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tawk.to Live Chat
Free hosted live chat with unlimited agents, ticketing and a knowledge base; paid add-ons cover branding removal, AI Assist and hired agents.
Free installs100K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~7.5KLikely 3.8K–15K
Vendor claims6M+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.6/5142 reviews
Price from$29/moFreemium
Last updated14 Jan 2026Version 0.9.3
Overview
tawk.to is a hosted live chat platform whose core product is free with no limits on agents, chats or sites. The WordPress plugin adds the tawk.to widget to your pages and lets you choose where it appears; all chatting happens in tawk.to’s dashboard and apps.
The free account goes well beyond a chat box. It includes visitor monitoring, triggers for automatic greetings, shortcuts (saved replies), departments for routing, a widget scheduler, an offline form, ticketing, a hosted knowledge base, contacts and reporting on chat volume, response times and satisfaction. Help docs also cover connecting WhatsApp Business, Messenger, Telegram, Twilio SMS and email to the shared inbox.
How tawk.to makes money
- Removing the ‘Powered by tawk.to’ branding costs $29 a month.
- AI Assist (the Apollo AI agent) has a free low-volume tier and paid plans from $29 a month; it answers from your website, documents, FAQs and shortcuts.
- Hired chat agents from $1 an hour and virtual assistants from $7 an hour.
- A video, voice and screen-sharing add-on.
Limitations
The WordPress plugin itself is basic: it embeds the widget, handles visibility rules and can pre-fill details for logged-in users, but it does not show WooCommerce carts or orders to agents. Some users report issues with the mobile apps and notifications. The pricing page still labels some messaging and phone features as beta.
tawk.to is the obvious pick for small businesses, nonprofits and agencies that need a capable chat and help desk for free and can live with the branding badge. Stores that need order context inside chats should look at Tidio or LiveChat instead.
Best for: Budget-conscious small businesses and nonprofits that want full-featured live chat and ticketing for free.
tawk.to gives away more than any other chat service here: unlimited agents, ticketing, a knowledge base and reporting cost nothing. You pay only to hide the branding or add AI, and the trade-off is a basic WordPress plugin with no WooCommerce data in chat.
Pros
- Core chat is free with unlimited agents, chats and sites
- Ticketing, knowledge base and reporting included at no cost
- Triggers, shortcuts, departments and a widget scheduler for free
- WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, SMS and email channels documented
- Apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS
- Simple plugin with page visibility rules and a shortcode
Cons
- Removing branding costs $29 a month
- AI Assist beyond a small free tier is a paid add-on
- No WooCommerce cart or order data in chat
- Some users report mobile app and notification problems
- WordPress plugin is a thin embed with few settings
Key features
What tawk.to Live Chat highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Monitor visitors and chat in real time
- Unlimited agents, chats and sites
- Triggered greetings by page or visit
- Built-in ticketing and support desk
- Free hosted knowledge base
- Widget scheduler and visibility rules
- 45+ widget languages
- Departments for sales or support
- iOS, Android, Windows and Mac apps
- Logged-in users auto-fill pre-chat form
- Multisite support and shortcode placement
Pro / paid adds From $29/mo
- Remove tawk.to branding
- AI Assist (Apollo) automated answers
- Hired chat agents by the hour
- Virtual assistants
- Video, voice and screen sharing
- White-label chat page and direct link
- Branding removal for knowledge base
- AI trained on site, docs and FAQs
Feature checklist
19 of 20 features we track in Live Chat & WhatsApp, feature score 91/100
Chat & channels 6/6
Live chat widget Key
Real-time chat between visitors and your team.
Real-time chat with visitors, free with unlimited agents.
Included
WhatsApp chat Key
WhatsApp buttons or WhatsApp conversations.
Help center guides cover connecting WhatsApp Business numbers to the inbox.
Included
Other channels
Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, email or SMS in one place.
Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twilio SMS and email in one shared inbox; some marked beta on pricing.
Included
Mobile & desktop apps
Reply from phone or desktop apps.
Native iOS, Android, Windows and macOS apps with push notifications.
Included
Offline messages
Collect messages when nobody is online.
Offline form collects messages that land in the inbox and can become tickets.
Included
File & image sharing
Send files and images in chat.
Files can be shared in chats.
Included
Automation & AI 5/5
Rule-based chatbot Key
Automated flows that answer common questions.
Automated FAQ answers come from AI Assist (Apollo); free low-volume tier, paid from $29/mo.
Via add-on
AI chatbot Key
AI assistant trained on your site or help content.
AI Assist trained on site pages, documents, FAQs and shortcuts; paid from $29/mo after a small free tier.
