Zoho SalesIQ is one of the cheapest live chats per seat ($7 per operator on Basic), but every operator is a seat, chatbots and bot sessions are capped per plan, and its AI agents run on an AI provider you connect yourself.
For AI chat, a team inbox and a CRM at one team price from $19 a month, try CRMsoftware.pro. For a free chat with paid AI, tawk.to. For online stores, Tidio. For a flat price per workspace, Crisp. For sales chat with AI resolutions included, LiveChat (Text).
For an AI-first help desk, Intercom (Fin). For chat inside a Freshworks stack, Freshchat. For chat plus email marketing, HelpCrunch. For chat on the HubSpot CRM, HubSpot.
We checked every price on the vendor's own pricing page on October 22, 2026, in US dollars, billed yearly unless we say otherwise, before tax.
CRMsoftware.pro is our own product, so we list its limits too. No made-up scores or tests: each tool gets its real price, its pros and cons, and who it suits.
What Zoho SalesIQ costs in 2026
Zoho SalesIQ is a live chat and visitor tracking tool: a website widget, chatbots, Zia AI agents, visitor scoring and messaging channels. It is priced per operator, the person who answers chats. The plans on October 22, 2026:
| Plan | Price per operator | What you get | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 operators, canned replies, file sharing, mobile and desktop apps | 100 operator chat sessions and 10,000 tracked visitors a month; no chatbots |
| Basic | $7/mo billed yearly ($10 monthly) | 1 chatbot, Zia Agents, AI vendor integrations, chat routing, translation, messaging channels, audio and video calls | 1,000 operator chat sessions, 25,000 bot sessions and 50,000 tracked visitors a month |
| Professional | $12.75/mo billed yearly ($17 monthly) | 5 chatbots, unlimited operator chats, conversation monitor, auto-translated bot content, real-time reports | 50,000 bot sessions and 100,000 tracked visitors a month |
| Enterprise | $20/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly) | 10 chatbots, Answer Bot, AI self-help trained on your web pages, company enrichment, audit logs | 200,000 bot sessions and 200,000 tracked visitors a month |
Add-ons are priced per month on yearly billing: an extra brand costs $16, an extra chatbot $8, and 5,000 more bot sessions $8. More tracked visitors start at $90 a month for 100,000.
The AI agents can use Zia or a model you connect: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, DeepSeek or a custom LLM. If you connect your own provider, expect its usage on that provider's bill. There is a 15-day free trial with no card.
Why teams look for a Zoho SalesIQ alternative
- Every operator is a seat. The low price is per person, so a growing team pays for each new agent.
- Bots and sessions are capped. Basic has 1 chatbot and 1,000 operator chats a month; more bots and bot sessions are add-ons.
- AI may need your own provider. Bringing an OpenAI or Anthropic key means a second bill and someone to manage it.
- It shines inside Zoho. Lead scoring and visitor data work best with Zoho CRM. Outside the Zoho suite you connect the pieces yourself.
- Many plans and limits to learn. Profiles, brands, visitor quotas and bot sessions all change by plan.
Zoho SalesIQ alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Entry price (checked Oct 22, 2026) | How AI is billed | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho SalesIQ (for reference) | Cheap chat with visitor tracking | $7 per operator/mo | Zia, or your own AI provider's usage fees | Yes, 3 operators, 100 chats a month |
| CRMsoftware.pro | AI chat + inbox + CRM, users included | $19/mo for up to 8 users | AI messages included (1,000 a month on Launch) | Yes, 3 users, 100 AI messages (AI only) |
| tawk.to | Free live chat | $0; branding removal $29/mo | AI Assist: free for low volume, then from $29/mo | Yes, free for life |
| Tidio | Online stores | $24.17/mo (100 conversations) | Lyro AI from $32.50/mo for 50 conversations | Yes |
| Crisp | Flat price per workspace | $45/mo per workspace (4 seats) | AI credits; $5 included on Mini, $25 on Essentials | Yes, 2 seats, no AI credits |
| LiveChat (Text) | Sales chat with AI included | $19 per user/mo | 10 AI resolutions a month on Essential, 200 on Growth; extra 50 for $49.50 | No, free trial |
| Intercom (Fin) | AI-first help desk | $29 per seat/mo | $0.99 per Fin outcome | No, free trial |
| Freshchat | Chat in a Freshworks stack | $19 per agent/mo | Freddy AI Agent $49 per 100 sessions | Yes, up to 10 agents |
| HelpCrunch | Chat plus email marketing | $12 per member/mo | 50 AI conversations on Pro, then extensions | No, free trial |
| HubSpot | Chat on the HubSpot CRM | Free for 2 users; Service Hub from $7 per seat | Customer Agent $0.50 per resolved chat, Professional and up | Yes, 2 users |
What 3 operators really pay
A typical SalesIQ team: 3 operators and about 1,000 website chats a month. The AI bot takes 400 of them and fully resolves 250, and the team answers the rest. Billed yearly, list prices, before tax.
