August 1, 2023

LiveAgent vs LiveChat Comparison: Features, Functionality & Pricing

Using live chat on website pages for business is game-changing for customer service. Chat apps are just one example of how AI can improve customer experience for e-commerce businesses and beyond, but what program is best?

There are many live chat apps to choose from, but today, we will look at just two: LiveChat and LiveAgents. Below, we have compared the two, discussed their features, and provided an overview of what businesses can benefit from them the most.

If you are considering introducing live chat on your website, this guide can help you understand more about what you need and the programs that can help you achieve your goals.

Live Chat for Customer Service: What Are the Uses?

Before we look at the apps in question today, let’s take a quick look at the uses and benefits of using live chat on websites. 

Connect with customers in real-time.

People want answers quickly, and waiting days to hear back via email just doesn’t cut it in the fast-paced world of e-commerce. Being able to respond immediately to customer questions gives your business an advantage and improves your overall service rating.

Avoid losing customers.

If people wait too long to hear back from a company, they are likely to look elsewhere instead. This leads to lost custom and income and benefits your competitors. When there is a live chat option available, you can keep that customer and hopefully convert them to a sale.

Build a stronger, more engaged client base.

In small businesses especially, having a loyal customer base matters. If they can get in touch with you easily through a convenient live chat channel, they are more likely to repeat business and recommend you to others.

Manage orders and updates.

Live chat is not only useful for bringing in customers- it also helps improve the experience of the ones you already have. You can use it to send updates, check orders, and confirm requests without having to rely too heavily on email.

LiveChat vs. LiveAgent Comparison

Now, let’s take a closer look at two possible options for adding live chat to your website. LiveChat and LiveAgent are two pretty similar business chat apps for companies to use on their websites. They have the same general ideas and benefits, with a few notable differences that could help you pick a winner.

LiveChat is all about managing and monitoring customer service, especially in the e-commerce space. It focuses on connecting service to sales, making it easier for businesses to track consumer data, and improving support accessibility for clients.

LiveAgent is an all-in-one helpdesk and communication portal for engaging quickly and efficiently with customers and making it easier for agents to handle an effective support and analytical system. It brings multi-channel and multi-agent interactions together in one convenient inbox.

They are very closely rated on reputable trust websites- both ranking as excellent on most reviews. The question is, what makes them different? To begin answering that question, let’s look at the features.

Features

First, let’s talk about the shared features between these two apps. Obviously, both provide systems for businesses to talk to their clients in real-time on their websites. They also use a centralized communication system that helps direct requests and queries to the most suitable or most available agent to reduce waiting times and improve response accuracy.

LiveChat and LiveAgent each have a ticketing system that lets team members log, update, and manage ongoing queries and messages that are waiting for responses. Although the specifics of how they work differ slightly, the overall effect is the same. The ticketing system used by LiveChat has a higher satisfaction rating from users.

Another shared feature is the reporting tool. You can track average wait times, most popular queries, and other useful data. LiveAgent has a bit more in the way of analytics than LiveChat does.

Lastly, the support provided by both of these apps is exceptional, with 24/7 chat and email alongside over-the-phone and forum services. They also both provide training materials.

Moving on from the similarities, we have highlighted below the features of each live chat app that are a little different from the other. 

LiveChat 

• LiveChat has an impressive integration marketplace with over 170 partners.
• You can share files with other team members and visiting reps for a more streamlined service and better training.
• The e-commerce features built into LiveChat help measure the effectiveness of your conversations compared to converted leads.
• All chats are stored in an archive so you don’t lose any important historical information (the starter back limits storage times to six months).
• You can customize your notification settings to choose how, when, who, and for what notification alerts are sent.

LiveAgent

• There is a built-in customer portal to help with onboarding, implementation, and self-service support.
• Although LiveChat has an automated response feature, the options on LiveAgent are more advanced and diverse.
• You can play with engagement and rewards through gamification settings, including awarding badges to agents and creating performance leaderboards.
• LiveAgent is supported on Mac computers, but LiveChat is not.
• Teams can arrange in-person training with LiveAgent.

Pricing plans 

There are also similarities between these live chat apps when it comes to pricing structures. Both offer four price tiers based on the size of your team and offer discounts if you are billed annually. The costs, however, are a little different.

LiveChat

LiveChat’s pricing structure is as follows. Please note that all prices are per agent.

• Starter pack (designed for small businesses and home offices looking for basic live chat features): $20 per month for annual billings or $24 monthly.
• Team package (aimed at dedicated support teams for SMEs): $41 per month for annual billings or $49 monthly.
• Business plan (for more advanced customer service departments): $59 per month for annual billings or $69 monthly.
• Enterprise plan (large businesses with global reach and more demanding requirements): Custom prices on request only.

LiveAgent

Now, let’s compare that to the cost of using LiveAgent. The prices below are also per agent.

• Small business plan (lower email account limits and fewer advanced features): $9 per month for annual billings or $15 monthly.
• Medium business plan (higher limits and more additional features): $29 per month for annual billings or $35 monthly.
• Large business plan (all-inclusive features with high limits): $49 per month for annual billings or $59 monthly.
• Enterprise (custom-made plans with extra support and unlimited features): $69 per month for annual billings or $85 monthly.

Overall, LiveAgent is the more affordable option, but when you compare the features and limits, you get roughly the same from a lower-cost subscription to LiveChat than a higher-cost subscription with LiveAgent, so it is a pretty close race in terms of pricing. 

Which Option is a Better Fit for You?

Either of these live chat for website apps can have major benefits for your business, so it comes down to what matters most for you and what size your team is. Here is a summary of the reasons to pick each one to help you decide your winner.

LiveChat

• LiveChat has a higher overall satisfaction rating from online customer reviews.
• You get more features for your money despite paying more per head.
• It is the better choice for e-commerce businesses who want to connect their service to their sales and boost lead conversion.
• There are more customizable features available to help your support team communicate and handle conversation management with clients.
• You have access to far more integrations when using LiveChat.

LiveAgent

• LiveAgent is better for multilingual businesses.
• If you are only looking for simple live chat features for your website, this is the more affordable option.
• The pricing is upfront for all subscriptions, so you don’t need to request any quote.
• You can arrange in-person training for your team to help implement the system.
• Data analysis is a little more in-depth on LiveAgent.

Conclusion

LiveChat and LiveAgent are both excellent live chat apps for businesses. If you are looking for an all-inclusive, advanced, versatile, and robust chat program that goes above and beyond expectations, then Chatway is also worth your consideration.