Running a WooCommerce store in 2025 means competing with thousands of other shops for the same customers. 85% of customers now expect live chat on websites—especially in e-commerce. Without it, you’re leaving money on the table and sending customers straight to competitors who are ready to help.
But which live chat plugin should you actually use? You need something that integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, handles customer questions before they abandon their cart, and doesn’t require a dev team to set up. This guide breaks down the seven best live chat plugins for WooCommerce stores—what they do well, where they fall short, and who should use them.
Why WooCommerce Stores Need Live Chat
63% of consumers prefer live chat as their primary support channel, and it’s not hard to see why. Issues get resolved in 42 seconds on average—far faster than email or phone. For e-commerce, that speed is critical. When someone has a question about sizing, shipping, or compatibility at 11 PM, you either answer it or lose the sale.
Live chat also drives conversions. 9 out of 10 customers prefer live chat support when browsing with questions, and the ability to get instant help keeps them on your site instead of bouncing. Plus, websites without live chat appear 2x less trustworthy to visitors. That perception gap alone costs you sales.
The ROI is clear too. Live chat is 15-33% more cost-efficient than phone support because agents can handle 3-5 conversations at once. And with 53% of live chat issues resolved in the first interaction, you’re not just faster—you’re more effective.
For WooCommerce stores selling internationally, multilingual support matters. 72% of customers prefer to purchase from websites in their native language, and 64% are willing to pay more for products from brands communicating in their language. That’s where the right plugin makes all the difference.
What Makes a Great WooCommerce Live Chat Plugin?
Not every live chat plugin is built for e-commerce. Here’s what to look for:
WooCommerce integration pulls order history, cart contents, and customer data so your team has context before replying. You don’t want agents asking for order numbers when that data should already be in front of them.
Mobile-first design is non-negotiable. 94.2% of live chat interactions happen on mobile devices globally. If your chat widget isn’t mobile-optimized, you’re losing most of your customers.
Multilingual support becomes essential the moment you sell to international customers. Real-time translation or multi-language capabilities mean one agent can support customers in dozens of languages. 68% of consumers switch to brands offering native-language support, so this isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a competitive requirement.
Automation and AI handle repetitive questions (“Where’s my order?”, “Do you ship to Canada?”) without wasting agent time. The best plugins automate FAQs while escalating complex questions to humans, creating a seamless experience for customers and efficiency gains for your team.
Analytics and tracking let you see chat volume, first response time, resolution rates, and conversion from chat to purchase. Without data, you can’t optimize. You need to know which agents perform best, when chat volume spikes, and how chat affects your bottom line.
Quick setup means you can launch in minutes, not days. If installation requires custom code or a developer, you’ll delay launch and rack up costs. Look for plugins with one-click WordPress install.
The 7 Best Live Chat Plugins for WooCommerce
1. Askly – Best for AI-Powered Multilingual Support
Askly combines AI automation with human support in one platform, making it ideal for WooCommerce stores with international customers or high chat volume. Unlike generic chatbots that frustrate customers with scripted responses, Askly’s AI learns from your actual team conversations.
Key features:
AI Assistant trained on your data means Askly learns from your actual customer conversations and website content, then handles repetitive questions automatically. You can automate over 50% of inquiries while maintaining a human tone. The AI doesn’t just follow scripts—it adapts to how your team actually talks to customers.
Real-time translation in 30+ languages lets customers chat in their language while your team replies in theirs, with Askly translating everything instantly. No hiring multilingual agents. One support rep can serve customers in Spanish, German, French, and 27 other languages without speaking a word of them.
Unified inbox for website, Facebook, and Instagram consolidates all customer messages into one dashboard. Whether they reach out via your WooCommerce site or social channels, you reply from the same place. No more juggling tabs or missing messages.
Abandonment detection triggers when a visitor is about to leave, enabling you to offer personalized discounts or help to complete the purchase. This feature alone can recover a significant percentage of otherwise-lost sales.
Conversation history saves every chat and ties it to the customer, so returning buyers don’t have to repeat themselves. Your team sees past orders, previous questions, and purchase history in one view.
Team collaboration tools include assigning chats, leaving internal notes, tagging conversations, and tracking agent performance. You can route specialty questions to the right team member and measure who’s closing the most sales.