Via add-on
Proactive messages
Triggered greetings based on page, time or behaviour.
Triggers send greetings based on URL, behaviour, location or past visits.
Included
Canned responses
Saved replies for common questions.
Shortcuts provide saved replies for common questions.
Included
Business hours
Show availability and route out-of-hours chats.
Widget scheduler sets when the chat is shown.
Included
Stores & teams 5/5
WooCommerce integration Key
See orders and carts, or recommend products, in chat.
WooCommerce support listed in changelog, but no cart or order data in chat.
Partial
Visitor tracking
See who is on the site and which pages they view.
See who is on the site and what they are reading in real time.
Included
Multiple agents Key
More than one team member can answer chats.
Unlimited agents for free, grouped into departments.
Included
Departments & routing
Route chats to the right team or agent.
Departments with automatic routing and chat transfers.
Included
Chat history & analytics
Transcripts, response times and satisfaction ratings.
Reports on chat volume, response times, missed chats and satisfaction ratings.
Included
Platform & privacy 3/4
Generous free plan Key
Free plan with real use, not just a short trial.
Free with no limits on agents, chats or sites.
Included
Works without a SaaS account
Runs inside WordPress without an external chat platform.
Plugin embeds the hosted tawk.to widget; account required.
Not included
GDPR & consent options
Consent before chat loads, data retention or EU hosting.
GDPR compliance page, Data Processing Addendum and EU-US DPF certification.
Included
Helpdesk & ticketing
Turn chats into tickets or a shared inbox.
Free built-in ticketing and support desk.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
Freeper monthUnlimited
Live chat, ticketing, knowledge base and unlimited agents; tawk.to branding shown.
Remove Branding add-on
$29per month1 site
Removes the 'Powered by tawk.to' badge.
AI Assist add-on
$29per month1 site
From $29/mo; a forever-free tier exists for low chat volume. Hired agents ($1/hr) and virtual assistants (from $7/hr) are extra.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use tawk.to Live Chat?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
100K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
6M+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~7.5K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 150K free installs x 5% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when a hosted service whose free tier is generous) gives 7.5K. The vendor figure (6M+) is more than 8 times the free installs, so it probably counts more than this plugin (other products or platforms) and we leave it out. Likely range: 3.8K to 15K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
3,130 downloads last week, 4.8M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 0.9.3 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 14 Jan 2026 (292 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 6.9.11 |
| Requires | WordPress 2.7+, PHP 5.6+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 0 of 1 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 1 Nov 2013 |
Company & policy
| Founded | 2013 (source, 14 Oct 2026) Implied by a 'since 2013' label on the founder's homepage quote; not stated directly. |
|---|
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FAQ
Is tawk.to Live Chat free?
Yes. tawk.to Live Chat has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $29/mo.
How many sites use tawk.to Live Chat?
WordPress.org reports 100K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 6M+ sites in total. We estimate around 7.5K sites run the paid version.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have live chat widget?
Yes: included. Real-time chat with visitors, free with unlimited agents.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have whatsapp chat?
Yes: included. Help center guides cover connecting WhatsApp Business numbers to the inbox.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have rule-based chatbot?
Yes: via add-on. Automated FAQ answers come from AI Assist (Apollo); free low-volume tier, paid from $29/mo.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have ai chatbot?
Yes: via add-on. AI Assist trained on site pages, documents, FAQs and shortcuts; paid from $29/mo after a small free tier.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have woocommerce integration?
Yes: partial. WooCommerce support listed in changelog, but no cart or order data in chat.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have multiple agents?
Yes: included. Unlimited agents for free, grouped into departments.
Does tawk.to Live Chat have generous free plan?
Yes: included. Free with no limits on agents, chats or sites.
Is tawk.to really free?
Yes. Live chat, ticketing, the knowledge base and unlimited agents are free. You pay only for optional add-ons such as removing branding ($29/mo) or AI Assist (from $29/mo, with a small free tier).
Does tawk.to work with WooCommerce?
The widget loads on WooCommerce pages and the plugin added WooCommerce support in version 0.2.7, but agents do not get cart or order details in chat the way Tidio or LiveChat provide.
Can I connect WhatsApp to tawk.to?
tawk.to's help center has guides for connecting WhatsApp Business numbers, Messenger, Telegram, Twilio SMS and email to the shared inbox. The pricing page does not list a charge for these.
Can I limit where the chat widget appears?
Yes. The plugin lets you include or exclude pages, use wildcard URL matching, or place the widget only where you add the [tawkto] shortcode.
Last updated 14 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.