Crisp chat vs Tawk.to: Which is the number 1 option for e-commerce?

Crisp chat - a quick overview

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Founded in 2015 in Nantes, France by Baptiste Jamin and Valerian Saliou, Crisp is a customer support SaaS platform designed to unify communication for businesses of all sizes. With over 600,000 users worldwide, Crisp empowers startups and growing companies to deliver seamless customer experiences through live chat, email integration, helpdesk tools, CRM features, and robust omnichannel messaging.

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Crisp’s core audience includes customer support teams, sales professionals, and marketers seeking advanced automation and deep integrations with popular business tools. Key features include real-time chat visualization, auto-messaging bots powered by AI, multi-channel inboxes (covering WhatsApp, Messenger & more), knowledge base management, mobile apps for any device, offline email responses—and a flat organizational structure that fuels rapid innovation.

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In the next section we’ll compare Crisp’s features, pros/cons, pricing options and user reviews with Tawk.to and Ringly.io to help you find the best fit for your business needs.

Crisp chat's features

• Live Chat: Enables real-time conversations with website visitors, helping support teams provide instant answers and build trust. This is a core feature also found in Tawk.to, but unlike Ringly.io’s AI phone agent, Crisp focuses on text-based interactions.
• Multi-Channel Messaging: Centralizes customer messages from channels like email, SMS, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, WhatsApp (via Twilio), Telegram, and Line into one inbox. This omnichannel approach is similar to Tawk.to but lacks the voice automation and phone integration that sets Ringly.io apart.
• Automated Chatbots: Offers AI-powered chatbots to automate FAQs and lead capture during off-hours. While this reduces repetitive work like Tawk.to’s bots do, it doesn’t match Ringly.io’s advanced AI voice capabilities or deep business knowledge integration.
• Knowledge Base Integration: Lets you create a self-service help center for customers to find answers independently. Both Crisp and Tawk.to offer this; however, only Ringly.io updates its knowledge base daily from your actual site content for always-current responses.
• Co-Browsing: Allows agents to view and navigate a customer’s screen in real time for hands-on troubleshooting—a unique feature not present in Tawk.to or most competitors. However, it addresses only web issues rather than broader support needs handled by voice agents like those of Ringly.io.
• CRM Integration: Connects with popular CRM tools so businesses can track customer data across conversations. While both Crisp and Tawk.to integrate with CRMs for better workflow management, neither offers the direct action-taking during calls that distinguishes Ringly.io.
• Helpdesk & Ticketing System: Organizes inquiries using ticketing workflows within the platform—streamlining issue resolution much like Tawk.to does. Unlike automated call handling in Ringly.io though, these systems still require manual follow-up by human agents.
• Team Collaboration Tools: Provides shared inboxes where team members can assign tasks or share conversation notes—similar collaboration exists in both competitors but without the smart call transfer logic of an AI phone system as seen with Ringly.io.
• Mobile Apps & Notifications: iOS/Android apps let teams respond on-the-go; notifications ensure no message is missed—a standard offering also available from Tawk.to but less relevant when compared to 24/7 automated phone coverage provided by solutions like ours at Ringly.io.

Each of these features makes Crisp chat a robust choice for businesses seeking multi-channel text-based support—but when it comes to automating complex workflows (like abandoned cart recovery via personalized calls or instant order status checks), solutions such as ours deliver deeper automation beyond what live chat alone can achieve.

Pros

• Easy to use and quick to set up – Users consistently praise Crisp for its intuitive interface that makes onboarding simple even for non-technical teams.
• Excellent customer support – The support team is frequently described as responsive, helpful, and available when needed; this stands out as a major positive across nearly all reviews.
• Affordable pricing (especially for startups/SMBs) – Many reviewers highlight that Crisp offers strong value compared to competitors like Intercom or Zendesk, making it attractive for smaller businesses.
• All-in-one inbox with multi-channel support – Users appreciate being able to manage live chat, email, social media messages (and more) in one unified platform—improving efficiency and response times.
• Powerful automation & chatbot tools – The built-in chatbot builder is noted as smooth and flexible; automations help streamline repetitive tasks without much technical setup required.
• Solid integrations & documentation – Integrates well with other tools (like Zapier/Make), has good API access options, plus thorough documentation helps teams get the most out of the product.

