18 rules in 6 groups, worth 100 points in all. They were set before any product was scored and apply the same way to all 12.
Version 1, published 9 Oct 2026
In short
Each rule is a yes-or-no fact, a list (such as the systems with an app) or a number with published thresholds, read from the vendor's own pages.
A fact the vendor does not publish earns nothing. A feature in beta or preview does not count.
The list follows the points. A tie goes to the lower price on "cost for 3 agents", then to the name.
Website live chat for support and sales teams of 1 to 10 agents. Full help desks, stand-alone chatbot builders and team chat apps are left out. Browser-based tools count as running on Windows. A feature counts if it is generally available on at least one plan, unless the rule names the plan. Rules that name a price use the regular price in US dollars.
Price 20 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Free plan
A free plan (not a trial) that includes live chat from a website widget for at least one agent, with no time limit. A cap on chats or visitors per month does not disqualify it.
8
Cost for 3 agents
Monthly cost in US dollars, before tax, of the cheapest paid plan with live chat for 3 agent seats: the per-agent price times 3, or the plan price plus extra seats if fewer than 3 are included. Use the price billed yearly if shown, else the single price shown. Add-ons for AI or branding are not counted. No paid plan counts as $0. Up to $25 earns 12, $45 9, $60 6, $90 3, $130 1.
12
Chat handling 21 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Chat history kept
How long past chats stay available to agents on the cheapest plan that includes live chat (a free plan counts), as stated on a vendor page: "unlimited" only if the page says unlimited, indefinite or until deleted; "1 year or more" for a stated period of 12 months or longer; "under 1 year" for a shorter stated period. If no page states it, record null.
5
Shared saved replies
Agents can save replies and share them with all agents or a team, not only keep them private, on at least one plan.
4
Routing rules
A vendor page describes chats being assigned automatically to agents or teams by rules (for example round robin, page, language or skill), on at least one plan. Picking an agent by hand does not count.
8
Offline message form
A vendor page says that when no agent is online, visitors can leave a message through the widget (an offline, contact or ticket form) that reaches the team by email or in the inbox.
4
Visitors 13 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Visitor location shown
A vendor page says agents see the visitor's country or city during a chat.
3
Live visitor list
A list of people currently on the website, shown to agents in real time, on at least one plan.
5
Proactive chat invitations
The widget can start a chat by itself, for example after a set time or on certain pages, on at least one plan.
5
Apps and channels 14 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Agent apps
An official agent app for each system on the vendor's own site or in an app store listing it links to (a browser inbox alone does not earn the Windows point). Each one earns 2 points.
6
Other channels in the inbox
The vendor's site says messages from the channel arrive in the same agent inbox as website chat, natively or through an official integration, on at least one plan. Each channel earns 2 points.
8
Data and trust 14 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001
The vendor names a SOC 2 Type II report or an ISO/IEC 27001 certification for this product or the company running it.
6
Data processing agreement
A vendor page offers a data processing agreement (DPA) that customers can sign, accept or request, or links to the DPA document.
4
Two-factor sign-in for agents
A vendor help or security page says agents can turn on two-factor authentication on at least one plan.
4
Connections 18 points
Rule
What it takes
Points
Named integrations
The vendor's own site lists a native integration, official plugin or connector for each tool. Each one earns 1 point.
6
Public API or webhooks
The vendor documents a public API or webhooks that work with live chat data.
4
Remove vendor branding
The vendor's "powered by" branding can be removed from the widget on a plan or paid add-on, as stated on a vendor page.
3
AI agent for chat
The vendor sells a generally available AI agent or chatbot that answers visitors in the chat widget (a paid add-on counts). Beta or waitlist does not.