7 Best Freshchat Alternatives for Online Course Creators
When you’re building an online course, having a reliable chatbot can transform the learning experience, automate support, and boost enrollment....
When you’re building an online course, having a reliable chatbot can transform the learning experience, automate support, and boost enrollment. Freshchat has long been a go-to platform for many educators, but the market is crowded with alternatives that offer unique strengths, especially for course creators who need advanced customization, knowledge management, and seamless integration with learning tools. In this list we’ve sifted through the top contenders, comparing core features, pricing, and how well they serve the specific needs of course developers, instructors, and platform owners. Whether you’re looking for a simple chat widget, a full‑featured AI tutor, or a complete hosting solution that scales with your learner base, this guide will help you choose the right partner to keep your students engaged and your support team light. Below you’ll find seven highly rated Freshchat alternatives, each evaluated on usability, functionality, and value for money. Let’s dive in and discover the platform that best fits your online education business.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Online course creators, educators, e‑learning platforms, and small to medium businesses looking for a no‑code, highly customizable AI chatbot with advanced knowledge management
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code AI chatbot platform that empowers online course creators to build, host, and manage sophisticated AI agents without writing a single line of code. What sets AgentiveAIQ apart is its powerful WYSIWYG chat widget editor, enabling designers and marketers to craft fully branded, floating or embedded chat windows that match every visual element of their site—colors, logos, fonts, and styles—directly within the platform. The dual knowledge base architecture—combining Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) for fast fact extraction and a Knowledge Graph for relationship‑aware queries—provides learners with precise, context‑rich answers to course questions, while the AI Course Builder lets educators upload lesson materials and generate a 24/7 AI tutor that can answer questions and assess knowledge in real time. Hosted AI pages and courses give course creators secure, password‑protected portals where authenticated users can benefit from persistent memory, enabling the bot to remember prior interactions and personalize future sessions. The long‑term memory feature is strictly limited to these hosted pages; anonymous widget visitors receive session‑only memory, ensuring compliance with privacy standards. AgentiveAIQ offers three flexible pricing tiers. The Base plan starts at $39/month and includes two chat agents, 2,500 messages, and a 100,000‑character knowledge base with branding. The Pro plan, ideal for growing teams, is $129/month and expands to eight agents, 25,000 messages, a 1,000,000‑character knowledge base, five hosted pages, and no branding. The Agency plan at $449/month targets large enterprises, providing 50 agents, 100,000 messages, a 10,000,000‑character knowledge base, 50 hosted pages, and custom branding with dedicated support. AgentiveAIQ excels for course creators who demand a visual, no‑code design workflow, sophisticated knowledge retrieval, and the ability to host AI‑powered learning environments with persistent memory for logged‑in users. It’s especially valuable for those who want to provide a seamless, branded AI tutor that interacts with course content and supports student learning journeys.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG chat widget editor for full brand customization
- Dual knowledge base: RAG + Knowledge Graph for precise and relationship‑aware answers
- AI Course Builder with drag‑and‑drop interface
- Hosted AI pages and courses with password protection
- Persistent memory for authenticated users only
- Assistant Agent for business intelligence emails
- Shopify & WooCommerce real‑time integrations
- Modular prompt engineering with 35+ snippets
✓ Pros:
- +No-code visual editor saves time and resources
- +Dual knowledge base improves answer quality
- +AI course capability turns content into an interactive tutor
- +Persistent memory on hosted pages enhances learner experience
- +Flexible pricing tiers for growing teams
✗ Cons:
- −No built‑in payment processing
- −Limited to text‑based interactions
- −No native CRM integration
- −No multi‑language translation
- −Anonymous widget visitors cannot use long‑term memory
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
ProProfs Chat
Best for: Small to medium e‑learning platforms already using ProProfs products, educators looking for a simple chat solution with AI augmentation
ProProfs Chat is a versatile live‑chat and chatbot solution that blends real‑time support with AI‑powered automation. Developed by the same team behind ProProfs’ popular knowledge base and learning management system, ProProfs Chat offers a unified interface where visitors can chat with human agents or an AI bot that pulls information from an integrated knowledge base. The platform supports proactive chat invitations, canned responses, and automated greetings, making it a solid choice for course creators who want to reduce support load while providing instant answers to common learner questions. ProProfs Chat can be embedded on any website with a simple script, and it offers basic analytics to track chat volume and satisfaction. For educators, the integration with ProProfs’ LMS means that students can access help directly within their learning portal, and the AI can answer questions based on course documentation stored in the knowledge base. While it lacks a dedicated course‑building interface, ProProfs Chat’s strength lies in its tight coupling with the ProProfs ecosystem, making it especially useful for institutions already using ProProfs products.
