Top 7 Alternatives to Freshchat for Consulting Firms

Intercom is a customer messaging platform that combines live chat, bots, and customer data into a single interface. Designed to help businesses engage customers on their websites, mobile apps, and email, Intercom offers a flexible messaging canvas that allows teams to create automated flows and personalize conversations. For consulting firms, Intercom’s strength lies in its deep integration with CRM systems such as HubSpot and Salesforce, enabling teams to pull client data into chat scripts and trigger email or task workflows based on user behavior. Intercom’s Live Chat feature supports proactive outreach, allowing agents to initiate conversations based on visitor actions. The platform also provides a bot builder that can automate routine inquiries, freeing up consultants to focus on complex problem solving. With the help of Intercom’s Knowledge Base, teams can publish articles that the bot can reference to answer frequently asked questions. Pricing for Intercom starts at $99 per month for the Standard plan, which includes up to 25 users and basic automation. The Premium plan, costing $199 per month, adds advanced automation, custom bots, and additional user seats. Enterprise pricing is available on request. The platform’s tiered pricing and extensive integrations make it a versatile choice for consulting firms that rely on cross‑functional data flow and proactive engagement.

Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) is a real‑time chat solution that integrates tightly with the Zendesk customer support suite. It offers a lightweight chat widget that can be added to any website with minimal setup and supports proactive messaging, automated greetings, and click‑to‑chat functionality. For consulting firms, Zendesk Chat’s real‑time chat combined with ticketing integration means every chat can be automatically converted into a Zendesk ticket, ensuring no customer query is lost. The platform includes a robust reporting dashboard that tracks chat volume, agent performance, and customer satisfaction metrics. Zendesk Chat also offers a bot builder that can route conversations based on predefined rules, reducing the workload of human agents. The widget is customizable, allowing firms to match brand colors and messaging. While the chat experience is primarily text‑based, the integration with Zendesk’s broader ecosystem makes it an attractive choice for firms already using Zendesk for support or CRM. Pricing for Zendesk Chat starts at $14 per user per month for the Starter plan, which includes basic features. The Professional plan is $25 per user per month, adding advanced analytics and AI chatbots. Enterprise pricing is available on request. The cost structure is straightforward and scales with the number of agents, making it suitable for firms of varying sizes.

HubSpot Conversations is part of the HubSpot CRM ecosystem, offering live chat, chatbots, and messaging tools that are tightly integrated with contact records, marketing, and sales pipelines. The chat widget can be embedded on any website and is fully customizable via HubSpot’s design manager, allowing firms to maintain brand consistency without coding. HubSpot’s conversational AI can answer basic questions, qualify leads, and route conversations to appropriate sales or support teams. One of the key strengths of HubSpot Conversations is the unified view it provides: every chat interaction is automatically logged against the contact’s record, and the data can trigger email sequences, ticket creation, or workflow automation. For consulting firms that rely on inbound marketing and lead nurturing, this integration can streamline the pipeline from initial inquiry to closed deal. HubSpot offers a free tier that includes basic live chat and chatbots, making it accessible for small firms. Paid plans start at $50 per month for the Starter tier, which adds chat transcripts, custom routing, and advanced reporting. The Enterprise tier provides additional customizations and is available on request. The pricing model scales with the number of contacts and additional marketing or sales features. HubSpot Conversations is ideal for firms that already use or plan to use HubSpot’s marketing and sales tools, as the chat data feeds directly into their existing workflows. Pricing ranges from free for basic usage to $50/mo for Starter, with higher tiers for advanced features. The platform’s generous free offering and deep CRM integration make it a compelling option for inbound‑oriented consulting practices. Pricing: Free (basic live chat), $50/mo (Starter), higher tiers on request.

LiveChat is a popular customer support platform that offers a fully featured live chat widget, knowledge base, and ticketing system. The platform is designed for businesses that need real‑time assistance and a central place to manage all customer interactions. LiveChat provides a highly customizable chat widget that can be embedded on any website with a single line of code. The interface is user‑friendly, making it straightforward for teams to set up chat triggers, canned responses, and automated greetings. For consulting firms, LiveChat’s integration with CRMs such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk allows client data to be pulled into the chat, enabling personalized conversations. The platform also offers a bot builder to automate routine inquiries, freeing up consultants to focus on higher‑value work. LiveChat’s reporting tools give insights into chat volume, response times, and customer satisfaction, which can help firms optimize their support processes. LiveChat’s pricing starts at $14 per seat per month for the Essentials plan, which includes basic features. The Plus plan at $21 per seat per month adds advanced reporting, integrations, and chat transcripts. The Enterprise plan is available on request and includes custom features. The tiered pricing structure makes LiveChat a scalable option for firms of various sizes. Overall, LiveChat is well-suited for consulting practices that require a straightforward, all‑in‑one chat and support solution that can be easily integrated with existing customer data systems. Pricing: $14/mo per seat (Essentials), $21/mo per seat (Plus), Enterprise on request.

Tidio is a hybrid live chat and chatbot platform that combines real‑time messaging with automated bot flows. The platform is designed for small to medium‑sized businesses that want a flexible chat experience without a steep learning curve. Tidio’s chat widget can be added to any website with a simple script tag, and the no‑code editor allows users to design the chat window’s appearance and set up automated responses. A key feature of Tidio is its bot builder, which lets users create conversational flows using a visual interface. The platform also supports integration with major e‑commerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce, enabling product recommendations and order status updates directly within the chat. Tidio offers a free plan that includes basic live chat and bot functionality for up to two agents. Paid plans start at $18 per month for the Basic tier, adding more agents and advanced bot features. The Premium plan at $25 per month provides additional integrations and priority support. The pricing model is simple and attractive for firms that need a cost‑effective chat solution. Overall, Tidio is suitable for consulting firms that want a lightweight chat solution that can be quickly deployed and scaled with modest budgets. Pricing: Free (basic), $18/mo (Basic), $25/mo (Premium).

Crisp is a modern live chat solution that emphasizes real‑time communication and collaboration across teams. The platform offers a clean chat widget that can be embedded on any website and includes features such as proactive chat triggers, automated greetings, and in‑app chat support. Crisp’s standout feature is its built‑in knowledge base, allowing firms to publish help articles that the chat can reference for quick answers. For consulting firms, Crisp’s team collaboration tools are valuable. Multiple agents can work on the same chat, and the platform supports shared inboxes and internal notes. The chat widget is fully customizable through a visual editor, enabling firms to match branding without code. Crisp offers a free plan that supports up to three agents, making it attractive for small teams. Paid plans start at $25 per month for the Pro plan, which adds unlimited agents, priority support, and additional integrations such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zapier. Enterprise pricing is available on request. The pricing is straightforward and allows firms to scale based on agent count. Overall, Crisp is a solid choice for consulting practices that require a collaborative chat environment with knowledge base integration. Pricing: $0 (free for up to 3 agents), $25/mo (Pro), Enterprise on request.