Crisp, DelightChat, and LiveChat all sit in the live chat and customer messaging category, but they target different buyers. Crisp is the budget-friendly…
Best for: Budget-conscious small teams wanting a genuinely free tier and per-workspace, not per-seat, pricing that unifies chat, email, and an AI chatbot.
Best for: D2C and e-commerce brands, especially Shopify merchants, that need official WhatsApp Business API messaging paired with order-context support.
Subscription (14-day free trial) · From $19/month (billed annually)
Best for: Mid-market and enterprise support teams wanting a financially stable, publicly traded vendor with an AI-plus-human inbox and a broader product suite spanning chat, chatbots, and ticketing.
At a Glance
Crisp
DelightChat
LiveChat
Primary category
Customer Support
Customer Support
Customer Support
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium (per-workspace subscription)
Subscription with free trial
Subscription (14-day free trial)
Starting price
Free
$29/month
$19/month (billed annually)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Crisp is the only one with a permanent free plan
Crisp's Free plan supports 2 agent seats with a real shared inbox and mobile apps at no time limit, while DelightChat and LiveChat both rely on 14-day free trials before requiring payment.
Crisp, DelightChat, LiveChat
DelightChat is purpose-built for WhatsApp commerce on Shopify
DelightChat uses the official Meta WhatsApp Business API for compliant broadcasts and automation, and pulls Shopify order history directly into the conversation view, a depth of e-commerce-specific integration neither Crisp nor LiveChat's documented features match.
DelightChat
LiveChat is backed by a publicly traded parent company
LiveChat is developed by Text S.A., listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange with roughly 90 million dollars in trailing revenue, giving it a level of financial transparency and stability that Crisp and DelightChat, both privately held, do not offer.
LiveChat
Pricing models differ significantly across the three
Crisp prices per workspace rather than per seat, DelightChat uses flat monthly tiers from 29 dollars, and LiveChat prices per person starting at 19 dollars per month for a single user and scaling to 49 or 79 dollars per person on higher tiers.
Crisp, DelightChat, LiveChat
Feature-by-Feature
Pricing Model
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
LiveChat
Permanent free plan
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
Per-workspace, not per-seat, pricing
Available
Not documented
Unavailable
Channel Coverage
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
LiveChat
Official WhatsApp Business API integration
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Unified inbox spanning chat, email, and social or messaging channels
Available
Available
Limited
Automation and AI
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
LiveChat
AI chatbot or AI-assisted replies
Available
Available
Available
Real-time conversation translation
Available
Not documented
Not documented
Support Depth
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
LiveChat
Full ticketing system included
Available
Not documented
Not documented
Staffing and workload prediction
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Crisp
Free — $0 Forever
Mini — $45/month per workspace Monthly
Essentials — $95/month per workspace Monthly
Plus — $295/month per workspace Monthly
Enterprise — Custom Custom
DelightChat
Startup — $29 per month
Scale — $99 per month
Growth — $299 per month
LiveChat
Starter — $19/month Annual (1 user)
Team — $49/person/month Annual
Business — $79/person/month Annual
Enterprise — Custom pricing Contact sales
Pros & Cons
Crisp
Pros
Permanent free plan with real functionality (2 seats, shared inbox, mobile apps) rather than a short trial
Per-workspace pricing instead of per-agent seats can be significantly cheaper for larger support teams
Combines live chat, email, chatbot, and knowledge base without needing multiple separate tools
Widget supports 60-plus languages with real-time translation for genuinely global support
Cons
AI features are metered by included credits, so heavy chatbot usage can require additional paid usage
Higher tiers (Essentials, Plus) get expensive quickly for teams that need omnichannel and automation features
Some advanced features like the full ticketing system and white-labeling are reserved for the top Plus tier
As a smaller, France-based company, its integration ecosystem is narrower than large incumbents like Zendesk or Intercom
DelightChat
Pros
Combines helpdesk and WhatsApp marketing automation in one affordable product
Uses the official, compliant WhatsApp Business API rather than unofficial integrations
Tight Shopify integration surfaces order data directly in conversations
SME-friendly pricing with a 14-day free trial
Cons
Small team (~15 people) relative to larger helpdesk competitors like Gorgias or Zendesk
Primarily Shopify/e-commerce focused, less suited to non-retail use cases
No native desktop or mobile apps, web app only
Higher-tier Growth plan (~$299/month) is needed for full automation and scale features
LiveChat
Pros
Backed by a publicly traded, financially transparent parent company
Integrated AI-plus-human inbox with revenue attribution
Part of a multi-product suite (LiveChat, ChatBot, HelpDesk)
Trusted by over 35,000 companies with 24/7/365 support
Clear per-person pricing tiers with a no-credit-card free trial
Cons
Per-person pricing on Team and Business tiers can get expensive for larger teams
Visitor tracking limits on lower tiers may be restrictive for high-traffic sites
Enterprise features like HIPAA compliance and SSO require custom Enterprise pricing
Frequently confused with the unrelated company LiveAgent due to similar naming
Advanced reporting and staffing prediction are gated behind the Business tier
Use Cases
Choose Crisp: Budget-conscious small teams wanting a genuinely free tier and per-workspace, not per-seat, pricing that unifies chat, email, and an AI chatbot.