| Tool and plan | How the bill adds up | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|
| tawk.to + AI Assist | Chat is free; AI Assist starts at $29 a month (its price depends on usage) | From $29 |
| Zoho SalesIQ Professional | 3 × $12.75 = $38.25, plus your AI provider's fees if you connect your own model | $38.25 + AI provider |
| CRMsoftware.pro Growth | $49 flat for 20 users with 3,000 AI messages, enough for 400 AI chats at about 3 messages each, plus the team inbox | $49 |
| Crisp Essentials | $95 flat (10 seats) with $25 of AI credits, about 450 AI conversations, enough for the 400 | $95 |
| HelpCrunch Pro | 3 × $20 = $60 + 400 AI conversations (50 included, then a 400-conversation extension at $83.20 a month billed yearly) | $143.20 |
| Freshchat Growth | 3 × $19 = $57 + 400 AI sessions at $49 per 100 = $196 | $253 |
| LiveChat (Text) Growth | 3 × $79 = $237 with 200 AI resolutions included + one 50-resolution package at $49.50 | $286.50 |
| Intercom Essential | 3 × $29 = $87 + at least 250 outcomes × $0.99 = $247.50 (handoffs can also count as outcomes) | From $334.50 |
| HubSpot Service Hub Professional | 3 × $90 = $270 + 250 resolutions × 50 credits = 12,500 credits, minus 3,000 included = 9,500 × $0.01 = $95 | $365 + $1,500 once |
Tidio is left out of the table because its price depends on two volumes at once, human conversations and Lyro AI conversations. Use the calculator on Tidio's pricing page with your own numbers.
SalesIQ stays one of the cheapest options if you already pay for an AI model. The gap opens when you add the AI provider's bill, more operators or more bots.
The 9 best Zoho SalesIQ alternatives
1. CRMsoftware.pro: best for AI chat plus a CRM at one team price
CRMsoftware.pro is our product, so judge this section with that in mind. Like SalesIQ, it starts from the website chat. The difference is that the AI is included in every plan, with no AI provider to connect, and the price covers the team instead of each operator.
The agent answers on your website chat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger and Slack, and hands over to a person. Conversations turn into contacts and deals in the built-in pipeline.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Free for 3 users and 100 AI messages a month (AI only: no human handover or unified inbox). Launch $19/mo billed yearly ($24 monthly) for 8 users and 1,000 AI messages. Growth $49 ($59) for 20 users, 3,000 AI messages and the team inbox. Scale $99 ($119) for 50 users and 10,000 AI messages.
Pros: flat price for the whole team; AI included, no second bill; replies in 95+ languages; CRM pipeline, bookings and AI voice built in.
Cons: visitor tracking and lead scoring are not as deep as SalesIQ's; fewer integrations than the Zoho suite.
Best for: small sales and support teams that want AI chat and a CRM in one bill.
Add up your operator seats and last month's AI provider bill, then compare with a plan that includes users and AI messages. Start free, no card needed, or see pricing.
2. tawk.to: best free live chat
tawk.to gives you live chat, a ticketing inbox and a knowledge base for free, without charging per agent. It makes money from optional extras instead of seats.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): free for life. Removing the "Powered by tawk.to" branding costs $29 a month. AI Assist, the AI chatbot, has a free plan for low chat volume; paid plans start at $29 a month. Hired chat agents cost $1 an hour.
Pros: free, with no per-agent price; human agents on demand; simple to install.
Cons: branding stays unless you pay; fewer automations and reports than SalesIQ; the AI price depends on usage.
Best for: small sites that want chat for free and AI only when they need it.
3. Tidio: best for online stores
Tidio combines live chat, ticketing, Flows automation and the Lyro AI agent, with strong Shopify and WordPress support.
