The Text by LiveChat Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Text by LiveChat 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.
Text by LiveChat
The Insider’s Guide
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Text by LiveChat’s own pages.
Made by Text, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 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 Text by LiveChat’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Text by LiveChat’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
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Text by LiveChat is the live chat and customer service tool that livechat.com now sells to new customers in place of the older LiveChat plans. It brings website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS and email into one inbox with ticketing, and every plan includes an AI Agent with a monthly allowance of AI resolutions. Pricing is per user.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Text by LiveChat, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You add the chat box to your site, connect each channel and point the AI agent at your knowledge sources before it does much on its own.
- 1
Best for website chat with an AI agent included
Text by LiveChat is the new LiveChat: website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS and email in one inbox, with tickets and an AI agent on every plan from $19 a user.
- 2
Paid plans start at $19 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $19 per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial of Essential or Growth, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Website chat with visitor tracking
A chat widget for websites and stores that shows who is browsing, which pages they view and, for Shopify stores, what is in their cart.
- 6
One inbox for several channels
Website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS through Twilio and email arrive in one inbox, with a ticketing system for follow-ups, on every plan.
- 7
AI Agent
Answers customers from your knowledge sources and hands over to a person. Essential includes 1 agent and 10 resolutions a month, Growth 10 agents and 200.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 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
Keep it
To replace Text by LiveChat 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.
Text by LiveChat at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $19 per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Essential or Growth, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Text, Inc., since 2002
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for website chat with an AI agent included
Text by LiveChat is the new LiveChat: website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS and email in one inbox, with tickets and an AI agent on every plan from $19 a user. Its apps cover every device, too. But the step from Essential to Growth is $19 to $79 a user, and its plans list no help center or phone channel.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Essential is $19 a user a month billed yearly ($25 monthly), between the cheaper quarter and the middle of help desks. It already has chat, tickets and an AI agent, but only 10 AI resolutions a month, and the next plan, Growth, is $79 a user. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 14-day free trial of Essential or Growth with no card needed. There's no free plan, and once it ends every person who answers chats or tickets needs a paid seat. |
| Features | C | Website chat that shows who's browsing and what's in their cart, one inbox for chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS and email, tickets, an AI agent and reply help. The gaps: no help center or phone channel on the listing, and Essential keeps 60 days of history. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You add the chat box to your site, connect each channel and point the AI agent at your knowledge sources before it does much on its own. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android apps for agents, with Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, Webflow, WhatsApp, Instagram and Klaviyo, and an API. Every device type is covered. |
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 Text by LiveChat is for
- Great if you sell online and want chat that shows what a shopper has in their cart
- Handy when you want an AI agent included in the seat price, not billed on its own
- Good for teams who answer from desktops as well as phones
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you need unlimited chat history, as that waits on Growth at $79 a user
- Not for you if you want a help center or phone support in the same tool
- Tight if your AI agent gets busy, since Essential has 10 resolutions a month and 50 more cost $49.50
Good to know
Good for
- Online stores, especially on Shopify, that sell through chat
- Small teams that want chat and tickets under one per-user price
- Teams that want an AI agent included rather than billed separately
Worth knowing
- New sign-ups now get Text plans; the older LiveChat plans stay only for existing customers, and Text features are not part of them.
- AI resolutions beyond the monthly allowance (10 on Essential, 200 on Growth) cost $49.50 per pack of 50.
- There is no free plan, and every person who answers chats or tickets needs a paid seat.
- Essential keeps chat and file history for 60 days and tracks 50 live visitors; unlimited history and multilingual chat need Growth.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$19
A month to start, for each person
Text by LiveChat is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19 per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
There's no free plan, and once it ends every person who answers chats or tickets needs a paid seat.
Essential
$19
per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Chat, inbox and ticketing, 1 AI Agent with 10 AI resolutions a month, 50 live visitors tracked, 3 proactive campaigns and 60 days of chat history.