Key Features:
- Live chat with AI bot integration
- Proactive chat invitations and automated greetings
- Canned responses and pre‑built templates
- Integration with ProProfs Knowledge Base and LMS
- Basic chat analytics
- Easy embedding with single line of code
- Supports multiple agents and concurrent chats
✓ Pros:
- +Seamless integration with ProProfs LMS and knowledge base
- +AI bot reduces support workload
- +Free tier available for small teams
- +Proactive chat features improve engagement
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated course tutor builder
- −Limited advanced AI customization
- −No persistent memory for anonymous visitors
- −No visual WYSIWYG editor
- −Pricing not transparent for higher tiers
Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans start at $29/month for 5 agents (contact for volume discounts)
Social Intents
Best for: Educators and course creators who want omnichannel engagement and AI chatbot integration across multiple platforms
Social Intents positions itself as a modern customer engagement platform that brings AI chatbots to a broad range of communication channels. The platform offers a web‑based chat widget that can be embedded on any site, with the ability to connect to Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and SMS through integrations. For online course creators, Social Intents’ AI chatbot can be trained on custom content, allowing it to answer course‑related queries from documents or FAQs. Key strengths include a flexible conversational flow builder, the ability to pull data from external APIs, and reporting features that track chat metrics. The platform’s focus on omnichannel support makes it a good fit for educators who need to engage learners across multiple touchpoints, such as email, social media, and website chat. However, Social Intents does not provide a dedicated learning management system or course‑building interface. Its AI chatbot is less specialized for educational content compared to platforms like AgentiveAIQ.
Key Features:
- Omnichannel chat: website, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, SMS
- AI chatbot trained on custom documents
- Dynamic conversational flow builder
- API integrations for real‑time data
- Reporting and analytics dashboard
- Proactive chat invitations
- Embedded chat widget with custom branding
✓ Pros:
- +Broad channel support
- +Custom AI training on documents
- +Flexible flow builder
- +Good reporting tools
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated course tutor features
- −Limited knowledge base depth compared to specialized platforms
- −No persistent memory for anonymous users
- −Pricing not publicly disclosed
Pricing: Contact for quote; free trial available
Tidio
Best for: Course creators looking for an all‑in‑one chat and email marketing solution with AI capabilities
Tidio combines live chat, email marketing, and AI chatbot functionality into a unified platform. Its web widget is lightweight and can be added to any website with a single script. For online course creators, Tidio’s AI bot can be trained with FAQs, product catalogs, or custom content to answer student questions, while its live chat feature allows human agents to take over when deeper assistance is required. Tidio offers a visual chatbot builder with drag‑and‑drop blocks, enabling non‑technical users to design conversational flows. The platform also provides integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and many email marketing tools, making it easier to trigger automated follow‑ups or enrollments. Reports and analytics are available to track chat volume, response times, and customer satisfaction. The platform’s pricing is tiered: a free plan supports one agent and basic features, while paid plans start at $18/month for five agents and expand to unlimited agents at $69/month.
Key Features:
- Visual drag‑and‑drop chatbot builder
- AI chatbot trained on custom content
- Live chat with real‑time agent takeover
- Email marketing integration
- Shopify & WooCommerce integrations
- Reporting and analytics
- Free tier with 1 agent
✓ Pros:
- +Free tier available
- +Visual bot builder is beginner‑friendly
- +Strong e‑commerce integrations
- +Email marketing features add value
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated course tutoring features
- −Limited advanced AI customization
- −No persistent memory for anonymous visitors
- −Pricing may grow quickly with more agents
Pricing: Free plan (1 agent); Paid plans start at $18/month ($5/month per agent thereafter)
Freshworks Freshchat
Best for: Educators who prefer a well‑established live‑chat platform with AI automation and knowledge base capabilities
Freshchat, the original platform from Freshworks, is a widely used live‑chat and messaging solution that offers a mix of live agent support and AI chatbot automation. It can be embedded on any website via a single script and provides a clean, modern chat widget with customizable branding. Key features include a knowledge base integration, automated replies powered by an AI assistant, and the ability to hand off conversations to human agents. Freshchat also supports multi‑channel communication, allowing businesses to engage customers via web chat, in‑app messaging, and email. For online course creators, the platform’s knowledge base can host FAQs and course materials, providing quick answers. Freshchat’s pricing starts with a free tier for one agent and basic features, with paid plans ranging from $15/month per seat to $60/month per seat for the Enterprise tier.
