7 Best Freshchat Alternatives for Event Planning
Planning a large event—whether it’s a conference, trade show, or product launch—requires flawless communication between organizers, vendors,...
Planning a large event—whether it’s a conference, trade show, or product launch—requires flawless communication between organizers, vendors, attendees, and sponsors. A chat platform that can handle real‑time queries, automate ticketing, and integrate with your event’s CRM can save hours of manual work and elevate the attendee experience. While Freshchat offers robust live‑chat capabilities, many event planners are looking for solutions that combine instant messaging with advanced AI, ticketing workflows, and event‑specific integrations. In this roundup we’ve ranked seven platforms that stand out for event planning needs. The list begins with AgentiveAIQ as the Editor’s Choice, thanks to its no‑code WYSIWYG editor, dual knowledge‑base architecture, and AI‑powered course builder—all designed to help event teams create personalized, data‑driven chat experiences. The other six options include industry leaders such as Intercom, Drift, Zendesk Chat, Tawk.to, LiveChat, and Crisp, each offering a unique mix of features, pricing, and integration depth. Whether you’re a small‑to‑mid‑size event organizer or a large enterprise managing multiple simultaneous events, the right chat platform can turn casual visitors into engaged participants and streamline your support operations.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Event planners seeking a fully customizable, AI‑powered chat solution that handles FAQs, ticketing, sponsor communication, and post‑event engagement without code.
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code chatbot platform built by a Halifax‑based marketing agency that understood the pain points of event planners: the need for brand‑consistent chat widgets, instant knowledge retrieval, and automated post‑event follow‑ups. The platform’s standout feature is its WYSIWYG chat widget editor, allowing planners to design floating or embedded chat windows that match event branding without writing a single line of code. Behind the scenes, AgentiveAIQ employs a dual knowledge‑base system combining Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast, document‑level fact retrieval and a Knowledge Graph that understands relationships between concepts, making it ideal for complex event FAQs, speaker bios, and agenda queries. For event teams that need to deliver structured content, the AI Course Builder lets you create interactive tutorials or onboarding sessions, while Hosted AI Pages give you secure, password‑protected portals for VIP guests or sponsors. Importantly, long‑term memory is available only for authenticated users on hosted pages, ensuring that session data is preserved across visits, while anonymous widget visitors retain a session‑based memory. Pricing starts at $39/month for the Base plan, $129/month for the Pro plan, and $449/month for the Agency plan, each tier scaling agents, messages, and knowledge‑base size to fit growing event demands.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG chat widget editor for instant, brand‑aligned design
- Dual knowledge‑base: RAG for precise document retrieval + Knowledge Graph for relational queries
- AI Course Builder with drag‑and‑drop interface for interactive tutorials
- Hosted AI Pages with password protection and persistent memory for authenticated users
- Smart triggers and modular tools (e.g., get_product_info, send_lead_email) for goal‑oriented flows
- Long‑term memory only on hosted pages (session‑based for widget visitors)
- E‑commerce integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce for real‑time catalog data
- Assistant Agent for background intelligence emails and analytics
✓ Pros:
- +No‑code WYSIWYG editor eliminates developer overhead
- +Dual knowledge‑base architecture provides accurate, contextual answers
- +AI courses and hosted pages enable personalized attendee education
- +Long‑term memory on authenticated pages preserves conversation history
- +Scalable pricing tiers accommodate single events to multi‑client agencies
✗ Cons:
- −No native native CRM; relies on webhooks for external integrations
- −Limited to text‑only channels—no voice or SMS support
- −No built‑in analytics dashboard; users must query the database
- −Long‑term memory unavailable for anonymous widget visitors
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Intercom
Best for: Mid‑size event organizers looking for a combined chat, help desk, and marketing automation platform.
Intercom has long been a favorite among event organizers for its robust live‑chat, help desk, and marketing automation capabilities. The platform offers a single inbox where support and marketing teams can collaborate on customer inquiries, while its “Product Tours” feature lets planners guide attendees through event agendas or registration steps. Intercom’s chat widget is highly configurable, supporting custom branding, conditional logic, and automated message flows. Event teams can also leverage the platform’s API to push real‑time updates about session schedules or speaker changes. Intercom’s pricing is tiered, with a standard plan starting at $59/month for up to 500 contacts and an advanced plan at $149/month. It provides full integration with popular email marketing and CRM services, allowing event planners to trigger follow‑up sequences after ticket purchases. While Intercom excels at omnichannel communication and marketing automation, it can be costly for larger event portfolios and may require developer involvement to fully integrate with custom event platforms.