Price (Oct 22, 2026, billed yearly): a free plan; Starter $24.17 a month for 100 billable conversations, with 50 one-off Lyro conversations; Growth from $49.17 for 250 conversations; Plus from $300 a month plus usage. The Lyro AI agent starts at $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, with larger volumes in Tidio's calculator.
Pros: built for ecommerce; a capable AI agent; a free plan to start.
Cons: you pay per conversation, so busy months cost more; AI and human conversations are two separate volumes to budget.
Best for: Shopify and WooCommerce stores.
4. Crisp: best flat price per workspace
Crisp is a chat-first omnichannel inbox with a knowledge base, chatbot and the Hugo AI agent. You pay per workspace with seats included, not per operator.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Free for 2 seats, no AI. Mini $45 a month per workspace for 4 seats with $5 of AI credits. Essentials $95 for 10 seats with $25 of credits, the omnichannel inbox, workflows and a knowledge base. Plus $295 for 20+ seats with $75 of credits.
Pros: flat price; AI conversations cost cents; good mobile apps.
Cons: visitor tracking is lighter than SalesIQ's; Mini has only $5 of AI credits, and the omnichannel AI chatbot starts on Essentials.
Best for: teams of 4–20 that want predictable pricing.
5. LiveChat (Text): best sales chat with AI included
Text is the new live chat from the team behind LiveChat, with AI agents and AI resolutions included in the plans. It suits teams that sell through chat.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Essential $19 per user a month billed yearly ($25 monthly) with 1 AI agent and 10 AI resolutions a month. Growth $79 ($99) with 10 AI agents and 200 AI resolutions a month. Extra AI resolutions cost $49.50 per 50. Existing LiveChat customers see the older LiveChat prices. More in our LiveChat alternatives guide.
Pros: AI resolutions included; Shopify selling; clear per-resolution packages.
Cons: per-user pricing; Growth is a big step up from Essential.
Best for: ecommerce and sales teams that live in chat.
6. Intercom (Fin): best AI-first help desk
Intercom is a chat-first help desk with one of the most advanced AI agents, Fin. It is the step up when SalesIQ's bots are not enough and support, not lead capture, is the main job.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Essential $29 per seat a month billed yearly, Advanced $85, Expert $132. Fin costs $0.99 per outcome on every plan.
Pros: strong AI agent; messenger and in-app tools; AI from the first plan.
Cons: seats plus outcomes add up; no free plan; less visitor tracking than SalesIQ.
Best for: support teams that want the AI to resolve many chats.
7. Freshchat: best for a Freshworks stack
Freshchat is the chat and messaging product from Freshworks, with Freddy AI and a free plan for small teams.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Free for up to 10 agents. Growth $19 per agent a month billed yearly ($23 monthly), Pro $49 ($59), Enterprise $79 ($95). The Freddy AI Agent costs $49 per 100 sessions.
Pros: generous free plan; social messengers on Growth; works with Freshdesk and Freshsales.
Cons: AI is billed per session; per-agent pricing. More in our Freshchat alternatives guide.
Best for: teams already on Freshworks.
8. HelpCrunch: best for chat plus email marketing
HelpCrunch bundles live chat, a chatbot, AI agents, a knowledge base, popups and email campaigns, priced per team member.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Basic $12 per member a month (no AI or chatbot), Pro $20 with 50 AI conversations a month, Unlimited $495 a month for unlimited members. Extra AI conversations come in extensions, from $23.20 per 100 a month billed yearly. More in our HelpCrunch alternatives guide.
Pros: chat and email marketing in one tool; low seat price; free migration.
Cons: AI is capped low on Pro; the Basic plan has no chatbot.
Best for: small SaaS teams that also send email campaigns.
9. HubSpot: best chat on the HubSpot CRM
HubSpot's free tools include live chat and ticketing for 2 users, and Service Hub adds the Customer Agent. It is the natural choice if your sales team already works in HubSpot.
Price (Oct 22, 2026): Free for 2 users. Service Hub Starter $7 per seat a month billed yearly, without an AI agent. Professional $90 per seat plus a $1,500 onboarding fee, with the Customer Agent at $0.50 per resolved conversation after the included credits. See our HubSpot Service Hub alternatives guide.
Pros: free chat on a full CRM; cheap AI resolutions; huge app marketplace.
Cons: the AI agent starts at $90 per seat; onboarding fees on Professional and Enterprise.
Best for: teams whose sales and marketing already run in HubSpot.
