The Chatlio Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Chatlio in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Chatlio
The Insider’s Guide
Website live chat that your team answers from Slack, Teams or Discord
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Chatlio’s own pages.
Made by Chatlio LLC · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Chatlio’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Chatlio’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 54 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Chatlio puts a chat widget on a website and routes each visitor conversation into the team's existing chat app, where operators reply without opening a separate inbox. It supports Slack, Microsoft Teams and Discord. Plans are priced by operators and monthly conversations instead of per seat.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Chatlio, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You install the widget and link a chat app.
- 1
Best for website chat answered from Slack
Chatlio is website live chat that your team answers from Slack, Teams or Discord.
- 2
Paid plans start at $30 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $30 per month for 2 operators, billed monthly.
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial on every plan, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Answer chats from Slack, Teams or Discord
Each visitor conversation opens in its own channel, so several teammates can join one chat and several chats can run at once.
- 6
Widget styling and CSS access
Every plan allows unlimited domains, full widget customization and CSS changes; the Team plan and up adds a white-label widget.
- 7
Triggers and pre-chat questions
Automatic chat invitations, pre-chat questions for lead qualification and saved replies are included from the Team plan.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 54 of 92
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Chatlio you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Chatlio at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $30 per month for 2 operators, billed monthly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial on every plan, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Chatlio LLC, since 2015
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for website chat answered from Slack
Chatlio is website live chat that your team answers from Slack, Teams or Discord. Mini is $30 a month for 2 operators and 250 conversations, and the useful extras start at Team.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $30 a month for 2 operators, $15 each, inside the category's cheaper quarter of $19. Team is $70 for 5. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 30-day free trial on every plan with no card needed. No free plan. |
| Features | C | Live chat, styling, visitor context, hours and an API. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job than a help desk, with no ticketing. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You install the widget and link a chat app. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web widget answered through Slack, Teams or Discord, with an API and webhooks, but no app of its own. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Chatlio is for
- Fits if your team already lives in Slack, Teams or Discord
- Works for a small site that wants live chat and nothing else
Who it is not for
- Tight if you want triggers, saved replies or bots, because Mini lacks them and Team is $70
- Tight if you get many chats, as plans cap conversations from 250 up to 20,000 a month
- Not for you if you want a mobile app of its own, since replies happen inside your chat app
- Watch out: Slack restricted accounts and single-channel guests cannot answer without an invite to each channel
- Watch out: Team's $70 is shown as a launch price, with $100 as the regular price
Good to know
Good for
- Small teams that already work in Slack, Teams or Discord
- Sites that want chat without a per-seat help desk bill
- Founders answering visitors directly from a phone via Slack
Worth knowing
- Replies happen inside Slack, Teams or Discord; there is no separate Chatlio mobile app.
- Mini has no triggers, saved replies, custom bots or white-label widget; those start at Team.
- Slack restricted accounts and single-channel guests cannot answer chats without being invited to each one.
- Plans cap conversations per month, from 250 on Mini to 20,000 on Scale.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$30
A month to start
Chatlio is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $30 per month for 2 operators, billed monthly.
Mini
$30
per month for up to 2 operators, billed monthly
2 operators, 1 widget and 250 conversations a month, with reports, API and webhooks.
Team
$70
per month for up to 5 operators, billed monthly
5 operators, 2 widgets, 2,000 conversations; adds triggers, saved replies, bots. Shown as a launch price; regular $100.
Business
$200
per month for up to 15 operators, billed monthly
15 operators, 10 widgets, 6,000 conversations a month and priority support.
Scale
$500
per month for up to 50 operators, billed monthly
50 operators, 25 widgets, 20,000 conversations a month, invoice payment and a direct line to the founder.
Trying it first
30-day free trial on every plan, no credit card required
Read from chatlio.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Website live chat that your team answers from Slack, Teams or Discord. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, shared inbox, workflow automation, live chat, chatbots.
Live chat, styling, visitor context, hours and an API.
- Answer chats from Slack, Teams or Discord
- Each visitor conversation opens in its own channel, so several teammates can join one chat and several chats can run at once.
- Widget styling and CSS access
- Every plan allows unlimited domains, full widget customization and CSS changes; the Team plan and up adds a white-label widget.
- Triggers and pre-chat questions
- Automatic chat invitations, pre-chat questions for lead qualification and saved replies are included from the Team plan.
- Visitor context
- Operators see where the visitor is on the site, their location, browser and operating system, plus data sent with the JavaScript identify call.
- Operating hours and offline mode
- Set hours for the widget; outside them it can show an email form or hide itself.
- API and webhooks
- A widget API, server API and webhooks come on every plan, for example to export transcripts to other systems.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Discord
Chatlio is made by Chatlio LLC, and has been around since 2015.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
54/92
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Chatlio's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 54 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 65 of 92) and worst on features (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $30 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 44 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 22 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 93 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Chatlio’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 65 of 92
- CFree plan and trialAbove 30 of 92
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 92
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 92
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 92
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 80 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Chatlio is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Chatlio you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $360 a year.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A chatbot builder hooked into the messaging apps.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
What this rests on. Chatlio’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
tawk.to, Crisp, Text by LiveChat, Tidio and Olark
The 5 tools Chatlio is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
tawk.to
Free plan · from $29/mo
Free live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons.
- tawk.to has a free plan. Chatlio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only tawk.to lists Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Chatlio also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and chatbots.
- 2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Crisp has a free plan. Chatlio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Crisp lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Chatlio also covers workflow automation and chatbots.
- 2.4GPA
Text by LiveChat
Free trial · from $19/mo
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team.
- Only Text by LiveChat lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Chatlio also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and chatbots.
- Text by LiveChat also covers help desk and AI support agent.
- 3.2GPA
Tidio
Free plan · from $24.17/mo
Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations.
- Tidio has a free plan. Chatlio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Tidio lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Chatlio also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and chatbots.
- 2.2GPA
Olark
Free trial · from $29/mo
Live chat for websites, with an optional flat-fee AI agent.
- Only Olark lists iOS and Android apps.
- Chatlio also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.
- Olark also covers AI support agent, sMS marketing and whatsApp messaging.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Chatlio free?
No, Chatlio is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial on every plan, no credit card required.
How much does Chatlio cost?
Chatlio lists 4 plans. Mini: $30 per month for up to 2 operators, billed monthly.
What platforms does Chatlio work on?
Chatlio is available on Web.
Does Chatlio have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Chatlio is listed for Web.
Does Chatlio have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Chatlio is listed for Web.
Is Chatlio open source?
Chatlio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Chatlio have an API?
Yes. Chatlio offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Chatlio integrate with?
Chatlio's listing names Slack, Microsoft Teams and Discord. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Chatlio?
Chatlio is made by Chatlio LLC. It dates from 2015.
What are the alternatives to Chatlio?
The closest alternatives to Chatlio in our directory are tawk.to, Crisp, Text by LiveChat, Tidio and Olark.
How does Chatlio compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Chatlio's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 54 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 17.
Is Chatlio good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Chatlio B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $30 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 44 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Chatlio?
To replace Chatlio you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Chatlio’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Chatlio's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Chatlio LLC. Prices change, so check chatlio.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Chatlio, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/chatlio
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Chatlio: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/chatlio
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/chatlio/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Chatlio, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 93 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- ProProfs Live Chat Insider's GuideLive chat with an AI agent, free for a single operator3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Chatlio’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Chatlio is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Chatlio LLC. Prices and plans change: check chatlio.com before you buy.