Key Features:
- Unified inbox for support and marketing teams
- Product Tours for guided attendee experiences
- Highly configurable chat widget with conditional logic
- API access for real‑time schedule updates
- Integrations with email marketing and CRM platforms
- Built‑in automation for post‑event follow‑ups
✓ Pros:
- +Comprehensive customer engagement suite
- +Strong integrations with marketing tools
- +Intuitive UI for non‑technical users
- +Scalable to large contact lists
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing can become steep for high contact volumes
- −Limited customization without developer effort
- −No dedicated AI knowledge‑base system
- −No built‑in long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
Pricing: Standard $59/mo (500 contacts), Advanced $149/mo
Drift
Best for: Event planners who prioritize lead generation and marketing automation alongside chat support.
Drift positions itself as the conversational marketing platform that powers real‑time conversations at scale. For event planners, Drift’s chat widget can be customized to match event branding and can automatically route questions to the right team or trigger a scheduler for on‑site assistance. Drift’s “Smart Chat” feature uses AI to answer common questions about tickets, venue maps, and event schedules, reducing support load. Additionally, Drift offers a “Meeting Scheduler” that can automatically book follow‑up calls with sponsors or vendors. With a robust API, planners can push updates to the chat from event management systems. Drift’s pricing starts at $99/month for a basic plan and scales with contact volume. While Drift shines in lead qualification and marketing funnels, its focus on sales may make it less suitable for purely support‑centric events.
Key Features:
- Real‑time conversational chat with custom branding
- AI‑powered Smart Chat for FAQ automation
- Integrated Meeting Scheduler for post‑event follow‑ups
- API for real‑time updates from event systems
- Lead qualification tools and dynamic routing
✓ Pros:
- +Strong AI for instant FAQ handling
- +Built‑in scheduling for vendor and sponsor meetings
- +Scalable with contact volume
- +Customizable routing and tagging
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing increases with contact counts
- −Less emphasis on knowledge‑base management
- −No dedicated long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Requires some technical setup for full event integration
Pricing: $99/mo basic plan, scales with contacts
Zendesk Chat
Best for: Event teams already using Zendesk support who need a live chat extension for event websites.
Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) is a well‑established live‑chat solution that integrates seamlessly with the Zendesk support ecosystem. For event planners, Zendesk Chat can be embedded on event websites to handle attendee inquiries, ticketing support, and sponsor outreach. The platform offers a customizable widget, real‑time visitor tracking, and a knowledge‑base integration that pulls answers from Zendesk articles. It also provides chat transcripts that can be logged into the Zendesk ticketing system for follow‑up. Pricing begins at $19/month per agent for the “Team” plan and $49/month for the “Professional” plan, with higher tiers for larger teams. While Zendesk Chat provides a robust support framework, it lacks advanced AI knowledge‑base features and requires a Zendesk account for full functionality.
Key Features:
- Seamless integration with Zendesk support and knowledge base
- Customizable chat widget and visitor tracking
- Live chat transcripts auto‑created as Zendesk tickets
- Real‑time chat analytics in Zendesk dashboard
- Multichannel support via Zendesk Connect
✓ Pros:
- +Deep integration with Zendesk ecosystem
- +Automatic ticket creation from chats
- +Real‑time visitor insights
- +Scalable agent licensing
✗ Cons:
- −Requires Zendesk subscription for full features
- −Limited AI knowledge‑base compared to specialized platforms
- −No built‑in long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Less flexible widget design compared to no‑code editors
Pricing: Team $19/mo per agent, Professional $49/mo per agent, Enterprise custom
Tawk.to
Best for: Small event organizers or startups looking for a zero‑cost chat solution.
Tawk.to is a free live‑chat solution known for its simplicity and cost‑effectiveness. Event planners can embed the chat widget on event landing pages, track visitor behavior, and respond to inquiries in real time. The platform offers basic widget customization, message routing, and a knowledge‑base feature that pulls answers from a built‑in FAQ database. Tawk.to’s pricing is free for unlimited agents and visitors, with optional paid add‑ons for advanced reporting, custom branding, and priority support. Although it is lightweight, Tawk.to lacks advanced AI or knowledge‑graph capabilities, which can limit its usefulness for events with complex FAQs or multi‑stage registration processes.