Cons

• Some advanced features lack customization or are missing entirely – Several users mention that analytics/reporting could be more robust or customizable; some basic functionalities are absent compared to larger competitors like Intercom/Zendesk.
• Occasional bugs or lag after updates – There are reports of minor glitches after new releases or occasional lags in performance; while these issues tend to be resolved quickly by support, they can disrupt workflow temporarily.
• Mobile app notifications can be unreliable – Some users have experienced delayed notifications on mobile devices—sometimes receiving alerts hours late—which impacts timely responses in certain cases.
• Automation setup can be tricky without direct help – While automation is powerful once configured, several reviewers found initial setup confusing. Some expressed frustration at not being able to get live video calls with support unless paying extra fees—a point where solutions like Ringly.io may offer a smoother onboarding experience if hands-on guidance matters most.
• Pricing increases & cost concerns at scale – Although generally affordable for small teams/startups, recent price hikes have made it expensive for larger organizations or those needing higher-tier plans/features. This has led some long-term customers to reconsider their options due to budget constraints.
• Limited marketing capabilities — Users note you cannot send broadcasts/campaigns easily through channels beyond website/live chat (e.g., no email drip campaigns), which may limit outreach strategies versus more marketing-focused platforms.

While many find Crisp’s core strengths compelling—especially ease-of-use and unified communication—in areas where deep customization or proactive campaign management matter most (or if your team needs extensive hands-on onboarding), alternative solutions such as Ringly.io might address these gaps without sharing the same limitations around campaign functionality or personalized implementation assistance.

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Tawk.to - a quick overview

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Tawk.to is a free live chat application that enables businesses to communicate with website visitors in real-time. Founded in 2002 and based in Nevada, USA, it is widely used by over 245,000 companies across various industries for customer support, sales, and marketing. Tawk.to is particularly popular among small businesses due to its ease of setup and free features, including custom widgets and chat history.

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Its user-friendly interface makes it a favorite among businesses looking for basic yet effective live chat solutions. In the following section, we’ll explore Tawk.to’s features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with Crisp chat and other similar platforms to help you decide which tool best fits your business needs.

Tawk.to's features

• Free Live Chat Widget
  Tawk.to provides a completely free live chat widget for unlimited agents, making it highly attractive for small businesses and startups with tight budgets. The widget is easy to install on any website and allows real-time conversations with visitors. While Crisp also offers a free plan, its advanced features are gated behind paid tiers. Ringly.io, in contrast, focuses on AI-powered phone support rather than just web chat.
• Customizable Widget
  You can tailor the look and feel of the chat widget to match your brand’s style—colors, position, greetings—without coding. This helps maintain brand consistency across your site. Crisp offers similar customization options but adds more advanced design flexibility in higher plans. Ringly.io’s customization centers around voice interactions and SMS rather than web widgets.
• Triggers & Automated Greetings
  Set up automated messages based on visitor behavior (like time spent or specific pages viewed). This boosts engagement by proactively reaching out at key moments. While both Tawk.to and Crisp offer triggers for auto-messaging, Ringly.io takes automation further by enabling AI-driven phone call workflows that handle complex customer journeys automatically.
• Chat History & Transcripts
  Access full conversation histories with each visitor so agents can provide context-aware support during repeat visits. This feature is standard among live chat tools like Crisp as well, but unlike Ringly.io’s AI call summaries—which analyze sentiment and outcomes—Tawk.to only stores basic text transcripts.
• Easy Setup & Integration
  Tawk.to stands out for its simple installation process; most users can get started in minutes regardless of their technical background. It integrates easily with platforms like WordPress or custom sites via plugins or code snippets. While Crisp also boasts easy setup plus broader integrations (including social channels), neither matches the deep business tool connectivity offered by Ringly.io through no-code actions during calls.
• Unlimited Agents at No Cost
  Unlike most competitors—including Crisp—Tawk.to allows unlimited team members to use the platform without extra fees. This makes it ideal for growing teams who want basic functionality without worrying about per-seat pricing models found elsewhere. However, this comes at the expense of missing advanced collaboration tools present in premium solutions—or the specialized automation you’d find with an AI-first product like ours.
• Basic Knowledge Base Integration
  Tawk.to lets you create help articles accessible from within the chat window so customers can self-service common questions before chatting live. However, these knowledge bases lack dynamic updates or deep integration into agent responses seen in more sophisticated systems such as those powering Ringly.io’s instant knowledge-based answers over phone calls.
• Mobile Apps & Real-Time Monitoring
  Agents can respond to chats from anywhere using dedicated mobile apps (iOS/Android), ensuring timely replies even when away from their desks. Real-time monitoring shows which visitors are online right now—a feature shared by both major competitors—but doesn’t extend into omnichannel coverage or proactive outbound engagement like what our platform enables via automated voice outreach.