Free Zoho SalesIQ alternatives
- tawk.to: free chat with no per-agent price; branding stays.
- Freshchat Free: up to 10 agents.
- Tidio Free: 50 conversations a month.
- Crisp Free: 2 seats, no AI credits.
- HubSpot Free: live chat and ticketing for 2 users.
- CRMsoftware.pro Free: 3 users and 100 AI messages a month; human handover starts on Launch ($19).
- Zoho SalesIQ Free itself: 3 operators and 100 operator chats a month.
When to stay on Zoho SalesIQ
Stay if you use Zoho CRM or Zoho One. SalesIQ's visitor tracking, lead scoring and Zoho integrations are hard to match at $7–$20 per operator.
It is also a good fit if you already pay for an OpenAI or Anthropic API and want to use it in your chat. Move when the seats, bot add-ons and AI provider bill together cost more than a plan with AI included.
How to choose
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| want AI chat, an inbox and a CRM at one team price | CRMsoftware.pro |
| want chat for free | tawk.to |
| run an online store | Tidio |
| want a flat price per workspace | Crisp |
| sell through chat and want AI included | LiveChat (Text) |
| want the AI to resolve as many chats as possible | Intercom (Fin) |
| already use Freshworks | Freshchat |
| also send email campaigns | HelpCrunch |
| run sales and marketing in HubSpot | HubSpot |
How to switch from Zoho SalesIQ
- Export your data. Save chat transcripts and visitor and lead data from SalesIQ, and keep the export as a backup.
- Move the FAQs and articles. They train the new AI agent, so import them before you switch the AI on.
- Rebuild bots and canned replies. List the flows you really use; most teams use a few of the ones they built.
- Swap the widget code. Replace the SalesIQ script on your site and reconnect WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Telegram.
- Run both for a week. Answer new chats in the new tool and close open ones in SalesIQ before you cancel.
FAQ
What is the best Zoho SalesIQ alternative?
For small teams that want AI chat, an inbox and a CRM with users and AI messages included, CRMsoftware.pro from $19 a month. For free chat, tawk.to. For online stores, Tidio. For a flat workspace price, Crisp. For an AI-first help desk, Intercom (Fin).
How much does Zoho SalesIQ cost?
On October 22, 2026: Free for 3 operators; Basic $7 per operator a month billed yearly ($10 monthly); Professional $12.75 ($17); Enterprise $20 ($25). Extra chatbots cost $8 a month billed yearly ($10 monthly), and 5,000 more bot sessions the same.
Does Zoho SalesIQ have a free plan?
Yes: 3 operators, 100 operator chat sessions and 10,000 tracked visitors a month. It has no chatbot; bots start on Basic.
Does Zoho SalesIQ include AI?
Zia Agents and AI vendor integrations start on Basic. You can use Zia or connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, DeepSeek or a custom LLM; with your own provider, its usage is billed separately by that provider.
Is Zoho SalesIQ cheaper than Intercom?
Yes, by a lot: $12.75 per operator on Professional against $29 per seat on Intercom Essential, and Intercom adds $0.99 per AI outcome. Intercom's Fin is a more complete AI agent out of the box.
Is tawk.to really free?
Yes, the live chat itself is free and not priced per agent. You pay only for extras: $29 a month to remove the branding, AI Assist free for low volume or from $29 a month, or hired agents at $1 an hour.
Which Zoho SalesIQ alternative works with Zoho CRM?
SalesIQ itself has the deepest Zoho CRM link. Among the alternatives, most connect to Zoho CRM through integrations or Zapier; check the vendor's integration page for the fields you need.
Which alternative includes AI without a separate bill?
CRMsoftware.pro includes AI messages in every plan, Crisp includes AI credits, and LiveChat (Text) includes AI resolutions. Intercom, Freshchat and HubSpot bill AI usage on top of seats.
Sources
- Zoho SalesIQ pricing, checked Oct 22, 2026, with the monthly and yearly toggle and the add-on table.
- Pricing pages checked Oct 22, 2026: tawk.to, Tidio, Crisp, LiveChat (Text), Intercom, Freshchat, HelpCrunch, HubSpot Service Hub, CRMsoftware.pro.
AI chat without a second AI bill
AI chat, a team inbox and a CRM pipeline with users and AI messages included. Free for 3 users; Launch is $19/month billed yearly for 8 users and 1,000 AI messages, Growth $49 for 20 users and 3,000.
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