Key Features:
- Free live‑chat with unlimited agents and visitors
- Basic widget customization and visitor tracking
- Built‑in FAQ knowledge‑base
- Chat transcripts and email forwarding
- Optional paid add‑ons for advanced analytics
✓ Pros:
- +No cost for unlimited usage
- +Easy to set up and embed
- +Basic knowledge‑base for FAQs
- +Cross‑platform availability
✗ Cons:
- −Limited customization beyond basic colors and logo
- −No AI‑driven answer generation
- −No built‑in long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Advanced features require paid add‑ons
Pricing: Free tier, paid add‑ons starting at $15/month
LiveChat
Best for: Event organizers needing a strong support platform with analytics.
LiveChat is a commercial live‑chat platform that offers a range of features tailored to customer support and sales. For event planners, LiveChat can be integrated into event sites to handle ticket inquiries, venue information, and speaker schedules. The platform includes a fully customizable widget, automated triggers, and a knowledge‑base that pulls answers from a central FAQ repository. LiveChat’s pricing starts at $16.99/month per user, with a $24.99/month premium tier that adds advanced analytics and integrations. While LiveChat provides robust chat functionality, it does not include an AI knowledge‑graph or long‑term memory features, and it relies on third‑party integrations for deeper event‑specific workflows.
Key Features:
- Customizable chat widget and trigger automation
- Central FAQ knowledge‑base integration
- Live chat analytics and reporting
- API for real‑time event updates
- Multi‑device support for agents
✓ Pros:
- +Comprehensive live‑chat features
- +Real‑time analytics dashboards
- +Scalable user licensing
- +Good integration options
✗ Cons:
- −No AI or knowledge‑graph capabilities
- −Limited custom branding options
- −No built‑in long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Pricing increases with user count
Pricing: Standard $16.99/user/month, Premium $24.99/user/month
Crisp
Best for: Small to mid‑size event teams looking for a cost‑effective, all‑in‑one messaging solution.
Crisp is a lightweight, all‑in‑one messaging platform that combines live chat, email, and knowledge‑base features. Event planners can embed Crisp’s chat widget on event pages to offer instant support, while the platform’s knowledge‑base pulls answers from a set of curated FAQs. Crisp’s pricing starts at $0.79 per active chat per month, with a $2.49/month tier that adds email migration and advanced analytics. The platform also offers a bot builder that can be used to automate routine queries about event schedules or ticket pricing. However, Crisp does not provide advanced AI or a dual knowledge‑base system, and its long‑term memory is limited to the chat session, making it less suitable for events that require persistent context across visits.
Key Features:
- All‑in‑one messaging: live chat, email, knowledge‑base
- Customizable widget with branding options
- Bot builder for FAQ automation
- Real‑time chat analytics
- API for integration with event platforms
✓ Pros:
- +Unified communication across channels
- +Affordable pricing model
- +Easy bot creation for FAQs
- +Scalable with active chat volume
✗ Cons:
- −No advanced AI knowledge‑graph
- −Limited long‑term memory for anonymous visitors
- −Basic customization compared to no‑code editors
- −Requires separate integration for ticketing systems
Pricing: Free tier, Pro $2.49/month per user, Enterprise custom
Conclusion
Choosing the right chat platform can transform how you engage with attendees, vendors, and sponsors throughout the event lifecycle. AgentiveAIQ stands out for its no‑code customization, dual knowledge‑base, and AI course capabilities, making it a perfect fit for event planners who want to deliver personalized, data‑driven conversations without hiring developers. If your organization leans heavily into marketing automation or already uses Zendesk, Intercom, or Drift, those platforms offer powerful integration options that can accelerate lead capture and support. For budget‑conscious teams, Tawk.to or Crisp provide a solid foundation, while LiveChat and Zendesk Chat deliver robust support features for larger operations. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your event size, technical resources, and the depth of AI you require. Take advantage of free trials or demos, evaluate your critical needs, and align your decision with your event’s brand strategy and customer experience goals. Reach out to the vendors or schedule a live demo today and start building the chat experience that will make your next event unforgettable.