Pricing: Freemium plan available (10 users, 50 messages/month). Paid plans start at €49/month with 500 messages and 50 AI responses. Custom enterprise plans for high-volume stores.
Setup time: 2 minutes. Copy a chat script into your WordPress <head> tag or use a plugin—no developer needed. Step-by-step setup guide.
Best for: WooCommerce stores selling internationally, high-volume shops that need automation, and teams looking to reduce repetitive support work. If you’re getting questions in multiple languages or dealing with abandoned carts, Askly is built for you.
Why it stands out: Most live chat plugins bolt on AI as an afterthought. Askly’s AI learns from your team’s actual replies, so it doesn’t sound robotic. The real-time translation also means one agent can support customers in 25+ languages, cutting support costs by up to 75%. That’s not hyperbole—it’s what Askly customers report.
2. LiveChat – Best Overall for Feature Depth
LiveChat is a mature, feature-rich platform trusted by thousands of e-commerce businesses. It’s fast to set up, has excellent uptime, and offers deep WooCommerce integration. If you want a polished, reliable chat experience and don’t need heavy automation, LiveChat delivers.
Key features:
WooCommerce integration displays customer order history, cart contents, and product pages they’ve viewed directly in the chat window. Your agents don’t need to ask for order numbers or dig through backend systems.
Asynchronous mode allows customers to leave messages when you’re offline, and you reply later. No missed leads. The chat becomes a persistent channel, not just a real-time tool.
Chat triggers automate messages based on visitor behavior—time on page, cart value, or specific URLs. You can proactively reach out to high-intent visitors before they leave.
Ticketing system converts chats to support tickets for follow-up. If a conversation requires escalation or extended resolution, it transitions seamlessly into your help desk workflow.
Mobile apps for iOS and Android let agents reply on the go. Your team isn’t chained to desktops.
Canned responses save templated replies for common questions, speeding up response time and ensuring consistency.
Pricing: Plans start at $20/month per agent. Enterprise plans available with custom features and SLA guarantees.
Setup time: Under 10 minutes. Install the LiveChat plugin from the WordPress directory, connect your account, and you’re live.
Best for: WooCommerce stores that want a polished, reliable chat experience with strong integrations and don’t need heavy automation.
Drawbacks: No built-in real-time translation. You’ll need to integrate third-party tools or hire multilingual agents. AI features exist but aren’t as advanced as dedicated AI-first platforms like Askly.
3. Tidio – Best for Budget-Conscious Stores
Tidio offers a generous free plan and an easy-to-use interface, making it a solid choice for smaller WooCommerce shops or those just getting started with live chat. It’s not the most feature-rich option, but for testing live chat without financial risk, it’s hard to beat.
Key features:
Free plan includes 3 users and 50 live chats per month, plus basic chatbot automation. That’s enough for a small store to validate whether live chat drives results before committing to a paid tool.
Live typing preview shows what customers are typing before they hit send, so you can prepare faster replies. This small feature significantly speeds up average response time.
Pre-chat surveys collect visitor info—name, email, issue type—before the chat starts, giving your team context and reducing back-and-forth.
Basic chatbot builder automates simple FAQs with a visual flow builder. It’s not AI-powered, but it works for straightforward questions with fixed answers.
Multilingual widget displays in multiple languages, though real-time translation requires paid plans.
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $29/month for more chats and advanced features.
Setup time: 5 minutes. Install the Tidio plugin, create an account, and customize your widget.
Best for: New WooCommerce stores with low chat volume or businesses testing live chat for the first time. The free plan is a low-risk way to experiment.
Drawbacks: The free plan caps at 50 chats/month, which you’ll hit quickly if your store gets decent traffic. AI and automation features are basic compared to dedicated platforms like Askly.
4. Zendesk Chat – Best for Full-Service Support Suites
If you’re already using Zendesk for help desk or CRM, Zendesk Chat (formerly Zopim) integrates seamlessly and turns your support stack into a unified system. You get one dashboard for chat, email, tickets, and knowledge base—eliminating context-switching for your team.
Key features:
Deep Zendesk integration automatically creates tickets from chats, pulls customer history, and syncs with your knowledge base. If a customer has an open ticket or past issue, your agent sees it immediately.
Visitor tracking provides real-time data on who’s on your site, what pages they’re viewing, and how long they’ve been there. You can proactively engage high-value prospects.