While Tawk.to excels as a cost-effective entry point for basic web-based customer communication—with standout ease-of-use—it lacks multichannel capabilities, robust automations, and actionable analytics that modern businesses need as they scale operations or seek deeper personalization through AI-driven experiences available on platforms such as ours.

Tawk.to Pros and Cons (Based on Real User Reviews)

Pros

• Free Forever Plan – Users consistently praise that Tawk.to offers a robust free plan with essential live chat features, making it highly accessible for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
• Easy to Set Up & Use – Many reviewers highlight how simple it is to install the widget on their website and start chatting with customers right away—even those without technical expertise find onboarding straightforward.
• Real-Time Customer Engagement – The ability to chat instantly with website visitors helps businesses capture leads quickly, answer questions on the spot, and improve sales conversion rates.
• Mobile Apps Available – Users appreciate having iOS & Android apps so they can respond to chats even when away from their desks or traveling.
• Add-On Features Like FAQs & Notes – Built-in FAQ management lets teams handle common queries efficiently; internal notes help agents personalize responses by sharing context about returning customers. Ringly.io also offers advanced collaboration tools but avoids some of the dashboard clutter mentioned below.
• No Limits on Agent Seats or Chat Volume (on Free Tier) – Unlike many competitors that restrict usage in free plans, Tawk.to allows unlimited agents and chats at no cost—ideal for growing teams just starting out.
• User-Friendly Visitor Interface – Customers report that visitors find the chat widget responsive and easy to use across devices.

Cons

• User Interface Can Be Confusing or Cluttered – Several users mention that both the web dashboard and mobile app interfaces feel outdated or overwhelming—especially for newcomers or non-technical staff. This can slow down onboarding or daily use compared to more modern alternatives like Ringly.io’s streamlined UI.
• Poor Notification Reliability – Missed notifications are a recurring complaint: operators sometimes aren’t alerted promptly about new messages (especially via mobile), leading to missed customer inquiries—and potentially lost business opportunities. Ringly.io addresses this pain point by offering more reliable notification systems across all devices.
• Lack of Customization Options – The design flexibility of the chat widget is limited; some brands struggle to match its appearance fully with their site’s aesthetics without paying extra fees. In contrast, Ringly.io provides deeper customization out-of-the-box.
• Bugs & Technical Glitches – Users report occasional bugs such as session timeouts, delayed notifications, issues merging customer accounts, inaccurate dashboards/reporting data, and buggy canned responses slowing down workflow—all impacting reliability during busy periods.
• Limited Integrations & Advanced Features – While great for basic needs, Tawk.to lacks some advanced automation, analytics, integrations, or omnichannel support found in premium solutions. Businesses needing deep CRM integration, AI-powered bots, or multi-channel messaging may find these limitations restrictive.
• Customer Support Quality Varies – Some reviewers note slow response times from Tawk.to's own support team when issues arise; immediate help isn’t always available if something goes wrong during critical hours.
• Free Plan Limitations / Upsell Pressure – Although marketed as “free forever,” certain features (like removing branding) require payment; some users feel there’s a bait-and-switch aspect once they need premium options.
• Not Ideal For Large Enterprises – Experts suggest Tawk.to’s feature set is best suited for small/medium businesses rather than large organizations needing enterprise-grade scalability, security, or compliance controls.

Pricing - Crisp chat vs Tawk.to

Note: The pricing information below is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date pricing, please visit each company's pricing page.

