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tawk.to is hard to beat on price: it has a free plan and unlimited agent seats. The reasons to switch are more specific: one small-business user wanted better autoresponder and signature controls plus a unified view of each customer’s tickets, while a separate Reddit thread raises a support-impersonation concern. For a shared multichannel inbox, shortlist Chatwoot or Crisp; for messaging-app routing, look at Chaty. Compare usage limits and prices before moving—some alternatives cap free usage or keep pricing opaque.
01Why people leave tawk.to
Ticket workflows feel too limited
A small-business user wanted to customize autoresponders, add signatures and view and access one customer’s tickets from a single record.
Support impersonation creates risk
One Reddit thread describes a scammer posing as Coinbase support through a tawk.to chat; it does not show tawk.to itself was responsible.
Free may not cover every need
tawk.to has a free plan and unlimited agent seats, but one user said it lacked features they needed. Alternatives add different tools, limits and costs.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Shared multichannel inbox
ChatwootChatwootIf you want to move from tawk.to’s free chat to a shared multichannel inbox, Chatwoot is a direct alternative to consider. It has a free plan and starts at $19 per agent, according to the published pricing summary. The tradeoff is that voice and automation cost more, so check those needs before comparing the entry price with tawk.to.
Trade-off: Voice and automation cost more.
7.8/10from
$19/mofree plan - Chat, CRM and knowledge base
CrispCrispCrisp suits teams that want chat, CRM and a knowledge base together, plus no-code AI workflows. It starts at $45 and has a free plan, but the free plan’s AI allowance is zero. That makes it a stronger fit if the shared inbox and CRM matter more than getting AI usage without paying.
Trade-off: The free plan includes no AI allowance.
6.8/10from
$45/mofree plan - Messaging-app visitor routing
ChatyChatyChoose Chaty if your main goal is sending site visitors to messaging apps rather than building a full support desk. It offers channel and traffic targeting and lead collection through contact forms. The pricing summary lists a free plan and a starting price of $12; its free plan is capped at 500 visitors.
Trade-off: The free plan caps usage at 500 visitors.
7.2/10from
$12/mofree plan - AI and live-agent chat
LiveChatLiveChatLiveChat is a fit if you want AI and live-agent chat in one toolkit, or need to track chat-attributed revenue. The published summary lists pricing from $19, but published pricing is annual-only and Essential has limits. That makes the entry price less useful unless its plan details match your volume.
Trade-off: Essential has limits; published pricing is annual-only.
6.5/10from
$19/mo - CRM-led messaging teams
WazzupWazzupWazzup is aimed at sales teams working inside a CRM and managing WhatsApp and Telegram conversations. It also includes chat oversight for managers, according to the published summary. Pricing starts at $12, but channel costs or chat caps can add up, so verify the full cost for your usage before switching.
Trade-off: Channel costs or chat caps can add up.
6.8/10from
$12/mo - WhatsApp and email inbox
SuperchatSuperchatSuperchat fits teams handling WhatsApp and email that also want CRM and messaging together. The published summary lists a free plan and pricing from $79, but calls the free tier tight and notes that useful AI features raise the price. Compare its paid cost with the channels and AI your team actually needs.
Trade-off: The free tier is tight; useful AI raises the price.
6.3/10from
€79/mofree plan
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 tawk.to tawk.to (current) | 7.0 | Free | Yes | Teams starting with free live chat |
| Chatwoot Chatwoot | 7.8 | $19/mo | Yes | Small teams starting with live chat |
| Crisp Crisp | 6.8 | $45/mo | Yes | Small teams wanting one shared support inbox |
| Chaty Chaty | 7.2 | $12/mo | Yes | Small sites routing visitors to messaging apps |
| LiveChat LiveChat | 6.5 | $19/mo | No | Teams combining AI and live-agent chat |
| Wazzup Wazzup | 6.8 | $12/mo | No | Sales teams working inside a CRM |
| Superchat Superchat | 6.3 | €79/mo | Yes | Teams handling WhatsApp and email |
Questions people ask
Which tawk.to alternative has a free plan?
The published summaries list free plans for Chatwoot, Crisp, Chaty and Superchat. Their limits differ: Crisp’s free plan has no AI allowance, Chaty’s caps usage at 500 visitors, and Superchat’s free tier is described as tight. Check the current plan details before moving.
Which alternative includes chat and CRM?
Crisp combines chat, CRM and a knowledge base, while Superchat combines CRM and messaging. The published summary also describes tawk.to as offering chat and CRM together, so compare the specific workflows you need rather than assuming a switch adds a capability.
Does the Reddit scam report prove tawk.to is unsafe?
No. One Reddit thread describes a scammer posing as Coinbase support through a tawk.to chat. That is a reason to verify support links and identities, but the post does not establish that tawk.to itself was responsible or that its product is unsafe.