Best Live Chat Plugins for WordPress Websites

In the past years, live chat has grown from a “nice to have feature” to a “need to have” feature on most websites.

With the rise of bots, automated email responses, and “hey, we’ve got seats open for this meeting” messaging, live chat has become an essential part of the customer relationship.

So to meet the demand, a number of live chat plugins and extensions have risen to the top, solving specific problems and hitting the sweet spot for features, performance, and reliability.

The Top Ten Live Chat Plugins for WordPress

Here is a short list of the best live chat plugins for wordpress – suitable for both free and premium wordpress installations.

Live Chat by Hotjar

Hotjar’s live chat plugin is one of the original and most popular plugins on this list. And for good reason – it’s incredibly easy to use and gets the job done. In fact, if you use Chatwoot, you’ll find Hotjar’s Live Chat plugin to be the base for your integration.

This is a good option if you need a fully featured plugin that gives you all the basic features you need and doesn’t overwhelm you with too many options. If you’re looking for a versatile plugin, try Hotjar’s live chat first.

Live Chat by Wootsuite

Wootsuite’s live chat plugin is another top choice and one of the most popular free chat plugins on the market. Much like Hotjar’s version, Wootsuite’s Live Chat plugin also provides a simple interface for customers and allows you to add videos, pictures, and interactive elements.

If you’re looking for a basic chat solution with just the basics, this is a good option – the plugin is extremely easy to use and doesn’t require any special training to set up.

Live Chat by Meetrics

Meetrics’ live chat plugin is extremely versatile and, as the name suggests, lets you meet your audience where they are – in real time. This means you can have live conversations with site visitors, enabling you to provide immediate support and answer questions.

Instead of simply providing a text-based chat, which some other plugins on this list offer, the Meetrics solution puts a face to the conversation – even allowing you to choose the speaker through facial recognition and switch to a different speaker if a certain one is unavailable.

The Meetrics live chat plugin is also one of the few on this list that offer a native mobile experience – meaning your users will enjoy a fully featured experience whether they are on a desktop, tablet, or a mobile device.

Live Chat by Intercom

If you need a flexible chat solution that works on all platforms and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, consider Intercom’s live chat plugin.

This is a stable, reliable solution that is simple to use and offers a basic implementation with the option to extend with additional paid features, including user groups, polls, and more.

Live Chat by LivePerson

LivePerson’s live chat solution brings voice to the conversation and allows you to provide a better customer experience by engaging directly with your site visitors.

This plugin not only brings voice to the conversation – it also provides a live video window, so you can see the person you’re talking to.

In addition to video, you can also use LivePerson’s solution to add documents, images, and interactive elements. This makes it a versatile option for a business looking for a simple yet comprehensive chat solution.

Live Chat by Zoom.com

Zoom is one of the largest online communication platforms with over 300 million active users – making it the perfect choice for your site’s live chat needs. Using the Zoom platform means you won’t need to set up a new account or import contacts, and you can get connected instantly with other online users.

Although most of the online meeting services offer a free option, which provides you with an audience and the ability to connect with other users, you will need to consider paying for additional features – such as keeping participants engaged over a long period of time, avoiding unwanted distractions, and ensuring that everyone can hear you clearly.

Live Chat by GoLive

GoLive’s live chat plugin is the simplest option on this list, as it only provides a basic text-based chat – ideal for those needing just a simple solution.

This is a good choice if your site already uses WordPress or similar content management systems and you’re looking for a simple solution that will integrate smoothly with your site.

Live Chat by Chime

Chime’s live chat plugin is another extremely basic solution that provides a simple way to interact with site visitors via instant messaging.

This solution is ideal for those needing just a simple way to provide a live chat experience – for example, a social platform where users can engage with companies or brands via text messages.

To ensure fast and easy setup, Chime’s plugin doesn’t require any special training to get started.

Live Chat by RocketChat

RocketChat’s live chat plugin provides a rich ecosystem of features, letting you transform your instant messaging into a useful and engaging tool.

This solution is suitable for both free and premium wordpress installations and offers the basics, including voice and text-based conversations, all the way up to an advanced feature set, including group chats, private chats, and more.

If you’re looking for a simple yet powerful solution, consider RocketChat’s live chat plugin.

Live Chat by HP MyPass

Finally, for those needing a secure and trustworthy solution, consider HP MyPass’s live chat plugin.

This is a completely free option that brings trusted and secure communications to your site – ideal for those needing to engage with bank accounts, credit cards, or other sensitive information.

To use HP MyPass’s live chat plugin, you will need to import your own private key (typically a.pem file) and create a new account if you don’t already have one. Once you’ve done that, you can connect your accounts and servers with the plugin, ensuring confidentiality and enabling you to provide a safe environment for your users.

Top Five Real-Time Chat Application Platforms

Here is a short list of the most popular real-time (or live) chat application platforms, which you can use to build your own live chat solution.

Slack is one of the most well-known and popular platforms supporting real-time chat and has been around for years – even before the term “chatbot” became popularized. This is a good option if you need a mature, stable solution.

Salesforce Chatter is another well-known chat application that allows business users to communicate both internally and with customers via real-time messaging.

Conversations + is a unified communications platform that includes real-time messaging as well as traditional voice calls – offering a more comprehensive solution than either of the two component apps would suggest.

Finally, take a look at WhatsApp – the most popular mobile messaging app with over 1 billion active users. It basically brings the functionality of a desktop messaging app to your fingertips on the go. If your users are already using WhatsApp, they will love you for offering this unique feature on your website.

Top Ten Reasons Why You Need a Live Chat Solution On Your Website

Having a live chat solution on your website can be very useful – providing you with immediate feedback from your visitors, solving problems immediately, and establishing a sense of trust and authority. Here are ten reasons why you need a live chat solution on your website:

1. Direct Feedback from Visitors

Giving your visitors the ability to leave feedback, questions, or comments is an excellent idea – and it’s not a new concept. However, the ability to provide direct feedback and responses via an online chat window on your site can be extremely useful. This allows you to get real-time validation of your assumptions and to discover new insights into your customers’ needs, desires, and behaviors – all from the comfort and safety of your website.