Triggers and automation send proactive messages based on visitor behavior or route chats to the right department. You can set rules like “If a customer views the pricing page for 30+ seconds, offer help.”
Agent workspace consolidates chat, email, and ticket queues in one dashboard. Agents don’t need to toggle between tools to see the full customer picture.
Robust analytics track CSAT, first response time, resolution time, and chat-to-conversion rates. You can drill down to individual agent performance or team-wide trends.
Pricing: Starts at $55/month per agent as part of Zendesk Suite. Chat-only plans are cheaper but lose some integration power.
Setup time: 15-30 minutes if you’re starting fresh; faster if you already use Zendesk. Install via WordPress plugin or embed script.
Best for: WooCommerce stores already using Zendesk or businesses that want live chat as part of a larger support ecosystem (help desk, CRM, knowledge base). If you’re managing high ticket volumes and need everything in one place, Zendesk Chat makes sense.
Drawbacks: Expensive if you only need chat. Zendesk’s pricing scales quickly with team size. No built-in real-time translation—you’ll need Zendesk’s language add-ons or integrations, adding complexity and cost.
5. Tawk.to – Best Free Option
Tawk.to offers unlimited agents and unlimited chats on a completely free plan. If budget is your biggest constraint, this is the obvious choice. There’s no trial period, no hidden fees, and no forced upgrade path.
Key features:
100% free forever includes unlimited agents, unlimited chats, and access to mobile apps. The free plan isn’t a teaser—it’s the full product.
Basic chatbot automates simple questions with a rule-based bot. It’s not AI-powered, but it handles “What are your hours?” or “Do you ship internationally?” without human intervention.
Knowledge base integration links to help articles during chats, allowing customers to self-serve while in conversation.
Visitor monitoring shows who’s on your site and initiates chats proactively. You can see what pages they’re browsing and reach out when it makes sense.
Hiring option lets you hire chat agents directly through their platform (paid service). If you need staffing but not software costs, this is a unique feature.
Pricing: Free. Optional paid services include removing Tawk.to branding ($19/month) and hiring agents.
Setup time: Under 10 minutes. Install the WordPress plugin or paste the embed code.
Best for: Solopreneurs, bootstrapped startups, or WooCommerce stores with tight budgets who need basic live chat without ongoing costs.
Drawbacks: The interface feels dated compared to paid alternatives. No AI automation beyond basic bots. No real-time translation. Support is community-based unless you pay for premium support. For stores with international customers or high chat volume, Tawk.to’s limitations become apparent quickly.
6. Olark – Best for Customization and Reporting
Olark focuses on deep customization and detailed reporting, making it a good fit for WooCommerce stores that want to tailor the chat experience and measure every interaction. If your brand has specific design requirements or you need granular analytics, Olark delivers.
Key features:
Highly customizable widget lets you control colors, position, text, and behavior to match your brand. You’re not stuck with generic templates.
Advanced reporting tracks chat volume, agent performance, customer satisfaction, and sales attribution. You can see which agents close the most sales and which products generate the most questions.
CRM integrations sync chats with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs. Customer conversations feed directly into your sales pipeline.
Targeted chat sends different chat experiences based on visitor segment—new vs returning, product category, referral source. You can customize greetings and availability by audience.
Transcripts and searchable history save every chat and make it searchable for training and quality assurance. Managers can review conversations to coach agents.
Pricing: Starts at $29/month per agent (annual billing). No free plan.
Setup time: 10-15 minutes. Install via WordPress plugin or JavaScript snippet.
Best for: WooCommerce stores that want granular control over chat design and need detailed analytics to tie chat to revenue. If you’re running A/B tests on chat placement or tracking which product pages generate the most conversations, Olark gives you the data.
Drawbacks: Pricing isn’t competitive for larger teams. No AI automation or real-time translation. The interface is functional but not as modern as LiveChat or Askly.
7. Drift – Best for Conversational Marketing
Drift isn’t just a live chat tool—it’s a conversational marketing platform designed to qualify leads, book meetings, and drive conversions through chat. If you’re a B2B WooCommerce store or sell high-ticket products, Drift’s sales-focused features justify the premium price.
Key features:
Lead qualification bots ask qualifying questions, segment visitors, and route high-intent prospects to sales. Drift’s AI determines whether a visitor is a good fit and prioritizes them accordingly.
