Selection method
Five questions before comparing features
- Where does an agent read and write the reply: a Teams channel, Teams chat, an embedded tab or an external inbox?
- How are visitors routed by website, language, campaign, intent and business hours?
- Which channels are truly supported: website, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, email or voice?
- What drives cost: users, agents, channels, widgets, domains, conversations or usage?
- Which identity, retention, privacy, AI and reporting controls are documented?
Current candidates
A practical Teams-oriented shortlist
| Candidate | Documented positioning | Verify in the proof of concept |
|---|---|---|
| WebChat | Channel posts, thread replies, per-channel model, website and social messaging | Exact price, reporting depth, privacy documents |
| Social Intents | Live chat for Teams, Slack and Google Chat with public plan tiers | Exact Teams agent surface and social-channel scope |
| Chat365 | Microsoft Marketplace live-chat offering for Teams | Routing, limits, inbox model and current commercial terms |
| uWebChat | Marketplace-listed website chat for Microsoft Teams | Agent workflow, administration, retention and pricing |
| Captivate Chat | Marketplace-listed customer-chat option | Native versus embedded workflow and channel coverage |
| CentrePal / CoreInteract | Teams-related customer-service offerings in Marketplace | Product scope, deployment effort, pricing and support region |
Product categories
Three different answers to the same search
A Teams-first tool minimises context switching by placing operational work in Teams. A general live-chat platform usually brings its own inbox and uses Teams for notifications or embedding. A contact centre adds voice, queues and enterprise control at a higher level of complexity.
The best category depends on the required agent surface. Buying a long feature list while ignoring that surface is one of the most expensive migration mistakes.
Scenario verdicts
Which path should you test first?
- Teams channels are mandatory: WebChat and other demonstrably channel-native candidates first.
- Teams, Slack and Google Chat are all used: Social Intents belongs near the top of the shortlist.
- Voice and complex queues are mandatory: evaluate contact-centre products separately.
- Self-hosting and source-code control are mandatory: evaluate open-source systems and budget the Teams integration work.
- Very small team with simple needs: compare total cost and administration, not enterprise feature counts.
Fair proof of concept
Score every candidate with the same ten tasks
- 01
Inbound routing
Route three pages, languages or intents to different owners.
- 02
Agent work
Accept, reply, hand over and handle simultaneous responses.
- 03
Outside hours
Test offline capture, acknowledgement and next-day follow-up.
- 04
Governance
Review identity, roles, retention, exports, deletion and audit evidence.
- 05
Total cost
Use real users, channels, websites, conversations and required add-ons.