7 Best LiveChat Alternatives for Hotels

Zendesk Chat (formerly LiveChat) is a widely adopted solution known for its robust integration with the Zendesk ecosystem, including ticketing, CRM, and knowledge base tools. The platform offers a lightweight, real‑time chat widget that can be embedded on any hotel website with a single line of JavaScript. Zendesk Chat’s interface is designed for ease of use: agents can view and respond to multiple conversations simultaneously from a single dashboard, while visitors receive instant replies powered by AI suggestions. Hotels benefit from Zendesk Chat’s ability to capture visitor data, including IP address, device type, and browsing context, which can be used to trigger personalized messages or route conversations to the appropriate department. The platform also supports proactive chat invitations based on time spent on a page or specific page URLs, allowing hoteliers to greet potential guests before they decide to leave the site. While Zendesk Chat does not offer a built‑in knowledge base, it integrates seamlessly with Zendesk Guide, enabling agents to pull articles directly into the chat. The platform also provides basic analytics—such as chat volume, agent performance, and customer satisfaction—through dashboards that can be customized or exported for deeper analysis. Pricing starts at $14 per agent per month for the Essentials plan, which includes up to 20,000 chat sessions per year. The Team plan lifts the session limit and adds advanced features like chat routing rules, custom branding, and API access. For larger hotels, the Enterprise plan is available on request and includes dedicated support and custom integrations.

Intercom offers a comprehensive suite of customer messaging tools that combine live chat, in‑app messages, and email automation. For hotels, the live chat feature can be embedded on the booking page, rooms page, or support portal with a simple JavaScript snippet. Intercom’s chat widget is highly customizable, allowing hotels to adjust colors, button positions, and welcome texts to match their brand identity. One of Intercom’s strengths lies in its automated messaging flows. Hotels can set up product tours, booking reminders, or post‑stay thank‑you messages that trigger automatically based on user actions. These flows are built using Intercom’s visual builder, which requires no coding. Additionally, Intercom’s “Bot” feature uses AI to suggest replies to agents and can even handle basic guest inquiries on its own. The platform supports integration with major e‑commerce platforms, including Shopify and WooCommerce, enabling the bot to pull product or room inventory data. Intercom also offers a built‑in knowledge base that can be accessed from within the chat, allowing guests to search FAQs without leaving the conversation. Intercom’s pricing is tiered: the Standard plan starts at $39 per month for up to 5,000 contacts, the Pro plan at $99/month for 10,000 contacts, and the Premium plan at $199/month for 30,000 contacts. Contact limits are based on the number of unique contacts a hotel engages with, not chat sessions. While Intercom is a robust platform, it can be more expensive than simpler live‑chat solutions, and the learning curve for its full feature set may be steep for small hotel teams.

LiveChat is a veteran in the online chat space, providing a lightweight widget that can be added to any hotel website with a single line of code. The platform focuses on real‑time communication, allowing hotel staff to handle multiple visitors simultaneously. LiveChat’s interface is designed for speed, with a clean agent dashboard that displays visitor information and conversation history. The platform includes basic automation features such as canned responses, proactive chat triggers, and quick buttons. Hotels can set up rules to route conversations to specific agents or departments based on visitor location or the page being visited. LiveChat also offers an API that can be used to pull data into a hotel’s property management system or CRM. The analytics suite tracks metrics like chat volume, response time, and visitor satisfaction scores, which are useful for measuring agent performance and improving service quality. For hotels that need more advanced AI, LiveChat offers integrations with third‑party AI services such as GPT‑based chatbots, but these are not native to the platform. Pricing is straightforward: the Starter plan is $16/month (billed annually) and includes 2 agents and 10,000 chat sessions per month. The Unlimited plan is $30/month (billed annually) and removes session limits, adding additional features like chat transcripts and advanced reporting. Enterprise plans are available on request for larger hotels with custom needs.

Tidio blends live chat and marketing automation into one platform, making it a popular choice for hotels that want to quickly capture leads and nurture them through automated email sequences. The chat widget is fully customizable with a visual editor, allowing hotels to match the look and feel of their website without any coding. The platform offers a built‑in chatbot that uses AI to answer common questions about room availability, rates, and policies. Hotels can set up automated workflows that trigger email follow‑ups when a visitor asks for a booking quote or leaves a contact form. Tidio also supports integration with major e‑commerce platforms, including Shopify and WooCommerce, so that the chatbot can pull real‑time product data such as room inventory and pricing. Tidio’s pricing is split into a free tier (limited to 100 chats per month) and paid plans: Basic at $18/month, Professional at $36/month, and Enterprise at $54/month. Each tier increases the number of chats, adds extra agents, and unlocks advanced features such as AI chatbot customization and marketing automation. While Tidio offers a good balance of live chat and automation, its AI capabilities are less sophisticated than some competitors, and the platform does not provide a dedicated knowledge base or long‑term memory for guests. Overall, Tidio is well‑suited for boutique hotels or small chains that need an affordable all‑in‑one solution for chat and lead capture.

Freshchat, part of the Freshworks suite, offers a modern live‑chat interface that is easy for hotel staff to use. The widget can be embedded on any website and is fully brand‑consistent, with options to change colors, fonts, and button styles. Freshchat provides a conversational AI that can answer standard questions about room pricing, availability, and booking policies, and it can hand off conversations to human agents when needed. The platform includes a knowledge base integration that lets agents pull FAQs directly into the chat, and it offers proactive chat invitations based on time spent on a particular page. Freshchat’s automation builder allows hotels to create simple “if‑then” rules that trigger actions such as sending follow‑up emails or assigning tickets to specific agents. Freshchat’s pricing is structured around the number of agents: the Free plan includes one agent and 300 chats/month; the Unlimited plan is $15/month per agent; and the Enterprise plan is available on request for larger hotels. All plans include access to the knowledge base, AI chatbot, and basic analytics. While Freshchat is a solid choice for hotels that already use other Freshworks products, its AI and automation features are not as extensive as some competitors, and it does not provide long‑term memory or e‑commerce integration out of the box. Overall, Freshchat delivers reliable chat support with a straightforward pricing model and strong brand‑matching capabilities.

Crisp is a lightweight live‑chat tool that emphasizes simplicity and speed. The widget can be added to any hotel website with a single JavaScript snippet, and the platform offers a clean, responsive interface for both agents and visitors. Crisp’s chat window automatically adapts to mobile, tablet, and desktop screens, which is essential for guests who browse accommodations on the go. The platform includes features such as canned responses, quick replies, and the ability to attach files, making it easier for agents to provide instant support. Crisp also offers a basic chatbot that can answer frequently asked questions, and it supports integration with popular e‑commerce platforms like Shopify. Crisp’s pricing is straightforward: the Free plan allows up to 10 chats per month and supports a single agent; the Pro plan is $13/month per agent and removes chat limits, while the Enterprise plan is available on request for larger hotels. All plans include the same core chat features, but the Pro plan adds advanced analytics and team collaboration tools. While Crisp is well‑suited for hotels that need a no‑frills chat solution, it lacks advanced AI capabilities, a built‑in knowledge base, and long‑term memory for guests. It also does not provide e‑commerce integration beyond basic Shopify support. In summary, Crisp offers a fast, reliable chat experience that is ideal for hotels that require a simple, cost‑effective solution.