI agent Lyro, video calls | Small businesses that want to automate |
With international providers, pay particular attention to where your data is stored and to a data processing agreement under the GDPR.
Live chat software 5: Zendesk
Zendesk is a comprehensive customer service platform from the USA that combines live chat, messaging, email and ticketing. According to Zendesk, live chat and messaging across web, mobile and social media are included in every Suite plan. The Marketplace lets you extend Zendesk with numerous apps and integrations. Our comparison armincx vs. Zendesk shows how armincx differs from Zendesk.
Prices according to Zendesk, as of 5 November 2026: Suite Team costs €55 per agent per month with annual billing or €69 with monthly billing. Suite Professional costs €115 or €149 respectively. There is a 14-day trial, but no free plan.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Live chat, messaging and tickets in one suite | Billing per agent, expensive for large teams |
| Large Marketplace with integrations | Monthly billing 25 to 30% more expensive than annual |
| Established with large companies | No free plan |
Live chat software 6: Smartsupp
Smartsupp is affordable live chat software from Brno in the Czech Republic, aimed mainly at small teams and online shops. Besides website chat, you can connect email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp (Smartsupp). Saved replies (shortcuts) speed up answers, conversations can be sorted with tags, and the AI assistant Mira AI answers questions based on your shop content.
Prices according to Smartsupp, as of 5 November 2026: Free plan with 1 operator and 25 conversations per month. Solo from €14, Plus from €21 and Expert from €69 per month, each with annual billing. Mira AI costs from €16 per month for 100 conversations.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very affordable entry | Listed prices apply to annual billing |
| Shortcuts, tags and AI assistant | Free plan limited to 25 conversations |
| Many channels including WhatsApp | AI assistant Mira AI costs extra |
Live chat software 7: Tidio
Tidio is beginner-friendly live chat software headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Poland. Besides live chat, Tidio offers ticketing, video calls with website visitors and the AI agent Lyro (Tidio). According to the company, Tidio stores data on servers in the European Economic Area.
Prices according to Tidio, as of 5 November 2026: Free plan with 50 conversations per month. Starter from €24.17 per month with annual billing or €29 with monthly billing, Growth from €49.17 or €59 respectively. The AI agent Lyro and Flows cost extra depending on volume, and the cost calculator on the pricing page works out the price.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy setup without technical knowledge | AI agent and Flows cost extra |
| Video calls and ticketing built in | Billing by conversation, hard to plan as you grow |
| Free plan and EU data storage | AI agent price only via the cost calculator |
AI in live chat: what can AI agents do today?
An AI agent answers standard questions in live chat automatically and only hands complex cases over to your team. Typical examples in e-commerce are "Where is my order?", questions about returns or sizing. The best systems also carry out actions, such as changing an address in the shop.
According to our customer service automation benchmark, the top 25% of shops reach an automation rate of 61.2%. When choosing a tool, check whether the AI agent is included in the price or billed as an add-on per conversation. At Lime Connect, Smartsupp and Tidio, it comes as a paid add-on according to their pricing pages.
If your main goal is automation and human live chat is secondary, our comparison of chatbot providers shows the right tools.
Is there free live chat software?
Yes, Lime Connect, Superchat, Smartsupp and Tidio offer a free plan, but with tight limits. Smartsupp allows 25 conversations per month, Tidio 50 and Lime Connect 200. Superchat limits its free plan to 30 active contacts.
That is enough for a first test on your website. As soon as several team members chat or you want to add WhatsApp and email, every provider moves you onto a paid plan.
Criteria for choosing the right live chat software
The most important criteria are channels, AI features, integration with your shop and data protection. This order will help you choose.
Features and extensibility
Make sure the software covers every channel your customers use. For online shops, WhatsApp and email matter most alongside website chat. Also check whether there is a mobile app for your team and whether the software connects to your shop system.
If you want to handle live chat and email tickets in one system, consider a combination of live chat and helpdesk.
Ease of use for customers and staff
The chat window should match your brand design and work well on smartphones. For your team, saved replies, tags and routing that sends enquiries to the right person are what count.
GDPR compliance and data security
Make sure the provider:
- stores data in the EU
- offers a data processing agreement (DPA)
- lets you delete data on request
How to integrate live chat software into your business successfully
Start with clear chat hours, saved replies for the most common questions and an AI agent for standard enquiries. Define in advance what the live chat should achieve and which questions your team will handle.
Once you have chosen a provider, installation and configuration follow. Most providers supply a code snippet or a plugin for Shopify and WordPress. Train your team on the software and assign responsibilities.
These points will help you get started:
- Set chat hours during which your team is available.
- Create quick replies for frequently asked questions.
- Let an AI agent pre-qualify enquiries and answer standard questions.
- Connect the live chat to your CRM and shop system.
This way you reply faster and take pressure off your team. For shops that rely heavily on WhatsApp, the WhatsApp Cloud API is also worth a look.
Conclusion: which live chat software is right for you?
The best live chat software depends on the size of your team and the channels your customers use. Smartsupp and Tidio are strong options for a low-cost start with a small team. If you are looking for a proven website chat from Germany, Lime Connect is a good fit, and large service teams with many processes often rely on Zendesk.
For e-commerce shops in the DACH region that want to handle live chat, WhatsApp and email together and resolve standard questions automatically, Chatarmin is the right choice. The armincx AI agents process orders directly in your shop, and WhatsApp marketing and support run in one system.
Book a demo and see in 15 minutes how armincx takes the pressure off your live chat.
Live chat software: frequently asked questions
How much does live chat software cost?
It depends. According to the providers' pricing pages, paid plans start at €14 per month (Smartsupp, annual), while platforms such as Zendesk cost from €55 per agent per month.
Is there free live chat software?
Yes. Lime Connect, Superchat, Smartsupp and Tidio offer free plans with a limited number of conversations or contacts.
How does live chat improve customer service?
Customers get their answer in real time, without email or phone. Your team handles several chats in parallel and answers standard questions with saved replies or AI.
Which features matter in live chat software?
The most important are an AI agent for standard questions, offline messages outside business hours, chat routing to the right team member and reporting. These four features decide how much the live chat relieves your team.
How do I add live chat to my website?
Most providers supply a code snippet that you paste into your website. Ready-made plugins are usually available for Shopify and WordPress.
Is live chat GDPR compliant?
It depends. What matters is where the data is stored, a data processing agreement and a note in your privacy policy.
