Best WordPress Live Chat Plugins in 2026
Data from WordPress.org Updated First published 5 min read
Chat widgets, hosted messaging and click-to-chat links for support on the page.
Live chat plugins put a conversation on the page. Most are a front end for a hosted service; a few keep the messages in WordPress; the simplest just open a messaging app. Each choice decides where the conversation lives and what it costs.
Together these 10 plugins run on more than 822,000 active WordPress sites. Ranked from both WordPress.org orderings for "chat", its tag listing and its search results.
On this page
Best Live Chat Plugin for each measure
One plugin per measure, taken from the same WordPress.org figures as the ranking. A measure with nothing behind it is left out rather than guessed.
- Most installed
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Chaty
300,000+, active installs reported by WordPress.org
- Highest rated
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Chaty
5.0 out of 5, from 1,240 reviews, counting only plugins with at least 50
- Most reviewed
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Chaty
1,240 reviews, the largest body of feedback behind a score
- Most recently updated
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Chaty
September 2, 2026, the latest release in this list
- Longest established
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LiveChat
March 10, 2010, first published on WordPress.org
- Best support record
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Chatway Live Chat
9 of 9 resolved, recent threads on the WordPress.org support forum
Live Chat Plugins compared: rating, reviews, installs
| # | Plugin | Rating | Reviews | Active installs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging | 4.6 | 821 | 100,000+ |
| 2 | Tidio | 4.7 | 396 | 70,000+ |
| 3 | HubSpot All-In-One Marketing | 4.3 | 207 | 200,000+ |
| 4 | Chatway Live Chat | 5.0 | 754 | 30,000+ |
| 5 | Chaty | 5.0 | 1,240 | 300,000+ |
| 6 | Buttonizer | 5.0 | 23 | 50,000+ |
| 7 | LiveChat | 4.6 | 98 | 10,000+ |
| 8 | Smartsupp | 4.7 | 131 | 20,000+ |
| 9 | Simple Chat Button | 4.8 | 15 | 40,000+ |
| 10 | Live Chat by Formilla | 4.8 | 116 | 2,000+ |
The 10 best Live Chat Plugins, ranked by WordPress.org
Ranked from both WordPress.org orderings for "chat", its tag listing and its search results. Arrows show movement against the previous snapshot.
4.6 (821) 100,000+ active installs Updated Jun 29, 2026 Tested up to 7.0.0Chat with your website visitors in real-time for free! Engage with your customers and increase sales.
2.Tidio
Tidio – Live Chat & AI Chatbots
4.7 (396) 70,000+ active installs Updated Sep 1, 2026 Tested up to 7.1Add Tidio Live Chat to your WordPress for free to answer customers’ questions, engage website visitors, generate leads, and increase sales.
HubSpot All-In-One Marketing – Forms, Popups, Live Chat
4.3 (207) 200,000+ active installs Updated Aug 24, 2026 Tested up to 6.9.7The CRM, Sales, and Marketing WordPress plugin to grow your business better. Capture and engage web visitors with free live chat, forms, CRM, email ma …
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Chatway Live Chat – AI Chatbot, Customer Support, FAQ & Helpdesk Customer Service & Chat Buttons
5.0 (754) 30,000+ active installs Updated Sep 1, 2026 Tested up to 7.1AI chatbot agent & human live chat for customer support, FAQ, chat buttons including WhatsApp with Chatway live chat. iOS & Android apps available 💬
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5.Chaty
Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty
5.0 (1,240) 300,000+ active installs Updated Sep 2, 2026 Tested up to 7.1WhatsApp chat, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, TikTok, Instagram, Email, Line, WeChat Phone call, SMS, 20+ live chat icons & WhatsApp chat pop up 💬
Buttonizer – Live Chat, AI Chatbot, Call, Chat, Contact Button
5.0 (23) 50,000+ active installs Updated Aug 13, 2026 Tested up to 7.1Powerful platform with Live Chat, AI Chatbots, and Real-Time Visitor Monitoring! Also, create Call, Email, SMS, & Contact buttons to increase conv …
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7.LiveChat
LiveChat – Live Chat Plugin for WP Websites
4.6 (98) 10,000+ active installs Updated May 25, 2026 Tested up to 6.9.7Best live chat and help desk plugin for WordPress websites. Add the LiveChat widget to engage visitors and provide real‑time customer support! 🚀
Smartsupp – live chat, AI shopping assistant and chatbots
4.7 (131) 20,000+ active installs Updated Dec 8, 2025 Tested up to 6.8.8Boost your sales and turn visitors into customers with live chat, AI tools and chatbots. Smartsupp is trusted by 100,000+ online stores.
