Free Live Chats: Channel Talk vs Tawk.to

Free Live Chats: Channel Talk vs Tawk.to

If you're considering Tawk.to, that means you're looking for completely free plan that also includes a lot of robust features so you can talk to your customers without having to pay a hefty price.

And if you're on this blog, that means you're considering other free live chat platforms that might be able to offer more than Tawk.to.

Here is a quick breakdown of the features both Channel Talk and Tawk.to offer:

Tawk.to: Too Basic with Outdated Design

Tawk.to is a popular free live chat tool that many small businesses utilize because it offers unlimited seats and chats so your basics of live chat are all covered.

Other live chat platforms like Intercom, Zendesk, and Gorgias are expensive so it makes sense to turn to a free plan for your live chat needs and Tawk.to is a strong choice.

But since it's free and only offers a few paid features (such as AI) instead of tiered paid growth plans, Tawk.to's overall usability is a bit outdated.

Instagram Limitations

Tawk.to offers the very basic of live chat communication. You can chat with your customers through the interface and also integrate your email inbox to respond to tickets through the platform.

But if you've built out your marketing strategy, you likely have an Instagram page to organically promote your products and talk to customers.

For your customers who find you through social media, they'll likely ask you questions through your Instagram DMs but Tawk.to doesn't offer this integration so you'll have to answer it separately.

Branding & Customer Infomation

The branding for your live chat interface is limited to a simple color and icon.

And in general, the backend UX is old and outdated.

Here's feedback from a real Tawk.to user:

"Firstly, the user interface is quite basic and outdated, making it difficult to navigate around efficiently. Additionally, there are limited customization options in terms of design and layout which may be off-putting for some users who are used to more modern interfaces."

Channel Talk: Unlimited Customizability, Customer Data, and Calling

Channel Talk offers a free plan that also lets you talk to customers without any limitation but provides a greater amount of customizability, and customer data and offers a free calling feature.

Instagram Integration

Channel Talk offers Instagram integration so you can answer customer inquiries from live chat, email, and Instagram all in one place.

If you're utilizing Instagram for your marketing, chances are customers are also leaving questions there so it's important that all of your channels are streamlined into one easy place where you can answer them.

Branding

Creating an experience that matches your brand elevates the user experience. The free plan allows you to update the basics like colors and logo as well as:

• Add header images

• Integrate with your Instagram feed

This creates a more aesthetic feel that better matches your brand, all for free.

(Check out a live example from our client, Big Tent Outdoors)

Customer Information

The free plan also includes customer information outside of basics and allows you to view event history such as product page view.

Understanding their journey on your website allows you to give more personalized help to your customers.

Calling Features

Tawk.to offers calling features but only on their paid plan.

With Channel Talk, you can freely audio and video call your customers at no extra cost.

Team Messenger

Many businesses use Slack or Microsoft Teams to handle internal communication which can cost money and is also a separate tool. Channel Talk offers a free internal team messaging tool that’s within the same platform so you can switch easily between talking to your team and customers.

And finally, Channel Talk’s platform is designed to help you grow. The free plan helps you start out talking to customers. When your business starts to take off and there’s more customers to talk to, there are paid features available to help you retain those customers and turn visitors into regulars.

Features like support bot, AI, automation, and marketing can help elevate your businesses. So when you’re ready to upgrade, there are add-ons available to support your growth.

Conclusion

Tawk.to is a strong choice for a free live chat tool because their main plan is completely free, offering unlimited seats and chats which many other live chat tools do not.

However, Channel Talk is able to offer unlimited seats and chats in our free plan and much more.

Here's what Channel Talk offers that Tawk.to does not:

• 📸 Instagram integration

• 🎨 Modern design and more customizability of the chat interface

• 📅 Customer event history

• 📞 Calling features**

Using Channel Talk is completely free and we offer many features.

So if you're interested in trying out Channel Talk, sign up below and we'll personally help you get onboarded so you can get up and running as quickly as possible.

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