Crisp chat pricing

Tawk.to pricing

Ringly.io pricing

Ringly.io has simple, usage-based pricing with no hidden fees or long-term commitments. Test drive it risk-free for 14 days, then scale up or down on month-to-month terms—or book a demo for fully tailored enterprise support.

Online customer reviews: Crisp chat vs Tawk.to

What users are saying about Crisp chat:

Total reviews and average rating:
- Capterra: 256 reviews, average rating not explicitly stated but described as very positive.
- G2: Number of reviews not specified, but feedback is generally favorable.
- Trustpilot/Product Hunt: No specific review counts found in search results.

"Reliable and Scalable" – Tuan B., SaaS Business Owner
Crisp is modern and easy to use... support via the chat-function is also top notch... all-in-one inbox with multi-channel support, chatbot tools, affordable pricing... has scaled smoothly with our business...

"Advanced features could be more customizable" – Tuan B., SaaS Business Owner
Some advanced features (like analytics) could be more customizable... would love deeper reporting options compared to competitors like Intercom or Zendesk...

What users are saying about Tawk.to:

Total reviews and average rating:
- Capterra: Over 100 reviews (exact number not specified), average rating 4.6/5.
- G2: Number of reviews not specified; user sentiment is positive overall.
- Trustpilot/Product Hunt: No specific review counts found in search results.

"Forever free & easy setup" – Anonymous Reviewer, Capterra
The best feature of Tawk.to is that the basic chat system ...is forever free. I have been using Tawk.to for 3 years now and never paid a penny for using it which is fantastic. It is easy to setup, easy to implement and easy to manage...

"Delayed notifications & missed chats" – Anonymous Reviewer, Capterra
The only issue I have with Tawk.to is that notification emails from missed chats can take 30–60 minutes ...means you miss the user being live on your site. Responding hours later isn’t possible—often leads just disappear...

If you need further breakdowns by platform or want additional details on feature comparisons between these two products, let me know!

What users are saying about Ringly.io:

Ringly.io is known for its simplicity, and a focus on e-commerce, with features like abandoned cart recovery and order status lookups. It has a 4.8 star rating from 12 reviews on Product Hunt and other platforms.

"it stands out significantly ahead" - Bertrand, Director. We are at the initial stage of testing and have made only a few calls so far. Consequently, I have rated the product with four stars for now. However, I must express that the product has shown significant promise. When compared to competitors, it stands out significantly ahead.

"This is such a great product" - Jim Miranda, Founder. This is such a great product. I have been with you for less than a week and already closed 3 deals with it."

"It really sounds like a human" - Laix, Founder. Tried Ringly.io today and the quality of the phone calls surprises me! It really sounds like a human, and it reacts really fast. Will need to deploy it in action to see the full capabilities.

"How to automate customer service? -> Ringly.io" - Sidra Husnain, Founder.

Crisp chat vs Tawk.to: Which is best for you?

Who Crisp chat is best for…

• Growing teams and SMBs who want an all-in-one platform for live chat, email, and social messaging. Crisp shines with its unified inbox, automation tools, and affordable pricing for smaller teams and startups.
• Businesses needing advanced automation and integrations, like connecting to CRMs, building chatbots, or handling multiple channels (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc.) in one place.
• Support, sales, and marketing teams searching for easy collaboration, knowledge base management, and handy productivity tools (like co-browsing or ticketing) to boost response speed and efficiency.
• Companies wanting room to scale. Crisp’s higher-tier plans unlock unlimited agents, deeper integrations, and chatbot tools for teams ready to grow—though the price can go up fast as feature needs expand.

Who Tawk.to is best for…

• Small businesses and startups on a budget that need basic live chat, knowledge base, and unlimited agent seats but don’t require complex features or deep integrations—and want a solid free plan.
• Teams looking for easy setup and immediate value. If you want to install a chat widget and start chatting with website visitors in minutes (with little or no training), Tawk.to makes it painless for everyone.
• Companies with lots of team members but simple needs. Tawk.to doesn’t charge by agent, so it’s great for organizations who want lots of staff available to reply to chats without worrying about extra costs per seat.
• Businesses needing straightforward chat, not automation or AI. Tawk.to’s features are simple—good for chatting, sharing FAQs, and answering questions—but you’ll hit limits if you’re after smart automations or multi-channel outreach.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

