Top 5 Alternatives to Freshchat for Event Planning
Planning an event—whether a conference, trade show, or virtual summit—requires seamless communication with attendees, vendors, and sponsors. A robust...
Planning an event—whether a conference, trade show, or virtual summit—requires seamless communication with attendees, vendors, and sponsors. A robust live‑chat solution can streamline inquiries, provide instant support, and even drive ticket sales. Freshchat is a popular choice, but its feature set and pricing may not suit every event planner’s needs. If you’re looking for an alternative that offers more customization, advanced AI capabilities, or specialized integrations, you’re in the right place. Below we’ve compiled a curated list of five standout chat platforms that can elevate your event’s customer experience. From AI‑powered knowledge bases to e‑commerce integrations, each option brings unique strengths to the table. Read on to discover which solution best aligns with your event goals, budget, and technical resources.
AgentiveAIQ
Best for: Event planners, conference organizers, virtual summit hosts, course creators, e‑commerce retailers looking for branded chat and AI tutoring
AgentiveAIQ is a no‑code AI chatbot platform that combines powerful automation with visual customization, making it a top pick for event planners who want a branded, intelligent chat experience without heavy development. At its core, AgentiveAIQ offers a WYSIWYG chat widget editor that lets you design floating or embedded chat windows to match your event’s branding—adjust colors, logos, fonts, and styles—all within a drag‑and‑drop interface. This eliminates the need for front‑end coding, enabling quick deployment across event websites, registration portals, and sponsor pages. Beyond aesthetics, AgentiveAIQ excels in content knowledge management. The platform utilizes a dual knowledge base: a Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) system that pulls precise facts from uploaded documents, and a Knowledge Graph that understands relationships between concepts, allowing the bot to answer nuanced questions about schedules, venues, or vendor services. For events that incorporate educational sessions or workshops, the AI Course Builder lets you create interactive, password‑protected learning paths that the bot can tutor attendees in real time. Hosted AI pages and courses provide persistent memory—only for authenticated users—so repeat visitors receive contextual, personalized interactions across sessions. This is ideal for multi‑day conferences where attendees may revisit the site. The platform also supports e‑commerce integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, enabling ticket sales, merchandise ordering, and real‑time inventory checks directly through the chat. Pricing is transparent: the Base plan starts at $39/month (2 chat agents, 2,500 messages, 100,000‑character knowledge base), the Pro plan at $129/month (8 agents, 25,000 messages, 1,000,000 characters, 5 hosted pages, no branding, long‑term memory on hosted pages, assistant agent, webhooks, Shopify/WooCommerce), and the Agency plan at $449/month (50 agents, 100,000 messages, 10,000,000 characters, 50 hosted pages, full suite of advanced features). AgentiveAIQ’s focus on visual design, dual knowledge base, and AI tutoring makes it uniquely positioned for event planners seeking an all‑in‑one, no‑code solution.
Key Features:
- WYSIWYG chat widget editor for instant visual customization
- Dual knowledge base: RAG + Knowledge Graph for precise and contextual answers
- AI Course Builder with drag‑and‑drop for interactive learning
- Hosted AI pages with persistent memory for authenticated users
- E‑commerce integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce
- Assistant Agent that analyzes conversations and sends business intelligence emails
- Modular prompt engineering with 35+ snippets
- Fact validation layer to reduce hallucinations
✓ Pros:
- +Intuitive visual editor eliminates coding burden
- +Robust dual knowledge base handles both factual and relational queries
- +AI courses enable 24/7 tutoring for attendees
- +Hosted pages offer persistent memory for returning users
- +Transparent, tiered pricing suits small to large teams
✗ Cons:
- −Long‑term memory only for authenticated users on hosted pages
- −No native CRM integration—requires webhooks
- −No built‑in voice or SMS channels
- −No native analytics dashboard—data stored in database
Pricing: Base $39/mo, Pro $129/mo, Agency $449/mo
Tidio
Best for: Small to medium event planners, online ticket sellers, businesses needing basic live chat and automation
Tidio is a live‑chat and chatbot platform that blends real‑time messaging with automated bot responses. Its interface is designed for ease of use, offering a simple widget that can be added to any website with a single line of code. While Tidio’s primary focus is on customer support and sales, its chatbot builder includes a visual drag‑and‑drop editor that allows users to create conversational flows without programming. For event planners, this means quick deployment of chatbots that can answer FAQs about event schedules, ticket pricing, and venue logistics. Tidio integrates with popular e‑commerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce, enabling live chat support for ticket purchases and merchandise sales. Additionally, the platform offers integration with email marketing services like Mailchimp, allowing chat interactions to be captured as leads. Users can also set up automated messages that trigger based on visitor behavior, such as sending reminders about upcoming sessions or encouraging early ticket purchases. The platform’s free tier includes basic chat functionalities, while paid plans (starting at $18/month) unlock advanced features like chatbot responses, multi‑user collaboration, and chat history. Tidio’s pricing is flexible, making it accessible to small event teams and larger organizations alike.
Key Features:
- Drag‑and‑drop chatbot builder
- Live chat widget with single‑line code integration
- E‑commerce integration with Shopify and WooCommerce
- Email marketing integration (Mailchimp, etc.)