Choose DelightChat: D2C and e-commerce brands, especially Shopify merchants, that need official WhatsApp Business API messaging paired with order-context support.
Choose LiveChat: Mid-market and enterprise support teams wanting a financially stable, publicly traded vendor with an AI-plus-human inbox and a broader product suite spanning chat, chatbots, and ticketing.
Crisp
E-commerce customer support — Online stores use Crisp's chat widget and e-commerce integrations to answer pre-sale questions and support orders in real time.
SaaS support and onboarding — SaaS companies use Crisp's shared inbox, chatbot, and knowledge base to handle support tickets and guide new users through onboarding.
Multilingual global support — Support teams serving international customers use Crisp's widget localization and LiveTranslate to communicate across language barriers without hiring multilingual agents.
DelightChat
Centralizing multi-channel support — Manage WhatsApp, Instagram, and email conversations from one inbox.
Recovering abandoned carts via WhatsApp — Automate WhatsApp messages to win back abandoned checkouts.
Automating order and shipping notifications — Send automated WhatsApp updates tied to Shopify order status.
LiveChat
E-commerce sales-driven chat — Online retailers use LiveChat's revenue-attribution counter and AI-plus-human inbox to tie live chat conversations directly to sales outcomes.
Dedicated customer service departments — Larger customer service teams use LiveChat's Business plan for staffing prediction, advanced reporting and SMS/Apple Messages for Business support.
Regulated enterprise support — Enterprises needing HIPAA compliance and SSO use LiveChat's Enterprise plan with white-label widgets and dedicated onboarding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of Crisp, DelightChat, and LiveChat has a free plan?
Crisp, whose Free plan supports 2 agent seats, a shared inbox, and mobile apps with no time limit. DelightChat and LiveChat both operate on 14-day free trials rather than a permanent free tier.
Which is best for WhatsApp-based e-commerce support?
DelightChat, since it is built around the official WhatsApp Business API and pulls Shopify order history directly into the conversation view, letting agents answer order questions without switching tabs.
How does pricing differ between the three?
Crisp prices per workspace rather than per agent seat, which can be cheaper for larger teams. DelightChat uses flat monthly tiers starting at 29 dollars. LiveChat prices per person, starting at 19 dollars per month for a single user on Starter and rising to 49 or 79 dollars per person on Team and Business.
Which vendor is the most financially established?
LiveChat, developed by Text S.A., a company publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2014 with roughly 90 million dollars in trailing-twelve-month revenue as of mid-2026.
Do all three offer AI chatbot features?
Yes. Crisp includes an AI chatbot and AI-assisted replies metered by monthly credits, DelightChat offers an AI chatbot for automated first-response handling before human handoff, and LiveChat markets an AI-plus-human inbox with AI agents working alongside human agents.
Is LiveChat the same company as LiveAgent?
No, they are separate, unrelated companies that happen to have similar product names in the same market category. LiveChat is developed by Text S.A. of Poland, while LiveAgent is built by Quality Unit, based in Slovakia.