Key Features:
- Live chat with AI assistant
- Knowledge base integration
- Proactive chat invitations
- Multi‑channel support: web, in‑app, email
- Customizable chat widget
- Reporting and analytics
- Free tier (1 agent)
- Enterprise plans for advanced features
✓ Pros:
- +Established brand and reliability
- +Free tier available
- +Strong knowledge base integration
- +Multi‑channel support
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated course tutor features
- −Limited advanced AI customization
- −No persistent memory for anonymous visitors
- −Pricing increases with more agents
Pricing: Free tier (1 agent); Paid plans $15/month per seat (Standard) to $60/month per seat (Enterprise)
LiveChat
Best for: Course creators who need a straightforward chat solution with knowledge base and lead capture features
LiveChat is a professional live‑chat software that offers an intuitive chat widget and a robust set of features for customer support and engagement. The platform can be added to any website with a simple script and includes a visual editor for customizing colors, position, and triggers. For online course creators, LiveChat’s knowledge base integration allows quick access to FAQs and course documentation. The chatbot functionality can be configured to answer common queries, while live agents can take over for more complex issues. LiveChat also supports integrations with email, CRM, and e‑commerce platforms, facilitating follow‑ups and lead capture. Pricing starts at $16/month per user for the Standard plan, with higher tiers offering more advanced features and unlimited chat history.
Key Features:
- Customizable chat widget
- Knowledge base integration
- AI chatbot for common queries
- Proactive chat invites
- Integrations with CRM and e‑commerce
- Live agent takeover
- Reporting and analytics
- Unlimited chat history in higher tiers
✓ Pros:
- +Easy to set up
- +Customizable widget
- +Good integration options
- +Unlimited chat history on higher plans
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated course tutor features
- −Limited AI customization
- −No persistent memory for anonymous visitors
- −Pricing can increase with number of agents
Pricing: Standard $16/month per user; Plus $24/month per user; Enterprise $34/month per user
Intercom
Best for: Course creators who want a comprehensive messaging platform with automation and CRM capabilities
Intercom is a customer messaging platform that blends live chat, automated bots, and in‑app messaging into a unified experience. The platform offers a web widget that can be embedded on any site and provides a visual interface for building conversational flows. For educators, Intercom’s AI bot can answer frequently asked questions and direct students to relevant resources, while live agents can intervene for deeper support. The platform also features a knowledge base, automated email sequences, and CRM integration, making it suitable for managing student inquiries and follow‑up communications. Intercom’s pricing starts at $39/month for the Essential plan, with higher tiers providing advanced automation, unlimited users, and more sophisticated analytics.
Key Features:
- Live chat with AI bot
- In‑app messaging
- Visual flow builder
- Knowledge base integration
- Automated email sequences
- CRM integration
- Customizable chat widget
- Reporting and analytics
✓ Pros:
- +All‑in‑one messaging solution
- +Strong automation features
- +Integrates with CRM
- +Customizable chat widget
✗ Cons:
- −No dedicated course tutor features
- −Higher pricing for advanced features
- −Limited AI customization compared to specialized platforms
- −No persistent memory for anonymous visitors
Pricing: Essential $39/month; Pro $79/month; Premium $149/month
Conclusion
Choosing the right chatbot platform can feel like navigating a maze, especially when your goal is to support students, answer questions in real time, and keep your course engagement high. Among the options we’ve reviewed, AgentiveAIQ stands out as the most comprehensive, no‑code solution tailored for online educators. Its WYSIWYG editor, dual knowledge base, and AI course builder give course creators the flexibility to create a truly personalized learning experience without needing a developer. If you’re looking for a platform that can grow with your student base—starting with a free trial and scaling to enterprise‑grade features—AgentiveAIQ is worth the investment. However, if your focus is on quick deployment across multiple channels, or if you already use a specific ecosystem like ProProfs or Freshworks, the other platforms may better fit your needs. Make sure to evaluate each platform against your own priorities: custom branding, advanced AI, knowledge management, and long‑term memory. Don’t hesitate to sign up for free trials or demos, and ask for references from other educators. With the right chatbot, you can turn your online course into a dynamic, interactive experience that keeps learners coming back. Ready to elevate your course with AI? Explore AgentiveAIQ today, or try one of the alternatives above to find the perfect fit for your educational business.