Growth
$79
per user / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Adds 10 AI Agents and 200 AI resolutions a month, chat supervision, shared canned replies, unlimited history, 400 live visitors and team reports.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom AI agents built for you, flexible usage limits, a white-label widget, SSO and audit logs, SLAs and a dedicated account team. Sold through sales.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of Essential or Growth, no credit card required
Read from livechat.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 20% to 24% off with annual billing
The pricing page puts the annual saving at about 24% on Essential ($19 against $25 per user a month) and about 20% on Growth ($79 against $99).
Stated on livechat.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, help desk, live chat, AI support agent.
- Website chat with visitor tracking
- A chat widget for websites and stores that shows who is browsing, which pages they view and, for Shopify stores, what is in their cart.
- One inbox for several channels
- Website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS through Twilio and email arrive in one inbox, with a ticketing system for follow-ups, on every plan.
- AI Agent
- Answers customers from your knowledge sources and hands over to a person. Essential includes 1 agent and 10 resolutions a month, Growth 10 agents and 200.
- AI Copilot for agents
- Suggests replies and edits text for the team: 5 suggestions per user a month on Essential and 50 on Growth, which also adds chat and ticket summaries.
- Proactive campaigns
- Chat invitations and cart recovery messages shown to visitors, with sales reports tied to chats. Essential allows 3 campaigns and Growth 30.
- Apps for desktop and phone
- Agents can work in a browser or in apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- WordPress
- Webflow
- Messenger
- Klaviyo
Text by LiveChat is made by Text, Inc., and has been around since 2002.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/19
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Text by LiveChat's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 16 of 19) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $19 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 5 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. Text by LiveChat’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 19
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 19
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 19
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 19
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 16 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. Text by LiveChat 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 Text by LiveChat 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.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 8 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools grade higher. It costs $228 a year.
What you could make
- Help desk: an app builder makes this 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.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Shopify, WooCommerce and WordPress among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
What this rests on. Text by LiveChat’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
Tidio, Intercom, Zendesk, Crisp and tawk.to
The 5 tools Text by LiveChat is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 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. Text by LiveChat does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Only Text by LiveChat lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Intercom also covers shared inbox, reports and help center.
- 2.4GPA
Zendesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams.
- Only Text by LiveChat lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Zendesk also covers reports and help center.
- 2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Crisp has a free plan. Text by LiveChat does not, though it has a free trial.
- Text by LiveChat also covers help desk.
- Crisp also covers shared inbox and help center.
- 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. Text by LiveChat does not, though it has a free trial.
- tawk.to also covers help center.
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 Text by LiveChat free?
No, Text by LiveChat is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial of Essential or Growth, no credit card required.
How much does Text by LiveChat cost?
Text by LiveChat lists 3 plans. Essential: $19 per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
What platforms does Text by LiveChat work on?
Text by LiveChat is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does Text by LiveChat offer any discounts?
Text by LiveChat publicly lists the following: About 20% to 24% off with annual billing.
Does Text by LiveChat have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Text by LiveChat is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Text by LiveChat open source?
Text by LiveChat is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Text by LiveChat have an API?
Yes. Text by LiveChat offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Text by LiveChat integrate with?
Text by LiveChat's listing names Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, Webflow, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Klaviyo.
Who makes Text by LiveChat?
Text by LiveChat is made by Text, Inc. It dates from 2002.
What are the alternatives to Text by LiveChat?
The closest alternatives to Text by LiveChat in our directory are Tidio, Intercom, Zendesk, Crisp and tawk.to.
How does Text by LiveChat compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Text by LiveChat's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Text by LiveChat good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Text by LiveChat C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $19 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 5 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Text by LiveChat?
To replace Text by LiveChat 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 Text by LiveChat’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 LiveChat'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 Text, Inc. Prices change, so check livechat.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
- Text by LiveChat, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/livechat
- 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, "Text by LiveChat: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/livechat
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/livechat/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Text by LiveChat, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 20 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
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 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 Text by LiveChat’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. Text by LiveChat is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Text, Inc. Prices and plans change: check livechat.com before you buy.