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The LiveAgent Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about LiveAgent 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.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

LiveAgent

The Insider’s Guide

Help desk with email tickets, live chat, call center and AI agents

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from LiveAgent’s own pages.

Made by Quality Unit, LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.6GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from LiveAgent’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LiveAgent’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.6

GPA, above 12 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade

LiveAgent is a help desk that handles email tickets, website live chat, phone calls and social messages in one place, with a knowledge base and customer portal. It is priced per agent, and AI agents are included on every plan, while the call center and most social channels need a higher plan or a monthly add-on.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about LiveAgent, taken from its own pages and our grades.

  1. 1

    Best for email, chat and phone support on a budget

    LiveAgent does email tickets, website chat, a knowledge base and AI agents from $15 an agent, which is a lot for the money, and it adds a call center on the next plan up.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $15 a month for each person

    As its pricing page puts it: $15 per agent / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).

  3. 3

    You can try it first

    30-day free trial, no credit card required

  4. 4

    It runs on 3 platforms

    Web, iOS and Android.

  5. 5

    Email ticketing

    Support emails become tickets with collision detection, merging, splitting, tags, custom fields and canned replies.

  6. 6

    Live chat

    A chat button for websites with a real-time visitor monitor and satisfaction surveys. Proactive chat invitations start on Medium.

  7. 7

    Call center

    From Medium up: call queues, IVR, call routing and transfers, and call recording inside the help desk.

  8. 8

    A 2.6 GPA, above 12 of 19

    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. 9

    Keep it

    To replace LiveAgent you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

LiveAgent at a glance

Pricing
Free trial, from $15 per agent / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
Free plan
No
Free trial
30-day free trial, no credit card required
Runs on
Web, iOS, Android
Made by
Quality Unit, LLC
Category
Help Desks & Live Chat
Our grade
2.6 GPA, good

The report card

Best for email, chat and phone support on a budget

LiveAgent does email tickets, website chat, a knowledge base and AI agents from $15 an agent, which is a lot for the money, and it adds a call center on the next plan up. There's a 30-day trial with no card, too. The catch is social channels: on the two cheaper plans, Facebook, WhatsApp and the rest cost $39 a month each.

ToolGPA report cardLiveAgentGraded Oct 17, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyBSmall business is $15 an agent a month billed yearly ($19 monthly), inside the cheaper quarter of help desks, and it already has email tickets, live chat, a knowledge base, a customer portal and AI agents. The call center is on Medium at $29.
Free plan and trialCA 30-day free trial with no card needed, which is one of the longer ones here. There's no free plan, so after the month you pay or leave.
FeaturesBEmail tickets, live chat, a call center with IVR, AI agents, a knowledge base, customer portal and forum, and Facebook, Instagram, X, Viber, Telegram and WhatsApp in the same queue. That covers the whole job.
Ease of useCNo store rating on record. There's a lot in one product, email accounts, chat buttons, phone queues and automation rules, so expect a learning curve before it all runs.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Zapier, WordPress, Stripe, BigCommerce and Asana, plus WhatsApp and Telegram as channels and an API. There's no desktop app, so it stops at a B.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.6

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 LiveAgent is for

  • Great if your team answers email, chat and phone and wants one help desk for all three
  • Handy when you're a small support team after a low price per agent
  • Good for anyone who wants a full month to try it before paying

Who it is not for

  • Pricey if you need social channels on a cheaper plan, at $39 a month each for Facebook, X, Viber and WhatsApp
  • Tight if you're on Small, with 3 email accounts, 2 chat buttons and 20 canned messages
  • Skip it if you want phone support on the entry plan, as the call center starts on Medium

Good to know

Good for

  • Teams that answer email, chat and phone from one help desk
  • Small support teams wanting a low per-agent price
  • Businesses that want a long trial before paying

Worth knowing

  • On Small and Medium, Facebook, X, Viber and WhatsApp cost $39 a month each, and Instagram adds $19 on top of Facebook; they are included from Large.
  • The call center, reports and SLAs need Medium or above.
  • Small is limited to 3 email accounts, 2 chat buttons and 20 canned messages.
  • Time tracking is a $19 a month add-on below Large, and each extra knowledge base costs $19 a month.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$15

A month to start, for each person

LiveAgent is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $15 per agent / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).

There's no free plan, so after the month you pay or leave.
From our grade for free plan and trial
  • Small business

    $15

    per agent / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)

    Email ticketing, live chat, a knowledge base, customer portal, contact forms, automation rules and AI agents. 3 email accounts and 2 chat buttons.

  • Medium business

    $29

    per agent / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)

    Adds a call center with IVR, AI agent setup, reports, proactive chat invitations, SLAs, SSO and custom roles. 10 email accounts.

  • Large business

    $49

    per agent / month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)

    Adds time tracking and an audit log, and includes Facebook, Instagram, X, Viber, Telegram and WhatsApp without add-on fees.

  • Enterprise

    $69

    per agent / month, billed annually ($85 billed monthly)

    Near-unlimited limits, a dedicated account manager, priority support, no LiveAgent branding and custom billing. Sold after a demo call.

Trying it first

30-day free trial, no credit card required

Read from liveagent.com on Oct 17, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discount

    About 21% off with annual billing

    LiveAgent lists Small at $15 per agent a month billed annually against $19 billed monthly, with lower annual rates on every plan.