• Any business (small, medium, or enterprise) ready to automate real conversations—by phone, SMS, or chat—with AI that truly “knows” your company.
• E-commerce brands and modern customer support teams who want to recover abandoned carts, handle order status questions, and give customers instant answers 24/7—no human effort required.
• Teams who want to go beyond basic chat and embrace true multi-channel automation. Ringly.io is built for businesses that want AI agents handling calls, answering complex questions, updating knowledge from their site daily, and even taking action (not just sending replies).
• Those who want simple, flexible monthly pricing with easy onboarding and no hidden fees. Whether you’re just starting out, looking to grow, or at enterprise scale, Ringly.io flexes to your needs—with personalized support to get you live smoothly.

Why Ringly.io stands out as the overall best choice: Unlike traditional web chat tools, Ringly.io doesn’t just answer simple questions. It handles real phone calls, SMS, and chats using advanced AI that actually understands your business and customers—freeing your team from repetitive support, capturing more sales, and keeping every single interaction fast and helpful. All with the flexibility, automation, and reliability that modern businesses expect, no matter their size or industry.

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

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Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io is revolutionizing e-commerce customer service with AI phone agents. Designed for online businesses, Ringly handles customer calls on autopilot—solving support issues, recovering abandoned carts, and even boosting sales—at just 20% of the cost of human agents.‍

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With 2,300+ customers, Ringly.io is the go-to solution for e-commerce stores looking to scale without scaling their support team. With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io transforms your phone system into a revenue-driving powerhouse—without the headaches of traditional call centers.‍

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Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Crisp chat and Tawk.to:

No-code setup, instant results – Ringly.io is ready to go in minutes. Just add your website, docs, or text—no engineering required—and your AI phone agent instantly understands your business. It even updates automatically as your website changes.‍‍‍

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AI-powered sales & support – Ringly.io does both inbound and outbound calls. Recover 35%+ of abandoned carts with automated follow-up calls, provide real-time order tracking from Shopify, and convert more customers with personalized AI-driven conversations—not just reactive support.‍‍

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Advanced analytics for smarter decisions – Ringly.io gives you real-time call data, customer intent tracking, and performance reports—helping you optimize support and sales strategies.‍‍‍

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Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.‍

Final Thoughts: Crisp, Tawk.to, or Ringly.io?

Choosing the right customer support platform comes down to where your business is headed—and how much you want to automate. Both Crisp chat and Tawk.to do a great job if you want a text-focused, web-based chat solution, but the landscape of customer communication is quickly evolving. Here are the big-picture takeaways to help you decide:

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• Crisp Chat: Best for SMBs and scaling startups who want a feature-rich all-in-one inbox for live chat, emails, and social channels—plus good automation and integrations, all at an accessible price point. Go with Crisp if you need classic web chat, team collaboration, and multi-channel management, but don’t need advanced phone automation yet.
• Tawk.to: Perfect for small businesses or startups on a tight budget seeking unlimited free chat, easy setup, and no per-agent costs. Choose Tawk.to if simplicity, instant installation, and no-frills live chat are your top priorities—and you can live without deeper automations, multichannel, or AI.
• Ringly.io: The right move for any business serious about AI-powered automation—on phone, SMS, and chat. Ringly.io goes beyond just answering questions: it recovers sales, solves orders, and delivers hands-free support 24/7. Pick Ringly.io if you want your support and sales to run on autopilot—with all your latest knowledge updated automatically, and real conversations, not just replies.

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Why Ringly.io edges ahead? Unlike chat-only tools, Ringly.io brings AI-driven support out of the browser and into every channel—handling real phone calls, outbound sales follow-ups, and instant order help. You don’t just keep up with customer expectations—you get ahead of them. And with no coding, no long contracts, and transparent pricing, Ringly.io keeps things simple as you grow.

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If you want the basics, Crisp and Tawk.to will serve you well. But if you’re ready for support that works while you sleep, captures more revenue, and actually sounds like a real human, Ringly.io is the modern choice—backed by happy customers, top ratings, and a fast, friendly onboarding.

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Ready to experience truly automated, human-sounding support? Compare Ringly.io plans and get started today.