Verified zero-price entry points
Three free offers with materially different boundaries
Free is only useful as a selection category when price, included agents, volume, retention and add-ons travel together. This matrix records the vendor information retrieved on 10 August 2026; it is not a permanent price promise.
| Offer | Documented free scope | Agent workspace | Clarify before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| tawk.to | self-service software; vendor says no agent, chat-volume or website limits | tawk.to application | branding, AI, video/voice and hired-agent add-ons |
| Chatwoot Cloud Hacker | $0 per agent/month; up to 2 agents, 500 conversations/month, 30-day retention | Chatwoot inbox | volume, retention, channels and the upgrade step |
| Crisp Free | $0/month, 2 agents, website widget and shared inbox | Crisp shared inbox | profile/feature limits, branding, automation and support |
| WebChat | no verified zero price | documented Teams channel threads | current per-channel quote, usage and add-on costs |
Total operating cost
Free software often moves cost into staffing and constraints
- Coverage: software does not answer visitors; shifts, handover and absence coverage remain labour costs.
- Add-ons: removing branding, AI, more channels, video, automation or outsourced agents may be paid.
- Limits: two agents, conversation caps or short retention can trigger an early upgrade.
- Tool switching: an external inbox adds logins, roles, notification design and training beside Teams.
- Governance: DPA, hosting, deletion, export, SSO and support still require review at a zero licence price.
Teams fit
Free wins only when a separate agent inbox is acceptable
A small team that simply needs a working website widget may reasonably pilot a verified free plan. A team preserving Microsoft Teams as its operating surface must compare the reply path instead: a Teams channel thread, embedded provider tab, notification-only connection or entirely separate inbox.
The reviewed free-plan sources do not document native Teams channel handling for tawk.to, Chatwoot or Crisp. That does not prove that no custom connection can be built. It means such a connection cannot be treated as a verified core workflow in this decision.
Thirty-minute pilot
Expose every free-plan boundary with the same small test
- 01
Install the widget
Check loading, consent, keyboard access, mobile overlap, offline behaviour and complete removal.
- 02
Test three roles
Run first response, handover and absence coverage with real ownership and notification rules.
- 03
Force the limits
Test the second agent, export, retention, branding, automation and required channels against the plan.
- 04
Record TCO
Place internal hours, add-ons, migration and the first likely paid upgrade beside the zero price.