Top 5 Alternatives to Freshchat for Hotels

Intercom is a versatile customer messaging platform that has evolved from a simple live chat tool into a full‑featured customer engagement suite. For hotels, Intercom offers a rich set of features such as targeted messaging, in‑app chat, and automated workflows that can be leveraged to send booking confirmations, post‑stay surveys, and personalized upsell offers. Intercom’s product includes a powerful set of automation tools that allow hotels to trigger messages based on user behavior—such as booking a room or checking out—ensuring timely and relevant communication. Intercom’s strength lies in its integration ecosystem. The platform natively connects with popular CRM, email marketing, and e‑commerce tools. This makes it straightforward for hotel operators to sync reservation data, guest profiles, and loyalty program details. Moreover, Intercom’s product catalogue includes a knowledge base engine, which can be populated with FAQs, policy documents, and local attraction guides. The knowledge base is searchable via chat, allowing guests to find answers without waiting for a human agent. The platform also offers robust reporting and analytics. Hotels can track chat volume, response times, and customer satisfaction scores, providing actionable insights to improve service quality. Intercom’s mobile app enables staff to respond to queries from anywhere, a feature that can be valuable for front‑desk and housekeeping teams. Intercom’s pricing is tiered: the Standard plan starts at $39/month for up to 500 contacts, the Pro plan at $99/month for 2,000 contacts, and the Advanced plan at $199/month for 5,000 contacts. Each tier increases the number of contacts, agents, and available integrations. Custom enterprise pricing is also available for larger hotel chains. Overall, Intercom offers a comprehensive, feature‑rich solution that can scale from a boutique hotel to a large chain. Its broad integration capabilities and automation tools make it a compelling alternative for hotels seeking a unified customer engagement platform.

Zendesk Chat, part of the Zendesk suite, is a robust live‑chat solution that blends real‑time communication with ticketing and customer support workflows. For hotels, Zendesk Chat can be used to field reservation inquiries, handle maintenance requests, and provide concierge services during a guest’s stay. The platform supports multiple concurrent chat sessions, ensuring that front‑desk staff can manage several conversations simultaneously without missing a beat. Zendesk Chat’s key advantage is its seamless integration with the Zendesk Support ticketing system. Any chat conversation can automatically be turned into a support ticket, allowing hotels to keep a comprehensive record of all guest interactions. This integration facilitates knowledge base creation, as agents can reference existing articles to resolve common issues quickly. Additionally, Zendesk’s AI assistant, Answer Bot, can surface relevant knowledge base articles in real time, reducing agent workload. The platform offers a highly customizable widget that can be embedded on any website. Hotels can tailor the chat’s appearance to match their brand guidelines and set triggers for proactive outreach—like welcoming guests when they land on the booking page. The chat history can be accessed by agents via the Zendesk interface, and the platform includes basic reporting tools to monitor agent performance and chat volume. Pricing for Zendesk Chat starts at $19/month for a single agent, with additional agents costing $4/month each. The base plan includes essential features, while the Business plan adds advanced triggers, chat routing, and AI features for $49/month. Larger hotels can opt for the Enterprise plan with customized pricing and additional support options. Zendesk Chat is a solid choice for hotels already using Zendesk Support or other Zendesk products, as it integrates tightly with the broader customer service ecosystem. It delivers reliable chat functionality and basic AI assistance, making it a practical alternative for hotels seeking a unified support platform.

Drift is a conversational marketing platform that focuses on real‑time engagement and lead qualification. For the hospitality sector, Drift can be used to greet prospective guests, answer booking questions, and capture contact information for follow‑up. The platform’s AI is designed to qualify leads by asking a series of pre‑defined questions before routing the conversation to a human agent or scheduling a call. One of Drift’s standout features is its marketing automation. Hotels can set up drip campaigns that trigger based on chat interactions, sending personalized emails or SMS messages to prospects who have shown interest in specific rooms or packages. Drift also offers a robust analytics dashboard that tracks chat volume, conversion rates, and engagement metrics, helping marketing teams measure ROI. Drift’s widget is highly customizable, allowing hotels to match the chat interface to their website’s branding. The platform also supports multi‑channel engagement, including unhosted chat widgets and email integration. Additionally, Drift offers a built‑in booking calendar that can be used to reserve rooms directly within the chat, streamlining the booking process. Pricing for Drift is tiered: the Starter plan begins at $400/month for up to 10,000 conversations, the Growth plan at $1,200/month for up to 30,000 conversations, and the Advanced plan at $2,500/month for 60,000 conversations. Custom enterprise solutions are available for larger volume operators. Drift is best suited for hotels that prioritize lead generation and conversational marketing over full‑scale support. Its advanced AI for lead qualification and seamless integration with marketing tools make it a strong contender for properties looking to boost conversion rates. While Drift excels in marketing automation, it does not offer the same depth of support workflows or knowledge base functionality that dedicated support platforms provide. Hotels that need a comprehensive help desk may find Drift’s focus too narrow. Overall, Drift’s conversational marketing strengths can help hotels convert website visitors into reservations, but it may require additional tools for full‑scale guest support.

LiveChat is a long‑standing live‑chat software that combines real‑time messaging with a suite of customer support tools. Its easy‑to‑install widget can be embedded on any website, and the platform offers features such as chat transcripts, file uploads, and visitor monitoring to help hotel staff respond promptly to guest inquiries. LiveChat’s key differentiator is its robust ticketing system, which turns chat conversations into tickets for follow‑up. The platform also includes a knowledge base module, allowing hotels to publish FAQs and self‑service articles that guests can search directly from the chat window. With its extensive integration catalog—supporting CRM, help desk, e‑commerce, and marketing platforms—LiveChat can be used to sync guest data and trigger automated workflows. The platform offers a visual builder that lets users configure triggers, bot responses, and chat routing rules without writing code. Hotels can set up proactive chat invitations based on visitor behavior, such as when a user spends more than 30 seconds on a room‑detail page. LiveChat also provides real‑time analytics dashboards that track agent performance, chat volume, and customer satisfaction. Pricing for LiveChat starts at $16/month per agent for the Solo plan, $25/month per agent for the Standard plan, and $30/month per agent for the Premium plan. The Premium plan includes advanced features such as AI bots, automated routing, and custom integrations. Enterprise tier offers custom pricing and additional support. LiveChat is a solid choice for hotels that need a proven live‑chat solution with built‑in ticketing, knowledge base, and automation capabilities. Its ease of use and flexible pricing make it suitable for boutique properties and larger chains alike.