    Stated on liveagent.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

3

Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android

Help desk with email tickets, live chat, call center and AI agents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, reports, help desk, live chat, help center, AI support agent.

Web, iPhone and Android, with Slack, Zapier, WordPress, Stripe, BigCommerce and Asana, plus WhatsApp and Telegram as channels and an API.
From our grade for platforms and integrations
Email ticketing
Support emails become tickets with collision detection, merging, splitting, tags, custom fields and canned replies.
Live chat
A chat button for websites with a real-time visitor monitor and satisfaction surveys. Proactive chat invitations start on Medium.
Call center
From Medium up: call queues, IVR, call routing and transfers, and call recording inside the help desk.
AI agents
An AI chatbot that hands chats to a person, an answer assistant for agents, and AI that replies to, sorts and summarizes tickets.
Self-service
A knowledge base, customer portals and a customer forum on every plan. Extra knowledge bases cost $19 a month each.
Social and messaging channels
Facebook, Instagram, X, Viber, Telegram and WhatsApp messages land in the ticket queue. WhatsApp works through Twilio or 360dialog.

Where it runs

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

What it works with

  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • WordPress
  • Stripe
  • BigCommerce
  • Asana
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram

LiveAgent is made by Quality Unit, LLC.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

12/19

Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above

LiveAgent's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 3.

It stands best on value for money (B, above 12 of 19) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $15 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 3 of the 18 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. LiveAgent’s own letter is outlined.

  • BValue for moneyAbove 12 of 19
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 19
  • BFeaturesAbove 9 of 19
  • CEase of useAbove 0 of 19
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 19

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 19 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LiveAgent is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessLiveAgentZoho DeskTidiotawk.toeDeskKommunicate

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 LiveAgent you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It costs $180 a year.

What you could make

  • Help desk, help center and reports: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
  • A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
  • A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
  • It plugs into other products, Slack, Zapier and WordPress among them, and has an API.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. LiveAgent’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

Zendesk, Freshdesk, Zoho Desk, Text by LiveChat and Deskpro

The 5 tools LiveAgent is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

  • 2.4GPA

    Zendesk

    Free trial · from $19/mo

    Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams.

      LiveAgent and Zendesk compared in full
    • 2.4GPA

      Freshdesk

      Free trial · from $19/mo

      Email ticketing help desk with a knowledge base and AI agents.

      • LiveAgent also covers live chat.
      • Freshdesk also covers shared inbox.
      LiveAgent and Freshdesk compared in full
    • 3.4GPA

      Zoho Desk

      Free plan · from $7/mo

      Low-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users.

      • Zoho Desk has a free plan. LiveAgent does not, though it has a free trial.
      LiveAgent and Zoho Desk compared in full
    • 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 and Windows apps.
      • LiveAgent also covers reports and help center.
      LiveAgent and Text by LiveChat compared in full
    • 1.8GPA

      Deskpro

      From $39/mo

      Help desk for cloud or self-hosted use, with seat minimums.

      • Deskpro is self-hostable, according to its own site.
      • LiveAgent also covers reports.
      LiveAgent and Deskpro compared in full

    Part 06 · Questions

    Quick answers

    The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

    14

    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 LiveAgent free?

    No, LiveAgent is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.

    How much does LiveAgent cost?

    LiveAgent lists 4 plans. Small business: $15 per agent / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).

    What platforms does LiveAgent work on?

    LiveAgent is available on Web, iOS and Android.

    Does LiveAgent offer any discounts?

    LiveAgent publicly lists the following: About 21% off with annual billing.

    Does LiveAgent have a Windows app?

    No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. LiveAgent is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

    Does LiveAgent have a macOS app?

    No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. LiveAgent is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

    Is LiveAgent open source?

    LiveAgent is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

    Does LiveAgent have an API?

    Yes. LiveAgent offers a public API, according to its own site.

    What does LiveAgent integrate with?

    LiveAgent's listing names Slack, Zapier, WordPress, Stripe, BigCommerce, Asana, WhatsApp and Telegram.

    Who makes LiveAgent?

    LiveAgent is made by Quality Unit, LLC.

    What are the alternatives to LiveAgent?

    The closest alternatives to LiveAgent in our directory are Zendesk, Freshdesk, Zoho Desk, Text by LiveChat and Deskpro.

    How does LiveAgent compare with other help desk and live chat tools?

    LiveAgent's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 3.

    Is LiveAgent good value for money?

    ToolGPA grades LiveAgent B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 3 of the 18 others that charge start lower.

    Could I make my own version of LiveAgent?

    To replace LiveAgent you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.

    Where this guide comes from

    The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LiveAgent’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LiveAgent's own pages on 17 October 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 Quality Unit, LLC. Prices change, so check liveagent.com before you buy.

    Part 07 · About

    About ToolGPA

    Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

    1,858

    Tools graded, in 46 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.

    ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

    • 1,858

      tools graded

    • 46

      categories

    • 426

      price changes on record

    • 579

      apps priced in 12 countries

    What else is on toolgpa.com

    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, "LiveAgent: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/liveagent

    Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?

    Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/liveagent/guide

    ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

    See our other guides

    The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after LiveAgent, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

    ToolGPA

    Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

    Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

    Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what LiveAgent’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. LiveAgent is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Quality Unit, LLC. Prices and plans change: check liveagent.com before you buy.