Chaport, JivoChat, and Smartsupp all target small and mid-sized businesses that want affordable live chat without committing to a full helpdesk suite, but…
freemium subscription · From Free plan available; paid plans from $17 per month (billed annually)
Best for: E-commerce stores that want live chat paired with an AI shopping assistant to reduce cart abandonment.
At a Glance
Chaport
JivoChat
Smartsupp
Primary category
Live Chat
Live Chat
Live Chat
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
freemium subscription
Starting price
Free
Free (paid plans from $28/agent/month)
Free plan available; paid plans from $17 per month (billed annually)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Public API
Not documented
Yes
Not documented
Standout Differences
JivoChat has the broadest native channel coverage
JivoChat unifies website chat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Viber, email, and phone calls in one shared inbox, more channels than either Chaport or Smartsupp bundle natively.
JivoChat
Chaport and JivoChat both offer more generous free tiers than Smartsupp
Chaport's free plan supports 2 operators with unlimited chats and websites, and JivoChat's free plan supports up to 5 agents, while Smartsupp's free plan caps out at 25 conversations per month for a single operator.
Chaport, JivoChat, Smartsupp
All three now sell AI chatbot capability
Chaport bundles chatbots and an FAQ bot into its top Unlimited tier, JivoChat and Smartsupp both offer an AI agent (JivoChat's AI Agent and Smartsupp's Mira) as a paid add-on rather than a free-tier feature.
Chaport, JivoChat, Smartsupp
Chaport prices its Pro plan flat rather than per agent
Chaport's Pro tier is $29/month for 4 operators as a flat rate, whereas JivoChat and Smartsupp both bill per agent, which can cost more as a team grows.
Chaport
Feature-by-Feature
Free Plan and Core Chat
Feature
Chaport
JivoChat
Smartsupp
Usable free plan
Available
Available
Limited
Multichannel messaging beyond website chat
Available
Available
Available
AI and Automation
Feature
Chaport
JivoChat
Smartsupp
AI chatbot or AI agent
Available
Available
Available
Automation and routing rules
Available
Available
Available
Advanced Channels and CRM
Feature
Chaport
JivoChat
Smartsupp
Built-in CRM
Unavailable
Available
Not documented
Telephony or click-to-call
Unavailable
Available
Unavailable
Video calls
Unavailable
Available
Unavailable
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Chaport
Free — $0 forever
Pro — $29/month (billed annually) annual
Unlimited — $99/month (billed annually) annual
JivoChat
Free — $0 monthly
Basic — $28/agent/month annual
Professional — $42/agent/month annual
Enterprise — $56/agent/month annual
Smartsupp
Free — $0 forever
Solo — $17 per month annual
Plus — $25 per month annual
Expert — $83 per month annual
Pros & Cons
Chaport
Pros
Usable free plan with 2 operators and unlimited chats/websites
Multi-channel messaging including Viber and Telegram, less common among competitors
Affordable Pro tier compared to larger customer service suites
Available on web, desktop, and mobile
Cons
Free plan chat history limited to 60 days
Advanced automation (chatbots, knowledge base) only available on the top Unlimited plan
Native integrations are limited mainly to Zapier rather than a broad app marketplace
Not a full helpdesk/ticketing platform, so may need pairing with another tool for complex support operations
JivoChat
Pros
Generous free plan supports up to 5 agents with no time limit
True multichannel inbox covering WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and more
Fast, straightforward widget installation on any website
Built-in CRM and canned responses reduce the need for extra tools
Native mobile and desktop apps keep agents responsive on the go
Cons
WhatsApp connects via a paid third-party (Twilio-based) module rather than a native integration
Notification volume can feel excessive without tuning settings
Advanced features like video calls and the Chat API are locked behind the Enterprise tier
Per-agent pricing on annual billing adds up quickly for larger support teams
Support response times are reported as inconsistent on lower-tier plans
Smartsupp
Pros
Genuinely usable free plan for very small sites or early-stage businesses
Combines live chat and AI chatbot in one affordable platform rather than requiring separate tools
Multichannel support for WhatsApp and Messenger in addition to on-site chat
Annual billing offers a meaningful roughly 30 percent discount over monthly pricing
Cons
Free plan's 25 conversation per month cap is quite limiting for active stores
Mira AI Agent is a separate add-on with its own pricing rather than being bundled into core plans
Higher operator counts on Expert and Enterprise plans can add up in cost for larger support teams
Smaller company size relative to larger live chat competitors like Intercom or Zendesk
Use Cases
Choose Chaport: Small teams wanting a generous free tier and affordable flat-rate pricing without per-agent costs.
Choose JivoChat: Businesses that want a true omnichannel inbox (WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, calls) plus a built-in CRM and telephony in one platform.
Choose Smartsupp: E-commerce stores that want live chat paired with an AI shopping assistant to reduce cart abandonment.
Chaport
Small business customer support — Small teams use Chaport's Free or Pro plan as an affordable way to add live chat and messaging support to their website.
E-commerce sales chat — Online stores use auto-invitations and multi-channel messaging to engage shoppers and answer pre-sale questions in real time.
Agency management of multiple client sites — Agencies use Chaport across multiple websites under one account to manage chat support for several clients.
JivoChat
Small e-commerce support — Online stores add the JivoChat widget to answer pre-sale questions in real time and recover abandoned carts with proactive invitations.
Multichannel customer support teams — Support teams consolidate WhatsApp, Instagram and website chat into a single agent inbox to avoid missing messages across channels.
Lead capture for service businesses — Local service businesses use callback widgets and offline forms to capture leads outside business hours and route them into the built-in CRM.
Smartsupp
E-commerce visitor engagement — Online stores use proactive chat triggers and visitor tracking to engage shoppers in real time and reduce cart abandonment.
AI-assisted customer support — Support teams deploy the Mira AI Agent to automatically answer common product and order questions, freeing agents for complex cases.
Multichannel messaging support — Businesses consolidate WhatsApp, Messenger, and website chat conversations into a single inbox for consistent responses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these live chat tools has the best free plan?
Chaport and JivoChat both offer more usable free plans (2 operators with unlimited chats for Chaport, up to 5 agents for JivoChat) than Smartsupp, whose free plan is capped at 25 conversations per month.
Do any of them support WhatsApp?
JivoChat and Smartsupp both integrate WhatsApp. Chaport's multichannel support centers on Facebook, Viber, Telegram, and email rather than WhatsApp.
Which one includes a built-in CRM?
JivoChat is the only one of the three with a built-in, lightweight CRM for tracking leads and conversation history automatically.
Are these tools priced per agent?
JivoChat and Smartsupp both bill per agent on their paid tiers. Chaport's Pro plan is a flat rate covering up to 4 operators rather than a per-agent charge.
Which is best for e-commerce stores specifically?
Smartsupp positions itself most directly around e-commerce, combining live chat with its Mira AI agent and proactive triggers designed to reduce cart abandonment.