Meeting scheduling allows visitors to book calls directly from chat. Sales reps don’t need to juggle email threads to find a time—Drift syncs with calendars and handles it in-chat.
Account-based marketing (ABM) triggers personalized chat experiences for target accounts. If a decision-maker from a key prospect visits your site, Drift can route them to a dedicated rep with a custom greeting.
Playbooks create automated chat flows for different visitor segments. You can build separate experiences for first-time visitors, returning customers, and enterprise prospects.
Email follow-up converts chat conversations into email threads if visitors drop off. You don’t lose the lead just because they closed the chat window.
Pricing: Starts at $2,500/month for Premium plans. Drift is enterprise-focused and priced accordingly.
Setup time: 20-30 minutes. Requires more strategic setup because Drift is designed around sales workflows, not just support.
Best for: B2B WooCommerce stores or high-ticket e-commerce brands that treat chat as a sales tool, not just a support channel. If your average order value is in the thousands and you have a dedicated sales team, Drift’s features pay for themselves.
Drawbacks: Extremely expensive for most WooCommerce stores. Overkill if you just want to answer product questions. Better suited for SaaS or service businesses with long sales cycles. If you’re selling $50 products, Drift’s ROI doesn’t make sense.
How to Install Live Chat on WooCommerce (Step-by-Step)
Most live chat plugins follow the same installation process on WordPress. You have two options: install via the WordPress plugin directory (easier) or manually embed code (more control).
Option 1: Install via WordPress Plugin Directory
- Log into your WordPress dashboard
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for your chosen live chat plugin (e.g., “Askly”, “LiveChat”, “Tidio”)
- Click Install Now, then Activate
- Follow the setup wizard to connect your account
- Customize the chat widget (colors, position, greeting message)
- Save and test—your chat is now live
Option 2: Install via Embed Code
If your plugin doesn’t have a WordPress plugin (or you prefer manual control):
- Sign up for your live chat service and get your embed code
- In WordPress, go to Appearance > Theme File Editor (or use a code snippets plugin)
- Paste the embed code into your theme’s
<head>section (usuallyheader.php)
- Save changes
- Clear your site cache if you use caching plugins
- Visit your site and confirm the chat widget appears
Pro tip: Use a code snippets plugin like Insert Headers and Footers or WPCode instead of editing theme files directly. This prevents your code from being overwritten during theme updates.
Askly’s setup guide walks through the entire process in under 2 minutes, including screenshots and video.
Which Live Chat Plugin Should You Choose?
Here’s the quick-pick guide based on your WooCommerce store’s needs:
If you sell internationally and need multilingual support → Askly. Real-time translation in 30+ languages, AI automation to reduce repetitive work, and abandonment detection to recover lost sales. One agent can support customers in two dozen languages without speaking them.
If you want the most polished, feature-rich experience → LiveChat. Deep integrations, excellent uptime, and a mature product trusted by thousands of e-commerce stores. No AI automation, but reliable and full-featured.
If you’re just starting out or have a tight budget → Tidio (for basic needs with a free plan) or Tawk.to (for completely free unlimited chat). Both let you test live chat without financial risk.
If you already use Zendesk → Zendesk Chat. The integration is seamless and saves your team from switching between tools. You get chat, tickets, and CRM in one dashboard.
If you need heavy customization and reporting → Olark. Great for stores that want to measure and optimize every chat interaction and need granular control over widget design.
If you’re a B2B or high-ticket store focused on sales → Drift. It’s expensive, but the conversational marketing features are unmatched for qualifying leads and booking demos.
If you want AI that actually learns from your team → Askly. Unlike most plugins that bolt on generic AI, Askly’s assistant trains on your real customer conversations, so it sounds like your brand and gets smarter over time.
Why AI + Human Support Beats Chat-Only Tools
The future of live chat isn’t just human agents or just bots—it’s a hybrid. Live chat vs chatbots isn’t an either/or decision anymore. The best systems know when to automate and when to escalate to a human.
Here’s why this matters for WooCommerce:
Repetitive questions kill efficiency. “Where’s my order?”, “Do you ship to X?”, and “What’s your return policy?” don’t need a human. AI can answer them instantly, 24/7. Your team wastes hours every week on these same questions. Automation gives them time back for complex conversations that actually require judgment.
