100% free live chat, ticketing, and knowledge-base software with unlimited agents and sites, monetized only through optional add-ons like branding removal and AI Assist.
Get deal
M
ManyChat
74score
Free plan; Pro from ~$15/mo
Chat marketing automation for Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and TikTok — capture leads, automate replies, and turn DMs and comments into sales.
Get deal
S
Smartsupp
74score
Free-forever plan (25 chats/mo) + 14-day trial on paid — Solo from $17/mo annually
Live chat plus an AI shopping assistant for small e-commerce and service sites — with a genuine free plan.
Get deal
C
Customer.io
73score
Up to 20% off with annual billing
Customer.io review: a developer-grade messaging platform for behavior-triggered campaigns across email, push, SMS, and in-app.
Verified 2mo ago
Get deal
H
HelpDesk
70score
14-day free trial (no card) — Essential from $19/agent/mo billed annually
Simple, AI-assisted email ticketing for support teams — from the makers of LiveChat.
Get deal
L
Landbot
68score
Free Sandbox plan + 14-day full trial + official startup discount: 50% off monthly plans for 12 months (eligibility criteria apply, WhatsApp excluded)
No-code chatbot builder for websites and WhatsApp — turn static forms into conversational flows that qualify leads while you sleep.
Get deal
O
Outgrow
67score
Free trial; paid from ~$22/mo
Build interactive quizzes, calculators, assessments, and polls — no code — to capture leads and boost engagement far beyond static content.
Verified 2mo ago
Get deal
C
Canny
66score
Canny turns scattered customer feedback into a prioritized roadmap your product team will actually use.
Verified 2mo ago
Get deal
P
Plain
64score
A modern, API-first helpdesk from ex-GitHub engineers — finally, a Zendesk alternative built for speed, not 2003.
Verified 2mo ago
Get deal
T
Tidio
62score
Free plan available
Live chat, the Lyro AI agent, and a shared helpdesk in one tool — answer customers instantly and automate routine support for ecommerce and small teams.
Get deal
P
Pylon
62score
Starter from $59/seat (annual) — multi-channel B2B support in one inbox
The modern B2B customer support platform — unify Slack, Teams, email and chat in one inbox, with AI agents and account-level health views.
Verified 1mo ago
Get deal
C
Crisp
62score
Free plan; paid from ~$45/mo (flat)
All-in-one customer messaging — live chat, shared inbox, chatbot, CRM, and helpdesk — with refreshingly flat pricing that doesn’t punish you for growing.
Customer engagement tools drive in-product and lifecycle interactions — messaging, onboarding and campaigns that keep users active.
Product and growth teams use them to onboard, re-engage and retain customers across channels.
Compare on contact/MAU pricing, channel coverage, segmentation depth, and integrations.
Buying guide
How to choose
Choosing customer engagement software depends on which channels matter most to your audience and whether you need marketing automation, support, or in-product messaging capabilities. Many platforms overlap with CRM or helpdesk tools, so clarify your stack gaps before evaluating. Prioritize tools that unify customer data to avoid fragmented experiences.
01
Channel Coverage
Confirm the platform supports the channels your customers actually use—email, SMS, push notifications, in-app, web chat, or social—and whether native or via integrations.
02
Segmentation and Automation
Look for behavior-based segmentation, triggered journeys, and A/B testing so you can deliver relevant messages at scale without manual campaign setup.
03
Data Integration and Reporting
Check how the tool connects to your CRM, product analytics, and data warehouse. Unified customer profiles and attribution reporting are essential for measuring impact.
Pricing reality
Most customer engagement platforms price based on monthly active contacts or users, typically ranging from $50 to $1,000+ per month for small to mid-size teams. Enterprise tiers with advanced automation and governance often require annual contracts and custom quotes.
Frequently asked questions
It is a category of tools that help businesses communicate with customers across channels like email, in-app messaging, push, SMS, and chat, often including automation, segmentation, and analytics features.
CRMs focus on tracking customer relationships and sales pipelines, while engagement platforms focus on messaging, campaigns, and behavioral interactions. Many modern tools overlap or integrate closely with CRMs.
Marketing teams, customer success managers, product growth teams, and support leaders commonly use them to onboard, retain, and re-engage customers throughout the lifecycle.