- Automated visitor‑triggered messages
- Multi‑user collaboration
- Chat history and analytics
- Free tier available
✓ Pros:
- +Easy setup with no coding required
- +Affordable pricing
- +Strong e‑commerce integration
- +Automated messaging features
✗ Cons:
- −Limited advanced AI features compared to dedicated AI platforms
- −No persistent memory for returning users
- −Analytics are basic
- −Customization options are less extensive
Pricing: Free tier; Paid plans start at $18/month
Intercom
Best for: Medium to large event organizers with CRM needs, high-volume attendee engagement
Intercom is a customer messaging platform that offers live chat, bots, and a suite of tools for engagement and support. The platform is known for its robust automation capabilities, allowing event planners to create personalized conversations with visitors. Intercom’s live chat widget can be embedded on any website, and its visual flow builder lets users design chatbot interactions that answer common event questions, such as venue directions, session times, and ticketing policies. Intercom’s strength lies in its integration ecosystem. It connects seamlessly with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRM systems, enabling chat data to flow into customer records. For event organizers, this means that attendee interactions can be captured in a central database, facilitating follow‑up communication and lead nurturing. Additionally, Intercom offers automated email sequences that can be triggered based on chat interactions, making it easier to send reminders or post‑event surveys. Pricing for Intercom is tiered, with the Essential plan starting at $39/month for up to 5,000 contacts. Higher tiers such as the Pro and Premium plans add more agents, advanced automation, and additional integrations. While Intercom is a powerful tool, its cost can be a barrier for smaller event teams.
Key Features:
- Live chat and chatbot integration
- Visual flow builder for bot conversations
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
- Automated email sequences
- Rich analytics dashboard
- Multi‑channel messaging (web, in‑app, in‑mails)
- User segmentation
- Self‑service knowledge base integration
✓ Pros:
- +Strong automation and integration capabilities
- +Robust analytics
- +Scalable for growing events
- +Multi‑channel support
✗ Cons:
- −Pricing can be high for small teams
- −Learning curve for advanced automation
- −Limited visual customization of chat widget
Pricing: Essential plan starts at $39/month; higher tiers available
Zendesk Chat
Best for: Event teams already using Zendesk, small to medium events needing reliable chat integration
Zendesk Chat, part of the Zendesk Customer Success Suite, provides a live‑chat experience focused on customer support and sales interactions. The platform is known for its reliability and integration with Zendesk’s ticketing system, making it easy for event staff to convert chat conversations into support tickets or follow‑up tasks. Event planners can embed the chat widget on event registration pages, welcome sites, or sponsor microsites, ensuring real‑time assistance for attendees. Zendesk Chat offers a simple yet effective chatbot builder that can handle common questions about event schedules, ticket pricing, and venue details. It also supports automated triggers, such as sending pre‑event reminders or post‑event feedback surveys. Integration with popular e‑commerce platforms and marketing tools allows chat interactions to be linked to marketing automation workflows. Pricing for Zendesk Chat starts at $14/month per agent, with a free tier available for up to 100,000 messages per month. The higher-tier plans unlock advanced features such as chat routing, real‑time monitoring, and API access.
Key Features:
- Live chat widget with easy embed
- Chatbot builder for FAQs
- Integration with Zendesk Support ticketing
- Automated triggers and reminders
- API access
- Multi‑agent support
- Free tier available
- Analytics dashboard
✓ Pros:
- +Seamless integration with Zendesk Support
- +Affordable pricing
- +Free tier for low‑volume usage
- +Good analytics
✗ Cons:
- −Limited advanced AI capabilities
- −Customization options are basic
- −No persistent memory for returning users
Pricing: $14/month per agent; free tier for 100,000 messages
Drift
Best for: Large events or conferences with high lead volume, teams focused on marketing automation
Drift is a conversational marketing platform that blends live chat, bots, and email automation to engage website visitors. Its primary focus is on lead generation and sales, making it suitable for event planners looking to capture attendee information early in the registration process. Drift’s chat widget can be embedded on any page, and its visual builder allows marketers to craft personalized conversations that can ask for contact details, suggest sessions, or promote special offers. The platform offers advanced routing capabilities, enabling chat requests to be directed to the most appropriate team member based on criteria such as event role or location. Drift also integrates with CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo, ensuring that captured leads are automatically added to marketing pipelines. For events, this means a streamlined process for nurturing attendees through email sequences or targeted campaigns. Pricing for Drift starts at $400/month for the Starter plan, which includes 2 chat agents and basic automation. The Growth and Enterprise plans add additional agents, advanced analytics, and custom integrations.
Key Features:
- Live chat and chatbot integration
- Lead capture and qualification
- Advanced routing rules
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Email automation
- Visual conversation builder
- Analytics dashboard
- Scalable agent limits
✓ Pros:
- +Strong lead capture and routing
- +Deep CRM integration
- +Scalable for large teams
- +Robust analytics
✗ Cons:
- −High starting price may be prohibitive for smaller events
- −Limited customization of chat widget appearance
- −Requires some setup for advanced automation
Pricing: Starter plan $400/month; higher tiers available
Conclusion
Choosing the right live‑chat solution can transform the attendee experience at any event. Whether you need a no‑code, AI‑powered platform that offers deep knowledge integration and branded courses, or a more traditional chat service with solid CRM ties, the options above cover a wide spectrum of needs and budgets. AgentiveAIQ leads the pack with its unique WYSIWYG editor, dual knowledge base, and hosted AI pages—perfect for events that demand instant, contextual support and personalized learning. If your priorities lean toward robust marketing automation or tight CRM integration, Intercom, Drift, or Zendesk Chat might be better fits. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your event’s scale, technical resources, and the level of AI sophistication you require. Take the time to evaluate each platform against your specific goals, and don’t hesitate to request demos or trial periods before committing.