Complex questions need empathy. Product recommendations, order issues, and upset customers require human judgment. The right platform hands these off seamlessly. A customer who’s received a damaged item doesn’t want to talk to a bot—they want reassurance and a fast resolution. AI should recognize that and escalate immediately.
Volume scales without hiring. During peak seasons (Black Friday, holiday sales), AI handles the surge while your team focuses on high-value conversations. You don’t need to double your headcount for two months of traffic spikes.
Askly’s AI-human blend is built for this. The AI Assistant handles FAQs automatically, learns from your team’s replies, and escalates when it detects a question it can’t answer. That’s how Askly customers report reducing support costs by up to 75% while maintaining high satisfaction scores.
Compare that to traditional chat tools where every message requires an agent, or basic bots that frustrate customers with scripted responses that miss the point. Generic chatbots damage customer experience because they don’t understand context. Askly’s AI does—because it learns from how your team actually talks to customers.
What Results Can You Expect?
Live chat isn’t just a support tool—it’s a revenue driver. Here’s what WooCommerce stores typically see after implementing live chat:
Higher conversions. Answering pre-purchase questions in real time removes buying friction. Live chat can increase conversion rates by up to 20%. When a customer asks “Does this fit a 2019 Honda Civic?” at 10 PM and gets an instant answer, they buy. Without chat, they tab to Amazon.
Lower cart abandonment. 60-80% of carts are abandoned, often because customers have unanswered questions. Proactive chat can recover those sales. Triggering a chat when someone hovers over the exit button with “Need help completing your order?” closes deals that would otherwise disappear.
Better customer satisfaction. Live chat achieves 82% customer satisfaction rates, higher than any other support channel. Fast, helpful answers build trust and loyalty. 60% of customers are more likely to return after a positive live chat experience. One good interaction can turn a one-time buyer into a loyal customer.
Lower support costs. Live chat is 15-33% more cost-efficient than phone support because agents handle multiple conversations simultaneously. One agent on chat serves 3-5 customers at once. On the phone, they serve one.
The difference between a mediocre live chat setup and a great one comes down to speed, personalization, and availability. That’s where features like AI automation and multilingual support make all the difference. A chat widget that only works 9-5 in English leaves money on the table.
Getting Started: Launch Live Chat in Under 10 Minutes
You don’t need a developer or a complex project plan to add live chat to your WooCommerce store. Here’s the fast-track approach:
- Pick your plugin. Use the guide above to choose based on your needs (multilingual? budget? AI automation?).
- Install and activate. Most plugins take under 10 minutes to set up via WordPress or embed code.
- Customize the widget. Match your brand colors, set your greeting message, and position the chat icon where it’s visible but not intrusive. Bottom-right corner is standard for a reason—it’s where users expect it.
- Set operating hours. Let visitors know when you’re available, or use AI to provide 24/7 coverage. Don’t promise instant replies if you can’t deliver.
- Test it. Open an incognito window, start a chat, and make sure everything works. Check mobile and desktop. Verify the widget loads fast and doesn’t break your page layout.
- Train your team. Walk agents through the dashboard, canned responses, and chat assignment features. Role-play common scenarios. Define when to escalate vs when to handle in-chat.
- Monitor and optimize. Check your analytics weekly. Look for patterns in chat volume, common questions, and conversion rates. If the same question comes up 50 times, add it to your FAQ or automate it with AI.
If you’re using Askly, the tutorials page includes step-by-step videos and setup guides for WooCommerce and other platforms. You’ll be live in two minutes.
Live chat is no longer optional for WooCommerce stores. 85% of customers expect it, and competitors who offer faster, more helpful support will take your customers if you don’t. The seven plugins in this guide cover every use case—whether you need AI automation, multilingual support, budget-friendly options, or enterprise-grade features.
For WooCommerce stores selling internationally or dealing with high chat volume, Askly is the clear choice. Real-time translation in 30+ languages, AI that learns from your team, and abandonment detection tools that recover lost sales make it a revenue driver, not just a support tool. One agent can serve customers in dozens of languages. AI handles repetitive questions while your team focuses on high-value conversations. You get better results with lower costs.
Start your free 14-day trial of Askly and see what live chat can do for your WooCommerce store. No credit card required. No dev work. Just better conversations and more sales.