4.8 (15) 40,000+ active installs Updated Aug 21, 2026 Tested up to 7.1WhatsApp Chat Button - Display the beautiful WhatsApp Sticky Button on the WordPress frontend.
Live Chat by Formilla – Real-time Chat & Chatbots Plugin
4.8 (116) 2,000+ active installs Updated Aug 17, 2026 Tested up to 7.1Live chat software with real-time visitor monitoring and chatbots! Live chat with your visitors for free or use a chatbot to automate self-help.
How to choose a Live Chat Plugin for WordPress
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1
Decide who answers, and when
A chat widget with nobody behind it is worse than a contact form. If cover is part-time, pick one that changes to a message form when you are away.
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2
Hosted, self-hosted or a link
A hosted service is easiest and adds a third-party script. Self-hosted keeps data local and adds load. A click-to-chat link costs almost nothing and has no history.
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3
Watch the weight of the widget
Chat scripts are often the heaviest third-party asset on a page. Loading it on interaction rather than on arrival is worth looking for.
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4
Check the mobile experience
A chat bubble that covers content, or a window that fights the on-screen keyboard, loses more visitors than it helps.
Live Chat Plugin comparisons: side by side
The top four against each other on installs, ratings, reviews and updates. Each measure names its own leader; there is no overall winner.
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vs
3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging vs Tidio#1 vs #2 · 100,000+ vs 70,000+ installs
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vs
3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging vs HubSpot All-In-One Marketing#1 vs #3 · 100,000+ vs 200,000+ installs
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vs
3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging vs Chatway Live Chat#1 vs #4 · 100,000+ vs 30,000+ installs
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vs
Tidio vs HubSpot All-In-One Marketing#2 vs #3 · 70,000+ vs 200,000+ installs
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vs
Tidio vs Chatway Live Chat#2 vs #4 · 70,000+ vs 30,000+ installs
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vs
HubSpot All-In-One Marketing vs Chatway Live Chat#3 vs #4 · 200,000+ vs 30,000+ installs
How we rank Live Chat Plugins
WordPress.org publishes two orderings for "chat" and neither is reliable alone. The tag listing covers every tag the directory files these plugins under, "chat", "live-chat", "chatbot" and "messenger", and is sorted by active installs, which lets a large plugin carrying one of them loosely sit above the ones the category is about. Its search results are sorted by relevance and carry their own noise. So a plugin is placed here by where it sits across both lists: high in each one lifts it, high in only one does not. We fetch both every day at 03:00 UTC, keep every day's snapshot, and add nothing of our own. No plugin is inserted, removed or sponsored, and each entry shows its position in both lists on its own page. Full methodology.
Live Chat Plugins FAQ
What is the best Live Chat Plugin for WordPress?
On WordPress.org's own ranking for "chat", 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging is #1 as of September 7, 2026, with 100,000+ active installs and a 4.6 out of 5 rating. By active installs, Chaty leads with 300,000+. By rating, Chaty scores 5.0 out of 5 from 1,240 reviews.
Which Live Chat Plugin has the most active installs?
Chaty, with 300,000+ active installs reported by WordPress.org as of September 7, 2026. It ranks #5 in this list.
Which Live Chat Plugin has the highest rating?
Chaty, rated 5.0 out of 5 by 1,240 reviewers on WordPress.org. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted, so a single 5-star review does not win.
Which Live Chat Plugin was updated most recently?
Chaty shipped its latest release on September 2, 2026. 8 of the 10 plugins in this list were updated in the last 90 days, which is the usual sign of active maintenance.
How many Live Chat Plugins are there on WordPress.org?
WordPress.org lists 1,467 plugins tagged "chat", "live-chat", "chatbot" and "messenger" as of September 7, 2026. This page shows the top 10 in the directory's own order.
Does live chat slow down a website?
The script usually is the heaviest third-party thing on the page, and it loads on every view whether or not anyone chats. The way round it is a plugin that loads the widget only when the button is clicked, or a click-to-chat link that opens a messaging app and needs no script at all.
What happens to the chat when nobody is available?
That depends on the plugin, and it is worth checking before install. The good ones switch to an offline form that emails you, or show your hours plainly. The bad ones keep inviting people to chat with nobody, which reads as being ignored rather than closed.
Live Chat Plugins: the bottom line
As of September 7, 2026, 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging holds the #1 spot for "chat" on WordPress.org, followed by Tidio and HubSpot All-In-One Marketing. If install base matters most, Chaty leads with 300,000+ active installs. If ratings matter most, Chaty scores 5.0 out of 5 across 1,240 reviews.
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